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The importance of developing the circular economy in Nigeria is increasingly recognized in literature. Nigeria, as the most populous black nation with over 200 million people and the 27th largest economy globally, possesses significant potential to explore and implement circular economy models, especially within the waste management sector. The market is buoyed by its large population and the growing demand for recycled materials, driven by economic incentives. Advancing the circular economy will aid in diversifying the national economy, promoting inclusive prosperity, and generating employment while creating safer environments to advance sustainable development goals (SDGs).However, the circular economy in Nigeria faces challenges such as low awareness, inadequate market integration, infrastructure deficiencies, policy inconsistencies, and high costs associated with equipment retrofitting. Recognizing the untapped potential of the circular economy as a transformative resource capable of creating employment opportunities for the burgeoning youth population and driving green growth amidst the threats posed by climate change, the study emphasizes the need for increased and monitored investments in infrastructure.Furthermore, it recommends providing grants and capacity-building support to current stakeholders within the circular economy sector to foster the development and scalability of innovative solutions, including ecosystem and equipment retrofitting/procurement. Consequently, it is imperative for the federal government to formulate and implement appropriate policies that support the circular economy framework.The transition towards a circular economy model presents significant opportunities for development in Nigeria, a country grappling with various environmental and socio-economic challenges. By adopting this model, Nigeria can mitigate resource depletion, reduce waste generation, and foster economic growth while promoting sustainability. However, this transition also comes with its set of challenges that need to be addressed for effective implementation. This study addresses both the opportunities and challenges facing the Nigerian economy in developing a circular economy.

The current research introduces a novel in-situ and visibly-active heterojunction formation concept to fabricate a sustainable antimicrobial cementitious material. To achieve this, cement mortar incorporating iron-rich industrial waste products (FWPs) was outer-coated with photocatalyst Titanium dioxide (TiO 2). The proposed technique forms a novel surface-active Fe 2 TiO 5 heterojunction oxide layer, which considerably improves the photocatalytic and antimicrobial properties of TiO 2 under the visible spectrum of light. Primarily, the study evaluated the structural suitability of the developed iron-rich cementitious material in terms of its durability and strength properties. The findings indicate that the iron-rich cementitious material performed better than conventional cementitious material. After this, the effectiveness and novelty of the proposed research were examined, such that the Fe 2 TiO 5 photocomposite was subjected to detailed microscopic investigations such as XRD, HRTEM, UV-DRS, XPS, FESEM, etc. The results verified the production of the inherent Fe 2 TiO 5 heterojunction through the presence of Fe in the photocatalyst TiO 2 lattice via the formation of ITO complex bonds. It also revealed that the Fe 2 TiO 5 photocomposite functions effectively under visible light with an energy band gap of 2.57 eV. The antimicrobial activity of the Fe 2 TiO 5 photocomposite was also assessed by neutralizing E.coli bioaerosols. The disinfection results indicated that the Fe 2 TiO 5 photocomposite exhibits excellent antimicrobial properties. It achieved 69.33 % and 95–98 % antibacterial efficiency under dark and visible light, respectively. Thus, the study establishes a Fe 2 TiO 5 photocomposite material that combines photocatalytic and antimicrobial properties, making it suitable for use as a sustainable building material. Also, it contributes to environmental sustainability by promoting a circular economy and green building practices. • The design and manufacturing of an antibacterial and photocatalytic sustainable building material. • Utilization of cement mortar incorporating FWPs to make the surface active Fe 2 TiO 5 heterojunction photocomposite. • Fe from FWPs enhances TiO 2 's photocatalytic action via the inherent concept of Fe 2 TiO 5 heterojunction formation. • The Fe 2 TiO 5 photocomposite potentially inactivates E.coli bioaerosols under visible light. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: In recent years, the consumption of fish products has led to a worrying trend where approximately two-thirds of the total amount of fish is discarded as waste. At the same time, scientific interest in exploring natural collagen sources for cosmetics and dietary supplements has increased. This study explores the potential of valorizing sardine scales (Sardina pilchardus), a by-product of the canning industry, through the extraction of collagen for potential use in dermocosmetic formulations and food supplements. Methods: Collagen from sardine scales was obtained though acid and enzymatic extraction. The collagen extracts were characterized by UV-Vis, FTIR spectroscopy, SDS-PAGE, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The collagen was hydrolysed with papain to small peptides. Subsequently, the biological activities of acid-soluble collagen as well as the collagen peptides in terms of antioxidant and antimicrobial activity were evaluated. Furthermore, the capacity of collagen peptides to permeate the intestinal barrier, simulated with caco-2 cells, was evaluated. Results: Purified collagen extracts were obtained from sardine scales, with enzymatic extraction method having a yield three times higher than the acid method. The SDS-PAGE analysis confirmed the extraction of type I collagen as well as its hydrolysis into small fragments (25–12 kDa). In terms of biological activities, collagen and collagen peptides have not demonstrated antimicrobial activity. However, regarding antioxidant activity, collagen peptides showed three times more capacity compared to non-hydrolyzed collagen. Meanwhile, in 6 h, about 6.37% of collagen peptides could permeate the intestinal barrier. Conclusion: This work represents a continuous effort to advance our understanding and utilization of Portuguese marine waste resources, with focus on the valorization of sardine co-products for the development of food supplement or cosmetic formulations, contributing to the sustainable evolution of the circular blue economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to increasing supply chain disruptions and stakeholder demands for more environmentally friendly business models, managers are searching for ways to ensure sustainability and supply chain performance. We propose supply chain well-being (SCWB) as a new concept that offers a more comprehensive way of managing supply networks. Similarly, the opportunities for SCWB and sustainable business performance (SBP) are facilitated through the application of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) data-driven analytical decision support systems (ADSS). In this context, our study examined the role of ADSS in fostering SBP and SCWB by integrating the theoretical perspectives stemming from organisational information processing theory (OIPT), resource-based view and the knowledge-based view. Our conceptual model was tested on 350 Vietnamese manufacturing SME managers using covariance-based structural equation modelling. The findings highlight the importance of