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PurposeDigitalization is the great global challenge of the twenty-first century including technologies, like, Internet-of-Things, Big Data and block-chain. New digital innovation can play a crucial role for the competitiveness and sustainability of agro-food small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) but in Europe it has been adopted by only 25% of farmers. Joined participation in EU R&D projects can boost SME's digital innovation. The paper aims to analyze how business networking, within a R&D project, affects the digital innovation of agro-food SMEs.Design/methodology/approachThe paper investigates a single longitudinal case study focused on the local development phase of the EU Horizon 2020 project “Eugenius”, which aims to develop a European business network able to provide Earth observation services for natural resources management in agriculture. The focus is on the dyadic relationship between two firms, the winery Tormaresca and the digital innovation provider Planetek.FindingsResults highlight that the process of commercialization of Planetek's innovative services significantly passes through a multifaceted process of development and adaptation of technology to the specific needs of the user company, allowed by the research project with no expense for both companies during the experimentation phase.Originality/valueThe paper deals with a new underexplored topic thus giving interesting insights into how the R&D project participation affects agro-food SMEs in adopting digital innovations, which are difficult to acquire directly, and how this influences the value creation process and their organizational structure.

Policymakers are increasingly moving towards greater investments in research in the renewable energy sector in order to reduce costs, making private investment affordable, so as to accelerate the achievement of grid parity. This evidence boosts for investigating how the convenience of investing in a solar photovoltaic (PV) system, in Italy, is unrelated to any form of public incentive. This paper designs a residential 3 kW PV system and provides a full set of indicators to assess the comprehensive performance of the PV system. Particularly, the energy and environmental indicators, likewise the Energy Payback Time (EPBT), Energy Return on Investment (EROI) and Environmental Impact Mitigation potential (EIMP), which are 1.35 years, 7.05 and 23,215 kg CO

Purpose: This study aims at comparing, from an environmental point of view, four different scenarios of freight transport at the Italian level, on an equal base of route between supplier and customer. The first scenario included freight movements by truck and mainly ship, the second included track and mainly train, the third was the three-modal based scenario, whilst the fourth scenario was the only uni-modal, based only upon truck movement. The study was conducted to find the environmentally sustainable solution, or at least a sustainable trade-off, as well as the most environmentally burdening issues, associated with the geographic dimension of transport in Italy, towards sustainability. Methods: Using uni‐ and multi-modal freight movements by truck, rail and ship, a life cycle assessment (LCA) was developed to estimate the related environmental burdens both at the midpoint and at the endpoint levels from the consumption of primary energy and natural resources along with the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and of other pollutants. Primary data were compiled as part of the inventory analysis and consisted in the transport flows associated with the system investigated: those were calculated from the distance travelled and the goods load transported. Primary data were then combined with secondary data that were modelled with the transport life cycle modules contained in Ecoinvent: from those modules, the fuel consumption amounts associated transport flows were extrapolated, and used for the assessment. Results: Results showed that the environmental impact of the multi-modal scenarios is lower compared with the uni-modal scenario. The best performing option was found to be the third scenario providing use of all the three freight means, namely ship, train and truck. However, this scenario is not being practiced for several reasons, mainly due to control and monitoring difficulties of each step and higher operational costs. The first and second scenarios showed a quite comparable environmental behaviour and so are to be considered as viable options. Conclusions: Apart from highlighting the most environmentally viable transport options, the study contributed to finding the indicators of environmental impact and damage that best describe the system investigated and are recommended by this author team to be accounted for in future assessments in the transport sector. Finally, although site-specific, the results of this study may be useful to logistics companies, policy and decision makers of other regions and countries towards identifying and promoting environmentally optimal freight transport solutions, contributing to sustainability of the transport sector.

