Āmiomio Aotearoa

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Āmiomio Aotearoa is a transdisciplinary, multi-partner research project funded by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and hosted by the University of Waikato. Āmiomio Aotearoa is a novel socio-economic concept that is cyclical in nature and regenerative by design. Bringing together Mātauranga Māori and western science, the concept aims to move beyond linear extract-produce-use-dispose material and energy flow models in order to optimise the value and use of products, components and materials over time.

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Recent Submissions

  • Item
    Bioinspired surface modification of mussel shells and their application as a biogenic filler in polypropylene composites
    (Journal Article, Elsevier BV, 2024-10) Xu, Jing; Mucalo, Michael R; Pickering, Kim L
    This study explores the potential of mussel shells (MS) as biogenic fillers in polymer composites. The chemical composition and crystal structures of MS were characterised. To improve MS filler dispersion and adhesion within a polypropylene (PP) matrix, three surface modification methods were evaluated: polydopamine (PDA) coating, maleic anhydride-grafted polypropylene (MAPP) modification, and PDA/MAPP co-modification. The PDA coating, inspired by the adhesive properties of mussel foot proteins, successfully functionalized the MS surface, as confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Thermodynamic analysis, based on contact angle measurements, revealed that MAPP and PDA/MAPP modifications reduced surface energies and potential energy differences. These changes enhanced filler dispersion and interfacial bonding by increasing hydrophobicity and reducing agglomeration in the PP matrix. Consequently, PP composites with 20% PDA/MAPP-modified MS fillers exhibited a 2.9% increase in tensile strength and a 7.5% increase in flexural strength compared to neat PP. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) also showed reduced filler-matrix debonding and fewer voids. The proposed mechanism attributes these macroscopic property enhancements to the ability of the PDA coating to facilitate chemical and hydrogen bonding between MS fillers and MAPP.
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    Working paper: Regulating products, production, and consumption for a circular economy in Aotearoa New Zealand
    (Working Paper, The University of Waikato, 2023-03) Blumhardt, Hannah
    This working paper explores the legislative tools for product regulation and business model transformation that could help the New Zealand Government accelerate uptake of circular behaviours at the top of the waste hierarchy (i.e. behaviours that reduce natural resource consumption and pollution, and allocate the resources we do use more efficiently). In practice, these are powers aimed at drawing down production and consumption, including incentivising business models to shift from individual ownership and disposability, towards sharing/service-based models, product durability, and reuse.
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    NZ’s government plans to switch to a circular economy to cut waste and emissions, but it’s going around in the wrong circles
    (Internet Publication, The Conversation, 2021-11-03) Blumhardt, Hannah
    The New Zealand government is currently developing plans to address two crises — climate change and waste — and to embrace a circular economy. But it has no clear path for how to do this. The resulting muddle is watering down the potential of a circular economy to bring lasting change.
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    From lines to circles: reshaping waste policy
    (Victoria University of Wellington, 2022-05-20) Blumhardt, Hannah; Prince, Liam
    The impacts of waste transcend landfills and litter; emissions and pollution occur at every stage of the linear ‘take–make–waste’ economy. Zero waste and circular economy theories offer systemic perspectives and practical solutions. The New Zealand government has committed to a circular economy vision for Aotearoa. Given New Zealand’s ‘rubbish record on waste’, the social and economic transformation required will take extraordinary collaboration and a common direction of travel. This article diagnoses the extent of global waste problems, the circular pathways forward, and New Zealand’s early steps along them. With the government re-oriented to act, we urge an ambitious, joined-up approach that avoids locking in inadequate responses to existential threats.
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    Reducing single use packaging and moving up the waste hierarchy
    (Journal Article, Taylor & Francis, 2022-12-16) Diprose, Gradon; Lee, Louise; Blumhardt, Hannah; Walton, Sara; Greenaway, Alison
    Interest in circular economy practices is increasing. A key material that connects the circular economy and wider environmental concerns is plastic waste, which poses environmental, climate, and human health risks. Single-use plastic packaging is particularly problematic because it forms the largest share of the global plastics market, has a short life cycle, and has channelled investment towards the bottom of the waste hierarchy. Given single-use plastic packaging is embedded in global trade, transitioning away from use requires much more than ‘behaviour change’ from individual producers and consumers. In this article we use social practice theory to show how social change is occurring with regard to single-use plastics. We draw on two food retail case studies of (primarily) business-to-consumer packaging from Aotearoa New Zealand. We show how transitioning away from single-use plastic food packaging requires (1) understanding the function and meaning of packaging materials, and (2) coordinating other materials, skills and meanings to re-craft and substitute the functions that single-use packaging performs across businesses, supply chains and consumers. Our analysis illustrates the significant collaboration and emerging networks needed for change, and signals how investment towards the top of the waste hierarchy in reuse could contribute to a more circular economy.
