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This document describes the Table & Swirl method, which is a quick visualization method for aspects of circular material streams. Use the method to structure and visualize information to understand and share aspects of material streams in a circular economy. It is a time efficient way to start interesting discussions on any topic related to a circular material stream. The method is built around the Table, a tool to in a structured way gather information and the Swirl, which provides quick visualization. The feedback from our test workshops and end-users were: • ”An eye opener!” • ”First, I thought the model was too simple, then I realized how quickly we got into interesting discussions.” This method was developed in the year 2023 by the Research Institute of Sweden (RISE) and Luleå University of Technology (LTU) in the joint project “Feasibility study: Five circular material streams for batteries“, which was financed by Energimyndigheten, the Swedish Energy Agency., Feasibility study: Five circular material streams for batteries

This document describes the Table & Swirl method, which is a quick visualization method for aspects of circular material streams. Use the method to structure and visualize information to understand and share aspects of material streams in a circular economy. It is a time efficient way to start interesting discussions on any topic related to a circular material stream. The method is built around the Table, a tool to in a structured way gather information and the Swirl, which provides quick visualization. The feedback from our test workshops and end-users were: • ”An eye opener!” • ”First, I thought the model was too simple, then I realized how quickly we got into interesting discussions.” This method was developed in the year 2023 by the Research Institute of Sweden (RISE) and Luleå University of Technology (LTU) in the joint project “Feasibility study: Five circular material streams for batteries“, which was financed by Energimyndigheten, the Swedish Energy Agency., Financed by Energimyndigheten, the Swedish Energy Agency.

Consumer products such as clothes and footwear sometimes contain chemical substances with properties that pose a risk to human health and the environment. These substances, restricted by law or company policy, are in focus for chemicals management processes by textile retailers. However, complex and non-transparent supply chains, and limited chemical knowledge, makes chemicals management challenging. Therefore, a function-based approach for life cycle management (LCM) of chemicals was developed, based on results of previous projects and evaluated using a two-step Delphi process. The resulting approach aims to help retailers identify and substitute hazardous substances in products, and consists of three parts: (i) a function-based chemicals management concept model for different levels of chemical information within the supply chain, (ii) tools for non-chemists which explain chemical information, and (iii) a continuous provision of knowledge to stakeholders (e.g., retailers) in a network. This approach is successfully implemented by over 100 retailers in the Nordic countries, providing the textile industry with practical and robust tools to manage and substitute hazardous chemicals in products and production processes. We conclude that the developed approach provides an explicit link, communication, and knowledge sharing between actors in the supply chain, which has proven important in chemicals LCM., Mistra Future Fashion, SUPFES

With increasing interest in reducing fossil fuel emissions, more and more development is focused on electric mobility. For electric vehicles, the main challenge is the mass of the batteries, which significantly increase the mass of the vehicles and limits their range. One possible concept to solve this is incorporating structural batteries; a structural material that both stores electrical energy and carries mechanical load. The concept envisions constructing the body of an electric vehicle with this material and thus reducing the need for further energy storage. This research is investigating a future structural battery that is incorporated in the roof of an electric vehicle. The structural battery is replacing the original steel roof of the vehicle, and part of the original traction battery. The environmental implications of this structural battery roof are investigated with a life cycle assessment, which shows that a structural battery roof can avoid climate impacts in substantive quantities. The main emissions for the structural battery stem from its production and efforts should be focused there to further improve the environmental benefits of the structural battery. Toxicity is investigated with a novel chemical risk assessment from a life cycle perspective, which shows that two chemicals should be targeted for substitution., QC 20191212

A multifunctional structural battery consisting of carbon fibers, lithium-electrode coatings and a structural battery electrolyte is investigated with an analytical bottom-up model. This model has a multiphysics approach, calculating both mechanical properties and electrical energy storage. The intention of the model is twofold; first, calculating the potential mass saving with using a structural battery instead of the combination of a monofunctional carbon fiber composite and a monofunctional lithium ion battery. Second, the model is used to investigate the behavior of the mass saving due to changing variables of the structural battery. This variable sensitivity analysis is made in order to understand the behavior of the structural battery and its sensitivity to the different construction variables. The results show that the structural battery can save up to 26% of mass compared to the monofunctional parts. Next, the model of the structural battery is further utilized in a life cycle assessment, where the manufacturing, usage and recycling of the structural battery is investigated. The life cycle assessment examines the structural battery as the roof of an electric vehicle. This analysis is compared to the same assessment for a steel roof and standard lithium ion batteries, which shows that manufacturing the carbon fibers and structural battery with clean energy is most important for decreasing the emissions from manufacturing., QC 20190917

To achieve sustainable development goals, it is essential to include the industrial system. There are sufficient numbers of tools and methods for measuring, assessing and improving the quality, productivity and efficiency of production, but the number of tools and methods for environmental initiatives on the shop floor is rather low. Incorporating environmental considerations into production and performance management systems still generally involves a top-down approach aggregated for an entire manufacturing plant. Green lean studies have been attempting to fill this gap to some extent, but the lack of detailed methodologies and practical tools for environmental manufacturing improvement on the shop floor is still evident. This paper reports on the application of four environmental assessment tools commonly used among Swedish manufacturing companies—Green Performance Map (GPM), Environmental Value Stream Mapping (EVSM), Waste Flow Mapping (WFM), and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)—to help practitioners and scholars to understand the different features of each tool, so in turn the right tool(s) can be selected according to particular questions and the industrial settings. Because there are some overlap and differences between the tools and a given tool may be more appropriate to a situation depending on the question posed, a combination of tools is suggested to embrace different types of data collection and analysis to include different environmental impacts for better prioritization and decision-making.

The quantity and composition of fibers released from functional textiles during accelerated washing were investigated using the GyroWash method. Two fabrics [polyamide (PA) and polyester/cotton (PES/CO)] were selected and coated with perfluorohexane-based side-chain fluorinated polymers. Fibers released during washing ranged from similar to 10 to 500 mu with a similar distribution for the two textile types. The PA-based fabric released considerably more fibers >20 mu m in length compared to the PES/CO-based fabric (>1000/GyroWash for PA vs similar to 200/GyroWash fibers for PES/CO). After one GyroWash (2-15 domestic washes), fibers that contained approximately 240 and 1300 mu g total fluorine per square meter (mu g F/m(2)) were released from the PA and PES/CO fabrics, respectively. Current understanding of the fate of microplastic fibers suggests that a large fraction of these fibers reach the environment either in effluent wastewater or sewage sludge applied to land. In the environment, the fluorinated side chains will be slowly cleaved from the backbone of the side-chain fluorinated polymers coated on the fibers and then transformed into short-chain perfluoroalkyl acids. On the European scale, emissions of up to similar to 0.7 t of fluorotelomer alcohol (6:2 FTOH) per year were estimated for outdoor rain jackets treated with fluorotelomer-based side-chain fluorinated polymers.

The essence of industrial waste management is evaluated in term of economy and resource efficiency. With optimal waste management system companies are able to make a correct assessment when balancing the economic benefits and environmental risks. However, the economic and environmental benefits need to be known and understood to allow individuals making correct waste management decisions. In this study the ability of individuals to assess the economic and environmental impact of ten common waste fractions in manufacturing was examined. These results can be used to direct educational efforts to increase industrial waste management efficiency and enhance recyclability., QC 20171116, INNOFACTURE - innovative manufacturing development, MEMIMAN - Material Efficiency Management in Manufacturing