Search

Urban Water Infrastructure systems (UWI) are central to functioning cities. For securing a continuous and efficient supply of the systems services, continuous investment, maintenance, and renewal are needed. Neglecting maintenance and renewal can lead to recurrent breakdown problems as systems age, which makes it more and more difficult to secure efficient long-term supply. Globally, many cities struggle with aging water infrastructure, often due to competing funding priorities. Investment in maintenance and renewal is not prioritized. The problem primarily stems from the challenge of reaping the benefits of investments promptly. The long-term benefits gained from investing in the renewal of water infrastructure may be achievable in the long run, resulting in the oversight of such investments. This leads to a build-up of "renewal debt" for future generations to inherit. Addressing this issue is difficult due to various contributing factors and the complex nature of the systems. The study aims to contribute to an increased understanding of the long-term management challenges UWI, the development of improved maintenance and renewal strategies through the examination of water infrastructure management, and the assessment of the adequacy of the maintenance and renewal in a case study, the city of Linköping, Sweden. Employing a mixed methods approach, this study utilized both qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews, workshops, and data analysis. The findings of the study provided insights into the current status of the water and sewerage networks in Linköping, highlighting the risks to ensuring reliable and sustainable water supply and discussing strategies for improving maintenance and renewal.

The city's wire-based infrastructure systems (WBIS) are responsible for the delivery of electricity,telecommunications, sanitation, drainage, and district heating and are a necessity for sustainable modern urban life.Maintaining the functionality of these structures involves high costs and, brings disturbance to the local community and effectson the environment. One key reason for this is that the cables and pipes are placed under streets, making system parts easilyworn and their service lifetime reduced, and all maintenance and renewal rely on recurrent needs for excavation. In Sweden, asignificant part of wire-based infrastructure is already outdated and will need to be replaced in the coming decades. Thereplacement of these systems will entail massive costs as well as important traffic disruption and environmental disturbance.However, this challenge may also open a unique opportunity to introduce new, more sustainable technologies and managementpractices. The transformation of WBIS management for long-term sustainability and meeting maintenance and renewal needsdoes not have a comprehensive approach. However, a systemic approach may inform WBIS management. This approachconsiders both technical and non-technical aspects, as well as time-related factors. Nevertheless, there is limited systemicknowledge of how different factors influence current management practices. The aim of this study is to address this knowledgegap and contribute to the understanding of what factors influence the current practice of WBIS management. A case studyapproach is used to identify current management practices, the underlying factors that influence them, and their implicationsfor sustainability outcomes. The case study is based on both quantitative data on the local system and data from interviews andworkshops with local practitioners and other stakeholders. Linköping was selected as a case since it provided goodaccessibility to the water administration and relevant data for analyzing w

Multi-utility tunnel (MUT) have received increasing attention as an alternative method for installing subsurface infrastructure for the distribution of electricity, telecommunications, water, sewage and district heating. MUTs are described as a potentially more sustainable technology than conventional open-cut excavation (OCE), especially if the entire life cycle of these cable and pipe networks is taken into account. Based on an extensive review of the academic literature, this article aims to identify and critically examine claims made about the pros and cons of using MUT for the placement of subsurface infrastructure. Identified claims are mapped, and their validity and applicability assessed. These claims are then analyzed from a sustainability perspective, based on the three sustainability dimensions and a life cycle perspective. The results show that a variety of advantages and disadvantages of using MUTs for subsurface infrastructure are highlighted by the articles, but several of these are without any empirical support. When some form of empirical support is presented, it usually comes from case-specific analyses of MUTs, and the applicability in other MUT projects is seldom discussed. Economic performance is the sustainability dimension that has received the most attention, while environmental performance has not been analyzed in the reviewed literature, which is a major limitation of the current knowledge. In summary, the knowledge about the sustainability performance of using MUTs for subsurface infrastructure is still limited and incoherent. In order to increase the knowledge, this article points out the importance of new case studies, in which the sustainability consequences of using MUTs for subsurface infrastructure are mapped and evaluated by combining both quantitative and qualitative assessment methods., Funding: Kamprad Family Foundation for Entrepreneurship, Research Charity; [20180218]