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    Environmentally benign fast-degrading conductive composites
    (Journal Article, American Chemical Society, 2023-12-26) Greene, Angelique; Abbel, Robert; Vaidya, Alankar A.; Tanjay, Queenie; Chen, Yi; Risani, Regis; Saggese, Taryn; Barbier, Maxime; Petcu, Miruna; West, Mark; Theobald, Beatrix; Gaugler, Eva; Parker, Kate
    An environmentally benign conductive composite that rapidly degrades in the presence of warm water via enzyme-mediated hydrolysis is described. This represents the first time that hydrolytic enzymes have been immobilized onto eco-friendly conductive carbon sources with the express purpose of degrading the encapsulating biodegradable plastic. Amano Lipase (AL)-functionalized carbon nanofibers (CNF) were compounded with polycaprolactone (PCL) to produce the composite film CNFAL-PCL (thickness ∼ 600 μm; CNFAL = 20.0 wt %). To serve as controls, films of the same thickness were also produced, including CNF-AL5-PCL (CNF mixed with AL and PCL; CNF = 19.2 wt % and AL = 5.00 wt %), CNF-PCL (CNF = 19.2 wt %), ALx-PCL (AL = x = 1.00 or 5.00 wt %), and PCL. The electrical performance of the CNF-containing composites was measured, and conductivities of 14.0 ± 2, 22.0 ± 5, and 31.0 ± 6 S/m were observed for CNFAL-PCL, CNF-AL5-PCL, and CNF-PCL, respectively. CNFAL-PCL and control films were degraded in phosphate buffer (2.00 mg/mL film/buffer) at 50 °C, and their average percent weight loss (Wtavg%) was recorded over time. After 3 h CNFAL-PCL degraded to a Wtavg% of 90.0% and had completely degraded after 8 h. This was considerably faster than CNF-AL5-PCL, which achieved a total Wtavg% of 34.0% after 16 days, and CNF-PCL, which was with a Wtavg% of 7.00% after 16 days. Scanning electron microscopy experiments (SEM) found that CNFAL-PCL has more open pores on its surface and that it fractures faster during degradation experiments which exposes the interior enzyme to water. An electrode made from CNFAL-PCL was fabricated and attached to an AL5-PCL support to form a fast-degrading thermal sensor. The resistance was measured over five cycles where the temperature was varied between 15.0–50.0 °C. The sensor was then degraded fully in buffer at 50 °C over a 48 h period.
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    Antecedents of circular manufacturing and its effect on environmental and financial performance: A practice-based view
    (Journal Article, Elsevier, 2023-06) Liu, Yanping; Farooque, Muhammad; Lee, Chang-Hun; Gong, Yu
    Despite the worldwide recognition of the Circular Economy (CE) philosophy, its comprehensive adoption in manufacturing is not well understood in literature and practice. This study theorizes circular manufacturing (CM) by extending the cleaner production concept according to the design thinking of CE. Drawing on the practice-based view, it develops a conceptual model on the antecedents and performance outcomes of CM and the moderating role of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) production technologies on CM-to-environmental and financial performance relationships. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach to examine the hypothesized relationships. Survey data from 255 Chinese manufacturers are analyzed using structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression. Two qualitative case studies verify the survey findings and offer additional insights. The findings suggest that by strengthening a CE culture and integrated management systems, firms can improve CM implementation and consequently environmental and financial performance. However, investing in I4.0 production technologies may not enhance the impact. Our research contributes to the literature by conceptualizing and operationalizing CM as a new construct. It also provides guidelines for implementing CE in manufacturing.
