Helén Williams

 
Doktor i miljö- och energisystem

Forskning

Min forskning fokuserar främst på hur förpackningar kan bidra till hållbar utveckling, särskilt genom att minska mängden slängd mat. Att utforma förpackningar som minimerar matsvinn är av stor vikt för att stödja uppfyllandet av det Globala Målet 12.3, som syftar till att halvera mängden matsvinn. Min forskning omfattar aspekter som hur förpackningens design och egenskaper påverkar beteenden. Därför samarbetar vi med beteendevetare, psykologer och formgivare, samtidigt som vi bedömer miljöpåverkan genom förenklade livscykelanalyser.

UNDERVISNING

Mina undervisningsinsatser omfattar främst kurser om hållbar utveckling för olika ingenjörsprogram samt fortbildning för lärarkollegor och yrkesverksamma. Det är ett privilegium att möta studenter och dela insikter om den allvarliga situation som mänskligheten står inför, samtidigt som jag inspirerar till olika möjligheter att lösa våra stora utmaningarna.

SAMVERKAN

Min kollega Fredrik Wikström och jag samarbetar främst med forskare vid Centrum för tjänsteforskning vid Karlstads universitet och forskare vid Linköpings universitet, NORSUS i Norge, samt RMIT i Melbourne, Australien. Vi är även initiativtagare och ledare för det globala forskarnätverket Packaging Saves Food Research Group. Jag deltar aktivt i nationella aktiviteter för minskat matsvinn med Naturvårdsverket, Livsmedelsverket och Jordbruksverket. Dessutom har jag medverkat i nationella utvecklingsprojekt tillsammans med livsmedels- och förpackningsindustri. Regelbundet håller jag föreläsningar för olika företag och organisationer om betydelsen av minskat matsvinn för att minska klimatavtrycket och förpackningens roll för att bidra till detta.

PUBLIKATIONER

2024 publicerades rapporten Breaking Barriers: Empowering Effective Food Waste Solutions in the Nordic Countries, från Wikström, Williams, Samuelsson, Jagstedt. Framtagen på uppdrag av Nordiska Ministerrådet. 
DOI: 10.6027/nord2024-034 ISBN: 9789289380768

2022 publicerades boken "Stoppa Matsvinnet-En förpackad lösning" från Wikström och Williams. Boken är en populärvetenskaplig framställning om matens miljöpåverkan, hur matsvinnet kan reduceras och förpackningens avgörande roll. Den tilldelades Måltidsakademins pris för bästa bok inom kategorin "mat, klimat och miljö." Läs mer här: https://www.kau.se/nyheter/stoppa-matsvinnet-vinnare-i-arets-svenska-maltidslitteratur-2022

  • Saxegård SA, Wikström F, Williams H. 2024. Applying material flow assessment-based system expansion with multiple functions to solve for multifunctionality of recycling in life cycle assessment. The international Journal of LCA.  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11367-024-02364-0
  • E Jiménez Romanillos, H Williams, R Wever. 2024. Unpacking Behaviours: A Literature Study and Research Agenda on Consumer Behaviour in Packaging‐Free Systems. Packaging Technology and Science. First published: 30 May 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/pts.2825
  • Koskela-Huotari, K., Svärd, K., Williams, H., Trischler, J., & Wikström, F. (2024). Drivers and Hinderers of (Un)Sustainable Service: A Systems View. Journal of Service Research, 27(1), 106-123. https://doi.org/10.1177/10946705231176071
  • 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, Verghese K, Auras R, Olsson A, Williams H, Wever R, Grönman K, Kvalvåg Pettersen M , Mølle rH, Soukka R. 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 F, Williams H, Govindarajan V. 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. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.07.097
  • 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.

Rapport

  • Wikström F, Williams, H. 2023. Förpackningsdesign för minskat matsvinn och ökad återvinning. https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1739116/FULLTEXT03.pdf

Publikationer