Exploring the Feasibility for Utilizing Recycled Palm Waste in Decorative Design Applications as Enhancements for Tourist Destinations: A Step toward Environmental Sustainability

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The article presents a study exploring the use of palm waste for creating decorative elements in tourist destinations. This review highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the study, including its clear objectives, methodology, and practical implications. However, it notes areas for improvement, such as the need for more specific data presentation and context regarding the questionnaire and sample demographics.

 

Strong Points:

1-Clear Objective and Methodology: The article effectively outlines the study's purpose—to explore the utilization of palm waste for creating decorative elements in tourist destinations. The methodology, involving art students and a questionnaire-based evaluation, is well-defined.

2-Quantitative Analysis: The use of statistical analysis (SPSS) adds depth to the study, providing quantifiable data through mean scores, standard deviations, and a t-test, enhancing the credibility of the findings.

3-Practical Application: The study doesn't merely explore theoretical aspects but presents potential practical applications, such as utilizing palm waste for interior design in tourist locations, thus addressing sustainability in art and design.

4-Clear Findings and Recommendations: The results indicate the high potential for sustainability by repurposing palm waste, providing clear implications for interior design in tourist resorts. The recommendation for further research extends the study's relevance and impact.

 

Weak Points:

1-The introduction is actually same as a chapter of a thesis. Please amend the introduction, adjust, and balance it.

2-Lack of Detail in Data Presentation: While the study employs statistical analysis, the abstract doesn't present specific numerical findings. Providing some key statistics or result highlights could strengthen the study's impact.

3-The quality of pictures (e.g. Figures 1-5 )are pretty low. Also, well figures captions are very short .

4-Limited Context on Questionnaire and Sample: The article lacks detail about the questionnaire's specifics, sample demographics, or potential limitations related to the methodology, which could enhance the understanding of the study's reliability.

5-Scope of Generalization: The article primarily focuses on tourist destinations, potentially limiting the generalizability of findings to other contexts. Expanding the study's scope to various design settings beyond tourist resorts could strengthen its impact.

6-Some Grammarly errors.

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Some Grammarly errors have been seen in the manuscript and the text should be review again.

 

Author Response

Reviewer1
	The introduction has been reformulated, formatted, and separated from the theoretical framework	The introduction is actually same as a chapter of a thesis. Please amend the introduction, adjust, and balance it.
	The Abstract has been modified	Lack of Detail in Data Presentation: While the study employs statistical analysis, the abstract doesn't present specific numerical findings. Providing some key statistics or result highlights could strengthen the study's impact.
	The quality of the images has been modified, and new images have also been added	The quality of pictures (e.g. Figures 1-5 ) are pretty low. Also, well figures captions are very short .
	The questionnaire and its details have been added in the appendix	Limited Context on Questionnaire and Sample: The article lacks detail about the questionnaire's specifics, sample demographics, or potential limitations related to the methodology, which could enhance the understanding of the study's reliability.
	Objective of the study: It focused on tourist resorts as one of its basic variables, and this point of view may be reflected in future studies, as this was clarified in the recommendations and future directions.	Scope of Generalization: The article primarily focuses on tourist destinations, potentially limiting the generalizability of findings to other contexts. Expanding the study's scope to various design settings beyond tourist resorts could strengthen its impact.
	Proofreading was done	Some Grammarly errors.

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

In their work, the authors investigate the possibility of using palm waste as supplementary materials for interior design and decoration in tourist destinations. Overall, this paper is not a research study or even a case study, it is merely an elementary survey of very limited scope with no scientific insight. The paper is full of repetitive generic information about sustainability and full of filler information in the abstract, introduction, and all other section. The reader feels like a reading a newspaper full with general information that can be found on the net. Kindly find below some points that the authors need to work on for future consideration,

 

1-      The abstract is very long and must be shortened.

2-      The introduction section is extremely long (10 pages) and contains repetitive, and general information about sustainability, recycling, etc. with no scientific insight. The vast majority of the introduction is filler information. This represents more than 50% of the paper. It should be drastically reduced to 1 to 2 pages max.

3-      Sec 2.2 line 573. The questionnaire that the authors used as research tool is missing. It should be provided in a detailed table.

4-      Sec 2.2 line 581.what are the 20 criteria that the authors are referring to?. This should be explicitly stated.

5-      The palm waste is known to be biodegradable material. This require some kind of chemical treatment for the waste before using it in any applications. This point is completely missing from the manuscript.

6-      Three days period is not considered a good representation of the people visiting the art exhibition. This should be extended to longer periods and through several months spread throughout the year.

7-      The conclusions are as well very long. It should not contain any figures, merely a short summary of the work taken.

Author Response

Reviewer2
The Abstract has been modified	The abstract is very long and must be shortened.
The introduction has been modified and separated from the theoretical framework and related studies	The introduction section is extremely long (10 pages) and contains repetitive, and general information about sustainability, recycling, etc. with no scientific insight. The vast majority of the introduction is filler information. This represents more than 50% of the paper. It should be drastically reduced to 1 to 2 pages max.
The questionnaire and its details have been added in the appendix	Sec 2.2 line 573. The questionnaire that the authors used as research tool is missing. It should be provided in a detailed table.
The criteria have been added to the questionnaire in the appendices	Sec 2.2 line 581.what are the 20 criteria that the authors are referring to?. This should be explicitly stated.
Paragraphs have been added showing the chemical treatment of palm waste	The palm waste is known to be biodegradable material. This require some kind of chemical treatment for the waste before using it in any applications. This point is completely missing from the manuscript.
The exhibition period was limited to three days, and the sample represented the response to the study tool from visitors to the art exhibition during the three days only.	Three days period is not considered a good representation of the people visiting the art exhibition. This should be extended to longer periods and through several months spread throughout the year.
The conclusions have been modified and the figures have been deleted.	The conclusions are as well very long. It should not contain any figures, merely a short summary of the work taken.