A circular economy creates a policy conflict between increased resource circulationand decreased dispersal of hazardous substances. On the basis of three case studiesin the EU, we have therefore identified various regulatory questions that can be posedto address the occurrence of hazardous substances in the use of waste. For each ofthese questions, we have proposed two possible responses influencing the design ofthe regulation and analyzed their consequences both f rom a circularity and from a tox-icity perspective.Currently, the regulations focus on reducing the dispersal of hazardous substancesrather than stimulating resource circulation. The allowable contamination levels in thewaste are typically regulated in relation to its mass rather than its content of valuableresources. The regulation of hazards in waste can be further developed in two gen-eral ways, by emphasizing either the risk of exposure to hazards or the total contentof hazards. A risk approach is beneficial for short-term circularity and waste produc-ers. A hazard approach is beneficial for long-term circularity and waste users. In orderto improve the balancing of the policy conflict in question, values, underlying assump-tions, and the effects of hazardous substances and resource circulation need to be bet-ter understood, QC 20210129

The purpose of this study was to examine how preschool teachers use scolding towards children based on Michael Foucault's theories of power and Erik Sigsgaards studies in scolding. The study also intended to investigate and analyze teachers' perceptions about scolding and how their actions compare to scientific studies about the subject of scolding and its consequences. In this way, our study intends to contribute to educational development by making scolding visible as a phenomenon. Ten teachers at three preschools in different municipalities participated in the study through observations and interviews. The result showed three main categories of scolding: as a disciplinary exercise of power, as a practice and as an educational opportunity. The result also showed that most of the teachers consider the use of scolding against children as an effective and acceptable practice, while scientific studies highlight the opposite. Thereby, the use of scolding becomes a complex and ambiguous method for the preschool's pedagogical assignment.

Previous studies showed that resources recovery through landfill mining (LFM) is generally challenging from an economic perspective and that a large share of project costs is related to the external treatment and disposal of bulk process wastes such as combustibles and fines residue. Building on these analyses, this study aims to explore the potential for improving the economy of LFM in Europe by creating value from these bulk process wastes. Specifically, the combustibles are treated through internal incineration with subsequent energy recovery, while fines residue is utilized as construction aggregates. These explored possibilities are investigated considering other varying factors at the site, project, and system levels that cover possible LFM project settings in Europe. A set-based modelling approach is adapted generate multiple LFM scenarios (531,441) and investigate the underlying critical factors that drive the economy of LFM through global sensitivity analysis. Results show that an additional 16% of LFM sce-narios become net profitable, mainly driven by fines residue utilization. Avoided costs for re-landfilling are higher than the revenues from construction aggregates. By contrast, internal incineration is driven by the revenues from recovered energy rather than the avoided gate fee, which is substituted by the costs for building and operating own plants. Overall, the policy conditions remain critical to further improve the economy of LFM in Europe. Recommendations include an inclusive quality standard that relies on pollutant leachability rather than total concentration for higher-value application of fines residue and incentive rather than taxation for producing renewable energy from the combustibles. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved., Funding Agencies|European Cooperation for Science and Technology-Mining the European Anthroposphere (COST-Action MINEA, Action) [CA15115]; European Training Network for Resource Recovery Through Enhanced Landfill Mining (NEW-MINE) [721185]

The recycling-industry residue called shredder fines (fines) presents a disposal problem,incurs handling costs, and reduces resource efficiency in general. This study aims to identify thechallenges of facilitating fines valorisation in the Swedish context. Hence, the shredding companyperspective of the underlying factors that sustain the current practice of fines management isestablished by studying the case of a specific shredding company using semi-structured interviews.Utilisation in landfill covering offers the company a secure outlet and a legislatively-compliant lowcostdisposal option for fines. Additionally, lack of specific regulatory standards, unfavourableregulation of waste reutilisation, and lack of market demand for secondary raw materials (SRMs)create disincentives to develop valorisation options. Also, the lack of corporate-level focus on theissue has resulted in a lack of organising for and capacities to improve the handling of the material.Initiating fines valorisation needs to challenge these prevailing circumstances and thus necessitatesgovernmental interventions. Simultaneously, favourable conditions for SRM utilisation are needed;that is, established outlets for fines-derived SRMs and clear regulatory and market playing rulesthat reduce uncertainty and investment risk of developing tailored processes for upgrading andresource recovery need to be available., Funding agencies: Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (Mistra)Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research [DIA 2013/036]; Linkoping University Library

Millions of tonnes of shredder fines are generated and disposed of globally, despite compelling reasons for its recovery. The absence of a review of previous literature, however, makes it difficult to understand the underlying reasons for this. Thus, this study attempts to investigate and assess what, to what extent, and in what ways shredder fines have been addressed in previous research. In doing so, guidelines are drawn for future research to facilitate the valorisation (upgrading and recovery) of shredder fines. Previous research concerning shredder fines was identified with respect to three main research topics. The material characterisation studies are predominantly confined to the occurrence of metals due to their recovery and contamination potential. The process development studies have often undertaken narrowly conceived objectives of addressing one resource opportunity or contamination problem at a time. Consequently, the full recovery (the retrieval of valuable resources and the bulk-utilisation as substitute material) potential of shredder fines has been largely overlooked. The main limitation of policy and regulation studies is the absence of in-depth knowledge on the implications of governmental waste- and resource-policies (macro-level) on actors’ incentives and capacities (micro-level) for fines valorisation, which is necessary to understand the marketability of fines-derived resources. Undertaking a systems perspective is the key to recognising not only the different aspects within the individual research topics but also the inter-relations between them. It also facilitates the internalisation of the inter-relations into topical research., Mistra closing the loop II

