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Sustainability is a major concern in education policies. This paper aims to describe how alternative economic education including concepts of the circular economy (CE), cradle to cradle (C2C) and zero waste can be addressed by teacher education. The author asks to what extent such alternative concepts contribute to sustainability education and transitions and empower students and future teachers, through fieldtrips.

Fieldtrips to three extracurricular learning places in Graz (Austria) – a plastic waste disposal facility, an upcycling design atelier and a supermarket without packaging – were organized as part of a university seminar on economy and sustainability. Based on student essays reflecting the fieldtrips, this praxeological paper provides insights on how students perceive awareness-raising and innovative responses to mass consumption, recycling/upcycling and waste prevention issues.

Including altermatic economic frameworks, such as CE/C2C and zero waste, into teacher education contributes to reflections on the economic growth paradigm and promotes more sustainable futures. In various statements, students highlighted social-ecological change and awareness-raising. They rather focussed on recycling, upcycling and (plastic) packaging than on the problematic eco-efficiency of downcycling.

Alternative economic concepts can be addressed and critically reflected in sustainability education, even if rarely taught. Although the extracurricular learning places described offer partial solution from the perspective of degrowth, they can serve as an eye-opener and promote alternative economic education, where students can share experiences, knowledge and creative ideas to engage in sustainability transitions.

The circular economy (CE) proposes that all materials flow in a close-looped system. Waste generated by one production stage may be useful in another. Thus, the idea of a CE is linked to the goal of zero waste (ZW) and promotes a range of sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits in each sector. When we apply this to construction waste management, waste can be managed through reducing, recycling, upcycling and reusing. However, there is an inevitable cost implication associated with this process due to the additional requirement of inventory and waste processing, and this becomes a disincentive to implementing the CE. Formal institutions, referring here to legal rules and regulations, play a critical role in motivating firms and individuals towards a CE. As different countries have different government rules and regulations, and there is limited research on their differences, we review Asia’s and Europe’s legal rules and regulations relevant to the goal of ZW and CE in the construction sector.

This research aims to explore people management (PM) dimensions in Nepalese recycling startups (R-startups).

It follows a case study and qualitative research approach. Information is collected from Internet searches and R-startups’ blogs. For research purposes, 12 cases out of 30 R-startups are selected using convenient and purposeful non-probability sampling methods.

Three major findings are as follows: (1) the founders of R-startups have become more environmentally aware and motivated to source materials, manufacture products and deliver them without harming the environment; (2) the founders are establishing work-flow to create future employment opportunities and (3) the PM dimensions in R-startups appear to be sustainable and apparently linked with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.5, which aims to reduce waste generation substantially through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse.

Since researchers use widely accessible internet information, there is no possibility of interfering with the website's text and data. The analysis is solely based on the opinions of founders/co-founders of R-startups.

This research presents PM dimensions in R-startups and contributes to the literature in this new field of study. Although on a small scale, this research can provide a basis for minimizing circulatory gaps and closing the loop through circular business (CB). It also provides insights into managing waste in order to create opportunities and wealth.

This is one of the few unexplored areas of academic research. The critical PM dimensions investigated in this study can serve as a baseline for future theoretical development in the context of a specific country.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effective taxonomies of airline green operations strategy.

To this end, a sample of 23 airlines from five regions (North America, South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East) was surveyed. The annual sustainability reports of the surveyed airlines for the period 2013‒2016 were retrieved from the Global Reporting Initiatives website. K-means clustering analysis was used to generate taxonomic clusters of airline green operations strategy. A special data analysis technique, called rank analysis, was also adopted to identify the significant green actions and develop indicative models.

This study revealed that three effective taxonomies were adopted by airlines: a low-effect strategic pattern, a low-to-moderate effect strategic pattern and a high-effect strategic pattern. A different combination of green operation actions characterized each strategic pattern.

The research contribution of taxonomies of green operations strategy has so far been limited, country focused and concentrated on the manufacturing sector. This study reported the taxonomies and performed an in-depth analysis of the categories of effective actions taken to promote green performance. Moreover, this study developed indicative models for the relationship between categories of action and green performance for each strategic pattern, an action that has seldom been reported by previous studies of green operations strategies for airlines.

The purpose of this paper is to explore current barriers and opportunities for sustainability in the fashion industry.

