This text draws on a recent work experience at the WEEE recycling centre in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, during which I wrote a series of auto-ethnographic texts. Through a performative of framing recycling work, I attempt to gain insight into the way we relate to the electronic waste we produce. I apply media-archaeological concepts to some of the work experiences I wrote about and address my findings in ecological terms.
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This paper presents challenges in city logistics for circular supply chains of e-e-waste. Efficient e-waste management is one of the strategies to save materials, critical minerals, and precious metals. E-waste collection and recycling have gained attention recently due to lower collection and recycling rates. However, implementing circular urban supply chains is a significant economic transformation that can only work if coordination decisions are solved between the actors involved. On the one hand, this requires the implementation of efficient urban collection technologies, where waste collection companies collaborate with manufacturers, urban waste treatment specialists, and city logistics service providers supported by digital solutions for visibility and planning. On the other hand, it also requires implementing urban and regional ecosystems connected by innovative CO2-neutral circular city logistics systems. These systems must smoothly and sustainably manage the urban and regional flow of resources and data, often at a large scale and with interfaces between industrial processes, private, and public actors. This paper presents future research questions from a city logistics perspective based on a European project aimed at developing a blueprint for systemic solutions for the circularity of plastics from applications of rigid PU foams used as insulation material in refrigerators.
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Nederland voldoet met een inzamelpercentage van minder dan 50% niet aan de Europese normen voor e-waste. Er komt te weinig afgedankte elektrische en elektronische apparatuur terug van consumenten en bedrijven. Naast een betere inzameling en verwerking van e-waste, is het reduceren van gebruik door minder kopen en het verlengen van de levensduur, hergebruik en reparatie cruciaal voor een circulaire economie.
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Little progress has been made in recent years toward achieving a fully circular economy by 2050. Implementing circular urban supply chains is a major economic transformation that can only work if significant coordination problems between the actors involved are solved. On the one hand, this requires the implementation of efficient urban collection technologies, where process industries collaborate hand-in-hand with manufacturers, urban waste treatment, and city logistics specialists and are supported by digital solutions for visibility and planning. But on the other hand, it also requires implementing regional and urban ecosystems connected by innovative CO2-neutral circular city logistics systems smoothly and sustainably managing the regional flow of resources and data, often at large and with interfaces between industrial processes and private and private and public actors. What are relevant research questions from a city logistics perspective?
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Metropolitan Cebu, the third largest agglomeration in the Philippines with a population of approximately 3 million, faces significant challenges in managing domestic wastewater and solid waste. This mismanagement has led to the pollution of its water bodies, including the Mahiga Creek and the Butuanon River, the latter of which was declared dead in 1992 and can no longer support flora and fauna. Between 2017 and 2025, seven international River Challenge Climate Cafes were conducted by Dutch universities of Applied Sciences and Filipino universities . During these events, teams of young professionals assessed the upstream, midstream, and downstream stretches of Metro Cebu's rivers and evaluated the vulnerability of 12 urban poor communities living along these rivers. The primary aim of these rapid appraisals was to raise awareness among community members, local governments, and students, as well as to build capacity. Throughout the process, there was a shift from merely gathering data on pollution levels to engaging the community, identifying risks, and finding feasible solutions to mitigate these risks. Various methods were employed to measure water quality, river width, river discharge, flood heights, ecology, plastic waste pollution, and residents' perceptions. The results were shared online via Climatescan.org with the global climate adaptation community. The findings demonstrate that river challenges are effective tools for creating context-rich learning environments for students, with more than 250 participants. The River Challenge Climate Cafe enable young professionals, primarily with technical backgrounds, to gain firsthand field experience, exposure to environmental degradation, severe pollution, and vulnerable communities, thereby enhancing their environmental awareness. Additionally, the river scan challenge proves to be a valuable tool for increasing awareness of river pollution and promoting rehabilitation effortsHow to cite: Heikoop, R., Boogaard, F., Abrenica, B., Fornis, R., Borgonia, K., Ledesma, D., Nasara, J., Boer, E., and Oudendammer, T.: Enhancing Environmental Awareness Through River Challenges: A Case Study of Metropolitan Cebu, Philippines , 12th International Conference on Urban Climate, Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 7–11 Jul 2025, ICUC12-1052, https://doi.org/10.5194/icuc12-1052, 2025.