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The novelty and urgency of this research need to be addressed in the introduction.

The abstract section lacks background and a gap

standard deviation must be added to mean in the tables, not separately

experiments and analyzes are scarce

No reference from the journal of Sustainability was added, therefore it does not present relevance with this journal

Therefore, I cannot recommend the submitted manuscript is published in journal of Sustainability in this way.

Author Response

Reviewer 3
A paragraph has been added to the introduction to enrich it further	The novelty and urgency of this research need to be addressed in the introduction.
The Abstract has been modified	The abstract section lacks background and a gap
The standard deviation has been added in the table	standard deviation must be added to mean in the tables, not separately
Experiments by previous artists on the subject of palm trees have been added	experiments and analyzes are scarce
Related references in sustainability have been added	No reference from the journal of Sustainability was added, therefore it does not present relevance with this journal

Reviewer 4 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

NOTE: This is an example of "out of box thinking"! It was a pleasure to review your manuscript. As a practitioner in sustainablility, I believe I could use your study (once published) to share with other colleagues. Job well done!

REVIEW:

Background information provides solid justification and explination.

Review of literature was precise. Example given...followed by analysis and relevance. Text-book!

Methods were very clearly provided. You made it very easy to follow.

Conclusions were right on the mark!

Author Response

Thank you sincerely for your encouraging remarks and appreciation of this endeavor.

       

Reviewer 5 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The manuscript provides a comprehensive overview of the historical development, current practices, and future prospects of recycling in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a particular focus on palm waste. It explores the environmental benefits, economic implications, and the role of recycling in achieving sustainable development. The study also delves into the artistic applications of recycled materials, emphasizing the importance of integrating sustainable concepts into interior design and tourism.The manuscript includes references to various authors without citing specific works, leading to ambiguity. The inclusion of proper citations will enhance the credibility of the information presented.he manuscript could benefit from improved organization and coherence. Clear section headings and a more structured flow of information would enhance readability and understanding.While the manuscript references studies and projects conducted by various authors, incorporating specific data, results, and case studies would strengthen the empirical foundation of the argument.The addition of visual aids such as graphs, charts, or images depicting recycling processes and artistic applications could enhance reader engagement and understanding.the study demonstrates a thoughtful and comprehensive research design, incorporating a well-justified combination of methods, clear procedures, and robust statistical analyses. The attention to validity and reliability enhances the credibility of the findings

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The overall quality of English language in the provided text is quite good. The writing is clear, coherent, and well-structured. However, I've identified a few areas where minor improvements could be made for enhanced clarity. Breaking long sentences down into smaller sentences for better readability. There is some repetition of phrases, such as "wasted palm waste." Consider rephrasing to avoid redundancy and enhance the overall flow of the text.Incorporating transition phrases between sections could further enhance the flow of the text,

Author Response

Reviewer 5
	Experiences by previous artists have been added.	The manuscript includes references to various authors without citing specific works, leading to ambiguity
	The manuscript was formatted, the introduction and theoretical framework were separated from previous studies, and some new paragraphs and titles were added	the manuscript could benefit from improved organization and coherence. Clear section headings and a more structured flow of information would enhance readability and understanding. While the manuscript references studies and projects conducted by various authors, incorporating specific data, results, and case studies would strengthen the empirical foundation of the argument.
	New pictures and artistic experiences have been added.	The addition of visual aids such as graphs, charts, or images depicting recycling processes and artistic applications could enhance reader engagement and understanding.

Reviewer 6 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

1. Figure 1 and Figure 2 are not very clear. Please provide high resolution picture. 

2. In line 393, line 395, line 397, line 402, line 404 are the number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. However, in line 409, 412, 416 is round dot. Please unify them.

3. In line 670, line 674 are the number 1, 2. However, in line 681, line 684, line 688 are round dot. Please unify them. 

4. The English should be polished by native speaker.

5. Several relevant paper suggest to be cited. (e.g. ECOL CHEM ENG S. 2014;21(1):89-99; Bioresource Technology 351 (2022) 126976)

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

The English should be polished by native speaker.

Author Response

Reviewer 6
Figures have been modified and alternatives added.	Figure 1 and Figure 2 are not very clear. Please provide high resolution picture.
The pagination across the referenced pages has been standardized.	In line 393, line 395, line 397, line 402, line 404 are the number 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. However, in line 409, 412, 416 is round dot. Please unify them.
The pagination across the referenced pages has been standardized.	In line 670, line 674 are the number 1, 2. However, in line 681, line 684, line 688 are round dot. Please unify them.
Proofreading was done	The English should be polished by native speaker.
New relevant references have been added.	Several relevant paper suggest to be cited. (e.g. ECOL CHEM ENG S. 2014;21(1):89-99; Bioresource Technology 351 (2022) 126976)

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Minor editing of English language required

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Minor editing of English language required

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors significantly improved the quality of their manuscript and properly addressed my comment. Good job

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The authors have adequately addressed the comments and they have made the changes