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The Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations established a roadmap on the way to a sustainable society based on a circular economy in which the residual fractions of process streams emerge as raw materials for the provision of material goods and services. In this context, the approach of biorefineries as the technological scheme for processing integrally renewable resources stands out. Among the different target products, "bioactive" compounds have aroused great interest given their high added value. This work evaluates the environmental profile associated with the valorization of residual lignocellulosic waste streams: olive pruning and eucalyptus residues for the biotechnological production of nisin, an antimicrobial compound produced by Lactoccocus lactis with application in the food preservation and biomedical sectors. Process modelling in combination with Life Cycle Analysis allowed addressing the conceptual design and the environmental assessment of a full-scale production process. As a main conclusion, the technological feasibility of the valorization of waste fractions as sources of fermentable sugars in the biotechnological process has been demonstrated. Moreover, the integral use of the raw materials can allow not only the production of nisin as an economic driver, but also of other biotechnological products such as lactic acid and energy for the self-supply of the process. The main novelty of this manuscript is based on rethinking the valorization of lignocellulosic waste beyond energy recovery to obtain bioproducts with high added value in the market with applicability in the food sector. Although energy recovery is the most widely implemented end-of-life option, the use of lignocellulosic waste as fermentable sugars has been shown to improve sustainability and circularity outcomes This research has been financially supported by the European project iFermenter (Grant Agreement 79057). The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C 2017/29) and to the Cross-disciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS Research Center, ED431E 2018/01 SI

No ano 2020 a porcentaxe media da poboación mundial que vivía nas cidades foi do 56%, sendo a media de Europa dun 74%. Nunha enquisa feita no ano 2021 á poboación europea infírese que os tres principais retos que encara a humanidade son o cambio climático, a falta de auga e a propagación de enfermidades. De feito, a dispoñibilidade de auga limpa e un correcto saneamento da mesma constitúe un dos Obxectivos de Desenvolvemento Sustentábel marcados na Axenda 2030 (ODS 6), polo que cómpre facer unha correcta xestión do ciclo de auga nas cidades, comezando polos sistemas de potabilización, para reducir a pegada hídrica. Os fogares xogan un papel preponderante nesta meta, xa que adaptar o consumo de auga as necesidades reais pode facerse de xeito sinxelo seguindo unha serie de pequenas accións accesibles económica e tecnoloxicamente. Asemade, a I+D+i actual está a debullar a EDAR do século XXI, encamiñando a súa evolución ata o deseño dunha biofactoría capaz de recuperar os recursos materiais e enerxéticos presentes nas propias augas residuais, aspecto compatíbel co seu obxectivo primoxénito de eliminar as substancias contaminantes antes da súa vertedura

Looking for renewable energy sources is one of the main targets in the transition to low-carbon economies. Bioenergy appears as an alternative with great potential, but firstly, it requires addressing all aspects that can limit its environmental viability. Stillage has been identified as an environmental concern of the bioethanol production. Thus, eco-friendly strategies for valorizing this resource should be pursued. In this work, three strategies such as composting (non-energy valorization), one-stage anaerobic digestion (with the aim of biogas production), and dark fermentation followed by anaerobic digestion (scheme under development to produce biohydrogen and biogas) were evaluated under a life-cycle perspective; and through process modeling based on literature data. The aim is to identify the advantages and disadvantages of dark fermentation for the management of apple stillage. To do this, a cradle-to-gate and attributional framework were followed, considering impact and damage perspectives. Results showed a very significant environmental load (around 99%) of composting compared to the selected energy recovery schemes, considering the added value of compost and the associated emissions versus those of biofuels. Otherwise, small differences were found between single-stage anaerobic digestion and dark fermentation (up to 16%), mainly, due to changes in chemical consumption and organic matter degradation efficiency The authors would like to express their gratitude the by HP-NANOBIO project (PID2019-111163RB-I00), granted by Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. R.R.L. and S.G.G. would like to thanks to the project Transition to sustainable agri-food sector bundling life cycle assessment and ecosystem services approaches (ALISE) funded by the Spanish National Research Agency (TED2021-130309B-I00). S.E, R.R.L, S.G.G., M.T.M and GF belong to CRETUS and the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C-2021/37). S. Estévez also thanks to the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for financial support (Grant reference PRE2020-092074). D. Hernández acknowledges funding from FONDECYT, Chile (project Nº 11200398) SI

