Search Results (244)

The sharing economy is considered to be a potentially efficacious approach for promoting sustainable production and consumption (SPC). This study utilizes dockless bike sharing (DBS) in Beijing as a case study to examine how sharing economy policies and business practices advance SPC. It also dynamically quantifies the environmental and economic performance of DBS practices from a life cycle perspective. The findings indicate that effective SPC practices can be achieved through the collaborative efforts of multiple stakeholders, including the government, operators, manufacturers, consumers, recycling agencies, and other business partners, supported by regulatory systems and advanced technologies. The SPC practices markedly improved the sustainability of DBS promotion in Beijing. This is evidenced by the increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction benefits, which have risen from approximately 35.81 g CO₂-eq to 124.40 g CO₂-eq per kilometer of DBS travel. Considering changes in private bicycle ownership, this value could reach approximately 150.60 g CO₂-eq. Although the economic performance of DBS operators has also improved, it remains challenging to achieve profitability, even when considering the economic value of the emission reduction benefits. In certain scenarios, DBS can maximize profits by optimizing fleet size and efficiency, without compromising the benefits of emission reductions. The framework of stakeholder interaction proposed in this study and the results of empirical analysis not only assist regulators, businesses, and the public in better understanding and promoting sustainable production and consumption practices in the sharing economy but also provide valuable insights for achieving a win-win situation of platform profitability and environmental benefits in the SPC practice process. Full article

Mangoes are an important part of Hainan’s tropical characteristic agriculture. In response to the requirements of building an ecological civilization pilot demonstration zone in Hainan, China, green and sustainable development will be the future development trend of the mango planting system. However, the economic benefits and environmental impact during its planting and management process remain unclear. This paper combines emergy, life cycle assessment (LCA), and economic analysis to compare the system sustainability, environmental impact, and economic benefits of the traditional mango cultivation system (TM) in Dongfang City, Hainan Province, and the early-maturing mango cultivation system (EM) in Sanya City. The emergy evaluation results show that the total emergy input of EM (1.37 × 10¹⁶ sej ha⁻¹) was higher than that of TM (1.32 × 10¹⁶ sej ha⁻¹). From the perspective of the emergy index, compared with TM, EM exerted less pressure on the local environment and has better stability and sustainability. This was due to the higher input of renewable resources in EM. The LCA results showed that based on mass as the functional unit, the potential environmental impact of the EM is relatively high, and its total environmental impact index was 18.67–33.19% higher than that of the TM. Fertilizer input and On-Farm emissions were the main factors causing environmental consequences. Choosing alternative fertilizers that have a smaller impact on the environment may effectively reduce the environmental impact of the system. The economic analysis results showed that due to the higher selling price of early-maturing mango, the total profit and cost–benefit ratio of the EM have increased by 55.84% and 36.87%, respectively, compared with the TM. These results indicated that EM in Sanya City can enhance environmental sustainability and boost producers’ annual income, but attention should be paid to the negative environmental impact of excessive fertilizer input. These findings offer insights into optimizing agricultural inputs for Hainan mango production to mitigate multiple environmental impacts while enhancing economic benefits, aiming to provide theoretical support for promoting the sustainable development of the Hainan mango industry. Full article

This study presents a novel approach to address these challenges by introducing automobile platinum honeycomb catalysts into biomass combustion systems. The study employed a dual methodology, combining experimental investigations and a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) case study, to comprehensively evaluate the catalyst’s performance and environmental impacts. The catalyst’s ability to facilitate combustion without open flame formation and its operational efficiency throughout combustion phases position it as a promising avenue for reducing gaseous and particulate matter emissions. The LCA considers multiple impact categories, employing the ReCiPe 2008 Hierarchist midpoint and endpoint perspective to assess environmental effects. The experimental results show that the catalyst effectively reduced CO, SO₂, and particulate emissions. Temperatures below 400 °C diminished the catalyst’s performance. The catalyst achieved a 100% CO conversion rate at specific temperatures of 427.4–490.3 °C. The findings highlight the potential for a 34% reduction in environmental impacts when replacing conventional rice husk combustion with the catalyst-integrated system. Notably, the study emphasizes the significance of sustainable catalyst manufacturing processes and cleaner electricity sources in maximizing environmental benefits. In conclusion, the integration of platinum honeycomb catalysts into biomass combustion systems, exemplified by rice husk combustion, emerges as a promising strategy for achieving more sustainable and environmentally friendly bioenergy production. Full article