understanding how tacit resources are generated, stored, and analysed for effectively leveraging I4.0 decision support tools. This paper contributes to the existing literature in several ways. First, we extend the supply performance literature by proposing SCWB as a more comprehensive approach to managing supply chain networks. We also show how ADSS can be absorbed by SMEs and extend the OIPT literature by elucidating the role of knowledge sharing, generation, and analysis for information processing capabilities. The findings offer policymakers, technology providers and practitioners to focus on information processing fit for achieving SBP and SCWB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Implications of industry 4.0 (I4.0) for sustainable development have gained widespread attention from the perspectives of the circular economy, triple bottom line and sustainable supply chain. Evaluation of I4.0 enabling technologies to achieve digital transformation in the photovoltaic supply chain (PVSC) considers several aspects of sustainability and uncertain information. Therefore, the present work aims to develop a new decision-making framework for identifying I4.0 enablers as the ways to achieve digital transformation in the PVSC. The present framework is developed based on the combination of generalized Dombi operators, integrated objective-subjective weighting model and the weighted sum product method under interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy (IVPF) environment. For this purpose, firstly some generalized weighted Dombi operators and their properties are introduced to aggregate the IVPF information. Second, an integrated weighting procedure is developed by combining the objective weights through proposed interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy entropy-based formula and subjective weights through IVPF-Pivot Pairwise relative Criteria Importance Assessment model. Further, the practicability and effectiveness of the proposed model is tested on a case study of I4.0 enablers to achieve digital transformation in the PVSC from sustainability perspective. The result shows the significance degrees of social, environmental and economic dimensions are 0.2258, 0.4947 and 0.2795, respectively and the big data and data analytics should be chosen as the most suitable choice among others for given data. At last, sensitivity and comparative analyses are discussed to illustrate the reliability and robustness of the obtained result. The study emphasizes the practical consequences of the role and use of the triple bottom line in I4.0 implementation in PVSC sectors. The findings of this study help the policymakers and managers to achieve digital transformation in the photovoltaic sustainable supply chain through I4.0 technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon emission and sustainable development have attracted global attention. Promoting urban green innovation (UGI) in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) will help in lowering the intensity of carbon emissions and improve the safety and sustainability. A SBM-DEA model was constructed to measure carbon emission efficiency (CEE) and the degree of coupling and coordination with UGI was calculated in 73 prefecture-level cities in the YRB. The spatial association network of CEE coupled with UGI is constructed by using a modified gravity model, social network analysis and the quadratic assignment procedure (QAP), to analyze spatial potential energy, network characteristics and clustering characteristics. The study found that: (1) The coupling coordination degree of CEE and UGI in the YRB shows fluctuating growth, mutual promotion and continuous coordinated development. (2) The spatial linkage between CEE and UGI is gradually close, and the potential energy of the spatial linkage increases year by year, with obvious spatial spillover effect, indicating that the radiation and influence between cities are gradually increasing. In contrast to the middle stream, the upstream and downstream regions show a higher percentage of spatial potential energy in the entire network, and their network structure is more intricate and robust. (3) The clustering patterns of the three major urban clusters are examined using the block model, exploring the positioning and functions of various cities in these urban conglomerations, which includes the net spillover, net benefit, two-way spillover and broker plate, so as to strengthen the connection and coordinated development between cities. (4) Factors such as spatial adjacency, industrial structure, population density, digital economy and urbanization level, and energy intensity significantly impact the spatial association network, along with temporal and regional heterogeneity. Therefore, tailored policies are needed in the YRB to strengthen collaboration between CEE and UGI, fostering the development of a circular economy and promoting sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The battery pack is the most valuable component of the electric vehicle and its disassembly is the key process to recover the inner value of the product and apply circular economy strategies, from repair to recycling and remanufacturing. Different models of EV battery packs have been analyzed to assess criticalities in the product structure and disassembly procedure. Regardless the absence of a standardized design, some similarities can be identified and considered for the implementation of disassembly procedures. From the comparison of the disassembly procedures of four in-depth analyzed battery pack models emerged that it is possible to identify six disassembly blocks, grouped in two main disassembly stages. The first stage includes the disassembly of the battery covers, the coolant removal (in case of liquid cooling) and the service plug removal, while the second stage involves the removal of the junction block, the battery management system and the modules. The precedencies and criticalities in the execution of the six disassembly blocks were deeply analyzed and the results reported in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the context of the Sustainable Product Initiative of the EU, product passports will likely be required in more and more sectors. However, their introduction is associated with challenges considering data collection and technical implementation, as the degree of standardization and availability of technical implementations for product passports is still low. To address these challenges, this work presents a digital product passport using asset administration shells to enable standardized connectivity via REST interfaces and, thus, standardized information exchange. The data model created contains submodels that specify information concerning the entire lifecycle of the product. Furthermore, these data enable the determination of the carbon footprint of the products as well as remanufacturing. The product passport will be implemented as a Gaia-X service to enable a secure and decentralized collection, exchange, and storage of product related data. The developed digital product passport and the Gaia-X ecosystem will be set up as demonstrators in the Learning Factory Global Production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen is one of the most promising solutions for decarbonising the industrial sector, particularly the chemical and steel industries. To utilise hydrogen as a mobile energy carrier in heavy-duty applications such as transportation, it is necessary to convert the chemically bound energy into electrical energy to power electrical systems. Fuel cell technologies, in particular Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC), are crucial in this regard, as they