Helén Williams

 
Doktor i miljö- och energisystem

Forskning

Min forskning handlar främst om hur förpackningar ska kunna bidra till en hållbar utveckling, främst genom att minska mängden av mat som slängs. Förpackningar som bidrar till att mindre mat slängs är viktigt för att bidra till mål 12.3 i de Globala Målen om att halvera mängden matsvinn. Forskningen handlar bland annat om hur förpackningens utformning och egenskaper påverkar beteenden. Därför samarbetar vi med beteendevetare och psykologer och designers samtidigt som vi utvärderar miljöpåverkan med förenklade livscykelanalyser. 

UNDERVISNING

Jag undervisar främst i kurser om hållbar utveckling för olika ingenjörsprogram och som fortbildning för lärarkollegor. Det är en ynnest att få möta studenter och både få ge inblickar i det allvarliga läge mänskligheten befinner sig i och samtidigt inspiration för alla möjligheter som finns för att lösa olika problem. 

SAMVERKAN

Jag och min kollega Fredrik Wikström samarbetar främst med forskare inom Centrum för tjänsteforskning vid Karlstads universitet och forskare vid Lunds och Linköpings universitet samt RMIT i Melbourne, Australien. Vi är också initiativtagare och ledare av det globala forskarnätverket Packaging Saves Food Research Group. Jag deltar också i nationella aktiviteter med Naturvårdsverket, Livsmedelsverket och Jordbruksverket som tillsammans samordnar arbetet för minskat matsvinn. Jag har också medverkat i nationella utvecklingsprojekt tillsammans med industri och myndigheter. Jag föreläser också regelbundet hos olika företag och organisationer om betydelsen av minskat matsvinn och den roll som förpackningen har.

BIOGRAFI

Jag har en Kemiekonomi examen från Högskolan i Karlstad och disputerade 2011 i Miljö- och energisystem vid Karlstads universitet. Jag var gästforskare vid RMIT i Melbourne i 6 månader under 2013 och blev 2018 docent i Miljö- och energisystem.

PUBLIKATIONER

 

  • Mattsson, L.; Williams, H. 2022. Avoidance of Supermarket Food Waste—Employees’ Perspective on Causes and Measures to Reduce Fruit and Vegetables Waste. Sustainability 14, 10031. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/su141610031 
  • Trischler, J, Svensson P, Williams, H, Wikström F. 2022. Citizens as an innovation source in sustainability transitions – linking the directionality of innovations with the locus of the problem in transformative innovation policy. Policy management. https://doi.org/10.1080/14719037.2022.2062041
  • Williams, H., Lindström, A., Trischler, J., Wikström, F., Rowe, Z. 2020. Avoiding food becoming waste in households – The role of packaging in consumers’ practices across different food categories. Journal of cleaner production, 265, August 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121775
  • Wanjun C., Williams H., Verghese K., Renee Wever R., Glad W. 2020. Tensions and Opportunities: An Activity Theory Perspective on Date and Storage Label Design through A Literature Review and Co-Creation Sessions.Sustainability 2020, 12(3), 1162; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12031162
  • Wikström, F., Williams, H., Trischler, J., and Rowe, Z. (2019). The Importance of Packaging Functions for Food Waste of Different Products in Households. Sustainability, Vol. 11(9), pp. 2641. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/9/2641
  • Williams, H, Wikström, F, Wetter-Edman, Kristensson, P. 2018. How Packaging Functions Affect the Fate of Used Packaging in Selected Swedish Households. Sustainability 10:12. 4794. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/12/4794
  • Molina-Besch K, Wikström F, Williams H. 2018. The environmental impact of packaging in food supply chains—does life cycle assessment of food provide the full picture? The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-018-1500-6
  • Wikström F, VergheseK, AurasR, Olsson A, WilliamsH, Wever R, Grönman K, Kvalvåg PettersenM , MøllerH, SoukkaR. 2018. Packaging Strategies that Save Food - A Research Agenda for 2030. Industrial Ecology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.12769
  • Mattsson L, Williams H, Berghel J. Waste of fresh fruit and vegetables at retailers in Sweden – Measuring and calculation of mass, economic cost and climate impact. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. Vol 130, pp 118-126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.10.037
  • Wikström Fredrik, Williams Helén, Govindarajan Venkatesh. 2016. The influence of packaging attributes on recycling and food waste behaviour - an environmental comparison of two packaging alternatives. Journal of Cleaner Production, 137: 895-902
  • Lindh Helena, Williams Helén, Olsson Annika, Wikström Fredrik. 2016. Elucidating the indirect contributions of packaging to sustainable development – Through a terminology of packaging functions and features. Packaging Technology and Science, 29 :225-246. DOI: 10.1002/pts.2197
  • Lindh Helena, Olsson Annika, Williams Helén. 2016. Consumer perceptions of food packaging - Contributing to or counteracting environmentally sustainable development? Packaging Technology and Science 2016; 29: 3–23 
  • Verghese Karli,Lewis Helén, Lockrey Simon, Williams Helén. Packaging's role in minimising food loss and waste across the supply chain. Packaging Technology and Science, 2015; 28: 603–620
  • Wikström Fredrik, Williams Helén, Verghese Karli, Clune Stephen. The influence of packaging attributes on consumer behaviour in food-packaging LCA studies – a neglected topic. Journal of Cleaner Production 2014, 73: 100-108.
  • Williams Helén,  Fredrik Wikström, Otterbring Tobias, Löfgren Martin, Gustafsson Anders. Reasons for household food waste with special attention to packaging. Journal of Cleaner production 2012, 24:141-148
  • Williams Helén. Food packaging for Sustainable Development. Dissertation in Environmental and energy system. Karlstad University Studies 2011:27. Karlstad University. Sweden. ISBN 978-91-7063-360-7.
  • Williams Helén, Wikström Fredrik. Environmental Impact of Packaging and Food Losses in a Life Cycle Perspective: A Comparative Analysis of Five Food Items.  Journal of Cleaner production 2011, 19(1): 43-48
  • Wikström Fredrik, Williams Helén. Potential environmental gains from reducing food losses through development of new packaging –a life cycle model. Packaging Technology and Science, 2010; 23: 403–411
  • Williams Helén, Wikström Fredrik, Löfgren Martin. A life cycle perspective on environmental effects of customer focused packaging development. Journal of Cleaner production 2008; 16(7): 853-859