The lack of process development based on a comprehensive understanding of the material characteristics and the marketability of recoverables is the primary reason why the valorisation of shredder fines has not been realised in practice. In response, a systematic approach was undertaken consisting of 1) strategic sampling and material characterisation, 2) establishing gate and regulatory requirements of potential valorisation applications, and 3) initial feasibility assessment of the selected applications, to guide future research. The material was sampled over ten weeks in order to obtain both average values and variations of the physical and chemical composition. Thus weekly, primary fractions and sieved fractions ZA (7.10–5.00 mm), ZB (5.00–3.35 mm), ZC (3.35–2.00 mm), ZD (2.00–0.25 mm), and ZE (0.25–0.063 mm) were prepared, and analysed, and benchmarked against the requirements pertaining to five potential applications. The mercury and aluminium concentrations are the biggest challenge in copper smelting and only ZA and ZB show significant potential. Energy recovery is limited to ZA, ZB, and ZC, provided the chlorine and metals concentrations are decreased. Regarding the recovery as bulk-material in construction, the reduction of the metal content would likely be a pre-requisite. The utilisation of fines in the individual applications would either leave a significant amount of fines un-valorised or overlook the recovery of valuable resources. The upgrading of the material to suit the different applications would also require addressing multiple material constraints simultaneously. Therefore, realising the full resource potential of shredder fines would require the integration of different upgrading and recovery processes., Funding agencies: Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research (Mistra)Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research, Mistra Closing the loop II

As landfill mining (LFM) gains public attention, systematic assessment of its economic potential is deemed necessary. The aim of this review is to critically analyze the usefulness and validity of previous economic assessments of LFM. Following the life cycle costing (LCC) framework, (i) the employed methods based on goal and scope, technical parameters and data inventory, and modelling choices were contrasted with respect to (ii) the synthesized main findings based on net profitability and economic performance drivers. Results showed that the selected studies (n=15) are mostly case study-specific and concluded that LFM has a weak economic potential, hinting at the importance of favorable market and regulation settings. However, several method issues are apparent as costs and revenues are accounted at different levels of aggregation, scope and scale-from process to sub-process level, from private to societal economics, and from laboratory to pilot-scale, respectively. Moreover, despite the inherent large uncertainties, more than half of the studies did not perform any uncertainty or sensitivity analyses posing validity issues. Consequently, this also limits the usefulness of results as individual case studies and as a collective, towards a generic understanding of LFM economics. Irrespective of case study-specific or generic aims, this review recommends that future assessments should be learning-oriented. That is, uncovering granular information about what builds up the net profitability of LFM, to be able to systematically determine promising paths for the development of cost-efficient projects., Funding Agencies|European Training Network for Resource Recovery Through Enhanced Landfill Mining (NEW-MINE) under the European Unions EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020European Union (EU) [721185]

Landfill owners, governmental institutions, technology providers, academia and local communities are important stakeholders involved in Enhanced Landfill Mining (ELFM). This concept of excavating and processing historical waste streams to higher added values can be seen as a continuation of traditional landfill mining (LFM) and seems to be an innovative and promising idea for potential environmental and societal benefits. However, ELFMs profitability is still under debate, and environmental as well as societal impacts have to be further investigated. This study provides a first step towards an anticipatory approach, assessing ELFM through stakeholder integration. In the study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with various stakeholders, involved in a case study in Flanders, Belgium. Participants were selected across a quadruple helix (QH) framework, i.e. industrial, governmental, scientific, and local community actors. The research comprises 13 interviews conducted with an aim to elicit stakeholder needs for ELFM implementation using a general inductive approach. In total 18 different stakeholder needs were identified. The paper explains how the stakeholder needs refer to the different dimensions of sustainability, which groups of stakeholders they primarily affect, and what types of uncertainty could be influenced by their implementation. The stakeholder needs are structured into societal, environmental, regulatory and techno-economic needs. Results show additional economic, environmental, and societal aspects of ELFM to be integrated into ELFM research, as well as a need for the dynamic modeling of impacts. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved., Funding Agencies|European Unions EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020European Union (EU) [721185]