Search Results (77)

This study provides a bibliometric analysis of life cycle assessments (LCAs) to explore the sustainability potential of mass timber buildings, focusing on glulam. The analysis highlights regional differences in carbon footprint performance within the ISO 14040 and EN 15978 frameworks. LCA results from representative countries across six continents show that wood buildings, compared to traditional materials, have a reduced carbon footprint. The geographical distribution of forest resources significantly influences the carbon footprint of glulam production. Europe and North America demonstrate optimal performance metrics (e.g., carbon sequestration), attributable to advanced technology and investment in long-term sustainable forest management. Our review research shows the lowest glulam carbon footprints (28–70% lower than traditional materials) due to clean energy and sustainable practices. In contrast, Asia and Africa exhibit systemic deficits, driven by resource scarcity, climatic stressors, and land-use pressures. South America and Oceania display transitional dynamics, with heterogeneous outcomes influenced by localized deforestation trends and conservation efficacy. Glulam buildings outperformed concrete and steel across 11–18 environmental categories, with carbon storage offsetting 30–47% of emissions and energy mixes cutting operational impacts by up to 67%. Circular strategies like recycling and prefabrication reduced end-of-life emissions by 12–29% and cut construction time and costs. Social benefits included job creation (e.g., 1 million in the EU) and improved well-being in wooden interiors. To further reduce carbon footprint disparities, this study emphasizes sustainable forest management, longer building lifespans, optimized energy mixes, shorter transport distances, advanced production technologies, and improved recycling systems. Additionally, the circular economy and social benefits of glulam buildings, such as reduced construction costs, value recovery, and job creation, are highlighted. In the future, prioritizing equitable partnerships and enhancing international exchanges of technical expertise will facilitate the adoption of sustainable practices in glulam buildings and advance decarbonization goals in the global building sector. Full article

Building facade insulation technologies have evolved from primitive thermal barriers to high-performance, multifunctional systems that enhance energy efficiency and indoor comfort. Historical insulation methods, such as thick masonry walls and timber-based construction, have gradually been replaced by advanced materials and innovative facade designs. Studies indicate that a significant proportion of a building’s heat loss occurs through its external walls and windows, highlighting the need for effective insulation strategies. The development of double-skin facades (D-SFSs), adaptive facades (AFs), and green facades has enabled substantial reductions in heating and cooling energy demands. Materials such as vacuum insulation panels (VIPs), aerogels, and phase change materials (PCMs) have demonstrated superior thermal resistance, contributing to improved thermal regulation and reduced carbon emissions. Green facades offer additional benefits by lowering surface temperatures and mitigating urban heat island effects, while D-SF configurations can reduce cooling loads by over 20% in warm climates. Despite these advancements, challenges remain regarding the initial investment costs, durability, and material sustainability. The future of facade insulation technologies is expected to focus on bio-based and recyclable insulation materials, enhanced thermal performance, and climate-responsive facade designs. This study provides a comprehensive review of historical and modern facade insulation technologies, examining their impact on energy efficiency, sustainability, and future trends in architectural design. Full article

In the context of carbon trading policy, carbon emissions in the supply chain of new energy vehicles have received much attention in academic research and practice. Consumer preference for environmental friendliness is also growing in new energy vehicle supply chain operations, which has prompted new energy vehicle manufacturers to invest in carbon abatement technologies to improve the environmental friendliness of new energy vehicles. At the same time, the increased demand for new energy vehicles will also increase the green promotion of third-party power battery recycling companies to facilitate the recycling of power batteries. Considering these special features in the new energy vehicle supply chain, we applied a differential game model to examine the carbon emission reduction behaviors and green promotion technologies of the new energy vehicle supply chain members from a long-term and dynamic perspective. Supply chain equilibrium strategies under four different scenarios were analyzed and compared, numerical experiments were conducted to validate the theoretical results, and sensitivity analyses were performed to identify further insights. The results of the study show that a unit carbon trading price reaching a critical threshold is a prerequisite for technical cooperation between the new energy vehicle manufacturer and the third-party power battery recycling company. It provides a theoretical basis for the government to set the carbon price, and it effectively stimulates the cooperation and emission reduction drive of new energy vehicle companies. The study breaks through the traditional cost–benefit framework, internalizes the carbon price as a supply chain cooperation drive, and opens up a new paradigm for new energy vehicle industry research. Full article

