Sustainability and circularity challenges
The path towards a circular economy and society is long and complex, but RUG is actively working on solutions. In doing so, researchers encounter various barriers and obstacles, such as technological limitations, economic interests, complex regulations, and the challenge of changing behaviour.
Innovation requires close collaboration between academia, government, and industry, while public awareness is also essential. Through research and practice-oriented projects, RUG is taking meaningful steps towards a more sustainable and future-proof society.
Circling back to behaviour change
What are the most impactful actions we can take towards creating a circular economy? Environmental psychology PhD candidates Isabel Pacheco and Julia Koch have been researching the role of personal behaviour in accelerating the transition to circularity and what things we can do that make the biggest difference.
Een systeem kan ‘circulair’ worden genoemd als alle maatschappelijke actoren hun grondstoffengebruik beperken, het gebruik ervan vertragen door producten langer te blijven gebruiken en de kringloop sluiten door grondstoffen aan het eind van de levensduur van een product te recyclen.
Planned obsolescence of smart products and the law
The ink for your printer is no longer available anywhere. Your refrigerator breaks down because it contains parts that have a short lifespan. And your old smartphone still works fine, but your provider is discontinuing updates.
These are all examples of planned obsolescence. As a consumer, can you do anything about it legally?
Problems and obstacles to becoming circular
A lot of companies are keen to change. This is an important observation. On the one hand they realize that the current system isn’t sustainable, and on the other hand they know that new regulations are in the pipeline at every level: regional, national, and European. However, we also realize that change won’t be easy.
In our role as the UG, we think that the economic system should be considered in its entirety. Companies tell us where our system throws up problems and obstacles to becoming circular. We make recommendations to remove them, explains Dr Frans J. Sijtsma. He is an economic geographer and director of the Rudolf Agricola School for Sustainable Development at the University of Groningen. Along with a team of 13 experts from the UG, he is studying the status of circularity from the corporate perspective.
An energy transition for all
UG scientist Christian Zuidema discusses how we can jointly move towards a sustainable society. A smart transition requires a better distribution of advantages and disadvantages, he argues. 'The gap between the haves and have-nots is widening.'
The transition to sustainable energy is moving rapidly, in fact faster than experts have been predicting. Many people now have solar panels on their roofs and a heat pump ensures a pleasant temperature inside. Large wind and solar farms are a fact in our landscapes. However, the example of the Groningen neighborhood during winter shows that the transition is by no means guaranteed for everyone.
Read more about Zuidema's ideas for a more inclusive transition
Why do we let our rainwater drain away through the sewage system?
We must manage water differently, given the current triple planetary crisis. This includes not discharging waste water into natural surface waters. Yet regional water authorities are sometimes forced to discharge untreated waste water from our sewage system. ‘It then ends up in a canal or a lake,’ computer scientist Dilek Düştegör explains. She collaborates with municipalities and regional water authorities to develop computer models to best manage wastewater flow.
‘The biggest problem is that multiple actors are involved in the Dutch sewage system,’ Düştegör reports. Water boards are responsible for cleaning our waste water before it ends up in surface water. Their main goal is to make sure that the water quality in nature is up to standard. They have no influence on the inflow of water into their treatment facilities as this is managed by municipalities whose main goal is to quickly dispose of the waste water. These are conflicting goals. Düştegör: ‘It can be difficult to combine them. Moreover, the two organizations do not consult each other about this matter.’
How individuals can promote systemic change towards sustainability
What role can individuals play in promoting a more sustainable society? This blog post explores how citizens can contribute to systemic change, not only through their consumption choices, but also by engaging in actions that influence political, economic, and social structures in support of a circular economy.
A blog post from Isabel Pacheco, a PhD candidate at the Environmental Psychology group of the UG, where they look at what motivates people to behave more sustainably.