It is recognised today that the global food system does not always deliver good nutrition for all human beings, and, additionally, dramatically contributes to climate change, environmental degradation, and biodiversity loss. In particular, the cereal sector threatens biodiversity and ecosystem functions, due to environmentally harmful farming activities, that critically alter climate conditions, along with energy, land, and water resources. According to this paper's authors' opinion, this supports the rationale of conducting a systematic literature review of Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) in the durum wheat (DW) sector, to highlight environmental hotspots and improvement potentials in the phases of cultivation and processing into finished products like pasta and bread. Methodological aspects were also discussed in this paper, to provide useful insights on how to best perform LCA in such agri-food supply chains. Given the findings from the papers reviewed, the authors could document that the cultivation phase is the primary environmental hotspot of DW-derived food products and suggested several mitigation and improvements solution including, organic farming practices, diversified cropping systems, reduction of N fertilisers and pesticides application, and irrigation optimisation strategies. Furthermore, the review highlighted that there exist two main gaps in the literature, mainly related to the scarce attention on the organic farming sector and DW landraces, and the lack of nutritional-property accounting in LCAs. Finally, although specific, the review may be of interest to researchers, LCA practitioners, farmers and producers, policy- and decision-makers, and other stakeholders, and could support the promotion of environmental sustainability in the DW sector.

This literature review was built upon recently published articles on Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) of agricultural biogas plants, to: enhance understanding of the relevant literature in the field and the related question by readers worldwide. It was designed to highlight methodological issues and impact indicators, which best represent this research field; consequently, they should be considered in performing environmental assessments of agro-biogas derived energy systems. The literature review highlighted the wide variability of environmental results due to the ways the feedstock mixtures were produced, managed, and supplied; and due to the regions in which the anaerobic digesters were located and operated. Differences were found to be related to the aim and function of the study and to the methodological approach used, especially for the development of the environmental impact assessments. Other differences resulted from the ways the energy produced was utilised, whether it was used as an input to the natural gas national grid, and/or if it was used within the production system. The authors of this review concluded that, although much progress has been made, many unsolved challenges and methodological choices must be addressed to further improve the robustness of LCA in relation to AD and to related approaches.

Turning waste products into useable resources is a necessity for the sustainable future of our planet. Such is the case with popular beverage coffee that produces solid waste in the form of spent coffee grounds (SCG). There is an opportunity to use SCG material as a cheap, sustainable, and biodegradable polymer filler that is received as waste from espresso machines. There have been relatively many studies that prove the concept of various agricultural and forestry waste, which can be integrated into modern green materials. Building upon this concept, we have selected a promising polyester poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) as a matrix owing to its bio-based and biodegradable nature. High loadings of SCG from 20 to 60 wt% were tested for optimal composition performance. Tensile, dynamic mechanical, thermal, and structural properties of the composites were examined, while their biodegradation in composting conditions was also analyzed. SCG filler showed different performance from various cellulose fiber-based composites, and properties significantly varied depending on loading. Compared to neat PBS, biodegradation occurred twice as fast for composite materials with high SGC loadings.

Renewable biomasses are used worldwide as inputs for energy production through processes, like Anaerobic Digestion (AD), which is a well-established technology to transform them into bio-gas and ot...

Human population has set in motion productive systems through which huge energy and resource flows are extracted and manipulated causing various negative externalities. In this context, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) may facilitate identifying the links between the product for which the company is responsible and the economic, environmental and social dimensions which it operates into. This research aims at contributing to assessment and improvement of sustainability of the chemistry behind leather manufacturing. This was done through LCA application to, explore the relevant environmental issues in the preparation of nano-hydroxyapatite (nano-HA) at the lab scale, a promising biomaterial for improving leather fireproof properties. The work is one of the first-time experiences of LCA application in this field, and so the authors believe that it may contribute to enhancement of the subject literature and knowledge. The effect on collagen matrix on leather has been investigated, indeed, only for Hydroxyapatite (HA), that is, the starting material for new nano-formulation. Through their study, the authors found that the major production hotspots stay in the consumption of electricity and phosphoric acid (one of the two reagents), and in the acquisition of all input chemicals to the process. By doing so, the study may serve as the essential base for identification of new chemical formulations for improvement of the environmental sustainability associated with the process.

International audience

Resources : open access journal 10(4), 32 (2021). doi:10.3390/resources10040032 special issue: "Special Issue "Life Cycle Sustainability Analysis of Resource Recovery from Waste Management Systems in a Circular Economy Perspective" / Special Issue Editors: Prof. Dr. Carlo Ingrao, Guest Editor; Prof. Dr. Claudia Arcidiacono, Guest Editor; Prof. Dr. Valentina Siracusa, Guest Editor; Prof. Dr. Monia Niero, Guest Editor; Prof. Dr. Marzia Traverso; Guest Editor", Published by MDPI, Basel