Increasing the cell mass used as an inoculum is an effective strategy for enhancing productivity in alcoholic fermentation processes. In batch processes without cell recycling, such as those used in maize ethanol production, this objective can be achieved through two main approaches: (i) increasing the amount of commercially acquired dry cell mass or (ii) extending the propagation time. In this study, an economic assessment of both approaches was carried out, considering the Brazilian industrial context of maize ethanol production. Fermentation assays demonstrated that specific substrate consumption decreases with increasing initial cell concentration, following a hyperbolic model. This experimental behavior was used to simulate different operational scenarios and estimate productivity gains and economic impacts. The results showed that both strategies increase ethanol production and revenue, although the associated costs vary significantly. Based on this model, productivity and revenue gains were estimated for both approaches. The findings suggest that extending the propagation time is the most economically viable strategy to increase the initial cell concentration, even in scenarios where the plant lacks existing infrastructure and additional equipment investments are required. The analysis also accounted for operational costs associated with increased energy consumption during extended aeration time. Full article

The global shift toward green technologies presents a dual challenge: surging demand for clean technology products and an increasing reliance on critical raw materials (CRMs). While the existing literature has largely concentrated on economic, geopolitical, or general governance perspectives, scant attention has been devoted to the legal, institutional, and justice dimensions of mineral resource governance. This article addresses this gap by examining the European Union’s evolving policy framework—particularly the Critical Raw Materials (CRM) Act—and its implications for Romania’s national regulatory landscape. Employing a mixed-method approach that combines a systematic literature review and a SWOT analysis, this study assesses Romania’s capacity to align its mineral governance with the EU’s objectives for supply security, environmental sustainability, and strategic autonomy. Its findings underscore the urgent need for Romania to streamline its regulatory frameworks, enhance institutional coherence, clarify property rights, and reform licensing and fiscal regimes to attract investment and ensure legal predictability. Advancing green mining technologies, recycling initiatives, and sustainability-focused innovations is also vital for aligning national practices with the EU’s environmental and economic goals. By foregrounding issues of transparency, good governance, and procedural justice, this article offers new insights into how national and supranational governance structures intersect in the context of the green transition. This study provides valuable recommendations for policymakers, industry actors, and scholars seeking to strengthen Romania’s position within the EU’s broader resource security and sustainable development strategies. Full article

This paper focuses on the carbon emission problem of new energy vehicle (NEV) battery recycling, constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model of battery manufactures, new energy vehicle original equipment manufacturers (NEV OEMs) and certified recyclers, analyzes the stability of each party’s strategy selection and the relationship between the influence of the elements, and simulates to verify the validity of the conclusions, and arrives at the conditions for the occurrence of the lowest carbon emission stabilizing strategy combinations, and puts forward countermeasure suggestions accordingly, and analyzes the effects of the changes of the key parameters on the equilibrium results, and the study shows that (1) Carbon emission cost, battery decomposition cost, recycling channel construction cost and R&D cost are the main factors affecting the equilibrium results. (2) Under the carbon emission reduction policy, the battery manufacturer’s investment in low-carbon production can help other actors in the supply chain to reduce the negative impact of the policy so that they can reduce their costs. (3) The cooperative recycling model based on the recycling network constructed by vehicle manufacturers can maximize the interests of all parties in the supply chain. The findings of the study provide management insights for governments, battery manufacturers, NEV OEMs, and certified recyclers. Full article

With the rise of sustainable innovation, digital platforms have emerged as key facilitators in the second-hand e-commerce recycling market. This study investigates the entry strategies of profit-oriented and ESG-driven platforms, focusing on their sustainable innovation efforts, entry conditions, and cooperation strategies with recyclers in both monopolistic and duopolistic recycling markets. By developing and analyzing a two-stage Stackelberg model, we derive several key managerial and theoretical insights. First, in a monopolistic market, we delineate the sustainable innovation cost thresholds necessary for platform entry. While both platform types contribute to enhancing recycling volume, consumer surplus, and social welfare, their entry conditions remain mutually exclusive, reflecting their fundamentally different sustainability approaches. A profit-oriented platform can only enter when sustainable innovation costs are low, whereas an ESG-driven platform requires higher levels of innovation investment to balance consumer surplus, environmental benefits, and profitability. Second, in a duopolistic market, we explore three distinct cooperation strategies for profit-oriented and ESG-driven platforms: (1) exclusive cooperation with a low-expertise recycler, (2) exclusive cooperation with a high-expertise recycler, and (3) simultaneous cooperation with both recyclers. We further identify the optimal cooperation strategy based on entry feasibility, profit maximization, and the conditions necessary to achieve a “win-win” outcome. This study sheds light on how profit-oriented and ESG-driven digital platforms strategically enter the recycling market through sustainable innovation, offering insights into their cooperation strategies, market competition, and broader implications for sustainable platform ecosystems. Full article

