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In the Nordic countries, manufacturing plays a vital socio-economic role by contributing to employment and the economy at large. The key prerequisites are a high productivity and a strong competitive edge. One of the ways to obtain and maintain a competitive edge is if (small and medium-sized) companies apply new knowledge and new technologies. To support the use of new technologies by companies, easy access to testing of new products and technologies is a decisive factor for the companies to gain knowledge of and inspiration for the use of the new technologies in their current business. This report presents a mapping of test and demonstration facilities in the Nordic countries, including ten good practice examples of such facilities as well as political initiatives in the Nordic countries, including specific strategies for setting up and structuring test and demonstration facilities
Product-related environmental information is an important policy instrument for a shift towards more sustainable consumption patterns, and such information helps consumers choose environmentally improved products. While ecolabeling has had a particularly strong breakthrough in Nordic markets, a number of other communication modes, such as environmental product declarations and producers' self-declared claims have been applied in both the consumer and business-to-business markets. This report comprises a summary of recent research on how Nordic consumers perceive, understand, and use product-related environmental information. A comprehensive literature review supplemented with expert interviews forms the foundation for this work. The report highlights well-researched areas and proposes areas where deeper knowledge and understanding is required. The research was conducted cooperatively between the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics (IIIEE) at Lund University in Sweden; the National Consumer Research Centre in Finland; and Environice in Iceland with the purpose to obtain and present a comprehensive picture of the situation in the Nordic countries.
Examines country initiatives to reduce the environmentally damaging effects of public procurement by introducing "greener public purchasing initiatives" such as requiring recycled content or levels of energy efficiency in purchased products.
Every organization, public and private, no matter what its size, purchases goods and services. Large organizations also have considerable influence over the practices of their suppliers. As greener purchasing practices have become more common in large organisations, the implications for companies in the supply chain have similarly increased. Yet greener purchasing policies remain the exception rather than the norm in large organizations. Why is this? And how can environmental purchasing practices that have produced tangible business benefits for a number of companies worldwide receive wider take-up? Greener Purchasing: Opportunities and Innovations has been published to facilitate the develo...
While the topic of sustainability in textile manufacture has been the subject of considerable research, much of this is limited to a focus on materials and practices and their ecological impact. Padovani and Whittaker offer a unique exploration of the textile industry in Europe from the perspective of social sustainability, shifting the focus from the materiality of textile production to the industry's relationships with the communities from which the products originate. Featuring six in-depth case studies from design entrepreneurs, artisans and textile businesses around Europe, from Harris Tweed in Scotland to luxury woollen mills in Italy, Sustainability and the Social Fabric explores how ...
Industrialisation has brought great benefits to humankind but now, after 200 years of fossil fuel use, land clearance and pollution, the planet’s boundaries are being stretched to their limits. Going beyond these confines would have severe consequences for humankind. To prevent this from happening, government, corporate and community initiatives must focus on reducing the environmental impact of approximately 400 million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), given that they produce approximately 70% of the world’s pollution, 60% of carbon emissions and have a significant impact on land. To date, research shows that SMEs have been environmental laggards and more needs to be understoo...
This user-friendly guide to evaluating apparel quality presents the roles of product designers, manufacturers, merchandisers, testing laboratories, and retailers from product inception through the sale of goods, to ensure quality products that meet customer expectations. Bubonia provides an overview of apparel production, with emphasis on quality characteristics and cues, consumer influences and motivations impacting purchasing decisions, and the relationship of apparel manufacturing and production processes, cost, price point and the quality level of an apparel product. A key aspect of the book is the focus on both U.S. and International standards and regulations required for apparel analys...
This directory has become a valued source of information for energy-efficient building designers and specifiers throughout Europe and the details and scope of product, service and supplier listings have again been extensively updated for this edition.
This is the first volume specifically dedicated to the consolidation and clarification of Heritage Studies as a distinct field with its own means of investigation. It presents the range of methods that can be used and illustrates their application through case studies from different parts of the world, including the UK and USA. The challenge that the collection makes explicit is that Heritage Studies must develop a stronger recognition of the scope and nature of its data and a concise yet explorative understanding of its analytical methods. The methods considered fall within three broad categories: textual/discourse analysis, methods for investigating people’s attitudes and behaviour; and ...