Memo41+Draft+Overview--sferguson

=**Memo41: Draft Overview**= See example in Aalok's proposal, and in Mike and Jeanette's proposal, remembering that this section of the proposal should articulate the entire proposal, in brief. In other words, nothing that comes after should seem surprising. The later sections just provide detail. The "Detailing a Proposal" template should help you conceive of the proposal as a whole.

Process through which sustainable goods are translated into sustainable practice?

Am I interested in the geneology of a sustainable good or the push back that limits the potential of sustainability? --does the comparison of germany and the U.S. do some of both of these? --does my description of consumer practice get back at some of the push backs? --can the talk about seattle bioplastics and mob control of waste do a better job than example of consumer practice?

All things that make a sustainable good: Aesthetic level economic level social level social movement level consumer level infrastructure level

Socioeconomy Consumer Practice--sustainable technological development Sustainable goods, consumption patterns and infrasctructure Bioplastics as exemplar Compostable bioplastics in socio-cultural-economic context


 * TITLE**

Existing corporate capitalist systems have done little to develop an intelligent discourse on collective consumption. Even as markets are one of the best sources of rapid innovation individualistic notions of consumer culture limit the range of possible pathways that this innovation can take. In the case of bioplastics, a new product type that aims to replace petroleum based goods with plant based feedstocks, companies and advocates claim that this is part of the solution to limiting our addiction to petroleum and becoming a more sustainable society. While the characteristics of bioplastics as a tangible good do in fact provide new avenues, including the potential for a cradle to cradle sustainability cycle, little has been said about the consumer's impact on this industry and the sustainability that is claimed. This is surprising considering the tension that has been created over biofuels over the last decade due to rising food prices and the negative environmental impacts of turning forests into arable land for feedstocks. The lack of imagination on this topic rests in large part on our collective unwillingness to consider individual consumption as a sociocultural problem. Despite the potential to create more appropriate technologies for individual use overconsumption positions any new innovation into an unsustainable cultural practice of overconsumption.
 * ABSTRACT**


 * Aims

Methods

Expected results

Expected significance and circulation

OVERVIEW

What the study aims to accomplish.** How the study will accomplish these aims, and why the proposed approach is best.Despite the different settings between the U.S. and EU in terms of cultural practice, environmental imaginations, and social regulation the bioplastic industry in both settings claim remarkably similar benefits. I will focus on two specific companies, Novamont in Italy and Natureworks in the U.S., as lenses into how practice diverges from discourse over this developing industry. Bioplastics are claimed to be an important component to national security through the reduced need for petroleum imports, promotion of agriculture through needs for plant based feedstocks, moving to a cradle to cradle economy, and a host of other utopian claims. In the case of the Novamont facility the corporation has made it a policy to only used material sourced from local farmers, has worked with federal agencies to develop waste separation procedures and composting facilities, and refuses to use feedstocks that are not from sustainable, organic farms. The end result is that the practices of this facility are closely aligned with the narratives they have helped shape of bioplastics futures. Natureworks has argued for similar futures, however the truth is a bit less ideal. As the largest producer of the most common type of bioresin, PLA, their product requires specific conditions for compostability that does not exist in the vast majority of municipalities. This limits the capacity of this technology to become a part of a cycle of use and is more likely to end up with all other waste in landfills. Further, the starches that form the backbone of PLA at present are sourced primarily from Chinese potatoes, even as their Nebraska facility is surrounded by states that produce vast quantities of this tuber. Strange as this may seem, citizens are rarely confronted with how cost benefit analysis and corporate benefit simply outweight the desire for promoting local agriculture and communities...
 * Develop new case studies in the social construction of technology, particularly in the case of disposable consumer goods
 * Evaluate how ideas of sustainability are constructed by various implicated actors and how these ideas are translated into practice and product

There is growing recognition of the important role of social movements in driving the sustainability of industry. In this paper, I argue that the relationship between social movements and industry change is complicated by environmental groups promoting contradictory goals. This > paper examines the effect of such contradictions on the developing “bioplastics” industry in the United States. In the attempt to influence a shift toward a more sustainable good conflict occur between existing environmental movements and institutions that have been established on principles of sustainability. This analysis is to forward the debate on the social construction of technology as well as social movement scholarship from sociology. I discuss several instances of conflict that have occurred within the bioplastics field including waste processing of goods, consumption and consumers, and sources of the feedstocks for these polymers. I will show how the success of early environmental movements can create hurdles for subsequent movements and how new environmental movements can degrade the successes of prior movements.


 * Where you will obtain data.**

**Interviews**

1. Steven Levine Part Owner and Director Excellent Packaging & Supply 3220 Blume Dr. Suite 111 Richmond, CA 94806 Home office 707-253-1437 Cell Phone 707-363-5515 Fax 707-261-9741 steve@excellentpackaging.com

Excellent Packaging has been in the packaging business for several generations, and about 8 years ago started offering bioplastic options due to market availability, consumer interest, and (mostly) concerns about environment and local first. It seen like I will be taking a trip out to the Northwest as many companies and groups are working on bioplastics. Excellent Packaging would be an important stop as it lies at the juncture of the raw product, manufactured good, and consumer market.