The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii is an injurious polyphagous pest threatening worldwide soft fruit production. Its high adaptability to new colonized environments, short life cycle, and wide host range are supporting its rapid spread. The most common techniques to reduce its significant economic damage are based on multiple insecticides applications per season, even prior to the harvest, which reduces agroecosystem biodiversity and affects human and animal health. Environmental concerns and regulatory restrictions on insecticide use are driving the need for studies on alternative biological control strategies. This study aimed to assess the effect of T. drosphilae in controlling D. suzukii infestations and its interaction with P. vindemiae, a secondary parasitoid naturally present in Apulia (South Italy). Field experiments were carried out in organic cherry orchards in Gioia del Colle (Bari, Italy) to test the efficacy and adaptability of T. drosphilae following weekly releases of artificially reared individuals. Additionally, the interaction between P. vindemiae and T. drosphilae was studied under laboratory conditions. Results from field experiments showed that D. suzukii populations were significantly lower when both parasitoids were present. However, T. drosophilae was less prone to adaptation, so its presence and parasitism were limited to the post-release period. Laboratory experiments, instead, confirmed the high reduction of D. suzukii populations when both parasitoids are present. However, the co-existence of the two parasitoids resulted in a reduced parasitism rate and offspring production, notably for T. drosophilae. This competitive disadvantage may explain its poor establishment in field conditions. These findings suggest that the field release of the two natural enemies should be carried out with reference to their natural population abundance to not generate competition effects. Full article

Designing sustainable farming systems in mountainous regions is particularly challenging because of complex economic, social, and environmental factors. Production models prioritizing sustainability and environmental protection require integrated assessment methodologies that can address multiple criteria and incorporate diverse stakeholders’ perspectives while ensuring accuracy and applicability. Life cycle assessment (LCA) and multi-actor multi-criteria analysis (MAMCA) are two complementary approaches that support “eco-design” strategies aimed at identifying the most sustainable options, including on-farm transformation processes. This study presents an integrated application of LCA and MAMCA to four supply chains: rye bread, barley beer, cow cheese, and goat cheese. The results show that cereal-based systems have lower environmental impacts than livestock systems do, although beer’s required packaging significantly increases its footprint. The rye bread chain emerged as the most sustainable and widely preferred option, except under high-climatic risk scenarios. In contrast, livestock-based systems were generally less favorable because of greater impacts and risks but gained preference when production security became a priority. Both approaches underline the need for a deep understanding of production performance. Future assessments in mountain contexts should integrate logistical aspects and cooperative models to enhance the resilience and sustainability of short food supply chains. Full article

Cement production significantly contributes to global warming, resource depletion, environmental degradation, and environmental pollution. Identifying sustainable alternatives is critical but requires balancing multiple, often conflicting, factors. The objective of this study is to determine the most preferred cement alternative produced in South Africa using an integrated life cycle assessment (LCA) and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework. The LCA quantified the environmental impacts of seven different cement-type alternatives across 18 midpoint impact categories. The LCA results showed that slag cement-based CEM III/A achieved a 50% reduction in global warming potential (GWP) compared to traditional CEM I (0.57 vs. 0.99 kg CO₂ eq. This study also used the entropy-weighted, COPRAS and ARAS methodologies to evaluate and rank cement types based on their environmental impacts and weighted sustainability criteria and the results showed that fly ash-based CEM II/B-V demonstrated the highest overall sustainability, with utility scores of 100.00 (COPRAS) and 0.7257 (ARAS) in MCDM ranking. These results highlight that fly ash-based cement offers substantial environmental benefits over traditional CEM I, particularly in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and resource consumption. The integrated LCA–MCDM method enables robust prioritization by linking quantitative environmental impacts with objective ranking criteria. Although this analysis focuses on South African cement formulations, the methodology and findings are applicable to other regions with similar production profiles and SCM availability. The framework offers a practical tool for policymakers and industry to support environmentally responsible decision-making in cement production. Full article

The circular economy (CE) is increasingly important in ensuring sustainable development. Although interactions among stakeholders are essential to achieving the CE, existing methods associated with life cycle design do not fully consider the synergies between multiple product life cycles (PLCs). Therefore, this paper proposes a platform-aggregated life cycle ecosystem (PF-LCE). The PF-LCE consists of multiple PLCs along with a platform that enables the exchange of goods and data among different PLCs. We also propose a method for supporting the conceptual design of the PF-LCE. Our method includes a four-step process to help exploit the interactions and synergistic effects occurring across PLCs at the design stage. We then use a simulated case study of PLCs sharing goods and data in the shoe industry, considering scenarios ranging from business-as-usual to full integration of the platform with four service providers. The results demonstrate that the designed PF-LCE delivers an increase in profits to service providers alongside reduced costs for consumers. CO₂ emissions also decrease. Therefore, the design method that we propose has the potential to enhance current implementations of the CE in terms of business revenues, consumer satisfaction, and environmental sustainability. Full article