The paper is based on a study among 36 fashion experts from academia, industry, and non-governmental organizations, who took part in an online study on sustainable fashion.

The results from the study indicates that the fashion industry faces immense social and environmental challenges and that the scale and scope of current approaches to sustainability are limited and fail to address more fundamental challenges linked to the dominant business models and consumption behaviors.

As the study is based on the knowledge, values, attitudes, and cultural stances of the participating experts it cannot claim to provide a picture of the “real world.” Nonetheless it contributes with a nuanced understanding of current challenges and opportunities within the industry, as experienced by key stakeholders in the field.

The expert study approach moves beyond “good practice” case studies and allow a broader discussion of micro- and macro challenges for sustainability within the fashion industry. The learnings gained through such an approach could inspire future system level research as well as business model innovation in the industry.

This study aims to evaluate and rank green airlines by proposing a novel approach that integrates different multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques.

Three MCDM techniques were adopted: Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) addressed the impact relationships between Airline Green Operations (AGOs) and classified them into cause and effect; analytical hierarchy process (AHP) prioritized these actions and found their global and local weights; and Techniques to Order Preferences by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) used the weighted actions to evaluate and rank 20 green airlines as a case study.

DEMATEL outcomes provide the first AGOs impact relationships map (IRM), classify AGOs into cause and effect actions and provide better understanding how these green operations affect each other. According to the AHP outcomes, “GHG1and fuel” and “GHG2 and Energy” were the most important set of actions, respectively. Finally, a new evaluation and ranking for 20 green airlines has been presented.

The AGOs IRM provides a better understanding of the airline green operations and how they affect each other. The new evaluation and ranking technique helps airlines to identify their green strength and weakness areas and supports their sustainability processes.

The increasing importance of AGOs evaluation and analysis highlights the importance of green airlines studies like this one. This study analyzed AGOs, their impact relationships, developed their IRM and provided a new worldwide green airline benchmarking base.

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to identify and analyse existing resource efficiency (RE) and resource effectiveness measures and indicators (REMIs); and second, to identify gaps and develop a new indicator of “operational resource effectiveness” (ORE_ft) suitable for manufacturing units.

Research methodology consists of three stages: gap identification, development and testing. Through review of academic literature, 40 REMIs are identified and analysed. A survey of manufacturers is carried out to validate the hypothesis and seek inputs on the development of the new indicator. The proposed indicator is tested by comparing ORE_ft index of two manufacturing units with each other, with resource intensity per unit (RIPU), waste intensity per unit (WIPU) and with four other REMIs.

Analysis of 40 REMIs clearly points towards the absence of a hypothesised REMI. In total, 78 per cent of manufacturers surveyed in north England substantiate the hypothesis. Inverse correlation established between the proposed ORE_ft indicator, RIPU, WIPU and other comparisons is likely to validate the output generated by the proposed indicator.

Testing of this indicator is limited to two dissimilar manufacturing units that shared data.

The proposed indicator is useful for comparing the operational resource effectiveness of individual factories over a period as well as with other factories. RIPU and WIPU captured in this indicator also represent operational RE that can be used to initiate improvement action.

Inclusion of both, the resource consumption and the waste generation along with discount/multiplying factors that capture the circularity aspects is likely to be the distinguishing feature of this indicator.

Cafés are becoming a key aspect in the renaissance of urban living. They are often the key element in the gentrification of urban neighbourhoods, and their role as the ‘third place’ is becoming fundamental to many people’s lives. They are where people go to socialize, sip coffee and watch the world go by. Several studies have considered this phenomenon, often linking the renaissance of café culture to their former role, in their perceived ‘heyday’, as locations of development of political and philosophical ideas. In this chapter, we explore the growth of the small, independent cafés which are becoming the homes of micro-communities and where a range of social interchange take place, as well as the consumption of food and beverage.

From our research, adopting the role of flaneurs to observe and experience the atmosphere of a number of independent cafés, we identify and classify some of these micro-communities by identifying the bonds that hold them together. The essential feature underlying the success of these independent cafés is much more than the food and beverage, it is also the environment, a place where customers feel comfortable socializing in an active or, in many cases, passive, way – for example, drinking coffee and reading the paper in a comfortable environment.

We also observe that many independent cafés have a loyal following which compose their regular customers. We have referred to these micro-communities as ‘tribes’. From our observations, it appears that they are growing and that for many in society they are becoming an important part of daily life.