Search Results (147)

Background/Objective: Nutrition security, defined as consistent access to and consumption of nutritious foods that support health, remains a persistent challenge in rural populations. The HEALTHY (Helping Early Adolescents Live Their Healthiest Youth) program aimed to improve rural adolescents’ nutrition security through school-based strategies. This study evaluated its effectiveness by examining changes in fruit consumption, fruit waste, and skin carotenoid levels. Methods: A quasi-experimental, pre–post program was assessed in five rural middle schools (two experimental sites, three comparison sites). The programming paired four biweekly smoothie taste tests with nutrition education grounded in Social Cognitive Theory and Choice Architecture. Students in grades 3–8 (N = 149) participated. Digital tray photographs quantified selection and waste. The Veggie Meter^® assessed skin carotenoids on a scale from 0 to 800. Surveys captured perceptions and self-reported intakes. Analyses included χ², McNemar’s, GLMM, paired t-tests, and ANCOVA. Significance was set at p < 0.005. Results: At post-program, 98.3% of experimental trays contained the standard fruit option and/or a smoothie, compared with 41.0% of comparison trays (χ² = 41.66, p < 0.001). Fruit selection odds were 16.22 times higher in experimental schools (95% CI: 6.30–41.77, p < 0.001). Among trays with both (n = 39), smoothie waste was lower than the standard fruit option waste (t(38) = −7.10, p < 0.001, d = 1.14), resulting in greater estimated consumption (~0.43 vs. ~0.15 cups). Skin carotenoids increased in both groups, with greater improvement among experimental students in the lowest baseline quartile, F (1,19) = 9.20, p = 0.007, partial η² = 0.326. Conclusions: The HEALTHY program, which paired frozen-fruit smoothies with nutrition education, may offer a feasible and scalable approach to improving nutrition security among rural adolescents. Full article

The paper presents research on the compaction process of oak sawdust as a proposal for the management of post-production waste. The variable input parameters whose influence was studied were the particle size of the sawdust, the compaction force, the temperature of the compaction process, and the moisture content of the sawdust. The results obtained were used to determine the density of the briquette and the value of its Young’s modulus obtained from each test sample. The interaction between the input parameters as variables in the tests and the determined values of density and Young’s modulus was analyzed using ANOVA. The highest density value was recorded for the lowest particle size, the highest compaction force and compaction temperature, and a moisture content of 9%. The highest Young’s modulus E value was recorded for a moisture content of 9%, a compaction force of 25 kN, a temperature of 25 °C, and a particle size of S < 1 mm. Variance analysis enabled the optimal selection of compaction process parameters, where the main criterion in general terms was to minimize the energy consumption of the compaction process. The best mechanical properties of the briquette can be obtained for process settings of F = 5 kN, M = 20%, T = 25 °C, S = 2.5–5 mm. Full article

In this study, material and energy losses were systematically assessed, together with a comprehensive economic and environmental evaluation, for an industrial expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycling process implemented under a circular economy framework at a company located in Medellín, Colombia. The system boundaries were clearly defined, and detailed mass and energy balances were performed using operational data collected over a six-month period. The process achieved a yield of 78.09 percent in the production of densified polystyrene from post-consumer EPS, with the main material losses attributed to solid residues and water losses during processing. The total energy consumption was 7350.34 kWh, of which 55.46 percent corresponded to energy losses, predominantly thermal losses associated with the EPS melting stage. Techno-economic evaluation indicated that the process is financially viable over a twelve-year operational horizon. Furthermore, the environmental assessment demonstrated a 68.44 percent reduction in carbon footprint, underscoring the strong potential of this recycling route as a sustainable and effective alternative for the management of recyclable solid waste. Full article

Rapid expansion of the global textile industry has accelerated both resource consumption and the scale of associated waste streams. An emerging body of recycling technology research aims to mitigate these impacts by enabling more circular material supply chains. While technologies are well described in a technical sense, literature focuses heavily on chemical methods and provides limited assessment of their physical and practical potential in the context of contemporary textile market conditions. This paper reviews these technologies in technical terms, and then establishes a qualitative framework for material value retention and waste avoidance potential with which to evaluate their efficacy. Analysis highlights that few recycling technologies are demonstrably compatible with either the attributes of post-consumer textile waste streams or the pace and scale of deployment necessary to address consumption and disposition patterns. We also highlight that both mechanical and chemical recycling are capacity constrained, and generally yield low material retention and solid waste avoidance potential per unit mass relative to other circularity strategies. Given these constraints, we posit that systems-level shifts in product and business model design may be useful as strategies to both reduce impacts upstream and mitigate waste volume, in turn supporting improved recycling rates. Full article