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    Used product acquisition, sorting and disposition for circular supply chains: Literature review and research directions
    (Journal Article, Elsevier, 2023-06-01) Gunasekara, Lahiru; Robb, David J.; Zhang, Abraham
    The vision of a circular economy (CE) inspires firms, governments, and scholars alike. The transition is underway in both practice and the literature, but success depends on the effective implementation of circular supply chains (CSCs), which encompass acquiring used products, sorting them by type and quality, and deciding which to dispose to various processing options. We review 131 high-impact journal articles on returns acquisition, sorting, and disposition (ASD) over the decade 2012–2021 to assess the current status of ASD research for CSCs and to discuss important research directions for supporting the transition to a CE. Uniquely synthesising the state of the art on all these three overarching decision areas, we find aspects of CSCs prominent in the decade's research agenda, such as closed loop supply chain coordination and ASD for remanufacturing, and highlight growing coverage of behavioural considerations. Research applicability has been constrained by a lack of empirical studies, limited practical validation of mathematical models, a focus on economic objectives, and restrictive modelling assumptions about behaviour and uncertainty in returns. We recommend further research in each part of ASD to facilitate a CSC, and as a whole, for transitioning to a CE. CE concepts such as joint decision-making between product design and returns management, cross-sector collaboration, and product-service systems should inform the agenda for CSC research.
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    Current and future approaches to shifting businesses towards plastic-free packaging systems based on reduction and reuse
    (Journal Article, Cambridge University Press, 2023-08-25) Blumhardt, Hannah
    The fate of plastics and packaging are intimately connected; plastics revolutionised the world of packaging, and today, packaging is plastics’ biggest market. However, as awareness of plastics’ negative human and environmental impacts grows, policymakers, civil society and industry are seeking alternatives to plastic packaging as a pathway to reducing plastics production, waste and pollution. The shortcomings of recycling, lightweighting and material substitution strategies has turned attention to source reduction strategies up the waste hierarchy. These strategies transform products, business models and supply chains to prevent packaging altogether or accommodate reusable packaging systems. As these are radical changes from business-as-usual, widespread industry uptake has not been forthcoming. This review highlights three categories of current and potential approaches to incentivising businesses to adopt plastic-free packaging systems based on reduction and reuse: persuasion, legislation and enabling measures. Predominant persuasive approaches based on voluntarism are not delivering desired results under current policy settings and could be more successful if combined with legislative reform to level the economic playing field between single-use and reuse. Additionally, enabling measures that fill practical and infrastructural system-level gaps could help to accelerate and coordinate uptake of effective and efficient unpackaged or reusable packaging systems.
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    The right to repair
    (Journal Article, LexisNexis, 2022-06-01) Zaw, Win Thandar
    The right to repair debate has been growing over the past several years around the world, focusing on both consumer protection and environmental concerns. New Zealand’s Government is considering right to repair legislation as part of the review of waste management legislation (The Ministry for the Environment “Taking responsibility for our waste: Proposals for a new waste strategy; Issues and options for new waste legislation” (October 2021)). The right to repair movement has emerged to address challenges faced by consumers regarding repair of purchased products due to lack of spare parts, tools or repair documentation. Right to repair measures enhance the property rights of the consumers over the purchased devices.
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    The right to repair: How to design new laws
    (Journal Article, LexisNexis, 2022-07-01) Zaw, Win Thandar
    To complement a recent article in this journal examining the shortcomings of New Zealand law (see Zaw, Win Thandar, 'The right to repair', NZLJ (June 2022), pages 164-168) this article examines what reforms should be undertaken to enable right to repair measures. The aim of this article is to determine how to design a new right to repair law in New Zealand, alongside a discussion of overseas approaches. Ideally, a right to repair law would require manufacturers to provide spare parts, diagnostic information and repair tools. To implement a right to repair law in New Zealand, this article suggests possible amendments to different areas of law such as consumer law, intellectual property laws and the law of contract.
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    Circular supply chain management: a bibliometric analysis-based literature review
    (Journal Article, Emerald, 2023-01-20) Zhang, Abraham; Duong, Linh; Seuring, Stefan; Hartley, Janet L.
