STEPS – Sustainable Plastics and Transition Pathways
STEPS' research programme started in autumn 2016 after being awarded the funding for Mistra´s call of proposals on “Plastics in a Sustainable Society”.
The program, with strong support from important stakeholders, has a vision of a future society in which plastics are sustainably developed, produced, used and recycled in a circular economy. STEPS is planned in close dialogue with industrial partners, and thus reflects the market needs for sustainable plastic systems both on a short-term and long-term basis.
It is based on the concept of designing eco-friendly plastics with desired material properties by matching appropriate carbon-neutral building blocks and their derivatives. The main focus is on polyesters, which represent a plastics group with varying properties for wide range of applications and a sizable global market.
STEPS' ambition is to play a key role in instigating and accelerating this sustainability transition by strengthening the knowledge and research base for technology- and product development and innovation, developing and assessing key niche products with industrial partners, and analysing the sustainability, institutional and policy implications of potential transition pathways.
Project website: http://steps-mistra.se/
COLLABORATIVE PARTNERS
- Lund University (lead)
- Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp
- IKEA of Sweden AB
- Bona
- IKEM - Innovations- och Kemiindustrierna i Sverige
- Lyckeby Starch AB
- Nordzucker AG
- Orkla Foods
- Perstorp AB
- Svensk Etanolkemi AB (SEKAB)
- Södra
- Electrolux
- Hans Andersson Plastics
- Flextrus AB
- Clariant
- Bioprocess Control AB
- General Plastics Scandinavia AB (GPS)
- SYSAV Utvecklings AB
- Region Skåne
- RISE IVF AB
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Initiativen från plastbranschen räcker inte
Fredric Bauer, Tobias Nielsen & Lars J Nilsson, 2019 Mar 6, Ny teknik
Det räcker inte att förbjuda sugrör och plastkassar
Fredric Bauer, Tobias Nielsen & Lars J Nilsson, 2019 Feb 20, Ny teknik
Kampen mot plastskräpet har bara börjat
Fredric Bauer, Jacob Hasselbalch, Tobias Nielsen & Lars J Nilsson, 2019 Feb 11, Europakommentaren
Local initiatives and global regimes - Multi-scalar transition dynamics in the chemical industry
Fredric Bauer & Lea Fuenfschilling, 2019, In : Journal of Cleaner Production.216, p. 172-183
Mapping the plastics system and its sustainability challenges
Ellen Palm & Eva Svensson Myrin, 2018, Lund University. Department of Environmental and Energy Systems
RESEARCHERS ON THE PROJECT
- Mikael Klintman - Sociology(Researcher)
- Generosi, Johanna(Project coordinator)
- Rajni Hatti-Kaul(PI)
- Sang-Hyun Pyo - Biotechnology(Researcher)
- Baozhong Zhang(PI)
- Charlotta Turner(Researcher)
- Rodriguez Meizoso, Irene(Researcher)
- Ola Wallberg(Researcher)
- Christian Hulteberg - Department of Chemical Engineering(CoI)
- Olaf Diegel - Product Development(Researcher)
- Stephen Hall(Researcher)
- Matti Ristinmaa - Solid Mechanics(Researcher)
- Lars J Nilsson(PI)
- Ellen Palm(Research student)
- Karin Ericsson - Environmental and Energy Systems Studies(Researcher)
- Coenen, Lars(PI)
- Martin, Hanna(Researcher)
- Wesseling, Joeri(Researcher)
- Teis Hansen - CIRCLE(CoI)
- Johannes Stripple - Department of Political Science(Researcher)
- Fredric Bauer - Department of Chemical Engineering(Researcher)
- Stine Madsen - CIRCLE(PI)
- Patric Jannasch(Researcher)
- Egan, Noomi(Project communication officer)
- Tobias Nielsen - Department of Political Science(Researcher)
- Holmberg, Karl(Research assistant)