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is one of the most widely used plastics globally, and its poor post-consumer management poses serious risks to the environment and human health. Tackling this issue requires innovative strategies that combine recycling and sustainable manufacturing with the principles of the circular economy. This study addresses this challenge by investigating the use of recycled PET, along with reverse logistics, to produce a cell phone holder through additive manufacturing (AM). Characterization was performed using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, intrinsic viscosity measurements, and mechanical tensile tests. Environmental and circular performance were evaluated using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and the Material Circularity Indicator (MCI), comparing production with 100% virgin PET resin and 100% recycled PET resin. The results showed that the recycled route achieved a tensile strength of 37.7 MPa, with 7.6% strain before rupture, and thermal analysis confirmed its stability during processing. The LCA revealed a 12% reduction in overall environmental impacts when recycled PET replaced virgin resin, with electricity consumption identified as the main critical point. The circularity assessment suggested potential savings of up to 70% if recycled PET products are reprocessed at the end of their life cycles. These findings demonstrate that combining open-loop recycling with additive manufacturing (AM) can effectively turn waste into high-quality, value-added products, advancing circularity and sustainable material innovation. Full article

The sustainability transition of the textile industry requires amongst other strategies circular approaches. Ecodesign guidelines and design for recycling are approaches that reduce resource consumption and textile waste. Garments are made of a large variety of different materials, from blended fibers to haberdashery items, colorants, and finishings, making it challenging to predict the composition of post-consumer textile waste. This mix of materials complicates recycling efforts, contributing to globally less than 1% of fiber-to-fiber recycling. This study investigates material compositions of one of the most popular and widespread garments: T-shirts. While about half of our sample contains cotton only, the other items contain two or more fibers, revealing huge variations in fiber blends, including varying degrees of elastane contents, which are not linked to functional requirements. These blends, especially the varying levels of elastane, increase costs and efforts for recycling, making fiber-to-fiber recycling less attractive and more expensive than new fiber production. They also contribute to avoidable microfiber pollution. Accordingly, this study underlines the requirements for providing detailed ecodesign guidelines and applying the extended producer responsibility to incorporate environmental lifecycle costs, to help shift the industry towards a circular economy. Full article

Addressing climate change necessitates a shift in everyday social practices, which are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. While social media platforms are crucial for the emergence and dissemination of such practices, their role in the Russian context remains underexplored. This study employs a big data analysis to identify and systematize climate-related social practices discussed within Russian environmental online communities on the VKontakte platform. Using BERTopic topic modeling on a corpus of nearly 190,000 posts from 103 communities, followed by expert evaluation, we identified 80 distinct social practices. These practices were systematized according to actors, objects, and types of activities, revealing a rich ecosystem of grassroots initiatives focusing on waste management, sustainable consumption, education, and digital mapping. The findings demonstrate that online communities compensate for the lack of institutionalized citizen participation in Russian climate policy by fostering shared meanings and practical knowledge. The study concludes that these bottom-up practices represent a significant resource for climate policy, offering ready-made algorithms for behavioral change. We propose that public authorities leverage these communities to enhance public support and effectively implement climate mitigation and adaptation measures. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the reliability of global supply chains, the availability of selected products including food, food prices, food purchase and consumption behaviour. The aim of this study is to identify potential differences in food waste levels and behaviours in Germany during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic periods. The data are based on two highly representative household diary studies on food waste with sample sizes of over 6500 participants each. This study uses descriptive statistics as well as a mixed model approach to examine food waste amounts per product group, disposal reason and life cycle category and compare the survey year 2020 with the years 2016/17. A linear mixed model is applied to examine the effects of the pandemic and lockdown phases on the development of food waste amounts in 2020. The results show that total and unavoidable food waste increased significantly in the 2020 pandemic period compared to the same period in the 2016/17 survey, while avoidable food waste decreased. This suggests an improvement of food management skills while, at the same time, food consumption, and therefore also food waste, shifted from outside to inside the home. Also, the composition of product groups was affected by altered consumption patterns during the pandemic. The results are relevant to the post-pandemic period, as they raise the question of whether a deceleration in everyday life is a prerequisite for adopting more sustainable food behaviours and developing appropriate planning, storage and handling. Policies should therefore focus on encouraging citizens to engage with the issue, prioritise it and develop an interest in food management. Future research should focus on the ways in which behaviours that reduce food waste can be encouraged, as well as on the long-term effects of food supply chain disruptions and events altering everyday life in households in relation to food waste. Full article