Under the dual pressures of global climate change and resource depletion, the recycling of construction solid waste has become a crucial link in promoting sustainable development. This study adopts the life cycle assessment (LCA) method to conduct a comparative analysis of the differences in environmental benefits between the recycling treatment of construction solid waste and the traditional simple landfill treatment. The results show that, in specific scenarios, the adoption of recycling not only significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions but also saves a large amount of natural resources. From an economic perspective, although the initial economic investment in recycling treatment may be relatively high, its long-term environmental and economic benefits far exceed those of simple landfills. In view of the current challenges faced by the recycling treatment of construction solid waste, such as lack of data, uncertain market demand, and insufficient policy support, this study recommends strategies such as strengthening data collection, promoting market expansion, and enhancing policy support to facilitate the green transformation and sustainable development of the construction industry. Full article

This study investigates a two-stage production–inventory model with subsidy policies for paper cup recycling. The model includes remanufacturers, recyclers, and consumers, taking into account their preferences for different recycling channels. The negative binomial distribution of investment fund w is introduced and briefly studied. The influence of various subsidy strategies on the optimal pricing, profit, and recycling volume of the reverse supply chain is discussed. Numerical simulations show that increased consumer recycling preferences positively impact the recycling volume and profit. When subsidies are limited, subsidizing remanufacturers leads to higher recycling volumes, while subsidizing consumers results in higher profits at lower-to-middle subsidy levels. The findings suggest that policymakers can leverage different subsidy strategies to effectively manage the paper cup recycling supply chain and promote sustainability by incentivizing key stakeholders to participate in the recycling process. For example, subsidizing remanufacturers can increase the overall recycling volume by making it more financially viable for them to collect and process used cups, while subsidizing consumers can boost their participation and willingness to properly dispose of cups for recycling, leading to higher profits for the reverse supply chain. Full article

This article explores the sustainable management of construction and demolition waste (CDW) as part of a circular economy in Europe. It provides an overview of current European practices, identifies the main challenges associated with collecting, sorting and recycling waste, and highlights the need to design buildings and construction that encourage the reuse of materials. The study also draws on best practice from internationally recognised examples such as Japan, Singapore, California, the Netherlands and China, which highlights the effectiveness of a combination of strict regulations, economic incentives and advanced recycling technologies. These international cases provide valuable lessons that can be adapted to the European context to improve the situation and fill gaps in policy, innovation and education. This article recommends targeted measures to strengthen circular practices, such as harmonising European standards, promoting eco-design principles in public procurement, investing in research and development (R&D) and establishing green administrative practices. By adopting these strategies, Europe can significantly improve the management of CDW, fostering a more resilient, sustainable and integrated circular economy. Full article

This paper explores a resource utilization governance model that uses concentrated industrial production to transform agricultural waste into energy and fertilizer, aiming to reduce surface pollution and support the agricultural Circular Economy (CE). However, challenges such as raw material collection difficulties, low stakeholder participation, and limited social benefits persist. To address these issues, we develop a decision-making game model for an agricultural waste recovery and organic fertilizer production supply chain involving farmers, manufacturing enterprises, and the government. We analyze three subsidy strategies—no subsidy, subsidies to farmers, and subsidies to enterprises—while considering regional factors such as waste density and road complexity. Our results show that subsidies to both farmers and enterprises increase waste recycling and social welfare. Specifically, in regions with high waste density and complex roads, subsidies should target manufacturing enterprises, while in areas with flat terrain and high waste density, subsidies should favor farmers. In regions with low waste density and complex terrain, farmers should be prioritized. These findings propose solutions and policy recommendations for enhancing government involvement in agricultural waste management and guiding corporate investment decisions. Full article