    Purpose: Supply chain management (SCM) research has contributed to the transition to a circular economy (CE). Still, confusions exist on the related terms, and no review has mapped out the development trends in the domain. This research clarifies the boundaries of the relevant concepts. Then, it conducts a comprehensive review of the circular SCM (CSCM) literature and identifies opportunities for future research. Design/methodology/approach: Using relevant keywords, 1,130 journal articles published in December 31, 2021 were identified. Unlike the published reviews, which mainly relied on content analysis, this review uses bibliometric analysis tools, including citation analysis, co-citation analysis and cluster analysis. The review identifies general trends, influential researchers, high-impact publications, citation patterns and established and emergent research themes. Findings: The extant CSCM literature includes five prominent clusters: (1) reverse channel optimization; (2) CSCM review and empirical studies; (3) closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) and consumers; (4) CLSC and inventory management and (5) CLSC and reverse logistics (RL). Significant research gaps exist in the use of secondary and longitudinal data, a wider range of theories, mixed-methods, multi-method, action research and behavioral experiment. The least researched topics include zero waste, industrial symbiosis, circular product design, sourcing and supply management and reuse. Originality/value: This is the first bibliometric analysis-based literature review on CSCM. It clarifies the interrelated supply chain sustainability terms and thus reduces related confusion. It offers insights into the patterns in the CSCM literature and suggests important research directions.
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    Overcoming barriers to circular product design
    (Journal Article, Elsevier, 2021-10-29) Wang, Jason X.; Burke, Haydn; Zhang, Abraham
    The circular economy concept provides sustainability research with a new vision in place of the present linear economic model. This study focuses on product design, the starting point of applying circular thinking in supply chain functions. We investigate barriers to circular product design from a stakeholder perspective. Using thematic analysis and data collected from 15 semi-structured interviews in New Zealand, we identify four prominent barriers: financial constraints, inadequate infrastructure, government inaction, and global market barriers. The most influential stakeholder classes for overcoming the barriers are consumers, industry leaders, and governments. Circumventing measures lie in sustainable end-of-life product and waste management, resource circularity, modularity and standardization in design, and supply chain collaboration. Based on these new insights, we develop a roadmap for circular product design, providing practical guidance for businesses and policymakers. We also add to research on stakeholder theory by exploring its descriptive aspect in the context of a transition to circular economy at the supply chain level.
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    Circular supply chain management: Performance outcomes and the role of eco-industrial parks in China
    (Journal Article, Elsevier, 2021-12-30) Farooque, Muhammad; Zhang, Abraham; Liu, Yanping; Hartley, Janet L.
    A circular economy (CE) is increasingly recognized as a more environmentally sustainable alternative to the dominant linear take-make-dispose economic model. We empirically investigate the effect of circular supply chain management (CSCM) on cost and financial performance in China, which has established the world’s largest system of eco-industrial parks (EIPs) to promote CE over the last decade. We combine the Natural Resource-Based View (NRBV), Contingent NRBV and the literature on CSCM to develop a conceptual model and test it using survey data collected from 255 Chinese manufacturing firms. The results show that CSCM, when exercised as a unified strategy, has a significant positive effect on cost and financial performance. Firms located within EIPs adopt CSCM at higher levels as compared to firms located outside EIPs. Nevertheless, the contextual factor of being located within an EIP does not moderate the CSCM practice-performance relationship, suggesting that performance is driven by practices rather than firms’ locations. These results were affirmed by postsurvey participant validation in three focus group meetings and six face-to-face interviews. Our findings contribute to sustainability literature by offering a new construct and measurement items relevant to CSCM and provide practical insights to guide a transition to a CE.
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    Integrating product design and supply chain management for a circular economy
    (Journal Article, Taylor & Francis Group, 2021-10-05) Burke, Hayden; Zhang, Abraham; Wang, Jason X.
    Circular economy (CE) provides an alternative development model to the dominant take-make-dispose linear approach, and thus a new vision for solving sustainability challenges. Firms need to operationalise CE in their supply chain operations, starting from circular product design as the foundational step. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to integrate product design and supply chain management (SCM) decisions for a CE transition. A thematic analysis was conducted on data collected from 15 semi-structured interviews in New Zealand. Four propositions were established based on the identified themes, namely, end-of-life thinking in product design, circular SCM, business model innovation, and sustainable organisational values. The study results provide a novel insight into the integration of product design and SCM for a CE transition. The operational framework developed provides guidance to product designers, managers, and researchers to advance the CE cause at the supply chain level.
