Research output per year
Research output per year
Personal profile
Biography
I am an interdisciplinary social scientist with expertise in the sociology of consumption, sustainability, materiality and diverse forms of economy, particularly circular economy.
Having completed a Geography BA at Durham University in 2002, I went on to carve out a career in marketing working for Yell PLC and The Co-operative Bank.
In 2005 I returned to academia and gained my MA in Human Geography Research at Sheffield University. I remained at Sheffield for the next nine years, undertaking an ESRC funded PhD exploring hair, hairdressing and the practices of women’s haircare (supervised by Prof Nicky Gregson), followed by two post-doctoral positions investigating interdisciplinary collaborations between material science and social science.
I joined Manchester in 2015 as a Hallsworth Fellow based at the Sustainable Consumption Institute (SCI), undertaking a project exploring contemporary forms of thrift. I was made a research fellow of the SCI in 2018, followed by my appointment as Lecturer of Sociology in 2020 and Senior Lecturer in 2023. I am also a member of the Morgan Centre for Research into Everyday Lives.
I am Deputy Director of UoM's Sustainable Futures platform and also a member of the Sustainable Consumption Institute Management Group. I am former Editor and Co-editor-in-Chief of the Sage journal Sociology (2018-22). Externally, I am a panel member of UKRI's Cross Research Council Responsive Mode programme and a member of the Advisory Board of the British Beauty Council's Sustainability Coalition.
Research interests
- Material culture and materiality
- Everyday consumption and production
- Diverse and alternative economies
- Circular economy
- Temporality
- Innovative qualitative methods, particularly material methods
Other research
Current research projects
ESRC JUST Centre (Joined Up Sustainability Transformations) 2025-2030
This five year ESRC centre explores how low carbon living can be scaled up. Focused on grass roots, participatory engagement it works with communities to develop socially and environmentally just initiatives for a more sustainable futures. JUST is led by the University of Manchester partnering with the universities of Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool and Newcastle, alongside multiple policy, community and business partners. I co-lead both the Community Economies and Methods work packages.
CHaMP: Circularity in Healthcare Materials Provision 2025-2028
CHaMP is an exciting collaboration with Bupa via an EPSRC Prosperity Partnership to explore how healthcare systems can be made more sustainable. This interdisciplinary project bringing together materials, social science, biosciences and chemical engineering will investigate circular pathways to minimise the environmental impact of materials and products in the healthcare sector.
Past research projects
One Bin to Rule Them All 2020-2023 (funded by UKRI Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, Smart Sustainable Plastic Packaging Grant)
This project originally began life as an EPSRC grant exploring Reuse and Recycling in 2019-2020 and developed into a three year project involving over 25 partners from across the plastics supply chain. The project united social science with material science and economics to explore opportunities for the circular economy of plastic waste. Involving key stakeholders from business, policy and local authorities it focused on using empirical research to develop innovations in plastic waste management.
The Waste Tip 2022-2023 (funded by University of Manchester Interdisciplinary Research Grant)
This 12 month interdisciplinary pilot project brought together social science and material science to explore the phenomenon of fly-tipping. Through the lens of circular economy this project explores the impact of fly-tipping within the UK, why it is occurring, from what sources, and how it may be tackled.
Rave Renaissance 2018-2023 (funded by School of Social Science Small Grant and John Rylands Pilot Grant)
The first part of this project (2018-2020) explored the revival of dance music and the changing creative economy. Focused on Manchester, it drew on empirical research with older clubbers and music professionals and DJs to examine how the night time economy has changed since the 1990s dance music heyday. The second part was an extension of the first, (supported by a John Rylands Research Institute and Library Grant) and is focused on using the newly formed British Pop Archive.
Exploring Lost Property 2018-2020 (funded by a Sustainable Consumption Institute grant)
This pilot project explored how everyday object loss is experienced, drawing on empirical research with lost property offices, members of the public and cultural institutions to illuminate lost property stories.
Makers, make do and mend: a newly thrifty consumer? 2015-2018 (funded by a UoM Hallsworth Fellowship)
This 3 year fellowship explored contemporary thrift, developing a critical understanding of thrift through a focus on lived everyday experience, materiality and practice.