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Abstract: Electronic and electrical waste (e-waste) is growing fast. The purpose of this study is to examine young consumers’ purchase intention of refurbished electronic devices (REDs) such as laptop, tablet, mobile phone and game console. From literature review the factors that influence young consumers’ purchase intention were identified as ‘environmental awareness’, ‘social acceptance’, ‘seller/brand reputation and availability’, and ‘affordability and value’. For each factor a few statements were developed and used as independent variables in a questionnaire. One statement was added about purchase intention as dependent variable. A Pearson correlation coefficient test us showed a clear positive correlation of ‘environmental awareness’ and ‘affordability and value’ with the intention to purchase REDs, but not for the other two factors. This analysis contributes to knowledge on young consumers’ perceptions of refurbished electronic devices and can inform the design of innovative value propositions and new business models for REDs that contribute to a circular economy
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The consumer electronics (CE) industry has high turnovers and a growing demand, such as on the home entertainment segment. At the same time, it generates e-waste of the order of a dozen million tons, about one quarter of the world's total. With the purpose of improving the environmental performance of businesses, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive was put in place in Europe. Given the high competitive environment of this industry, WEEE could be a clue for competitive edge. To create an environmental and economic win-win situation, however, companies have to master reverse logistics (RL). This is particularly challenging in fast clockspeed environments, as it is the case for the CE industry. In this paper, we develop a theoretically and empirically grounded diagnostic tool for assessing a CE company's RL practices and identifying potential for RL improvement, from a business perspective. To theoretically ground the tool, we combine specific CE literature with general theory on reverse logistics management and performance improvement. To empirically ground the tool, we collect field data by combining quantitative (a multiactor survey) with qualitative (interviews and company visits) methods. We demonstrate how our tool can be used to create awareness at senior management about the reverse logistics maturity state.
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Since the film of Al Gore An inconvenient truth, sustainability stands high on the national agenda of most countries. Concern for the environment is one of the main reasons in combination with opportunities to innovate. In general, innovation and entrepreneurship are important in the realm of national economies because they hold the key to the continuity and growth of companies (e.g. Hage, 1999; Cooper, 1987; Van de Ven, 2007) and economic growth within a country. It is therefore obvious that national governments are investing money to enable and improve innovation management and entrepreneurial behaviour within organizations with sustainability in mind. Policy measures are aimed at reduction of carbon dioxide emission, waste management and alternative use of energy sources and materials. In line with these measures companies are urged to integrate sustainability in their business processes and search for innovative sustainable solutions. While on a national level policy measures towards a more sustainable society are defined, enterprises - and especially small and medium sized companies - lag behind and fail in incorporating these measures appropriately in their day-to day business. As a result research for sustainability has become an important driver for innovation. Within the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CI&E) at The Hague University of Applied Sciences we have taken the initiative to develop an innovation and research program for the construction industry to help small and medium sized companies (SME's) integrate sustainability in their business processes, while simultaneously professionalizing students and lecturers. This paper is part of ongoing research among 40 companies in the region of South-Holland. The companies are mostly SME's varying from very small (6 employees) to middle-sized (more than 100). According to Rennings (2000) while innovation processes toward sustainable development have received increasing attention during the past years, theoretical and methodological approaches to analyse these processes are poorly developed. This paper describes a theoretical approach developed at our university's Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which combines education and research. It is an inductive approach that departs from real-life problems encountered by companies, and is aimed at developing a model that supports companies in integrating sustainability in their business and innovation processes. We describe the experiences so far with a number of companies in the construction industry, which participate in the innovation and research program described above and the barriers they encounter. Our sustainable program is centred on four themes: cradle-to-cradle, social corporate responsibility, climateneutral construction and sustainability and customer orientation in the building process. It is an exploratory research in which students and undergraduates are involved under the supervision of a lecturer as senior researcher of this program. Through an in-depth analysis of the companies, participant observation and indepth interviews with the owners/directors of the companies, experts and prominent sustainable trendsetters, insight is gained in innovation processes towards sustainable development. Preliminary conclusions show that on a company level one of the main bottlenecks is the dilemma posed by the need for profit for the continuity of a company, while taking into account people and planet. The main bottleneck is however the inability of companies to translate policy measures into strategy and operations. This paper is set up as follows. In section 2 we give an account of European and Dutch policy measures geared at stimulating sustainability in a business context and especially the building and construction industry. In section 3 an overview is given of the economic importance and characteristics of the Dutch building and construction industry and the problems in this sector. These problems are offset against the opportunity of sustainability as a strategic option for SME's in this sector. In section 4 the innovation and research program developed at the CI&E is introduced in the context of the main research question. Following that in section 5, methodological choices are addressed and the research design is presented. We finalize this paper in section 6 with our conclusions and recommendations for further research.
