Katie Conlon

Portland State University | PSU · Nohad A. Toulan School of Urban Studies and Planning

This study uses a qualitative approach to address limitations and blockages to current plastics reduction via semi-structured interviews with zero waste business practitioners in India. Although they are nascent, India is home to a budding zero waste community that is grappling with how to reduce plastics—via trial and error—and these stakeholders...

This article includes a review of the literature on marine debris in an Indian context and introduces a replicable, scientific, and inexpensive collection method to build capacity and inform policymakers. We share baseline data resulting from ten cleanups using these methods in India. This method was introduced in a 2019 workshop to train Indian re...

This article includes a review of the literature on marine debris in an Indian context and introduces a replicable, scientific, and inexpensive collection method to build capacity and inform policymakers. We share baseline data resulting from ten cleanups using these methods in India. This method was introduced in a 2019 workshop to train Indian re...

Although there are not any direct studies linking persistent organic pollutants (POPs) accumulated on marine debris to human health, there are numerous studies showing human health impacts from repeated and high level POP exposure, as well as studies that show POPs accumulate on plastic debris in the marine environment. With this knowledge, there i...

The growing, global plastic waste crisis is sparking a myriad of solutions from disparate fields. One such end-of-use solution is the application of plastic waste for paving roads. This solution is marketed as a win-win option for plastic waste, use the single-use waste material to pave roads and save money, and simultaneously tackle the accumulate...

Global plastic production continues to increase at an exponential pace, and global waste projections show waste generation rising by 70% by 2050. Plastic waste connects to all social processes, especially within the context of urbanization and development; urban planning and land management; GHG emissions; labor; social equity; public health; rural...

Global plastic production continues to increase at an exponential pace, and global waste projections show waste generation rising by 70% by 2050. Plastic waste connects to all social processes, especially within the context of urbanization and development; urban planning and land management; GHG emissions; labor; social equity; public health; rural...

"Adaptive injustice: those who find ways to adapt to changing social realities, whether forced or voluntary, are not those who are responsible for the negative changes to which they are adapting. Specifically, it is an adaptive injustice to expect communities to figure out what to do with continual flow of plastics into the economy."

A discussion on the importance of understanding waste issues from a systems perspective. What are systems trajectories? Materials trajectories? Path dependencies? How can we understand the network of stakeholders involved in upstream waste decision-making? Ms. Conlon has over the past 2 years been delving into these questions within the context o...

Beach cleanup data for 100m stretch behind St. Anthonys church. Material type; weight; overall compositions; and brand audit.

Newspaper article highlighting findings from the beach cleanup, waste categorization and brand audit.

The current system of waste management in Colombo, Sri Lanka

Circular economy (CE) is predominantly framed as a means for circulating material streams within the technosphere as economically as possible, for as long as possible, in both applications of theory and practice. Arising from requirements for regulatory compliance, some global north industries have ventured into CE, and now this model is making hea...

Proposal to create a baseline for MSW measurements in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Knowing waste composition (material types, packaging brands, biodegradable to nonbiodegradable ratio) and waste patterns (such as whether neighborhood/income level plays a factor in waste generation) is critical in order to form a basic understanding for future directions in...

presentation on regional waste issues in Ladakh, India (Himalayan region) for promoting zero waste and plastics minimization strategies over linear waste management options

outlines regional waste issues for policymakers to make more informed decisions about waste management; emphasizes zero waste and plastics minimization as the way forward for a sustainable Ladakh

Material flows, understanding attitudes towards consumption, and strategies for social change

peacebuilding from a lens of climate change

Hawaiian Sovereignty movement

Sustainability in the face of climate change for Thimphu, Bhutan