This article was developed to review the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in systems that produce materials and energy from agricultural residues, like Wheat Straw (WS) in the context of a circular bio-based economy. Attention was focussed upon WS, because it was documented as a valuable feedstock for biorefinery applications, thus highlighting the value of a systematic literature review of this content area. The study documented that WS is being used for production of biofuels and bioenergy in technically and environmentally sound processes. However, WS biomass is somewhat less environmentally and economically beneficial than biomasses such as Corn Stover (CS) and forest residues, mainly due to their higher ethanol potential and production yields. The LCAs reviewed for this paper evaluated the alternative sustainability dimensions of biorefinery systems and focussed upon advancements and challenges in implementing WS-derived ethanol systems. Further research is needed to optimise the WS bio-energy production processes so comparative studies can be done to make improvements of the environmental, and socio-economic dimensions of bio-energy production and usage within circular economies.

Large quantities of post-use glass packages are produced globally, that so need to be treated as waste: this is cause of a global environmental concern. Therefore, efforts are required for optimisation and promotion of re-use and recycling practices with a waste valorisation-oriented approach in a circular economy context. In this context, the study was aimed at documenting environmental damages and improvements related to recycling glass cullet into sodium silicate in water solution on a lab-scale chemical process. Life Cycle Assessment was applied for this purpose according to the specialised International Standards. The study highlighted that the environmental hotspots of the process stay in the production of electricity and of sodium hydroxide as both required for the chemical reaction development. Those two input items contribute 81.94% and 14.33% of the total damage associated with the whole lab process, that is equal to nearly 36.5 μpt. A 64% environmental damage reduction could be obtained by sourcing the process electricity requirements by means of a photovoltaic plant. Furthermore, through a sensitivity analysis, the authors proved that the investigated sodium silicate is appreciably more environmentally sustainable than the virgin-origin counterpart, whose environmental profile was measured in nearly 43 μpt. The study can be considered as a proof that, already in the design phase on a lab-scale dimension, it is possible to identify recycling paths that may contribute to implementing sustainable circular models of the economy.

The main purpose of the article was to compare different scenarios of biopolymer production and their impacts on the environment using Life Cycle Assessment. Three alternative polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA: amorphous PHA and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate), P(3HB)) production scenarios were considered to assess its environmental impact: Scenario A - Production of mcl-PHA/P(3HB) from crude vegetable oil; Scenario B - Production of P(3HB) with biodiesel by-product; Scenario C - Production of mcl-PHA/P(3HB) from used vegetable oil. Subject to the scenario considered, it was shown that the environmental efficiency of PHA production is highly dependent on carbon sources used, and it is strongly supporting production of mcl-PHA instead of P(3HB). As LCA study shows, due to low yield of P(3HB) in comparison to mcl-PHA production in considered processes, all the P(3HB) production scenarios have higher impacts than the production of mcl-PHA. Production processes based on bacterial fermentation had its impacts related mostly to the raw materials used and to its separation phase. Additionally, using secondary materials instead of raw ones, namely used oil instead of virgin oil, gives significant improvement with regard to environmental impact. The resource efficiency is also the identified as the key factor with sensitivity analysis that indicates the possible increase of biopolymer yield as the most beneficial factor. Biobased polymers have big environmental potential but still need significant improvement with regard to their manufacturing processes in order to become more economically benign. Preferably production of these microbial polymers should be integrated into biorefinery blocks, where such waste stream arises (e.g. biodiesel production plant).

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are increasingly gaining ground for the treatment of domestic and agricultural wastewaters, coal mine drainage, and stormwater runoff, mainly because of a set of beneficial features, including environmental quality preservation, landscape conservation, and economic convenience. These would not be possible without activities such as monitoring and harvesting that can significantly contribute to both pollutant removal efficiency and sustainability of CWs. This review investigates this field of research by touching those themes and close-related ones, to contribute to enhancing the state of the art and the knowledge on CWs.

In recent years, a growing media campaign has demonized the use of plastic tout court, as solely responsible for environmental problems. Behind what is now vulgarly called plastic there are actually many applications and uses without which our daily life would be greatly penalized in the most common and routine actions. Our belief, in the role of researchers who have made polymers and their derivatives their main research object, is that sustainable use of polymeric materials is not only possible but is above all necessary. For this reason, in this review which is part of the Special Issue “State-of-the-Art Polymer Science and Technology in Italy”, we offer a rundown of life-cycle assessment (LCA) studies on polymers used in the most important production and commercial sectors carried out in the last few years by Italians researchers.