2. I'd like to speak with a few of the individuals that represent the European Bioplastics consortium. This organization is an industry funded group that is working on producing and promoting bioplastics, waste collection, and composting in the EU. The headquarters of the consortium is in Berlin, Germany.

3. The Institute for Local Self Reliance focuses on local economies and most recently on a carbohydrate economy. They have a sustainable bioplastic division which would be a good starting point for getting a feel for the landscape.

4. In a similar vein the Sustainable Bioplastics Collaborative is an advocacy organization focused on EJ issues, waste, environmentalism, etc. surrounding bioplastics.

5. I'd like to get in touch with a number of recycling industry and waste hauling companies to determine what the status is on concerns of collection, composting, etc. without the initial inquiry I won't know exactly whom to focus on. I'd start with the American Recycler's group that has already expressed concern over the introduction of bioplastics into the market.


 * __Sites and Case Studies__**

1. Novamont Novamont produces a particular type of plastic called Mater-Bi. They are interesting as, from the beginning, decided to go for the most compostable and biodegradable certifications. Their claim is also that no GM based starch feedstocks are used in the products. It would be a bit of a trip as the company headquarters is near Milan, Spain.

2. Natureworks LLC Natureworks is the largest producer of corn starch based plastic, branded as Ingeo. With this one I have a company devoted to their local community, everything is sourced within 30 miles of their plant, but has no interest in the GM debate. They use no.2 feed corn because it is cheap and abundant, but the process could use any sugar (dextrose) source. The product can only be composted in large, well maintained facilities or incinerated. They acknowledge the conflict with existing recycling and are taking steps to work with these institutions. I'd like to talk with people that work in the manufacturing facility as well as the individuals working in the regulatory affairs department. The latter would start with a inquiry with the office of Glenn Johnston, Manager of Global Regulatory Affairs.

Corporate Headquarters NatureWorks LLC 15305 Minnetonka Boulevard Minnetonka, MN 55345 USA

Manufacturing Facility NatureWorks LLC, Manufacturing 650 Industrial Road, PO Box 564 Blair, NE 68008 USA

As alternatives in case the above don't turn out we have:

//Companies//
//Biodegradable Product Associations//
 * [|BioBag] (USA, Canada)
 * [|Cereplast] (USA)
 * [|Earthcycle Packaging](Canada)
 * [|EarthShell] (USA)
 * [|Metabolix] (USA)
 * [|NatureWorks LLC] (USA)
 * [|Novamont, Mater-Bi™](Italy)
 * [|Plantic] (Australia)


 * 

//Bioplastics Industry Associations//
[|The Biodegradable Products Institute]
 * [|Plastics Environmental Division, Society of Plastic Engineers]
 * [|Japan Bioplastics Association]
 * [|Australasian Bioplastics Association]


 * Why the study is important, in general, and particularly at this historical moment.**

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE State of the phenomena. State of the social and cultural studies literature on the phenomena
 * Who will carry the study out, with what expertise and preparation? .**

PREPARATION AND WORK THUS FAR Record and expertise of researcher Preliminary findings Pilot studies

METHODOLOGY AND PLAN OF WORK Conceptual framework Research questions Site justification Study components Schedule of activities Evaluation and Validity Research Ethics

DISSEMENATION Conference presentations Publications Cross-expertise dialogue Policy work

OVERVIEW

• Should describe the aims of the project – empirical, conceptual, methodological, and practical.

• The aims of the project should be reflected in the primary research questions, which should alsobe identified in the overview.

• Should include a short overview of study components, and a brief justification of your researchsites.

• Should describe the relevance of the project – empirically, conceptually, methodologically,practically – highlighting the timeliness of the project

.• Should indicate that the project is feasible, and that the researcher has the appropriate expertise.

BACKGROUND AND SIGNIFICANCE

• Section on the “state of the phenomena” can move from general to particular, thus ending withwhat will work as a site justification.

PREPARATION AND WORK THUS FAR

METHODOLOGY AND PLAN OF WORK

Conceptual Framework

• A conceptual map and narrative that describes what you think is going on, given prior findings ortheory.

Research Questions

• An overview of your (at most 5) empirical research questions, each followed by a paragraph thatlinks the questions to the literature (the highest order questions on your hierarchy of researchquestions memo) and briefly describes the kinds of lower level (interview and archive) questionsthat you need to answer in order to answer your primary empirical questions.

Study components

• The section on a literature review is a good place to describe a grounded theory approach

.• The section on interviews will include your interview questions, and is a good place to brieflydescribe your approach to research ethics and also to reiterate the justification for your sitechoices.

• The section on data analysis will draw on your memo on core categories, and is a good place towrite about how you will work to validate your findings – through triangulation, etc.

Schedule of activities

• This should include a timeline, but also can include your data-planning matrix.

DISSEMINATION AND IMPACT

• In this section, you should describe what the results of the research will be, where they will circulate and how they will make a difference.