The textile industry generates a large amount of waste, producing approximately 92 million tons of textile waste annually, much of which ends up in landfills. This alarming figure highlights the need for an urgent waste management strategy. Mechanical recycling has emerged and is being explored as an alternative to manage this waste, enabling the transformation of discarded textiles into recycled fibers for the production of new materials. In this study, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted for five different knitted fabrics, considering the origin of their cotton content: from virgin cotton to post-industrial and post-consumer recycled cotton fibers, to evaluate the environmental impact of each fabric. The analysis revealed that the spinning, dyeing, and finishing processes were the primary contributors across multiple environmental impact categories. Specifically, for the Water Scarcity Potential (WSP) indicator, these processes accounted for 96% of the total impact. In terms of raw material contributions to water scarcity, organic cotton fiber had the highest impact at 54%, followed by post-consumer recycled cotton at 24% and post-industrial recycled cotton at 22%. Variations in environmental contributions were also observed for the remaining impact categories. A key challenge in this study is the lack of a dedicated impact category in LCA that directly quantifies the environmental benefits of using recycled materials. Specifically, current LCA methodologies do not have a standardized metric to measure the impact reduction achieved by substituting virgin fibers with recycled ones, even though comparisons indicate reduced impacts. Full article

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is an excellent tool for developing energy saving and emission reduction strategies. However, inconsistencies in the summary calculation methods in LCA can significantly affect the reliability of LCA reports, such as the allocation of environmental loads related to solid waste. Essentially, allocation methods are used to allocate responsibility for environmental loads in situations where boundaries are unclear, and therefore, they are susceptible to regional, industry, and regulatory influences. For a long time, there has been controversy over the selection of allocation methods. This study is based on actual production data from a typical cement plant in South China. Multiple parallel LCA cases were carried out using different allocation methods, and different allocation methods were analyzed. Concepts such as driving force, active/passive environmental load, Valorized Solid Waste (VSW), and Non-Valorized Solid Waste (NVSW) were introduced. Analysis shows that the choice of allocation method directly affects the effectiveness of energy saving and emission reduction plans in the LCA report. For VSW, the economic allocation method has been proven to have high universality, effectively capturing the driving forces of economic factors. For NVSW, based on the “polluter pays principle” and active/passive environmental load, we introduced the Collaborative Disposal Allocation Method (CD method). In this study, the environmental benefits of domestic waste collaborative disposal were calculated using the CD method, resulting in a 2.25% reduction in global warming potential (GWP) and a 45.39% reduction in respiratory inorganics (RIs). Full article

In the face of increasingly frequent natural disasters resulting from climate change and disruptions in the supply chains of energy resources, the demand for energy carriers based on locally sourced renewable resources is growing. Biomethane, derived from biomass and having multiple uses in the energy sector, fully meets these conditions. Analyses of the development and spatial distribution of biomethane production plants, the prevalence of methods of its production, and directions of applications, made on the basis of the data gained from official databases and research papers, are the main subjects of the paper. Additionally, the advantages and disadvantages of biomethane production, taking into account the results of the life cycle assessments, and the prospects for development of the biomethane market, facing regulatory and policy challenges, are considered. The results of the review indicate that biomethane production is currently concentrated in Europe and North America, which together generate over 80% of the globally produced biomethane. An exponential growth of the number of biomethane plants and their production capacities has been observed over the last decade. Assuming that the global strategies currently adopted and the resulting regional and national regulations on environmental and socio-economic policies are maintained, the further intensive development of the biomethane market will be expected in the near future. Full article

This study aims to present an integrated approach to customer experience, which was developed considering the identification and application of essential factors from the product life cycle. The study was conducted in the automotive industry and may be transferable to other products with high complexity and medium–long in-service use. The main goal is to identify the determining factors and perform a regression analysis of the effect of attribute-level performance on overall customer satisfaction through the customer’s entire journey during the product development phase. This study is based on a generic example that is meant to capture trends influencing customer satisfaction in the launch of a new product vehicle, focusing on factors that influence each stage of the process, from planning–exploration, design and development, and manufacturing and validation to performance measurement and after-sales assistance. Based on multiple surveys that were used as the main instruments for measuring the level of customer satisfaction at defined touchpoints, the product life cycle was followed through several stages: prospecting survey, upstream survey, launch preparation survey, post-launch investigation, life cycle survey, and after-sales support. Three meta-factors were identified—design, price, and durability—for which the ordinal regression demonstrated that they are significant predictors of customer experience in general. The approach may be transferable to other sectors by identifying relevant attributes and adapting tools for measuring customer satisfaction, customer experience, and consumer concerns, which act as key vectors influencing the product life cycle and, by extension, business sustainability. Full article