Plastic films can be considered as a high-value auxiliary material in agriculture with multiple important uses to fulfil, including covering films in greenhouse cultivation system. Such an application enables several benefits and, therefore, it is going through an important upsurge, especially in regions where protected crop cultivation is highly widespread. However, the increased demand for these covering films arouses concerns for their post-use treatment with regard to both the consumption of Non-Renewable Primary Energy (NRPE) resources and the emission of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs). Therefore, environmental analysis is needed to find and follow cleaner paths for the management and treatment of this kind of Agricultural Plastic Waste (APW), especially in the light of the gap currently existing in the specialised literature. In this context, this paper reports upon findings from a combined Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of single environmental issues (i.e., energy and water consumption, and GHG emissions) applied to a Sicilian firm, representative of APW collection and recycling to obtain Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) granules. The results showed that electricity consumption for the whole recycling process is the most NRPE resource demanding and the most GHG emitting input item. Moreover, the washing phase of disused covering films is the highest water demanding within the recycling process. Potential improvements could be achieved by shifting from fossil energy source to renewable one. The installation of a wind power plant would lead to around 56% and 85% reduction in NRPE resource exploitation and GHG emission, respectively. Finally, despite the huge consumption of water and NRPE resources and the resulting GHG emissions, the production of recycled-LDPE granules is far more sustainable than the virgin counterpart.

Solar energy as a plentiful and environment-friendly source of energy has an acceptable potential in nearly most of the regions around the world. Thermal technologies are commonly used to provide heat requirements of different domestic, agricultural, residential, and industrial applications from the sun. This paper reviews thermal performance enhancement techniques of the most widely-used low-temperature solar collectors (LTSCs) including flat-plate collectors (FPCs), evacuated tube collectors (ETCs), and compound parabolic concentrators (CPCs) by introducing challenges and discussing future research potentials. In this regard, energy analysis of each collector type along with the latest advancements to boost the heat collection capability of the LTSCs reported in the previous studies is presented. The discussed methods in this study broadly cover structural modifications, absorber coatings, integration with reflectors, using alternative working fluids including nanofluids, and employing thermal energy storage (TES) systems. This comprehensive review is reflecting the level of technical maturity of each type of LTSCs and is expected to serve scientists, engineers, and developers with the latest achievements in this technology.

Agricultural crop production can generate significant residues and their management is generally a disposal problem. Composting can be a solution. It is essentially an efficient bioconversion techn...

International audience; Construction is considered as one of the most relevant sectors in terms of environmental impacts, due to the significant use of raw materials, fossil energy consumption and the consequent Greenhouse Gases emissions. The use of unconventional and environmentally-friendly materials and technologies is worldwide recognised as a key factor to enable the decrease of material and energy consumption in buildings. Between natural/sustainable materials, those using hemp products and by-products (fibres and hurds) have rapidly widened their field of application in the building industry, mainly because of their good hygrothermal and acoustic insulation properties. Moreover, the usage of these materials allows high carbon storage due to the CO2 sequestration during the agricultural phase.This study represents an energy and environmental assessment of hemp crop cultivation in France, carried out through a Life Cycle Assessment approach, showing positive and negative contribution related to the different life cycle phases. The total CF evaluated through the IPCC, 2013 GWP 100 method (IPCC, 2013) is equal to 0.975 kgCO2eq, in view of a CO2 uptake of −1.29 kgCO2eq. So, it is understood that the total CF results therefore lower than the CO2 uptake due to the biogenic carbon captured and stored during hemp growth. The total Energy Footprint, instead, was calculated in 17.945 MJ. The Upstream phase came out as the main contributor to the impacts. A sensitivity analysis was performed to explore changes in results related to main inputs assumptions and, in particular, the environmental benefits associated with the replacement of conventional fertilisers (ammonium sulphate) with organic matter were highlighted.