efficiently convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and water. It is expected that production capacity will continue to grow, especially in the heavy-duty sector, and that the need for development will increase significantly. As a result, larger numbers of PEMFCs will reach the end of their life cycle. Successful closed-loop production requires optimising material use, making production processes more efficient, and recovering valuable materials. In order to optimise material, use and recover valuable resources such as platinum and fluorine-containing polymers and extend the product life cycle through reuse, aspects such as disassembly, reuse, remanufacturing and recycling must be considered before mass production. This publication aims to provide an overview of disassembly strategies and technologies for PEMFC stacks used in heavy-duty applications. It analyzes the general structure and layout of PEMFC stacks, with a focus on the Bipolar Plate (BPP), the Membrane Electrode Assembly (MEA) and the gaskets or seals. Various materials and designs of these components result in a wide spectrum of requirements regarding the handling and disassembly technologies. The outcome is a matrix show casing potential disassembly technologies for common PEMFC stack layouts, along with the expected limitations arising from different component and material combinations and their characteristics. The results of these investigations enable a more efficient development of automated disassembly processes for PEMFCs by providing appropriate guidance for suitable disassembly technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing literature predominantly focuses on the technical prospects of blockchain, particularly the possibility of digital economies built from the bottom up and self-governing. However, pressing concerns remain about the sustainability of blockchain applications. Thus, a decolonised, (meaning self-governance) critical transdisciplinary and systemic review of the current implementation of blockchain and how sustainable and supporting it would be in the future is required. The study considers the potential of its adoption and emerging development of applications focusing on social justice and civic good, including the multi-species circular economy project, 'COLife: More-Than-Human Community Codesign Century,' exploring a more-than-human value communication agenda. This review sourced articles from Clarivate and Scopus to investigate the current implementation of blockchain application areas. The review suggests a transition towards the post-Anthropocene, where blockchain presents opportunities for all beings (humans, other species, artificial intelligence, robots) to co-live and co-perform, offering sustainable alternatives to the existing unsustainable extractive and exploitative power dynamic that humans typically exert over other species and technology. For example, pollinators should be paid for their pollinations and for that they could buy a meadow. Our transdisciplinary and systemic critical review shows that some studies denigrate the merits of blockchain applications, mainly because they were written from a reductionist perspective. Our strength lies in boundary critique implementation. We argue the reductionist reviews are inconclusive, while some outcomes were subjective to practical verification and assumption validation. However, they do not consider the complexity of today's world. Lastly, we present the benefits of the drivers for future implementation, showing it outweigh the projected drawbacks and future vision of our COLife project with blockchain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently an extensive growth in the market for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs, drones) has been observed. Because of numerous advantages, their application in various areas is wide, starting with military, through civilian -- specialized up to amateur. The world market for civilian commercial drones in the year 2022 has achieved a value of more than USD 30 billion, and it is estimated that by 2032 it will have achieved USD 125 billion. Great expectations of reduction of world CO2 emissions and development of clean economy are linked with drones application in transportation and agriculture. Unfortunately, despite of the UAV -- related advantages mentioned above, the problem of their comprehensive recycling seems to remain unseen. Actions aimed at recycling lithium-ion batteries used in drones have been taken, whereas the challenge of recycling the construction materials applied in UAVs seems to be ignored, which, taking into consideration the estimated growth of the UAV market and a relatively short product lifecycle, may constitute a significant ecological problem in the near future. The aim of this article is to draw attention of scientific community to the crucial but unnoticed problem, which UAV recycling will become in the near future. The authors tried to assess the extent of drones recycling problem by review of UAVs market, emphasizing the most common construction materials applied in their production, and to outline the issues related to their recycling. Proposals of solutions facilitating introduction of circular economy into UAVs market have also been put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global goal of development concerns has embraced global action, leading to framework initiatives grounded in future-proof projects. Closely aligned with circular economy (CE) initiatives, which minimize single-use materials and address practices that reflect sustainability concepts, studies are rapidly emerging to identify practices in CE literatures relevant to SDGs. Therefore, a study to identify the CE literatures' contribution towards domains and targets in SDGs is highly urgent. By drawing a total of 4431 as a sampling of final literature analyzed using instrument tools in metrics mapping. Our discovery shows that CE studies contribute to posts in SDGS target achievement, which keeps on increasing. To dive deep into CE research on CE's relevance to SDGs, it was observed that China's scholars offered their publications in various viewpoints. Significantly, SDG12 (n = 68.9%) and have exceeded half a percentage of publications covering CE relevance to SDGs, implied that CE studies focused heavily on sustainable consumption and production patterns through actions in reaching SDGs. Followed by SDG7 (n = 6.3%), strongly reinforcing CE provides assessed value in SDGs calling for affordable and sustainable development and energy for all, in line with relied CE actions in considering innovation models to recreate product and energy resource reuse practices in a bid to minimize the adverse impacts for future. Given additional insights on circular economy targets related to SDGs, the research implication was to provide a policy recommendation to encourage the practice of circular economy based on SDGs targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Circular Economy of the Automotive Industry's Sustainable Supply Chain in the Case of Lithium-Ion Batteries is pioneering in environmental protection and ecological resource utilization. In addition to solving environmental problems, this method provides economic benefits by reducing the need for raw materials and lowering manufacturing costs. However, introducing a circular economy approach in the lithium-ion battery supply chain has numerous risks and challenges. This study addresses these challenges by crafting a framework that encapsulates the risks involved. It identifies the risks that evolving circular economy strategies might bring to the lithium-ion battery supply chain through an integrated Gray Delphi–DEMATEL–ANP method. Furthermore, this work introduces the Gray Degree of Possibility to unveil worst-case scenarios in risk analysis and extends it into zero-sum Game Theory. The study then formulates an improved zero-sum game model to determine optimal strategies for mitigating these risks. The numerical analysis reveals that, according to the proposed methodology, Environmental Pollution Risk emerges as the most critical, with a definite weight of 0.1525. This is followed by the Support Program Deficiency Risk at 0.1452 and the Improper Waste Management Risk at 0.1372. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lightweight concrete, particularly polystyrene concrete, has been extensively utilized in civil engineering for decades. The incorporation of waste expanded polystyrene (EPS) as a filler material in the production of lightweight concrete presents significant advantages from a circular economy perspective. Prior research indicates that increasing the proportion of lightweight aggregates, such as EPS, typically results in reductions in strength and bulk density. The utilization of substantial amounts of EPS waste in the formulation of structural polystyrene concrete is crucial for advancing sustainable construction practices. This study investigates the effects of varying nano-silica content on the bulk density, compressive strength, flexural strength, splitting tensile strength, and water penetration depth of structural polystyrene concrete. Concrete specimens were prepared by substituting 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of sand with EPS waste, while evaluating nano-silica contents of 0.75%, 1%, and 1.25%. The findings reveal that increasing the volume fraction of EPS corresponds to a decrease in the concrete's bulk density. This research provides critical insights into optimizing structural lightweight concrete, thereby promoting advancements in sustainable construction applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: As a means of environmental regulation, the low-carbon city pilot policy aims to address climate change and alleviate environmental resource pressures in economic development. The development of low-carbon cities often requires changes to the existing industrial and energy structures, which will have a significant impact on the regional economy. Methods: The study is based on panel data from 273 prefecture level cities in China from 2012 to 2022, and uses the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Entropy Comprehensive Evaluation Method to construct an evaluation index system for urban circular benefits. Finally, the multiple time point differences model and mediation effect model were used to evaluate the impact and influencing factors of policies on urban economy. Results: The results indicate that at the 1% level, the explanatory variable coefficient significantly improves the level of urban circular economy development after adding control variables. The construction of low-carbon pilot cities has improved the performance of circular economy development by about 6.42%. The mediating effect of industrial structure rationalization is significantly positive at the 1% significance level, indicating that the construction of low-carbon pilot cities has greatly promoted the coordinated development of industrial relations within China's low-carbon development regions. Discussion: It can be seen that the low-carbon city pilot policy has a significant promoting effect on China's economic development and the development of urban circular economy. Therefore, it is recommended to further expand the pilot scope of low-carbon cities and fully leverage their promoting role. This article is based on panel data from 273 prefecture level cities from 2012 to 2012, and uses a multi time difference model to analyze the impact of low-carbon city pilot policies on the development of urban circular economy. The research results indicate that the construction of low-carbon pilot cities has significantly promoted the coordinated development of intra regional industrial relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Squalene is a bioactive compound with significant health benefits, predominantly found in extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and its processing by-products. This critical review explores the analytical determination of squalene in EVOO and various by-products from olive oil production, highlighting its potential as a valuable ingredient in functional foods. An overview of existing analytical methods is provided, focusing on different approaches to sample preparation before analytical determination, evaluating their effectiveness in quantifying squalene concentrations. Studies not primarily centered on analytical methodologies or squalene quantification were excluded. A critical gap identified is the absence of an official method for squalene determination, which hinders comparability and standardization across studies, underscoring the importance of developing a reliable, standardized method to ensure accurate quantification. The valorization of squalene involves advocating for its extraction from olive oil processing by-products to enhance sustainability in the olive oil industry. By recovering squalene, the industry can not only reduce waste but also enhance functional food products with this health-promoting compound. Additionally, there is a need for economically sustainable and environmentally friendly extraction techniques that can be scaled up for industrial application, thus contributing to a circular economy within the olive oil sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the variety of fibers and fabrics, the studies of the surface structure of the textile yarns, the weave fabric, and their surface wettability are still potential factors to improve and optimize the fog harvesting efficiency. In this work, inspired by the fog harvesting behavior of the desert beetle dorsal surface, a wavy–bumpy structure of post-weave yarn (obtained from woven fabric) was reported to improve large droplet growth (converge) efficiency. In which, this study used tetrabutyl titanate (Ti(OC4H9)4) to waterproof, increase hydrophobicity, and stabilize the surface of yarns and fabric (inspired by the feather structure and lotus leaf surface). Moreover, PDMS oil was used (lubricated) to increase hydrophobicity and droplet shedding on the yarns (inspired by the slippery surface of the pitcher plant) and at the same time, enhance the fog harvesting efficiency of the warp yarn woven fabric (Warp@fabric). In addition, a three-dimensional adjacent yarn structure was arranged by two non-parallel fabric layers. The yarns of the inner and outer layers were intersected at an angle decreasing to zero (mimicking the water transport behavior of Shorebird's beaks). This method helped large droplets quickly form and shed down easily. More than expected, the changes in fabric texture and fiber surface yielded an excellent result. The OBLWB-Warp@fabric's water harvesting rate was about 700% higher than that of the original plain weave fabric (Original@fabric). OBLWB-Warp@fabric's water harvesting rate was about 160% higher than that of Original–Warp@fabric. This shows the great practical application potential of woven fabrics with a low cost and large scale, or you can make use of textile wastes to collect fog, suitable for the current circular economy model. This study hopes to further enrich the materials used for fog harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adsorption efficiency of Cr(VI) and anionic textile dyes onto MgAl-layered double hydroxides (LDHs) and MgAl-LDH coated on bio-silica (b-SiO2) nanoparticles (MgAl-LDH@SiO2) derived from waste rice husks was studied in this