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Our planet’s ecology and society are on a collision course, which manifests due to a contradiction in the assumptions of unlimited material growth fueling the linear economic paradigm. Our closed planetary ecosystem imposes confined amounts of space and a finite extent of resources upon its inhabitants. However, practically all the economic perspectives have been defiantly neglecting these realities, as resources are extracted, used and disposed of reluctantly (Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2015). The circular economy attempts to reconcile the extraction, production and usage of goods and resources with the limited availability of those resources and nature’s regenerative capabilities This perspective entails a shift throughout the supply chain, from material science (e g non-toxic, regenerative biomaterials) to novel logistical systems (e g low-carbon reverse logistics). Because of this, the circular economy is often celebrated for its potential environmental benefits and its usefulness as a blueprint for sustainable development (Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2017). Unfortunately, the promise of the circular economy aiming at enhanced sustainability through restorative intent and design (McDonough & Braungart 2010), is often inhibited by institutional barriers posed by the current linear economy of take, make, use and waste (Ghisellini et al. 2016). Underlying those barriers our cultural paradigm celebrates consumerism, exponential growth and financial benefit instead of human values such as diversity, care and trust. Based on a mapping exercise of the circular economy discourse in the Netherlands and an overview of international (academic) literature (Van den Berg 2020) supplemented with collaborative co-creation sessions, visiting events, conferences, giving talks and classes, we have defined a gap leading to the focus of the Professorship. First, we highlight the importance of a process approach in studying the transition from a linear to a circular economy, which is why we use the verb ‘entrepreneuring’ as it indicates the movement we collectively need to make. The majority of work in the field is based on start-ups and only captures snapshots while longitudinal and transition perspectives - especially of larger companies - are missing (Merli et al. 2019; Geissdoerfer et al. 2018; Bocken et al. 2014). We specifically adopt an entrepreneurship-as-practice lens (Thompson, Verduijn & Gartner 2020), which allows us to trace the doings – as opposed to only the sayings - of organizations involved in circular innovation. Such an approach also enables us to study cross-sector and interfirm collaboration, which is crucial to achieve ecosystem circularity (Raworth 2019). As materials flow between actors in a system, traditional views of ‘a value chain’ slowly make way for an ecosystem or value web perspective on ‘organizing business’. We summarize this first theme as ‘entrepreneurship as social change’ broadening dominant views of what economic activity is and who the main actors are supposed to be (Barinaga 2013; Calás, Smircich & Bourne 2009; Steyaert & Hjorth 2008; Nicholls 2008). Second, within the Circular Business Professorship value is a big word in two ways. First of all, we believe that a transition to a circular economy is not just a transition of materials, nor technologies - it is most of all a transition of values We are interested in how people can explore their own agency in transitioning to a circular economy thereby aligning their personal values with the values of the organization and the larger system they are a part of Second, while circularity is a broad concept that can be approached through different lenses, the way in which things are valued and how value is created and extracted lies at the heart of the transition (Mazzucato 2018). If we don’t understand value as collectively crafted it will be very hard to change things, which is why we specifically focus on multiplicity and co-creation in the process of reclaiming value, originating from an ethics of care Third, sustainability efforts are often concerned with optimization of the current – linear – system by means of ecoefficient practices that are a bit ‘less bad’; using ’less resources’, causing ‘less pollution’ and ‘having less negative impact’. In contrast, eco-effective practices are inherently good, departing from the notion of abundance: circular thinking celebrates the abundance of nature’s regenerative capacities as well as the abundance of our imagination to envision new realities (Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2015). Instead of exploiting natural resources, we should look closely in order to learn how we can build resilient self-sustaining ecosystems like the ones we find in nature. We are in need of rediscovering our profound connection with and appreciation of nature, which requires us to move beyond the cognitive and employ an aesthetic perspective of sustainability This perspective informs our approach to innovating education: aesthetics can support deep sustainability learning (Ivanaj, Poldner & Shrivastava 2014) and contribute to facilitating the circular change makers of the future. The current linear economy has driven our planet’s ecology and society towards a collision course and it is really now or never: if we don’t alter the course towards a circular economy today, then when? When will it become urgent enough for us to take action? Which disaster is needed for us to wake up? We desperately need substitutes for the current neo-liberal paradigm, which underlies our linear society and prevents us from becoming an economy of well-being In Entrepreneuring a regenerative society I propose three research themes – ‘entrepreneurship as social change’, ‘reclaiming value’ and ‘the aesthetics of sustainability’ – as alternative ways of embracing, studying and co-creating such a novel reality. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-poldner-a003473/
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Een fles rode wijn per dag drinken is ongezond, maar een glas per dag reduceert mogelijk de kans op hartkwalen. Dit is een voorbeeld van ‘hormese’: het verschijnsel dat een agens dat in grote hoeveelheden schadelijk is, bij lage doses juist gezond is. Iets vergelijkbaars geldt voor zonlicht: lage doses worden geassocieerd met positieve gezondseffecten, hoge doses met verbranden en een hogere kans op huidkanker. Er zijn onderzoekers die zich op het omstreden standpunt stellen dat ook ioniserende straling hormetische eigenschappen heeft. In dit artikel gaan we nader in op de verschillende standpunten omtrent lage-dosiseffecten, de argumenten voor en tegen hormese en de consequenties van recente inzichten.
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