Food Waste (FW) is increasingly viewed as a resource to be diverted from landfilling. In a circular economy where FW management is developed sustainably, FW has great potentials to be recovered, through a set of technologies like Anaerobic Digestion (AD), into high-value energy, fuel, and natural nutrients. In this context, a comprehensive review of existing life cycle environmental assessments of FW recovery through AD was made and discussed in this paper, with the aim of finding key aspects related to plant operation, as well as to methodology application and Climate Change (CC) impact. Based upon the papers reviewed, AD resulted to be characterised by a biogas yield being equal to an average of around 120 m3 t−1 FW which increases to around 480 m3 t−1 FW in the case of co-digestion of FW with other biomasses, so underscoring the influence played by the feedstock used. CC-impact values were found as ranging between nearly −860 and 290 kg CO2 eq per ton of FW treated in AD, depending upon: the amount of feedstock treated; the amounts of products and by-products and the way they are modelled; and the method used for development of life cycle impact assessment phase. Results are highly affected by the methodological choices and assumptions that are made as part of the environmental assessment. Finally, negative CC-impact values were documented to be due to the environmental benefits resulting from the modelling of energy and material substitutes being greater than the environmental impacts associated with the actual treatment system. This can be considered as part of the substitution effect which is often considered and recommended in attributional LCAs.

The potential ability of microwave heating (MWH) for the remediation of marine sediments affected by severe hydrocarbon (HC) contamination was investigated. Decontamination effectiveness and environmental sustainability through a comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) were addressed. Main results revealed that the application of a 650-W MWH treatment resulted in a rapid (15 min) HC removal. A citric acid (CA) dose of 0.1 M led to enhanced-HC removals of 76.9, 96.5 and 99.7% after 5, 10 and 15 min of MW irradiation, respectively. The increase in CA dose to 0.2 M resulted in a shorter successful remediation time of 10 min. The exponential kinetic model adopted showed a good correlation with the experimental data with R 2 values in the 0.913–0.987 range. The nature of the MW treatment was shown to differently influence the HC fraction concentration after the irradiation process. Achieved HC removals in such a short remediation time are hardly possible by other clean-up techniques, making the studied treatment a potential excellent choice. Removal mechanisms, which allowed the enhanced-MWH to operate as a highly effective multi-step technique (pure thermal desorption + chemical washing), undoubtedly represent a key factor in the whole remediation process. The LCA highlighted that the MW technology is the most environmentally sustainable alternative for sediment decontamination applications, with a total damage, which was 75.74% lower than that associated with the EK (0.0503 pt).

International audience; Global environmental issues are arising over the developed and developing world. Improving energy efficiency and reducing Green Gases emissions become the key issues in all the economic sectors and, in particular, the building sector that is one of the most energy-consuming. It is, therefore, important to find alternative building materials with low-environmental impact contributing to global sustainability. In that context, this study reports on the performance of sustainable materials produced from natural resources as hemp-concrete or from recycled-waste nonbiodegradable materials including recycled polyethylene terephthalate. Three façades employing three different materials (hemp-concrete, hemp-concrete with brick and recycled polyethylene terephthalate) were investigated in three cities in France (Nancy and Carpentras) and Italy (Perugia) with different climate. The energy performance of each façade was assessed in terms of cooling and heating demands, electrical consumption for a constant flow rate ventilation mode, considering different orientations. The study also shows the effect of window size (10%, 25%, and 40%) on the annual energy consumption.

This paper is based upon a comparative environmental evaluation between organic and conventional cultivation of barley, under favorable pedo-climatic conditions. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was performed alternatively using, as Functional Units (FUs), 1 ha of land involved in cultivation of barley to seek environmental sustainability and 1 kg of dry matter grains of produced barley to check productive efficiency. The study aims at highlighting the best solution for cultivation of barley. The topic was addressed because of the lack of comprehensive comparisons between organic and conventional management of barley production systems, which involve specific methodological assumptions (i.e. different FUs, economic allocation procedure between product and co-product). Findings from comparative LCA show that organic barley cultivation is the most environmentally sustainable solution (but not efficient in production), vice versa conventional barley cultivation is the solution most efficient in production (but not environmentally sustainable). Using 1 ha as FU, the cultivation of organic barley produces environmental impacts for 2.33 pt vs. the 2.55 pt of the cultivation of conventional barley. Vice-versa using 1 kg as FU, organic barley accounts for 3.103E-04 pt vs. the 2.396E-04 pt of conventional barley. Efficiency in production and environmental sustainability may also depend on qualitative elements (crop quality and adaptiveness to specific pedo-climatic conditions).