Plastics are inexpensive and widely used but persist in the environment due to improper disposal. Insect-mediated biodegradation has gained attention, notably involving Tenebrio molitor larvae. Despite morphological similarities and larger size, Zophobas atratus larvae remain less studied. This work evaluated the impact of larval stage on the biodegradation of pristine and post-consumer extruded polystyrene (XPS) and the physiological effects of an XPS-based diet. Smaller (L1) and larger (L2) larvae were tested. L2 showed higher XPS consumption, weight gain, and survival, while XPS-fed larvae overall exhibited reduced lipid content and increased moisture, flavonoids, and phenolics compared to wheat bran-fed controls. Scanning electron microscopy revealed surface fragmentation in frass, more pronounced in L1, suggesting greater mechanical or enzymatic action. High-performance size exclusion chromatography indicated molecular weight reduction, with L1 more effective on pristine XPS and L2 on post-consumer XPS, likely due to nutritional residues. FTIR analysis showed oxidative changes in both groups, more prominent in L1. Thermogravimetric analysis revealed earlier degradation onset in L1 frass, supporting the presence of oxidized oligomers. Overall, Z. atratus larvae can biodegrade XPS, with degradation influenced by developmental stage and substrate type. These findings inform biotechnological strategies for sustainable plastic waste management. Full article

Public understanding of complex sustainability concepts like life cycle assessment (LCA) is crucial for promoting environmentally responsible consumption yet remains a significant educational challenge. This study introduces and evaluates Paper Goes Green, a competitive board game designed to make abstract LCA principles tangible and personally relevant. The game simulates the paper production chain, compelling players to make strategic decisions about resource allocation, production pathways (conventional vs. green), and waste management to fulfill paper orders. Through a single-group pre-test/post-test design with 85 participants (25 environmental educators and 60 public members), the game’s efficacy was assessed. Paired-sample t-tests revealed significant improvements in participants’ perceived knowledge of green chemistry/LCA (pre-game mean 2.05, post-game 3.24 on a 5-point scale, p < 0.001), pro-environmental attitudes (3.38 to 4.22, p < 0.001), and behavioral intentions toward green consumption (3.97 to 4.44, p < 0.001). These gains correspond to medium-to-large effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 0.94 for knowledge, 0.70 for attitude, 0.71 for behavior), indicating substantial practical impact. Qualitative feedback further highlighted the game’s engaging and thought-provoking nature. Notably, specific design features—such as immediate feedback, player control, and interactivity—were identified as key contributors to learning, fostering systems thinking in players. These findings suggest that Paper Goes Green is a promising educational tool for translating complex environmental science into an engaging, impactful learning experience. The game effectively bridges the gap between abstract concepts and real-world consumer choices, fostering life cycle thinking and empowering players to make greener choices in their daily lives. Full article

In the current economic context, organizations providing automotive repair services face significant challenges in ensuring service quality, operational efficiency, and long-term sustainability. This paper examines the importance of implementing process monitoring systems through the integration of European quality frameworks and Japanese operational principles such as Kaizen, Lean Manufacturing, and Poka-Yoke, to improve the quality of services and increase performance within automotive repair organizations. The research is grounded in Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 9—Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and SDG 12—Responsible Consumption and Production), demonstrating how structured quality practices contribute to reducing waste, optimizing processes, and delivering responsible services. The main objectives of the study are to identify the elements that influence the performance of service-specific processes, to improve the quality management practices related to these processes, to eliminate non-conformities, and to enhance profitability and competitive differentiation through service quality assurance. A mixed-methods research design was applied, including direct participatory observation, performance monitoring, and correlational statistical analysis over a six-month period in two Romanian automotive service centers. Key performance indicators (KPIs) such as technician efficiency, rework rate, and order throughput time were collected and analyzed before and after the implementation of selected tools. Findings demonstrate measurable improvements: rework rates decreased from 7.8% to 2.6%, technician efficiency improved from 89% to 105%, and average service completion time was reduced by 1.6 days. Correlation analysis confirmed strong relationships between visual management adoption and rework reduction (r = −0.75), as well as between Lean implementation and technician efficiency (r = +0.89). The study’s novelty lies in its integration of cross-cultural quality management practices into a replicable and sustainable operational model for post-sale service environments. The results validate that implementing monitoring systems, combined with Kaizen, Lean, and Poka-Yoke, supported by visual management and active employee engagement, can lead to superior service quality management, increased customer satisfaction, and long-term organizational success in the automotive repair industry. Full article

