In the first phase of Treasure ethnographic research, we focused on car-centered industry events as pools for informants, who were interviewed on the topics under study.
Specifically, the study design centered around ethnographic interviews to help us map the conceptual space around circular economy and sustainability practices in the electric car sector. Jos, a native German-speaking researcher conducted structured interviews at 5 car industry events, all located in Germany (Ulm Technorama, Frankfurter Automobil Ausstellung (FAA), Audi Meeting Krefeld, Allstedt Cars Meet Photographers and TopCareerStuttgart2022).
The plan for the next stage of the project is to continue our ethnographic inquiry into the conceptual space where circular economy/ sustainability practices intersect with the electric car sector, but from the converse direction. Rather than targeting car industry events and interviewing participants in an attempt to understand their position on sustainable practices (broadly), in this next phase of the project we will target sustainability-focused events and interview participants there about the ways in which their interest and commitment to sustainability informs their practices and aspirations as car owners or car users.
The methodological rationale for this is two-fold:
Initial research found that the term ācircular economyā was not a commonly recognized or used one among our interviewees (even though they had thoughts and reflections about sustainability principles and prospects). Presumably, the term would be more often recognized and used at events where the self-selected attendees are primarily focused around issues of sustainability, rather than focused on cars. Because of the prevalence of cars in our society, it is likely that those informants would themselves have cars, have had cars in the past, or at the very least regularly use cars in rentals or car shares and are aware of the sustainability issues in the car sector, and the role of electronics in cars in sustainability considerations.
Such a shift would be in the spirit of triangulation, which is āthe practice of using multiple sources of data or multiple approaches to analyzing data to enhance the credibility of a research study. Originating in navigational and surveying contexts, triangulation aligns multiple perspectives and leads to a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon of interest. (Hastings 2010).
Some keywords/topics we can use in selecting events of interest going forwards:
iĀ“m searching for events with topics as @Nica suggested. If possible international events, so the chance to get interviews in English should be high. I will upload it here soon.
18.-20. january Salzburg/Austria
IERC 2023 ā International Electronics Recycling Congress - āleading event in the world of circular electronicsā - 500 international professionals from the fields of production, design, advertising, business development, material supply, recycling, logistics and government https://events.icm.ch/event/e13c15f2-7f2b-478a-a47e-7e57a9591254/summary
january Biel/Switzerland
Recycling congress for responsibles for waste and recycling from municipalities, cantons, the federal government and associations, disposal companies, recyclers, transport companies and other interested parties https://www.recyclingkongress.ch
08.-09. february Munich/Germany
Fraunhofer CCPE Summit Ā»Circular Plastics ā Get into the loopĀ« - Meeting point of the international circular economy community
CCPE is Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy
30.-31. march Berlin
German Packaging Congress from German Packaging Institute for concrete strategies and best practice examples for the successful and compliant implementation of a circular economy of packaging and sustainability https://www.verpackung.org/events/deutscher-verpackungskongress
18.-20. april Bergamo/Italy
Waste Management Europe - Second Waste Management Europe Conference & Exhibition, event focused on waste management and the circular economy. Over 200 companies divided into six industrial macro-areas, including start-ups, and around 5000 people including Italian and international visitors, delegates, exhibitors and speakers
01.-04. may New Orleans/USA
WasteExpo 2023 - WasteExpo is big business. It delivers the latest innovations to the solid waste industry, from vehicles to robotics to recycling equipment and technology. Thousands of colleagues meet here to buy, sell and gather intel on the latest products and services for the solid waste industry https://www.wasteexpo.com/en/home.html
14.-16. june Berlin/Germany
GreenTech Festival - The global platform empowering Changemakers and fostering innovative green technologies for a sustainable future
june WĆ¼rzburg/Germany
SKZ-innovation day: Circular economy - SKZ: The Plastic Center - is organizing this meeting with Circular economy thought leaders, adopters and innovators, subjects are: Design for Recycling, Plastic Recycling in Emerging Markets (Developing countries), Use of recyclates in practice and Post Consumer Recycling - next dimension https://www.skz.de/bildung/tagung/recycling#Inhalt
15.-16.november Stuttgart/Germany
Congress BW - Circular economy and resources efficiency. Many āgreen workingā companies and governmental institutions https://www.kongress-bw.de/index.php/
WUF12 - World Urban Forum will be 2024 Location &Date TBC
-Fraunhofer CCPE on circular plastics in 8.-9. February
Conference Ticket
Regular (incl. Conference Dinner):
EUR 1.230.00
Press free, if possible trying to find out
-Bern User Forum CE in 28. March
Ticket Standard
89,00 Fr
Press?
-GTF in Berlin 14.-16. june
no info yet
-IARC in Geneva 21.-23. june
Fee for participants (incl. virtual package)
EUR 1ā890
Press?
-BW Congress in Stuttgart 15.-16. november
no fee, is free for all
One question:
What is with Waste Management Europe in Bergamo in April? Sounds interesting. If somebody is thereā¦I think it would be to expensive travel if I would go there.
I wrote 2 weeks ago to the ogenizations above asking for a opportunity to take part as a journalist (coz conference tickets are in some events really very high).
I hope to get soon first responses.
I got respond from Press/Communication-department from IARC2023. What can I answer?
ā Who accesses the website edgeryders? It was hard to understand it while looking at it? What kind of outreach does it have?
We are interested in reaching the recycling and circular economy community ā
IARC in Geneva (only with press accreditation) in June
BW Congress in Stuttgart in November
Fraunhofer CCPE is cancelled. They will write me if a new event is planned.
I requested an accreditation as journalist for Bern, GTF and iarc. For BW Congress there is no need, is free to join it.
A response from iarc I didnāt get yet. Thatās the reason why I wrote again to all with the recommendation letter. And IĀ“m using the template.
@Nica@ivan Next week, I will be attending the Circular Economy Forum in Switzerland. Could I please receive the updated questionnaire? Thank you in advance.
Feel free to translate it in German, Jos, if you need to get some more interviews done.
Although it is much better to have them in English, for coding, if you see you arenāt getting enough interviews, go with the German.
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