Upcycling – a new perspective on waste in social innovation

Wegener, Charlotte; Aakjær, Marie Kirstejn

doi:10.31265/jcsw.v11i2.143

Cited by 35 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…The topic of research under study is dynamic and it is observed that the contributions are adapted to its rapid evolution [131]. In relation to the new lines of research on sustainable management, the keyword "upcycling" has emerged in response to the use of recyclable materials to create objects with a greater value than the initial [132,133], and its application in teaching and learning in HE [134][135][136]. In addition, among the concepts that arise associated with the DT of HE, the "digital community" stands out, in relation to groups of individuals and institutions organized virtually around a series of specific interests, whose interactions occur on the Network (discussion forums, email groups, chats, or peer-to-peer systems) [137].…”

Section: Keyword Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Management of Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Global Research Trends

et al. 2020

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Digital transformation in the education sector has implied the involvement of sustainable management, in order to adapt to the changes imposed by new technologies. Trends in global research on this topic have been analyzed and studied, during the 1986–2019 period. To achieve this purpose, a bibliometric study of 1590 articles from the Scopus database has been applied. The results provided data on the scientific productivity of authors, journals, institutions, and countries that contribute to the development of this research area. The evidence reveals an exponential trend, with special interest in the last five years. The main categories are Social Sciences and Environmental Science. The most productive journal is Sustainability. The author with more articles is Mulder, from The Hague University of Applied Sciences. The most productive institution is Delft University of Technology. The USA is the country with the most academic publications and international collaborations in its studies. The main keywords used in the articles are “sustainability”, “sustainable development”, “higher education”, “innovation”, “technology”, “environmental technology”, “technological development”, and “environmental management”. Global research has followed a growing trend, with optimal publication levels in recent years.

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Section: Keyword Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Management of Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Global Research Trends

et al. 2020

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“…Upcycling is often referred to as 'cradle-to-cradle', as it seeks to close the loop [22]. The term was coined from the seminal publication on ecologically intelligent design, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the way we make things [23].…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Upcycling is a social innovation process, which can be a vehicle for marginalized groups, e.g. prisoners, migrants, elderly people or unemployed youth to become change agents [22,74].…”

Section: Business Enterprises In Upcyclingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluating Barriers, Enablers and Opportunities for Closing the Loop through ‘Waste Upcycling’: A Systematic Literature Review

Caldera¹,

Jayasinghe²,

Desha³

et al. 2022

J. sustain. dev. energy water environ. syst.

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The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals aim to 'do more and better with less', with numerous calls to action arising from the business sector concerning the substantial reduction of targeted types of commercial and industrial waste. Emanating from the original work on closing material loops by McDonough and Braungardt in the 1990s, over the last two decades the concept of 'upcycling' has increased in popularity as a targeted intervention to reduce material and energy use in business processes. Essentially upcycling involves reusing, repairing, repurposing and upgrading waste material to avoid the conventional endpoint of 'disposal'. However, upcycling is still considered a niche practice and many business enterprises remain unclear as to how to use upcycling opportunities for better management of their waste. In this paper, the authors propose a Tiered Approach to Waste Upcycling for Business, as a strategic way for businesses to close the loop within their industrial processes and production chains. The paper comprises a systematic literature review of opportunities and barriers for enabling business enterprises to close the loop through waste upcycling. The review highlights the ad hoc, champion-based and highly variable use of upcycling practices and uncovers opportunities for more systematic and streamlined practices to produce valueadded products from waste material. Synthesising the findings, the authors establish three tiers of 'macro', 'meso' and 'micro' barriers and enablers that businesses can consider identifying upcycling opportunities for managing their waste. The authors also discuss key benefits of upcycling including improved quality and life of material, creating jobs and influencing positive consumer behaviour. The authors conclude the benefits of a structured approach to considering circular economy opportunities, towards improved waste management that is better for the bottom line, people and planet. With regard to future research in the field, the authors define a set of key theoretical constructs relating to waste upcycling, that can facilitate innovation and investigations into applying ideas.

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“…It is used for upcycling, a term whose origin combines the words "upgrading" (to add value) and "recycling" (to reuse). Upcycling combines the recycling and reusing of objects and waste to convert them into new ones or artistic creations [28]. Additionally, it generates little glass waste because not all glass bottles are used for new objects.…”

Section: Understanding the Projectmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sustainable Glass Recycling Culture-Based on Semi-Automatic Glass Bottle Cutter Prototype

Guerrero

Reséndiz

et al. 2021

Sustainability

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Humanity has developed recycling activities over time due to their benefits, the shortage of raw materials, or the footprint with regard to the environment. The absence of a recycling culture in Mexico has not allowed its development and growth despite the benefits. In 2012, Mexico only recycled less than 10% of urban solid waste. Most recycling activities are focused on plastic, paper, and cardboard products due to their prices in local markets. This article presents a semi-automated prototype focused on recycling glass bottles using the thermal shock phenomenon. It aims to develop a sustainable glass recycling culture by creating a new branch for the integral glass recycling process and a proposal base on Integrated Sustainable Waste Management (ISWM) and the Quintuple Helix Model. It helps to reduce waste and resource recovery from recycling and upcycling glass bottles. The products obtained from upcycling fulfill new uses and acquire new value, while glass leftovers continue the integral recycling process for glass. Additionally, this paper demonstrates the relation between the ISWM and the Quintuple Helix Model and the opportunity to implement the twelfth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).

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Upcycling – a new perspective on waste in social innovation

Cited by 35 publications

References 7 publications

Sustainable Management of Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Global Research Trends

Sustainable Management of Digital Transformation in Higher Education: Global Research Trends

Evaluating Barriers, Enablers and Opportunities for Closing the Loop through ‘Waste Upcycling’: A Systematic Literature Review

Sustainable Glass Recycling Culture-Based on Semi-Automatic Glass Bottle Cutter Prototype

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