Opportunities
I welcome PhD students in the following areas:
- Consumption and production
- Material culture
- Everyday life
- Diverse and alternative economies
- Circular economy
- Sharing economy
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Areas of expertise
- HM Sociology
Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms
- Global inequalities
- Sustainable Futures
- Sustainable Consumption Institute
- Manchester Environmental Research Institute
- Creative Manchester
Fingerprint
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- 6 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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New spaces, ordinary practices: circulating and sharing within diverse economies of provisioning
Holmes, H., 2018, In: Geoforum. 88Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Interrogating the circular economy: the moral economy of resource recovery in the EU
Gregson, N., Crang, M., Fuller, S. & Holmes, H., May 2015, In: Economy and Society. 44, 2, p. 218-243 25 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Sociology of Everyday Life in the Past and Future Uses of the Mass Observation Project: Methodology, Materiality and Personal Life
Balmer, A., Hodgson, J., Holmes, H., May, V. & Pattrick, K., 29 Jan 2025, In: Sociological Research Online. 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Domestic ‘Disposal Work’ and Plastics Recycling – Unwrapping Everyday Entanglements of Practice, Roles, and Responsibilities
Holmes, T. & Holmes, H., 4 Sept 2024, In: Sociological Research Online. p. 1-17 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Fly-tipping and the sociology of abandonment
Holmes, H. & Perczel, J., 16 Oct 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: The Sociological Review .Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access
Projects
- 2 Finished
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One Bin to Rule Them All
Shaver, M. (PI), Holmes, H. (CoI) & Sharmina, M. (CoI)
1/11/20 → 31/01/24
Project: Research
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SCI re assignment of 57604 for 18-19
Southerton, D. (PI), Azapagic, A. (CoI), Boons, F. (CoI), Evans, J. (CoI), Gallego Schmid, A. (CoI), Heeks, R. (CoI), Hodson, M. (CoI), Holmes, H. (CoI), Katz-Gerro, T. (CoI), MacGregor, S. (CoI), Mylan, J. (CoI), Paterson, M. (CoI), Sharmina, M. (CoI), Welch, D. (CoI) & Yates, L. (CoI)
1/09/18 → 31/12/19
Project: Research
Prizes
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2024 Social Responsibility Medal Staff Winner
Shaver, M. (Recipient), Holmes, H. (Recipient), Sharmina, M. (Recipient), Holmes, T. (Recipient), Adelekan, A. (Recipient) & Kortsen, K. (Recipient), May 2024
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Making A Difference (Winner) Outstanding Contribution to Social and Environmental Impact through Entrepreneurship
Shaver, M. (Recipient), Holmes, H. (Recipient), Sharmina, M. (Recipient), Holmes, T. (Recipient), Adelekan, A. (Recipient) & Kortsen, K. (Recipient), May 2024
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Making A Difference Award (Commended)
Holmes, H. (Recipient), 2017
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
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Robyn Mills Award for Academic Excellence
Holmes, H. (Recipient), 2002
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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European Sociological Association biannual conference
Holmes, H. (Chair)
Aug 2018 → …Activity: Participating in or organising event(s) › Organising a conference, workshop, exhibition, performance, inquiry, course etc › Research
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Sociology (Journal)
Holmes, H. (Assistant editor)
Jan 2018 → Jan 2021Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editorial work › Research
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Sociology (Journal)
Holmes, H. (Editor in chief)
2018 → 2022Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Editorial work › Research
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British Sociological Association (External organisation)
Holmes, H. (Academic expert member)
2018 → …Activity: Membership › Membership of professional association › Research
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The Make Do and Mend Expo
Holmes, H. (Other)
2017Activity: Internal positions, career professional development, other peer review and other › Other › Research
Impacts
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OneBin
Shaver, M. (Participant), Holmes, H. (Participant), Sharmina, M. (Participant), Holmes, T. (Participant), Kortsen, K. (Participant) & Adelekan, A. (Participant)
Impact: Economic, Environmental, Policy, Awareness and understanding, Attitudes and behaviours, Society and culture
Datasets
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Co-producing energy futures: impacts of participatory modelling
Krzywoszynska, , A. (Contributor), Buckley, A. (Contributor), Birch, H. (Contributor), Watson, M. (Contributor), Chiles, P. (Contributor), Jose, M. (Contributor), Holmes, H. (Contributor) & Gregson, N. (Contributor), figshare , 5 Aug 2016
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.3543248.v1, https://figshare.com/articles/Co-producing_energy_futures_impacts_of_participatory_modelling/3543248/1 and 2 more links, https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/5607215, https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/5607212 (show fewer)
Dataset
Press/Media
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The subtle change to bottled drinks that everyone's secretly furious about: Experts lift the lid on tethered plastic bottle caps - as users fume they're the 'worst thing to happen to humanity'
Holmes, T., Holmes, H. & Shaver, M.
18/05/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert comment
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Enough of this rubbish
Holmes, H., Shaver, M. & Holmes, T.
2/04/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert comment
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Wheelie bin nation: is all of sorting going to waste?
Holmes, H., Shaver, M. & Holmes, T.
18/02/24
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert comment
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BBC 1 Morning Live - Plastic recycling confusion
Holmes, H., Holmes, T., Kortsen, K. & Shaver, M.
7/06/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Expert comment
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The recycling mistakes that mean it all goes to landfill
1/06/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research