Sludge dewatering remains a resource-intensive process, often constrained by high residual moisture content and inefficient chemical conditioning. Conventional systems typically rely on fixed polymer dosages and predetermined filtration pressures, which are unable to respond to variations in sludge characteristics, resulting in inconsistent and suboptimal performance. In this study, a real-time control system for municipal wastewater sludge dewatering was developed to dynamically regulate coagulant dosing and filtration pressure based on continuous monitoring of critical sludge parameters, including total solids (TS), viscosity, sludge temperature, and pH change following coagulant addition. The control logic, derived from empirical correlations between sludge dewaterability metrics such as time-to-filter (TTF) and capillary suction time (CST) and operational variables, enables adaptive adjustment of polyoxyethylene alkyl ether (POAE) injection and pressing conditions. Implementation of this system achieved a final cake moisture content of approximately 63% after 60 min of filtration, substantially lower than the ~84% moisture observed under static conditions. Real-time flux feedback facilitated timely pressure escalation (from 15 to 20 bar to 25–30 bar), improving water removal efficiency while avoiding premature cake blinding. The pH drop (~0.7 units) post-polymer addition served as a practical indicator of adequate flocculation, supporting dose optimization and minimizing chemical waste. The proposed system demonstrated enhanced dewatering performance, reduced polymer consumption, and greater operational robustness compared to conventional approaches. These findings highlight the potential of integrated sensor-based control to advance sludge treatment technologies by promoting smarter, adaptive, and resource-efficient dewatering operations. Full article

The presence of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) in the environment is a global problem due to soil and water microplastic contamination. There is a constant demand for new technologies that expand the possibilities of PET disposal or recycling while reducing energy consumption and anthropogenic carbon footprint. In this study, we developed a comprehensive zero-waste management system for PET recycling (rPET) to cyclic ketals and terephthalic acid. The developed method is based on the hydrolysis of rPET flakes in an inert environment with the separation and purification of terephthalic acid and the dehydration of ethylene glycol. For the first time, we present the use of cheap and readily available Cr/SiO₂ and Fe/SiO₂ nanocatalysts for direct acetalization of ethylene glycol without organic co-solvents. The catalysts were characterized by EDXRF, XPS and TEM techniques. The 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxolane (DMD), a product of ethylene glycol’s direct acetalization with acetone, was tested as a solvent for polymers with satisfactory results in the solubility of epoxy resins. The addition of unpurified terephthalic acid and residues constituting post-production waste to concrete allows for a reduction in the mass of concrete in the range of 11.3–23.4% and the material modified in this way allows for a reduction in concrete consumption. This rPET waste management methodology is consistent with the assumptions of the circular economy and allows for a significant reduction of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. Full article

Additive manufacturing (AM) is an Industry 4.0 technology that assists or replaces the conventional manufacturing (CM) of complex geometries in various sectors, including transport, steel, aerospace, military, and architecture. The aim is to improve processes, reduce energy consumption, atmospheric emissions, and solid waste, and streamline stages while complying with the new environmental regulations. The main objective of this work was to carry out a cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), considering the raw material extraction, pre-processing, manufacturing, and post-processing stages, comparing two manufacturing methods for the same ER-90 metal flange part, conventional forging and wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM), all following the requirements and operations proposed by the ISO 14040/44 standard. WAAM is a Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology that uses welding techniques to produce 3D objects with more complex geometries. Compared to the forging industry, which requires a lot of heat and kinetic energy in its metal part production stages, WAAM is a more sustainable and modern alternative because it does not require high temperatures and energy to produce the same parts. The environmental indicators compared in the process stages were energy consumption, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and solid waste. The total energy consumption in AM was 18,846.61 MJ, the GHG emissions were 864.49 kgCO₂-eq, and the solid waste generated was 142.34 kg, which were 63.8 %, 90.5%, and 31.6% lower than the environmental indicators calculated for CM, respectively. Full article

Plastic pollution is a growing environmental and social concern, particularly in Southeast Asia, where urban rivers serve as key pathways for transporting waste to marine environments. This scoping review examines 110 peer-reviewed studies to understand how plastic pollution in waterways is being researched, addressed, and reconceptualized. Drawing from the literature across environmental science, technology, and social studies, we identify four interconnected areas of focus: urban pollution pathways, innovations in monitoring and methods, community-based interventions, and interdisciplinary perspectives. Our analysis combines qualitative synthesis with visual mapping techniques, including keyword co-occurrence networks, to explore how real-time tools, such as IoT sensors, multi-sensor systems, and geospatial technologies, are transforming the ways plastic waste is tracked and analyzed. The review also considers the growing use of novel theoretical frameworks, such as post-phenomenology and ecological materialism, to better understand the role of plastics as both pollutants and ecological agents. Despite progress, the literature reveals persistent gaps in longitudinal studies, regional representation, and policy translation, particularly across the Global South. We emphasize the value of participatory models and community-led research in bridging these gaps and advancing more inclusive and responsive solutions. These insights inform the development of plastic tracker technologies currently being piloted in Vietnam and contribute to broader sustainability goals, including SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 14 (Life Below Water). Full article