work. The material was characterized using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM/EDS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic (XPS) techniques. The adsorption capacities of MgAl-LDH@SiO2 were increased by 12.2%, 11.7%, 10.6%, and 10.0% in the processes of Cr(VI), Acid Blue 225 (AB-225), Acid Violet 109 (AV-109), and Acid Green 40 (AG-40) dye removal versus MgAl-LDH. The obtained results indicated the contribution of b-SiO2 to the development of active surface functionalities of MgAl-LDH. A kinetic study indicated lower intraparticle diffusional transport resistance. Physisorption is the dominant mechanism for dye removal, while surface complexation dominates in the processes of Cr(VI) removal. The disposal of effluent water after five adsorption/desorption cycles was attained using enzymatic decolorization, photocatalytic degradation of the dyes, and chromate reduction, satisfying the prescribed national legislation. Under optimal conditions and using immobilized horseradish peroxidase (HRP), efficient decolorization of effluent solutions containing AB-225 and AV-109 dyes was achieved. Exhausted MgAl-LDH@SiO2 was processed by dissolution/precipitation of Mg and Al hydroxides, while residual silica was used as a reinforcing filler in polyester composites. The fire-proofing properties of composites with Mg and Al hydroxides were also improved, which provides a closed loop with zero waste generation. The development of wastewater treatment technologies and the production of potentially marketable composites led to the successful achievement of both low environmental impacts and circular economy implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, plastic contamination worldwide is a concerning reality that can be addressed with appropriate society education as well as looking for innovative polymeric alternatives based on the reuse of waste and recycling with a circular economy point of view, thus taking into consideration that a future world without plastic is quite impossible to conceive. In this regard, in this review, we focus on sustainable polymeric materials, biodegradable and bio-based polymers, additives, and micro/nanoparticles to be used to obtain new environmentally friendly polymeric-based materials. Although biodegradable polymers possess poorer overall properties than traditional ones, they have gained a huge interest in many industrial sectors due to their inherent biodegradability in natural environments. Therefore, several strategies have been proposed to improve their properties and extend their industrial applications. Blending strategies, as well as the development of composites and nanocomposites, have shown promising perspectives for improving their performances, emphasizing biopolymeric blend formulations and bio-based micro and nanoparticles to produce fully sustainable polymeric-based materials. The Review also summarizes recent developments in polymeric blends, composites, and nanocomposite plasticization, with a particular focus on naturally derived plasticizers and their chemical modifications to increase their compatibility with the polymeric matrices. The current state of the art of the most important bio-based and biodegradable polymers is also reviewed, mainly focusing on their synthesis and processing methods scalable to the industrial sector, such as melt and solution blending approaches like melt-extrusion, injection molding, film forming as well as solution electrospinning, among others, without neglecting their degradation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is one of the largest contributors to global waste streams, simultaneously posing significant environmental and resource management challenges. The management of CDW, particularly its potential for energy recovery and industrial symbiosis, has garnered increasing attention as part of a circular economy approach. This comprehensive review explores global practices in CDW management, analysing theoretical developments, technological advancements, and emerging resource recovery and reuse trends. Background: CDW accounts for more than a third of all waste generated in the EU. A wide variety of materials, such as concrete, bricks, wood, glass, metals, and plastics, make it a very un-homogenous waste stream with high potential for material recovery through different approaches. Methods: This review draws on an extensive analysis of scientific literature, case studies, and industry reports to assess current practices in the CDW stream and assessment of the feasibility of energy recovery, industrial symbiosis, and object reconstruction. Results: The originality of the current research is based on a Latvian case study on CDW management that provides valuable insights into household-level practices and progress towards relevant UN SDGs. Conclusions: Various CDW streams have an undeniable potential for valorization through various approaches. Currently, the most common approach is recovery and recycling, although CDW has the potential to broaden its application within the circular economy framework. For instance, industrial symbiosis is a solution that can not only boost the valorization of CDW but also significantly increase material circularity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy (CE) poses major challenges to the citizens of European countries. Proper waste management is a priority here. Poland is one of the countries that has been trying for many years to meet the requirements to achieve an appropriate level of recovery as well as the recycling of municipal and packaging waste. In order to achieve appropriate levels of packaging waste recycling, it was planned to implement an otherwise refundable deposit system starting in January 2023. Currently, work is still underway to implement this system starting in January 2025. The aim of the study is to describe the current work of the ministry, entrepreneurs and recovery organizations in this area and, on this basis, to indicate the barriers and uncertainties encountered in the implementation of this system. The authors want to answer the question of what barriers and benefits can be expected after the implementation of the deposit system. The implementation of the system has been postponed many times (for several years). The current involvement of various organizations (large cities, chain stores and recovery organizations) indicates that the system will be implemented on 1 January 2025. Based on the example of other EU countries, what estimated benefits can be expected after implementing the system in Poland? An extensive literature review and survey research indicate that Polish society views the deposit system favorably and Poland is ready to implement it. Specific regulations from the Minister of Climate and Environment need to be implemented as well as special machine need to be put in stores to start the deposit system. Examples of ongoing efforts to create appropriate infrastructure also show that Poland is on track to join the deposit system from January 2025. The deposit system will be continuously improved and expanded with more packages. Currently, it is planned to be introduced only for selected packages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spent mushroom compost (SMC) is a waste byproduct generated by the mushroom industry, with the current disposal methods involving landfills or incineration, causing environmental problems. This study introduces a cascading valorization based on circular economy. A water-washing pretreatment is suggested to reduce the ash content and improve the calorific value. Furthermore, an oxidative torrefaction is proposed to enhance the physicochemical properties and evaluate the residence