
Alison StowellLancaster University | LU · Department of Organisation, Work and Technology
Alison Stowell
PhD Organisation, Work and Technology
About
21
Publications
9,769
Reads
How we measure 'reads'
A 'read' is counted each time someone views a publication summary (such as the title, abstract, and list of authors), clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the full-text. Learn more
847
Citations
Introduction
My principal research interests focus on waste and the circular economy. In particular I have drawn upon social and organisation theories to explore how a particular type of waste – e-waste (electronic) - is organised. Recently I have started to also research other areas such as plastics.
Publications
Publications (21)
Research on waste has emerged as a lively field of study within the social sciences and humanities. This book brings together diverse international scholars interrogating waste from a myriad of disciplines within social sciences and humanities. These disciplines come across the many faces and dimensions of waste, adding new understandings of common...
Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) have revolutionized our lives, however, their associated waste (WEEE) presents a global challenge because at this time EEE relies heavily on metals that are not commonly found in the living environment (Biosphere), which find their way into the environment during both production/disposal of EEE/WEEE. The us...
The plastic crisis has demonstrated how single-use plastic waste is growing significantly and has a negative impact on natural ecosystems and human activities (UNEP 2018). Drawing upon Douglas’ (1966, pp. 34-35) idea of pollution, singleuse plastic waste is seen as a “matter out of place.” In an attempt to put these materials back “in place,” organ...
Interdisciplinary sustainability knowledge in the field of management is often perceived as lacking relevance for practical applications in the field. This then hinders progress towards a more sustainable business. In this chapter, we discuss why the practitioner-academic gap exists including knowledge transfer problems, knowledge production proble...
This paper presents a reasoned account of the critiques addressed to the circular economy and circular business models. These critiques claim that the circular economy has diffused limits, unclear theoretical grounds, and that its implementation faces structural obstacles. Circular economy is based on an ideological agenda dominated by technical an...
Melanins are a class of biopolymers that are widespread in nature and have diverse origins, chemical compositions, and functions. Their chemical, electrical, optical, and paramagnetic properties offer opportunities for applications in materials science, particularly for medical and technical uses. This review focuses on the application of analytica...
10 In 2019 the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive documented a 11 sizable increase in e-waste collection targets alongside widening the scope of electrical and 12 electronic products covered by the legislation. These changes have significant impact for the 13 UK, where e-waste collection has been below the levels necessar...
In 2019 the EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive documented a sizable increase in e-waste collection targets alongside widening the scope of electrical and electronic products covered by the legislation. These changes have significant impact for the UK, where e-waste collection has been below the levels necessary to meet th...
Subtitle: A violet biotechnology understanding of organic electronics with a focus on display technology.
In light of the continuing momentum behind the Circular Economy and Bio-economy agendas, organic electronics hold much promise in regards to future resource management. The materials used to create organic electronics could/can meet electrical...
Preprint version of "Introduction to the Special Issue on the Contested realities of the Circular" January 7, 2020
The definitive version was published in Culture and Organization, Vol 26, No.2, pp. 97-174.
https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/gsco20/26/2?nav=tocList
Purpose
In the context of the environmental impacts caused due to the increasing volumes of discarded technologies (e-Waste), this paper aims to critically evaluate whether environmental policy, the Waste of Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) legislation in particular can contribute to a shift in logic from neoliberal growth to green growth...
The EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive sets WEEE collection targets for the member states. The UK WEEE Regulations set household WEEE collection targets for Producer Compliance Schemes (PCS), with the overall UK target being met by the inclusion of substantiated estimates of WEEE collected through legitimate routes outsid...
In this article, we put forward the concept of ‘embodied inhabitation’ to bring a bodily and material perspective to bear on institutional maintenance. Using an ‘inhabited institutions’ framework, and drawing on autoethnographic, visual data, we develop a strategy of empathizing with field research participants that blurs the boundaries between hum...
In this paper we critically evaluate the mining and extraction of e-waste - electronic waste - and the relationship with the emerging cleaner and greener economy. Drawing on ethnographic data, gathered from an e-waste management organization - e-WasteOrg, we show how e-waste and value are assembled, extracted and circulated within local, national a...
In advanced economies the ‘greening’ of the economy is widely seen as promising extensive job creation and upskilling, alongside its other benefits. In popular and policy rhetoric, the growing importance of ‘green skills’ is asserted frequently. This study critically examines these claims within the context of the electronic waste management sector...
The focus of this short empirical paper is to provide an insight into environmental pollution caused by occupational practices associated with the recycling computers. The article examines the impact that the UK Environmental Policy, Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulation has had on three organisations involved in computer r...