This study assesses the sustainability of bioethanol production from multiple agricultural feedstocks, including corn stover, wheat straw, and rice husk, using a life cycle assessment (LCA) method. The process focuses on converting lignocellulose biomass into bioethanol through advanced biotechnology, enriching energy security and supporting sustainable development in Pakistan. The process includes various stages of feedstock utilization, including cultivation, harvesting, transportation, preprocessing, and conversion, eventually yielding 1 kg of bioethanol with different inventories for each of the three feedstocks. A comparative analysis of the three feedstocks reveals that the wheat straw showed the highest environmental impacts, while rice husk exhibits the least environmental impacts and emerges as a more sustainable and viable option for bioethanol production. The economic assessment revealed the feasibility of bioethanol production, achieving a daily revenue of $9600 and a monthly income of $211,200, based on 22 working days in a single 8 h shift. The total initial capital investment cost was estimated at $478,515, while operational costs were calculated at $225,921. The external cost of the plant was evaluated at $14.23. Transitioning from grid-mix to renewable energy, such as photovoltaic systems, showed a reduction among three feedstocks. Therefore, bioethanol production not only addresses waste management challenges but also contributes to waste-to-energy conversion and renewable energy generation, aligning with public health goals and sustainable development. The findings highlight the potential of bioethanol production as a strategic solution to manage agricultural waste sustainably and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Full article

The manufacture of automotive parts using progressive stamping tools demands high precision and efficiency to meet industry standards. This research explores integrating quality monitoring techniques, focusing on load sensors and tonnage monitoring, to enhance the production process. Progressive tools, which perform multiple operations within a single press cycle, are critical for maintaining dimensional accuracy and minimizing defects. This research examines the correlation between real-time load sensor data and the tonnage applied during stamping, aiming to detect anomalies and deviations that may define part quality. By analyzing variations in tool loads and press tonnage, this research identifies patterns that allow the user to connect the applied force with the observed part quality and could help to determine potential issues such as instability of force or part dimensions, tool wear or improper alignment. The results of this research demonstrate that incorporating advanced monitoring systems into progressive stamping processes does not only improve part quality but also extends tool life and reduces downtime. The proposed approach provides a robust framework for ensuring reliability and efficiency in the production of automotive components, aligning with the industry demand for high-quality, cost-effective manufacturing solutions. Full article

Gold production poses significant environmental challenges, including resource depletion, CO₂ emissions, and toxic chemical usage. Similarly, improper WEEE management harms the environment. However, WEEE contains valuable metals such as gold, making it central to circular economy (CE) strategies and an alternative to mining. This study assesses the climate impact of pyrometallurgical gold recovery from WEEE using life cycle assessment (LCA). The study found that the carbon footprint of producing gold pyrometallurgically from WEEE is 2000 kg CO₂eq/kg. These emissions are largely tied to the carbon content of waste, meaning that low-carbon energy sources have a limited impact. This creates a conflict between CE goals and CO₂ reduction. Scenario analysis shows that utilizing waste heat for district heating significantly lowers emissions. The other strategies used to improve the environmental performance include separating the plastic fraction before smelting, using biogenic plastic in WEEE, and carbon capture and storage (CCS). Transport accounts for just 10% of the total carbon footprint. Future regulations must address multiple factors—EEE production, waste management, smelter infrastructure, global socioeconomic dynamics, and consumer behavior—as higher recycling rates alone will not solve WEEE challenges. Full article

The publishing industry, a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, produced approximately 730 Mt CO₂eq globally in 2020 during the paper production phase alone. Unlike other sectors, decarbonization in publishing requires systematic reforms across the supply chain, production efficiency, energy transitions, consumption patterns, and recycling processes, as reliance on renewable energy alone is insufficient. This study focuses on China’s physical publishing industry, developing a comprehensive, high-resolution carbon emissions dataset that spans multiple publication types, stages, and processes. It reveals the emission characteristics across the life cycle, aiming to quantify the emissions accurately and address the lack of life-cycle-based research. This study explores efficient, replicable, and scalable strategies to facilitate the industry’s low-carbon transformation and sustainable development. The findings are as follows. (1) Books are the primary carbon emissions source, contributing approximately 77.05% of the total emissions, while journals and newspapers account for 13.20% and 9.75%, respectively. (2) Annual carbon accounting across the life-cycle identifies paper production and printing as the most carbon-intensive stages, responsible for about 85% of the total emissions. (3) In terms of recycling efforts, carbon reductions of approximately 347,000 t CO₂eq per year can be achieved through measures such as waste paper and plastic packaging recycling, second-hand publication exchanges, and energy recovery from incineration. Full article