Konferenser

  • AurasR, Clune S, Grönman K, Kvalvåg Pettersen M, Møller H, Olsson A, Soukka R, Verghese K, Wever R, Wikström F, Williams H. Packaging saves food; a research agenda to combat food waste. 28thIAPRI World Symposium on Packaging. Lausanne, Switzerland. 9-12 May 2017. Presented by Helén Williams.

  • Williams H, Wikström F, Lindström A, Wickholm K, Lorentzon A. Investigation of consumer attitudes, practices and food waste for three food items, to use as input in new packaging designs that aim to reduce food waste. 28thIAPRI World Symposium on Packaging. Lausanne, Switzerland. 9-12 May 2017.

  • Williams H. SAVE FOOD and Packaging Research. Save Food Congress. Düsseldorf, Germany, 4 May 2017. https://www.save-food.org/cgi-bin/md_interpack/lib/pub/tt.cgi/Helén_Williams.html?oid=61230&lang=2&ticket=g_u_e_s_t

  • Wickholm K, Williams H, Lindström A, Lorentzon A, Wikström F. 2016. Innovative packaging for reduction of food waste from producer to consumer.  20thIAPRI World Packaging Conference. Sao Paulo, Brazil. 12-15 June 2016.

  • Mattsson L and Williams H. Potential of reducing fresh fruit and vegetables waste at retailer- A case study at three retailers in Sweden. 2nd International Conference on Global Food Security, 11-14 October 2015, Ithaca, New York, USA 
  • Ståhl M., Berghel J., and Williams H. 2014. Sustainable improvements in the wood pellet chain. International Conference on Sustainable Energy & Environmental protection. Dubai. 23-25 November 2014. 
  • Verghese K, Lockrey S, Rio M, Dwyer M, Williams H, Crossin E, Elliot A. 2014. Resource efficiency in the food manufacturing sector: DIRECT, a co-designed online tool. Total Food Conference. Norwich 11-13 November 2014.
  • Williams H, Verghese K, Lockrey S, Morgan M. 2014. Household practices relating to purchase, storage, preparation and disposal of food within three different suburbs in Banyule municipality, Victoria, Australia. Total Food Conference. Norwich 11-13 November 2014.
  • Verghese K, Crossin E, Clune S, Lockrey S, Williams H, Rio M, Wikström F. 2014. The greenhouse gas profile of a “Hungry Planet”; quantifying the impacts of the weekly food purchases including associated packaging and food waste of three families. 19th IAPRI World Conference on Packaging. Melbourne. 15-18 June 2014.
  • Williams 2013. “Global market trends and how packaging can support for reducing food waste”. Workshop on Research on Food Waste Prevention, Oslo 19 November 2013
  • Lindh H, Olsson A, Williams H. 2012. Consumer perceptions of sustainable packaging-Limited by lack of knowledge? Nordic Retail and Wholesale Conference, Lund, Sweden. November 8, 2012
  • Wikström, Williams, Verghese, Clune. 2012. The influence of packaging on cosnumer behaviour in food-packaging LCA studies – a neglected topic. 8th International Conference on LCA in the Agri-Food Sector, Rennes, France, 2-4 October 2012
  • Williams, H. Panel discussion at Studio Pacsem - with a focus on CSR, sustainability and future. Conference in Gothenburg 30 November 2011.
  • Williams, H. Packaging from an environmental and business perspective, Food Packaging Conference in Helsingborg, Sweden 19 May 2010. http://www.packnet.se/iuware_files/user/packnet.se/pdf/Livsmedelsforp.pdf
  • Williams, H, Wikström F. From sustainable packaging to packaging for sustainable development. Sustainable Packaging Innovation & Design. E.N.G.’s 5th senior executive summit. Brussels, Belgium 23-25 March 2009.
  • Williams, H. Packaging Development and Environmental Effects of Food Losses. The Tokyo International Packaging Symposium, Tokyo, Japan. 8 October 2008.
  • Williams, H. Packaging and losses of food. Nordic Council of Ministers´ Meeting, Växjö, Sweden. 25 June 2008.
  • Williams, H., Wikstrom, F, Life cycle perspectives on environmental effects of Food Losses and packaging development. Bridging the gap from words to deeds poster abstracts.bridgingthegap.si, May 2008

Bokkapitel

  • Wikström F, Williams, H. 2010th “Less packaging less waste? Book chapters in the Recycling for industry. Record Media Production AB. ISBN 978-91-976962-3-4.

Publikationer