time, temperature, and initial weight effects. The investigation revealed that the calorific value increased by 49.46% in the best water washing scenario and the SMC contains laccase. During SMC torrefaction, mass and energy yields exceeded 80%, and the calorific value was improved. Finally, torrefaction in situ CO2 capture was achieved by forming CaCO3, with a mass fraction increase of up to 7.4%. The study describes the cascading innovation use of this residue on a TRL4 higher than previously reported studies, thereby contributing to gaining an understanding of sustainable industrial mushroom production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to present family farms as consumers and producers of renewable energies which provide them with an opportunity to reduce operating costs. The time scope of the study is 2014–2022, and the Farm Accountancy Data Network is used as the data source. The following research methods were employed: comparative and descriptive analysis, intensity indicators, ranking assignment and panel regression. Based on the values of energy output and energy costs, the rankings revealed a strong position of the Netherlands and Germany. As demonstrated by the study, energy production and consumption volumes depend on the farms' economic size, but are not impacted by production type. Another finding is that energy production covers only one-third of its costs. Also, both production volumes and costs were on a growth path on a year-over-year basis, with similar growth ratios. The European Union's leaders in energy consumption and production are the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Czech Republic, Hungary, Luxembourg, Slovakia and Sweden. The study included the structuring of panel models for energy output and costs and identified their determinants. Energy output depends on total inputs and grows as they grow. Energy costs, in turn, are related to utilized agricultural area, total output and family farm income. An important limitation of this study is that FADN is a provider of high-level data. Hence, it is impossible to tell what specific sources of renewable energy are used by farms, and how they are affected by such exogenous factors as climate, earmarked subsidies or energy policy. The findings from this study are discussed in the context of the European Commission's recommendations laid down in the Bioeconomy Strategy of the EU (2013), the Seventh Environment Action Program, the New Innovation Agenda of the European Union, the Report "Transforming Our World: the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" and the Circular Economy Action Plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews and analyzes the process of the implementation of the circular economy in the European Union (EU) and Spain, and its links to the low-carbon transition. The EU implementation of the circular economy went through several stages. Since the adoption of the first action plan in 1993, the links between the circular economy and carbon transition goals have become intertwined. Recently, the EU approved the framework of new monitoring measures and indicators for the circular economy. The adopted actions have involved the adaptation of European legislation at the national level. Spain has participated in this process since 2017, when the Circular Economy Pact was signed. The subsequent approval of the Spanish Strategy for a Circular Economy in 2020 was developed, considering a close relationship between decarbonization and the circular economy. Lately, the circular economy implementation has been strengthened with the strategic project for economic recovery and transformation, linked to the recovery of COVID-19, and the roadmap for the sustainable management of mineral raw materials, with both documents including actions directly related to transforming the energy system. Data show that Spain has made significant improvements in the circular economy transition. However, Spain's vulnerability to externalities is greater than that of the EU as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, postulated trends and law regulations tend to direct polymer technology toward sustainability and environmentally friendly solutions. These approaches are expressed by keeping materials in a loop aimed at the circular economy and by reducing the environmental burdens related to the production and use of polymers and polymer-based materials. The application of recycled or waste-based materials often deals efficiently with the first issue but at the expense of the final products' performance, which requires various additives, often synthetic and petroleum-based, with limited sustainability. Therefore, a significant portion of research is often required to address the drawbacks induced by the application of secondary raw materials. Herein, the presented study aimed to investigate the fire performance of polymer composites containing highly flammable matrix polyurethane (PU) foam and filler ground tire rubber (GTR) originating from car tire recycling. Due to the nature of both phases and potential applications in the construction and building or automotive sectors, the flammability of these composites should be reduced. Nevertheless, this issue has hardly been analyzed in literature and dominantly in our previous works. Herein, the presented work provided the next step and investigated the input of nanoclays to the synergistic flammability reduction in flexible, foamed PU/GTR composites. Hybrid compositions of organophosphorus FRs with expandable graphite (EG) in varying proportions and with the addition of surface-modified nanoclays were examined. Changes in the parameters obtained during cone calorimeter tests were determined, discussed, and evaluated with the fire performance index and flame retardancy index, two parameters whose goal is to quantify the overall fire performance of polymer-based materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insect farming generates a new type of chitinous waste in the form of dead specimens that have died of natural causes and insect moults (puparia), particularly large amounts of which are generated during the rearing of holometabolous insects. Following the circular economy paradigm, we treated waste in the form of puparia and dead adults of H. illucens as a valuable material, i.e., as sources of chitin, and tested it as a sorbent for cerium, a lanthanide of great industrial importance. For comparison, non-treated, raw insect materials and commercial chitosans were also investigated. Chitin extracted from H. illucens showed an adsorption capacity at the same level as commercially available, marine-source chitin (approximately 6 mg Ce·g−1). However, more interestingly, raw materials exhibited much higher adsorption capacities—dead adults were similar to commercial chitosans (approximately 32 mg Ce·g−1), while puparia demonstrated twice the performance (approximately 60 mg Ce·g−1). This indicates that unprocessed waste can be used as environmentally friendly, cost-effective Ce biosorbents with comparable or even better sorption capacity than chitosans, whose production requires intense chemical processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The internet and technology have developed so fast that the entire world is experiencing the fourth industrial revolution. However, organizations' traditional digital capabilities are not enough to respond to the growing market needs. With the use of Internet technologies, virtualization can be used dynamically in the operational management of supply chains. As a result, supply chains can be controlled, planned, and optimized remotely and through the internet based on virtual objects instead of direct observation. This research