Within the paradigm of “Industry 4.0”, data collection and management acquire new relevance. In this context, the introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the manufacturing field allows to develop information systems able to offer the possibility of using a large amount of data collected from heterogeneous sources in real time. The information thus obtained is functional not only to the attainment of an industrial development but also for evaluation and improvement of its sustainability. For example, the benefit obtainable for the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology from the new digital configuration is represented by a greater specificity of data that wireless sensors networks (WSN) measure and transmit in a continuous way. This paper explores the benefit of using a sensor for the evaluation of the environmental impact, in particular for LCA, in an Italian company producing chemical formulations. The machinery electric consumption directly measured data is compared with the same data estimated with mathematical models. It highlights how much different approach of data measurement and calculation can affect the LCA results. The detection of the energy variable related to a single machine for a particular process, which has been described in the paper, represents a first step towards the implementation of a WSN, proposed by Scatol8 srl, to be used to produce in a more sustainable way.

Italy is the fourth top world cherries producer after Turkey, United States of America, Iran (Islam Republic of). The Apulia region is the largest sweet cherries ( Prunus avium L.) producer at the national level and in particular one of the most produced cultivar is “Ferrovia”. This work is based upon a life-cycle approach, and is aimed at collecting and analysing the material and energy input-flows associated with a cherry orchard in the Apulia region. The study is intended both to serve as the starting base for performing the next phases of life-cycle inventory and environmental impact assessment, and to contribute in enhancing the current databases and scientific literature in this field. Furthermore, the study allowed the authors to highlight that the major inputs were due both to irrigation as large volumes of water used and diesel fuel consumption in particular to fertiliser and pesticide transportation and administration. The study can be considered as bases for further evaluation and reduction of the related environmental impacts.

Food packaging systems mainly serve to contain and protect foods during their shelf-lives. However, it is well known that a package is responsible for several environmental impacts associated with its entire life-cycle. Therefore, package design should be developed taking into account not only cost, food shelf-life and safety, as well as user-friendliness, but also environmental sustainability. To address and improve this latter issue, environmental evaluation methodologies need to be applied: Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is one amongst them, and can be considered a valid tool for this purpose. Indeed, it has been long applied in the food packaging field to highlight both environmental hotspots and improvement potentials for more eco-friendly products. In this context, this paper reports upon an LCA application experience in the production of foamy Polylactic Acid (PLA) trays for fresh-food packaging applications. The study highlighted that the highest environmental impacts come from the production and transport of the granules, so remarking the need to search for alternative biopolymers. In this regard, the results of this study will form the base for another one regarding the assessment of second-generation PLA granules, namely those produced by processing both wastes and wastewaters from starchy crop cultivation systems and processing plants.

Permeability of gases in polymers depends strongly upon the polymer structure, the gas type, as well as the conditions of temperature and film thickness. The in-use temperature and thickness of the polymer membrane can play the most important role on preservation and prolongation of food shelf-life. In this work the gas transmission parameters of six Bi-axially Oriented Polypropylene (BOPP) films were investigated as a function of temperature, gas type and thickness. O 2 , CO 2 , N 2 , N 2 O, C 2 H 4 , Air (79%N 2 /21%O 2 ) and Modified Atmosphere (MA) of 79%N 2 O/21%O 2 were used as test gas. In order to understand the kinetic of the process, by the activation energy determination, samples were tested at a different temperature, from 10 °C to 40 °C. Gas Transmission Rate (GTR), solubility (S) and diffusion (D) relationship was investigated. The gas/thickness/temperature correlation was reflected in the obtained perm-selectivity ratios and a good linear correlation was found only at 23 °C. Deviations recorded were attributed to temperature fluctuations. Gas transmission process follows the Arrhenius model while the solubility/diffusion process shows consistent deviation, correlated to the temperature and the thickness of the film. By Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) a different crystallinity percentage was recorded, whose influence was evidenced only in the sorption/diffusion processes. The melting temperature remained unchanged. FT-IR Spectroscopy was also carried out to confirm the morphology.