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    Multi-dimensional circular supply chain management: A comparative review of the state-of-the-art practices and research
    (Journal Article, Elsevier, 2021-10-14) Zhang, Abraham; Wang, Jason X.; Farooque, Muhammad; Wang, Yulan; Choi, Tsan-Ming
    The circular economy (CE) concept has gained wide attention in practice as well as in academia in recent years. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art practices and research in “circular supply chain management” (CSCM), i.e., the integration of CE thinking into supply chain management (SCM) with the goal of achieving “zero wastes”. The review covers 68 real-life CE implementation cases collected by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and 124 publications in well-established, high-ranking academic journals in operations and supply chain management. The comparative review shows that CSCM encompasses multiple dimensions, including closed-loop SCM, reverse SCM, remanufacturing SCM, recycling SCM, and industrial symbiosis. A multi-dimensional CSCM (MD-CSCM) framework is developed to synthesize their interrelationships and to categorize academic publications into multiple research themes. Based on the identified research-practice gaps and pressing research needs, this study discusses important directions for future studies to advance supply chain circularity.
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    Mechanenzymatic production of natural fibre from harakeke (New Zealand flax) and its characterization for potential use in composites for building and construction applications
    (Journal Article, Elsevier B.V., 2024) Akindoyo, John O.; Pickering, Kim L.; Mucalo, Michael R.; Beg, Mohammad Dalour Hossen; Hicks, Joanna
    Mechanical processing of natural fibres can be used to produce large quantities of clean and refined fibres. However, this often results in fibre damage when used alone, thereby affecting the quality of fibres produced, and it generally makes them of insufficient quality for high-performance composite applications. In contrast, the use of biological agents such as enzymes have become a rapidly expanding area of research for producing high quality fibres, but this is still limited to pilot scales. This paper reports the effect of synergizing the salient features of mechanical processing (using a super masscolloider) and enzymatic treatment, on the structure and properties of harakeke (indigenous New Zealand flax) fibre. The cellulose fibres produced are characterized for their potential use as reinforcement in composites. Results show that the combination of mechanical processing with enzymatic treatment could help to overcome the limitations of both processes.
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    Gelatin and collagen from sheepskin
    (Journal Article, MDPI AG, 2024-05-31) Matinong, Andrea Marie E.; Pickering, Kim L.; Waterland, Mark R.; Chisti, Yusuf; Haverkamp, Richard G
    Abattoirs dispose of sheepskins as solid waste due to low price and poor demand for sheepskin leather. In principle, as an alternative to being disposed of in landfill, sheepskins can serve as a source of the protein collagen or the hydrolysis product, gelatin. In this research, sheepskins collected from abattoirs were used as a source of collagen. Three extraction methods were compared: acid extraction, acid with enzymes, and alkali extraction. The extracted material was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The collagen and gelatin extraction yield ranged from 3.1% to 4.8% with the product purity determined by hydroxyproline, ranging from 7.8% for the alkali process to 59% and 68% for the acid and acid-enzyme processes. SDS PAGE showed that the acid process produced fragments with molecular weights in the range 100 to >250 kDa, while acid–enzyme resulted in smaller fragments, below 30 kDa. The FTIR region of the amide I band at 1800–1550 cm−1, which was used as an indicator of the collagen and gelatin content, showed that the gelatin dominated in the acid extracts, and the alkaline extract contained a large portion of keratin. SAXS was found to be a sensitive method for showing the presence of intact collagen fibrils in materials from all of the extraction methods, albeit at low concentrations. Herein, sheepskin is shown to be a useful source for collagen–gelatin material of varying molecular weights.
  • Publication
    COP26 local panel: Setting the scene - what's to come!
    (Oral Presentation, The University of Waikato, 2021-11) Morrison, Sandra L.; Roa, Tom; Mahuta, Nanaia; Douglas, Ian
    Our local experts kick-off the 2 weeks of action with a scene setting discussion on what is to follow at COP26. Hear from Hon. Nanaia Mahuta, Minister for Foreign Affairs, former CHEC President Professor Ian Douglas and others ahead of COP26
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    COP26 local panel: Finance and economics
    (Oral Presentation, The University of Waikato, 2021-11-04) Oxley, Les; Kiremu, Mercy; Keenan, Blair; Kirkwood, Rongo; Te Aho, Linda
    Local experts discuss some of the key themes from COP26. This panel covers Climate Finance, Responsible Business Conduct and Transformational Economics.