Up to 30% of air travelers can switch to night trains
Simplified booking systems, more comfortable trains, shorter travel times and more direct route can make 20-30% of Swedish air travelers switch to night trains when they are going to the continent. To reduce the climate impact of our travel we need technical...
Profit or charity – a new dilemma for the second-hand market
The number of platforms for buying and selling clothes second-hand has exploded in recent years. The second-hand market for clothing can support the transition to a more circular economy; the garments are reused, and their lifetime is extended. But who are the winners...
If you don’t fly, do you drive more?
New technology, changed lifestyles, and energy efficiency measures all have the potential to reduce emissions from our consumption. However, when we save money or time, what do we do with the resources that are freed up? If you don't have a car, do you then fly more?...
Traders need to look beyond the individual to become more sustainable
Our eating has a major impact on the environment and the climate so sustainable ways of eating need to become the norm. – Traders are trapped in the current system, says Vishal Parekh, doctoral student at KTH. Vishal Parekh, doctoral student at KTH, and Åsa Svenfelt,...
Why unused clothes and electronics worth billions are destroyed every year
Product destruction refers to when companies get rid of products that are fully functional, often fresh from the factory. Researchers have now investigated why this happens and what can be done about it. The research results are recently published in an article by...
New report question the principles of existing systems
Consuming resources by improving existing consumption patterns to make them more efficient is not enough. The total consumption level must decrease, otherwise it can never be sustainable. This is the conclusion of a new study compiling the research field on...
Reused furniture and reduced consumption in two new theses
Ola Persson at KTH is examining the rapid expansion of research on ideas such as sufficiency and post-growth in his thesis. Heather Schoonover at Lund University writes about business models for reuse of home furnishings in hers. Both have done their PhD in Mistra...
Working less could improve quality of life and decrease environmental impact – regardless of your pay
Part time work is often described as something undesirable, something that can only benefit high-income earners. However, new research gives us reason to think again. – Instead of involuntary part-time work, we might start to talk about involuntary full-time work in...
Both environment and community can benefit from repairs
Most agree that we need to switch to a more circular economy, but what could this look like in practice? New research shows what the repair movement can do. In a new study, Karin Bradley, researcher at KTH, and Ola Persson, doctoral student at KTH, explore who has the...