Extending the service life of smartphones and other Internet-enabled mobile devices could significantly reduce their ecological footprint. In pursuit of this, it will be necessary to develop innovative approaches that are both economically viable and appealing to consumers.

The proposed seed project consists of two main parts: In the first part, a life cycle assessment (LCA) is conducted to analyze the environmental impact of tourism activities in Thailand. Based on the analysis, practical recommendations for providing these services more sustainably are developed. In the second part, the partners will co-write joint ...

The debates in 2004-2007 on the tax exemption of fuels from renewable raw materials focused mainly on 1st generation fuels. Consequently, the instruments are also geared to this type of fuel. At that time, however, the legislator made it possible for fuels from renewable energy sources to also benefit from the tax exemption. At the time the revised ...

The aim of the research study is to extend the study by Eymann et al. (2015) of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) by selected substrate components and substrate mixtures which, based on defined criteria, have a high potential as peat substitutes. Analogous to the 2015 study, the present research project is intended to provide a ...

The start-up financed project is a research cooperation of the research groups Life Cycle Assessment, Geography of Food and Geoinformatics for the development of a competence focus "Regionalised Agricultural LCA". The feasibility of a regionalised life cycle assessment will be examined with regard to technical and conceptual aspects as well as ...

Globalisation of the food trade leads to various impacts on the economy, the environment, and society. Emerging economies that have expanded their agricultural trade and have become net agricultural exporters are particularly affected. The proposed research collaboration aims at combining interdisciplinary research expertise from Switzerland and ...

Which processes in a hospital are particularly resource-intensive? How can cost-efficiency in hospitals be increased and environmental impact be reduced? How can life cycle innovation be applied in the health care sector in order to increase its sustainability? The Life Cycle Assessment Research Group of the Zurich University of Applied Sciences ...

Hero AG is producing more than 100 different jams in various packaging sizes, whereof Mini-, Midi- and MaxiJars are available. Basically, three packaging options are good solutions: aluminium, glass and plastic. Recently, Hero was confronted with critique, regarding to the use of aluminium Cups, which are assossiated with high environmental impact. ...

Within this subproject in the framework of the National Research Programm 70 regarding energy turnaround, an environmental sustainability assessement of power-to-gas (PtG) methane will be conducted by applying life cycle assessment methodology. In the PtG technology, hydrogen and carbon dioxide are converted to methane, using renewable energies ...

There are currently just over 30 large wind turbines in Switzerland, with strong expansion of wind energy in the next few years as part of the Energy Strategy 2050. Wind turbines are designed for a service life of approximately 20 years. The plants are then dismantled and disposed of. There are different views on the extent to which the foundations ...

To pave the way forward for IS as a solution for more efficient processing and energy systems for the process industry, we will develop a secure ICT platform (SHAREBOX) for the flexible management of shared process resources that will provide plant operations and production managers with the robust and reliable information that they need in ...

Based on long-standing work and a unique market position, Eaternity successfully distributes a solution for managing CO2 transparency covering the entire value added chain, from food product to full menu. This CTI project enables Eaternity to use the results of its groundwork and turn it into an attractive, scalable and cost-efficient product, ...

This project aims at evaluating the sustainability of the joint project’s “Reduction and reuse of CO2” value chain, i.e. the carbon dioxide methanation value chain – from the production of hydrogen through photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting (partner project 2), through the methanation of carbon dioxide from the cement industry with ...

Life holds temptations ready, which make each one of us to be carried away to a greater or lesser sin. But what are the truly ecologically relevant sins, what are they doing, and what can each individual do to avoid them and thus contribute to a more sustainable society? The "Ökobeichtstuhl" is an innovative science entertainment concept for ...

The consumption of food and beverages causes more than a quarter of an average person’s environmental impact in Switzerland. Apart from meat, fish and dairy products, beverage and semiluxury food – especially spirits and coffee – contribute to a significant share. Over the entire life cycle of wine – from the cultivation of the vineyard to ...

The opportunities for photovoltaic (PV) solar energy conversion to support the requested transition for the realization of the Energy Strategy 2050 are widely recognized. However, if PV is to make a significant contribution to satisfy global energy requirements, issues of sustainability need to be addressed with increased urgency. This project aims ...

Due to its soil improving properties peat is regarded as an ideal component of growing media. However, peat cutting has a high environmental impact. In Switzerland, the extraction of peat is prohibited since 1987, but 130’000 tons of peat are imported every year. To reduce peat consumption, alternative substrates are needed. This projects aims at ...

Power to gas allows using excess renewable electricity to produce Hydrogen and to transform it to renewable methane. Methane can be used to drive natural gas vehicles. The processes described use building blocks made of existing technologies, link the grids for electricity and natural gas and make large existing storage capacities accessible for ...