An environmental assessment of Sicilian traditional ceramics was developed. The study was conducted in accordance with the ISO standards ISO 14040:2006 and 14044:2006 choosing, as the functional unit, 1 kg of ornamental ceramic plates and, as the impact assessment method, Impact 2002+. The system boundaries included the phases of plates' production, all the way to disposal. All primary data needed for the assessment was collected on site in collaboration with a firm involved in the production of ceramic plates. The study showed that the highest environmental impact is due to the consumption of electricity linked to heat treatment during the production phase. Most of the environmental impact damages can be attributed to the damage category Climate Change , whilst the most significant impact categories are Global Warming ; Respiratory Inorganics and Non-Renewable Energy use. All that considered efforts for reducing the environmental impacts and, consequently, for improving environmental performance should concentrate on reduction of energy consumption or on the use of renewable energy. This life cycle assessment study represents a building block for a possible future proposal of using environmental labels, for example Environmental Product Declarations, as a tool for exploiting, promoting, and differentiating Sicilian traditional ceramic products in the national and international market.

Built environment represents the man-made surroundings providing setting for human activity and so encompasses places and spaces that were created or modified by people including buildings, parks, and transportation systems. Despite the multiple benefits for living people, built environments of today are created through usage of large amounts of energy and materials, affecting the health of humans and the natural environment in negative manners. This aspect is amplified by built environments enhancing because of urban areas expanding to meet necessities and requirements of an increasing number of citizens. The built environment is responsible for both consumption of resources and energies, the generation of wastes and the emission of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, with the consequent environmental impacts. Buildings contribute hugely to those environmental issues and impacts. Therefore, life cycle evaluations upon the energy and environmental performance of buildings are desirable to find room for improvement. In this context, this chapter highlights the importance and usefulness not only of life cycle assessment but also of guiding and regulating its application in buildings, so to contribute, in turn, to enhancement of the subject literature and knowledge.

Over the last decade, the bioeconomy has become increasingly important and visible in international policy agendas, with several strategies being recently developed. The implementation of bio-based technologies mostly takes place on a regional scale. Therefore, from a regional perspective, a key question revolves around what main challenges are associated with technological developments that could catalyze the implementation of sustainable bioeconomy regions. In this study, a cross-cutting analysis was carried out to determine these challenges. First, interviews were conducted with industry practitioners and scientists working in the bioeconomy field. These interviews were supplemented with a literature review to determine the status quo of bioeconomy strategies and their implementation, particularly on a regional level. A multidisciplinary workshop was then organized to identify the most relevant challenges in the short- and mid-term associated with establishing bioeconomy regions. The results show that there is a three-pronged challenge in innovative technological development from a regional perspective: (1) Resources: The establishment of sustainable regional feedstock strategies and supplies for supporting the bio-industrial sector, (2) collaborators: The establishment of a regional &ldquo, critical mass&rdquo, by fostering supply chain clusters and networks, and (3) neighbors: Understanding the local dynamics of societal trends and preferences and social acceptance of bio-technologies and their representative bio-based products.

In the second half of the twentieth century, a new paradigm in food consumption emerged – expressed in the quest for low-calorie foods, with the objective of meeting new aesthetic standards, but also countering the development of obesity-related diseases. The food industry has been able to grasp consumers’ current needs with the introduction of reduced-calorie foods that, unlike other categories of products, have been showing an increasing sales trend. In this paper, after analysing the specifications, composition and production characteristics of low-calorie food products, we have attempted to clarify the effectiveness of said foods and the way they are perceived by consumers, in light of developments in the legislation regulating the marketing of reduced-calorie foods.

The food packaging industry trends reflect the identified needs and requirements of consumers because entrepreneurs should satisfy changing consumer requirements to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage due to innovation. In the group of socio-economic needs, the most important ones are lifestyle changes, improving the quality of life through the added value offered to consumers through packaged products, profitable companies in the sector, packaged product safety and environmental protection. The main aim of the study was exploring the validity of food packaging requirements concerning the satisfaction of consumer needs. The resulting hierarchy of important needs and requirements represents the foundation for solutions and strategies to improve the quality of a consumer’s life. Analysis of the results clearly shows that among all socio-economic needs and requirements posed to food packaging, safety is the most critical need for consumers. Other packaging properties such as convenience and legal requirements fulfillment are important. Proposed model packaging, which will stratify consumers’ needs and requirements and will help to improve their quality of life, should be characterized by health, simplicity, identity, aesthetics, and meaning. The packaging industry is a branch considered to have high potential in the field of applying innovative solutions. This is mainly related to the desire of introducing solutions in the areas of improving safety, functionality, communication and environmental protection. Identification and understanding of consumer needs is a valuable source of information useful when developing improvements. Proposed components of model packaging follow the motto of the World Packaging Organization, which says: “Better quality of life through better packaging.”