seeks to optimize the supply chain by considering the dimensions of supply chain virtualization in the form of two objective functions, profit and processing rate. The presented model has been optimized under conditions of demand uncertainty and in a triangular Neutrosophic environment using the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II. Finally, by solving a numerical example, the sensitivity analysis of the algorithm performance and its application in the model have been investigated. The results of this research showed that the profit of the virtual supply chain increases compared to the traditional supply chain due to tracking defective parts and identifying returnable products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the circular economy era, this study addresses sustainable business management for high-investment and long-life cycle projects, where accurate and reliable assessments are crucial to ensuring successful outcomes. The objective is to elevate the reliability of assessments by introducing a novel decision-making method that, for the first time, integrates time-based satisfaction and risk factors simultaneously. We propose a 3-phase multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method, which combines fuzzy MCDM comprising fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal situation (TOPSIS), Kano model, and failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) techniques, to handle reliable assessments effectively. Our method is distinct in its incorporation of time-based satisfaction weights derived from Kano model, emphasising decision-makers' criteria preferences in short, medium, and long terms. Furthermore, we introduce risk-discounted weights by using FMEA to tune criteria scores. The method is validated via a numerical example case, assessing and selecting the most appropriate hydrogen storage method for lightweight vehicles. The results suggest that cryo-compressed hydrogen tank with 250–350 bar and at cryogenic temperature is the most suitable storage method. Health & safety with a weight of 0.5318 emerges as the most important main criterion, and permeation & leakage with a weight of 0.4008 is the most important sub-criterion. To bridge the gap between theoretical research and practical application, we transform the new method into a user-friendly web application with graphical user interface (GUI). End-users can conduct reliable assessments and foster sustainable business management through informed decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular economy and sustainable growth are closely linked as they both aim to reconcile economic development with environmental considerations. The circular economy provides a framework and set of principles for achieving sustainable growth. By adopting circular practices, such as resource efficiency, recycling, and product life extension, economic activities can become more sustainable and contribute to long-term growth. In today's world, consumers have high expectations for companies to be accountable for the environmental and social impact of their products and services. The implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM) in manufacturing can contribute to sustainable growth by enhancing quality, reducing waste, and increasing efficiency. This study proposes a novel methodological framework to establish a comprehensive association between Juran's ten quality principles using a mixed-method sequential approach with an integrated Machine Learning Group Decision-Making (MLGDM) and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM)-DEMATEL approach. The framework involves using the MLGDM approach to select the optimal number of experts to develop contextual relationships among the principles. This framework is designed to address the challenge of determining the appropriate number of experts to involve in the decision-making process. Involving too few experts can limit the generalizability of the results, while having too many experts can lead to a high degree of inconsistency and make it challenging to reach a consensus. The MLGDM portion of our framework provides a systematic approach to overcome this challenge and helps supply chain managers and academicians implement quality practices in their organizations. Moreover, although several studies have explored the implementation of TQM practices, there is still a lack of a systematic framework that can fully incorporate Juran's quality principles. To fill this gap, the ISM-DEMATEL approach was then used to explore the causal relationships between these principles. Practitioners from the industry were asked to identify contextual associations among variables, which facilitated a better understanding of these principles. Our results suggest that "Build awareness," "Set goals for improvement," and "Provide training" are strategic requirements for successful TQM implementation, while "Carry out projects to solve problems," "Organize to reach the goals," and "Keep score" are tactical requirements. Furthermore, "Communicate results," "Report progress," "Give recognition," and "Maintain momentum" are operational necessities for TQM implementation. The present study represents a significant step forward in giving a new direction to Juran's ten quality principles and providing a holistic picture to decision-makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular supplier evaluation aims at selecting the most suitable suppliers with zero waste. Sustainable circular supplier selection also considers socio-economic and environmental factors in the decision process. This study proposes an integrated method for evaluating sustainable suppliers in intelligent circular supply chains using fuzzy inference and multi-criteria decision-making. In the first stage of the proposed method, supplier evaluation sub-criteria are identified and weighted from economic, social, circular, and Industry 4.0 perspectives using a fuzzy group best–worst method followed by scoring the suppliers on each criterion. In the second stage, the suppliers are ranked and selected according to an overall score determined by a fuzzy inference system. Finally, the applicability of the proposed method is demonstrated using data from a public–private partnership project at an offshore wind farm in Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing an accurate tourism forecasting decision support system can help the tourism department achieve optimal resource allocation, which is crucial for achieving sustainable tourism operation management and a circular economy. Recent decades have witnessed the frequent strikes of crisis events and mega-events, which profoundly influence tourist arrival volume and bring a great challenge to forecasting tourist arrival volume. To solve this issue, we develop a deep learning framework to forecast the tourist arrival volume utilizing search engine data containing the trends of tourism intention and different event information. Our proposed model is novel for the following reasons: (1) The disturbance value can predict tourist arrival volume in coordination with the trend of travel plans. (2) Compared with the traditional models, our model can reduce the complexity of the model while maintaining accuracy. (3) Our proposed framework introducing event-related search volumes can capture the concerns of tourists and the potential loss of tourist arrivals, enhancing the model's predictive power. Experimental results show that our model can accurately forecast the tourist arrival volume by employing the monthly data in Beijing and Sanya, China. Moreover, our findings provide policymakers with more understanding of the relationship between various predictive factors and