title: Current and future approaches to shifting businesses towards plastic-free packaging systems based on reduction and reuse

authors: Blumhardt, Hannah

abstract: 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.

text: Current and future approaches to shifting businesses towards plastic-free packaging systems based on reduction and reuse 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.

year: 2023-08-25

title: The wellbeing and social connectedness of older people in the Small Island Developing State (SIDS) of Maldives

authors: Moosa, Sheena

subjects: wellbeing

abstract: Older people in small island developing states (SIDS) live within the context of a distinctive set of circumstances in terms of the unique geo-spatial characteristics of island nations, the typically small size and dispersed nature of populations, new and emerging environmental vulnerabilities, and associated threats to economic development. Such characteristics present distinctive challenges to the wellbeing of the increasing number of older people in such countries. In seeking to gain a better understanding of these challenges, this research examines the nature of the determinants of wellbeing for older people in SIDS through a case study of ageing and wellbeing in Maldives. Wellbeing is conceptualised as being constituted through success in critical life domains in a multidimensional model that includes the socio-cultural, geo-spatial and economic living environments of older people in Maldives. A capabilities approach to understanding wellbeing taking into account of the opportunities for older people to live a valued life - ‘to do and to be what they have reason to value’ – is adopted, and this informs the examination of older people’s experiences in the life domains of health, social connectedness, economic status, access to goods and services, and ability to conform with social norms and values.  A survey instrument was developed in consultation with key individuals in the health and social service sector, along with a sample of older people themselves, and this was used to interview 393 older people (65 + years). The findings support the novel conceptualisation of the five life domains specific to this SIDS context. The most important determinants were health and social connectedness, each having a large impact on wellbeing, while economic status, ability to conform with social values and norms, and access to goods and services had small but significant correlations. The large contribution of social connectedness and the centrality of family in social connectedness points to the importance of collectivist social arrangements in Maldives, despite the geo-spatial challenges confronting a widely dispersed population. This approach to conceptualising wellbeing, and the indicators and measures that were developed provide a basis for further research and policy that extends beyond Maldives to other SIDS, and to international development partners.

text: The wellbeing and social connectedness of older people in the Small Island Developing State (SIDS) of Maldives Older people in small island developing states (SIDS) live within the context of a distinctive set of circumstances in terms of the unique geo-spatial characteristics of island nations, the typically small size and dispersed nature of populations, new and emerging environmental vulnerabilities, and associated threats to economic development. Such characteristics present distinctive challenges to the wellbeing of the increasing number of older people in such countries. In seeking to gain a better understanding of these challenges, this research examines the nature of the determinants of wellbeing for older people in SIDS through a case study of ageing and wellbeing in Maldives. Wellbeing is conceptualised as being constituted through success in critical life domains in a multidimensional model that includes the socio-cultural, geo-spatial and economic living environments of older people in Maldives. A capabilities approach to understanding wellbeing taking into account of the opportunities for older people to live a valued life - ‘to do and to be what they have reason to value’ – is adopted, and this informs the examination of older people’s experiences in the life domains of health, social connectedness, economic status, access to goods and services, and ability to conform with social norms and values.  A survey instrument was developed in consultation with key individuals in the health and social service sector, along with a sample of older people themselves, and this was used to interview 393 older people (65 + years). The findings support the novel conceptualisation of the five life domains specific to this SIDS context. The most important determinants were health and social connectedness, each having a large impact on wellbeing, while economic status, ability to conform with social values and norms, and access to goods and services had small but significant correlations. The large contribution of social connectedness and the centrality of family in social connectedness points to the importance of collectivist social arrangements in Maldives, despite the geo-spatial challenges confronting a widely dispersed population. This approach to conceptualising wellbeing, and the indicators and measures that were developed provide a basis for further research and policy that extends beyond Maldives to other SIDS, and to international development partners.

year: 2016

title: Coaching for the game of life: Driving coaching with mana

authors: Were, Brandyn Māia

subjects: Kaupapa Māori

abstract: Coaching needs to account for culture. This indigenous autoethnography explores personal experience to show how I, a young Māori male coach in Aotearoa New Zealand, navigates the complex nature of coaching. By weaving together Kaupapa Māori, established coaching knowledge, and experiences from my playing and coaching journey to date, a Kaupapa Māori coaching framework emerges – Driving Coaching with Mana.

As I reflect on the teachings of my coach, Mr. Mel Young, combined with my cultural identity, I reconnect to critical moments in my life that have shaped the person I am today and the values I hold, elevating the centrality of culture through the practice of Kaupapa, Ako, Manaakitanga, Whanaungatanga, Wairuatanga, and self-reflection as Āta-kaiako (a reflective coach).

Driven to enhance the development of rangatahi (youth) through sport, and informed by literature and experience, Driving Coaching with Mana is personally and culturally grounded – a way of thinking about coaching differently and in a more holistic way. There is more to the people we coach than their lives as athletes. Coaching is more than skill acquisition.

text: Coaching for the game of life: Driving coaching with mana Coaching needs to account for culture. This indigenous autoethnography explores personal experience to show how I, a young Māori male coach in Aotearoa New Zealand, navigates the complex nature of coaching. By weaving together Kaupapa Māori, established coaching knowledge, and experiences from my playing and coaching journey to date, a Kaupapa Māori coaching framework emerges – Driving Coaching with Mana.

As I reflect on the teachings of my coach, Mr. Mel Young, combined with my cultural identity, I reconnect to critical moments in my life that have shaped the person I am today and the values I hold, elevating the centrality of culture through the practice of Kaupapa, Ako, Manaakitanga, Whanaungatanga, Wairuatanga, and self-reflection as Āta-kaiako (a reflective coach).

Driven to enhance the development of rangatahi (youth) through sport, and informed by literature and experience, Driving Coaching with Mana is personally and culturally grounded – a way of thinking about coaching differently and in a more holistic way. There is more to the people we coach than their lives as athletes. Coaching is more than skill acquisition.

year: 2023