The increasing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has led to a surge in end-of-life (EOL) lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), necessitating efficient recycling strategies to mitigate environmental risks and recover critical materials. This study compares the EV battery recycling frameworks in China and the United States, focusing on policy effectiveness, technological advancements, and material recovery efficiencies. China’s extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies and 14th Five-Year Plan mandate strict recycling targets, achieving a 40% battery recycling rate with 90% material recovery efficiency. Hydrometallurgical methods dominate, reducing energy consumption by 50% compared to virgin material extraction. The US, leveraging incentive-based mechanisms and private sector innovations, has a 35% recycling rate but a higher 95% resource recovery efficiency, mainly due to direct recycling and AI-based sorting technologies. Despite these advancements, challenges remain, including high recycling costs, inconsistent global regulations, and supply chain inefficiencies. To enhance sustainability, this study recommends harmonized international policies, investment in next-generation recycling technologies, and second-life battery applications. Emerging innovations, such as AI-driven sorting and direct cathode regeneration, could increase recovery efficiency by 20–30%, further reducing lifecycle costs. By integrating synergistic policies and advanced recycling infrastructures, China and the US can set a global precedent for sustainable EV battery management, driving the transition toward a circular economy. Future research should explore life cycle cost analysis and battery reuse strategies to optimize long-term sustainability. Full article

Food waste is a pressing global problem with significant environmental, economic and social impacts. This review examines the state of food waste management in Serbia and contextualizes the challenges and opportunities in a global and EU framework. In the Republic of Serbia, an estimated 247,000 tons of food is wasted annually, indicating critical gaps in waste management infrastructure, consumer awareness and missing legislation. While existing policies address general waste management, there is a lack of targeted measures for food waste prevention and resource recovery. The overview recommends aligning Serbian policy with an EU legislative frame, introducing extended producer responsibility and promoting public–private cooperation to improve food donation and recycling. This is the first comprehensive study specifically addressing food waste management in Serbia and assessing its compliance with European and global best practices. By comparing Serbia’s current status with established international models, this paper identifies critical gaps and proposes actionable strategies to improve the efficiency and sustainability of the food waste management system in Serbia. These include investment in infrastructure, public awareness campaigns and the use of innovative digital tools to reduce waste and support a circular economy. Full article

This study examines a range of aspects relating to the projected waste generation in Bihor County, Romania from 2020 to 2040, focusing on key milestones set for 2020, 2025, 2030, 2035, and 2040. The analysis incorporates socio-economic, macroeconomic, and demographic factors, along with household income, economic activities, and waste composition, in order to obtain accurate projections. Furthermore, this study evaluates the current state of waste management, identifies deficiencies, and proposes targeted objectives. The assessment methodology considers targets such as increasing waste reuse and recycling rates, reducing biodegradable waste landfilling, enhancing energy recovery, and improving separate waste collection systems. Three alternative waste management strategies are analyzed, including a “zero” alternative (i.e., maintaining the current system) and two investment-driven alternatives. The evaluation integrates both quantitative criteria—such as financial viability and environmental impacts—and qualitative factors, including market risk and adherence to circular economy principles. Through a comprehensive analysis, this study offers a robust foundation for strategic decision-making in the context of sustainable waste management and the efficient implementation of waste treatment practices in Bihor County. Full article

Plastic waste poses a significant challenge in Africa and around the world, with its volume continuing to increase at an alarming rate. In Africa, an estimated 25–33% of daily waste is made up of plastic, posing a threat to the environment, marine life, and human health. One potential solution to this problem is waste-to-energy recycling, such as pyrolysis, which involves the conversion of waste materials into oil, char, and non-condensable gasses through a thermochemical process in the absence of oxygen. Given the abundance of waste in Africa and the continent’s energy challenges, pyrolysis offers a sustainable solution. This review delves into the concept of pyrolysis, its products, thermodynamics, and endothermic kinetics, presenting it as a promising way to address the plastic waste problem in Africa. Despite the African Union’s goal to recycle plastic waste, the continent faces significant barriers in achieving this target, including infrastructural, economic, and social difficulties. It is crucial to implement sustainable strategies for managing plastic waste in Africa to mitigate environmental degradation and promote a cleaner and healthier living environment. Pyrolysis technology is highlighted as a viable solution for plastic waste management, as it can convert plastic waste into valuable byproducts such as oil, char, and syngas. Case studies from countries like South Africa and Nigeria demonstrate the potential for scaling up pyrolysis to address waste management issues while generating energy and job opportunities. This review underscores the need for investment, regulatory support, and public awareness to overcome the challenges and unlock the full potential of pyrolysis in Africa. Embracing pyrolysis as a method for managing plastic waste could lead to significant environmental and economic benefits for the continent. Full article