tourist arrivals. Based on the forecasting results, allocating an appropriate amount of clean energy transportation capacity, garbage treatment capacity, and fresh food supply capacity to the city can effectively promote the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to intensified sensitivity towards environmental protection and social responsibility, the concept of sustainable development has been widely mentioned in various industries. Circular economy has received great attention as it meets environmental and social requirements. It contributes to better resource efficiency and a more sustainable economic development by means of its principles to gain strategic advantages. Choosing suitable supplier in view of the circular and sustainability aspects are of great importance for all firms. Thus, the purpose of this study is to integrate the Pythagorean fuzzy information-based fairly aggregation operators, the CRiteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC), the PIvot Pairwise RElative Criteria Importance Assessment (PIPRECIA) and the Measurement of Alternatives and Ranking based on COmpromise Solution (MARCOS) methods to assess and rank the sustainable suppliers in circular supply chains. The proposed study classified into four phases. First, some fairly aggregation operators for Pythagorean fuzzy numbers (PFNs) are introduced that include the concept of proportional distribution to achieve a fair treatment to the membership and non-membership degrees of PFNs. Second, a combination of PF-CRITIC and PF-PIPRECIA-based weight-determining formula is introduced to compute the relative significances of the considered sustainability indicators. Third, the PF-MARCOS based on proposed PF-fairly aggregation operator and combined weight-determining tool is proposed to rank the sustainable circular suppliers (SCSs). Further, an illustrative case study of SCS selection is discussed to prove the practicability and effectiveness of the PF-MARCOS method. For this purpose, this study considers an inclusive set of four key criteria and 25 sub-criteria in the related literature concerning SCS selection process. The assessment criteria are categorized into economic, circular, environmental and social dimensions based on the expert's opinions. The result shows the significance degrees of economic, circular, environmental and social dimensions are 0.1964, 0.277, 0.3237 and 0.203, respectively and the SCS-4 (M4) should be chosen as the most suitable choice among others for the given data. The reliability and robustness of the presented methodology are examined by means of the comparative and sensitivity analyses. The findings of this study make a significant contribution to the SCS process by providing a novel decision support system from uncertainty perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an energy-intensive industry, it is critical for airlines to enhance operation sustainability under the circular economy. Airline crew pairing problem is to construct job itineraries. Traditionally, crew pairings are developed based on pre-determined flight schedules. That is, flight departure times, arrival times, and flying times are considered to be fixed according to the schedule. However, analytics on historical data reveal that the actual flight duration often varies according to the actual departure time, which may lead to a deviation of the actual arrival time from the scheduled time point. Thus, propagated effects are generated as the departure time and flying time of the next flight are also affected. Aircraft energy research has revealed that the fuel consumptions and greenhouse gas emissions of aircraft are affected by the actual flying speed and flight duration. Therefore, it is crucial to consider sustainability cost factors (i.e., fuel consumptions and greenhouse gas emissions) when building crew pairings. In this work, in order to enhance operation sustainability and promote circular economy, we propose a novel crew pairing problem which aims to minimize the total basic operation cost, the total fuel consumptions and greenhouse gas emissions, and the robustness cost of the generated pairings. A column generation based solution algorithm is developed. Computational experiments show that the proposed model can bring a 7.98% decrease in the sustainability cost and an 1.81% decline in the robustness cost with only 0.55% increase in the basic operation cost when all the three cost factors are with equal weightings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, industries have gained a thrust on contactless processing for computing technologies and industrial automation. Cloud of Things (CoT) is one of the emerging computing technologies for such applications. CoT combines the most emerging cloud computing and the Internet of Things. The development in industrial automation made them highly interdependent because the cloud computing works like a backbone in IoT technology. This supports the data storage, analytics, processing, commercial application development, deployment, and security compliances. Now amalgamation of cloud technologies with IoT is making utilities more useful, smart, service-oriented, and secure application for sustainable development of industrial processes. As the pandemic has increased access to computing utilities remotely, cyber-attacks have been increased exponentially. This paper reviews the CoT's contribution to industrial automation and the various security features provided by different tools and applications used for the circular economy. The in-depth analysis of security threats, availability of different features corresponding the security issues in traditional and non-traditional CoT platforms used in industrial automation have been analysed. The security issues and challenges faced by IIoT and AIoT in industrial automation have also been addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the background of circular economy, sustainable development is no longer a slogan but an action. Many countries gradually attach importance to promoting green development and realization of sustainable development. However, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as the main force, may face financing risks. Thus, the risk control of equity financing has become a vital part of sustainable business management, and enterprises urgently need to effectively assess the risk of equity financing. To assess the risk in a quantitative way, we firstly adopt the Delphi method to construct an index system for financing risk, further extending the judgement dimension and establishing a risk assessment model of marine ranching equity financing. Next, the risk assessment model of marine ranching equity financing based on the PLTS-ER approach is established. Among them, fuzzy qualitative expert evaluation information is expressed in the form of probability by the probabilistic linguistic term sets (PLTS) method, which weakens the interference of subjective factors and calculates the basic probabilistic assignment (BPA) function. Furthermore, evidential reasoning (ER) method is applied to consider experts' evaluation information processed by PLTS method, finalized with a risk evaluation model. In addition, sensitivity analysis and comparative analysis are carried out in this paper, which further proves the applicability and effectiveness of the indicator system and PLTS-ER method in establishing the risk assessment model of marine ranching equity financing. The research conclusion is of great significance to the marine ranching listed enterprises to evaluate the risks arising from equity financing, and then help them carry out sustainable business management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]