Advanced oxidation processes such as Fenton reaction-based processes have attracted great interest in recent years as a promising alternative for the removal of persistent pollutants in wastewater. The use of nanocatalysts in advanced oxidation processes overcomes the limitations of homogeneous Fenton processes, where acidic pH values are required, and a large amount of sludge is generated after treatment. Aiming at maximizing the catalytic potential of the process, different configurations include coupling photocatalysis or electrochemistry to Fenton reactions. This manuscript presents a comparative environmental and economic analysis of different heterogeneous Fenton-based process using magnetic nanoparticles: Fenton, photo-Fenton, electro-Fenton and photoelectron-Fenton. These alternatives encompass not only different reaction conditions but also varying degradation kinetics, which control the treatment capability in each specific case. It is not only important to determine the technological feasibility of the proposal based on the removal performance of the target compounds, but also to identify the environmental profile of each configuration. In this regard, the Life Cycle Assessment methodology was applied considering a combination of primary and secondary data from process modeling. Moreover, and aiming towards the future large-scale implementation of the technology, an economic analysis of each configuration was also performed to provide a better understanding about the costs associated to the operation of Fenton-based wastewater treatments This research was supported by HP-NANOBIO (PID2019-111163RB-I00), funded by Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI), and SPOTLIGHT (PDC2021-121540-I00) projects, funded by Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and European Union NextGenerationEU/PRTR. J.J.C. acknowledges Xunta de Galicia financial support through a postdoctoral fellowship (Grant reference ED481B-2021/015). S.E. and J.G.-R. predoctoral fellowships were funded by Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and by “ESF Investing in your future” (Grant references PRE2020-092074 and FPU19/004612, respectively). The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC) ED432C-2021/37 SI

In recent years, there has been a great movement towards the generation of knowledge related to the biorefinery concept. First-generation biorefineries bear the stigma of using arable land and edible crops for fuel instead of as sources of food and feed. However, second-generation biorefineries have not reached the level of full technical feasibility. Bearing in mind the objective of sugar production from sugar, starch, or lignocellulosic raw materials, the purpose of this study is to assess the environmental impact of first- and second-generation biorefineries, considering as an example for the comparative evaluation, the production of sugar fractions from crops (starch and sugar crops), and lignocellulosic biomass (hardwood and softwood). The characterization results were obtained using the ReCiPe 1.1 model, implemented through the SimaPro 9.0 software. Both production systems are inherently different and have strengths and weaknesses that must be carefully analyzed. The resulting environmental profile shows that the silviculture of wood contributes less to the environmental impact than cropping activities in most impact categories. In general, this study suggests that first-generation systems are burdened environmentally by the use of fertilizers, which have a significant impact on categories such as marine and freshwater eutrophication and terrestrial acidification, while second-generation systems are limited by the intensive processing steps needed for delignification, typically involving the use of chemicals and/or energy. LCA in early stages of the production of bio-based building blocks, rather than on the manufacture of biofuels or bioplastics, allows the precise identification of the environmental burdens that may be influencing the overall environmental profile of a biorefinery.

Education for sustainable development through activities or seminars is part of the training program for chemical engineering students to strengthen their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) included in Agenda 2030. Food waste is not only an ethical and economic issue; it also depletes limited natural resources. In terms of the most recognized environmental indicator, food waste generates about 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In this regard, curbing the growing trend of over-consumption of goods that we will not consume can have a significant effect on reducing the environmental impact associated with food production. The evaluation of the environmental impacts associated with non-responsible food consumption address SDGs No. 1, 2, 6, 12 and 13 and creates a framework for discussion on how to prevent food waste and strengthen the sustainability of the food system. The activity included both group activities (search for life cycle characterization factors to estimate the carbon and water footprints of food) and individual activities (collection of food waste data) over several months. When comparing the values of environmental footprints at the beginning and end of the activity, the most rational consumption of meat and dairy products was responsible for the largest proportion of the reduction achieved (70 %). The activity was evaluated by the students with an average of 3.40 (between 1 and 4), with a remarkable percentage of students (>75 %) who valued the activity positively both in the definition of the different phases of the work and in the monitoring of the results.

13 pages, 4 figures, 4 tables, Fishing activities produce discards that need to be reduced. Apart from the production of fishmeal and fish oil, other alternatives to manage this discard fraction are possible. High‐added value bio‐compounds (such as gelatin, collagen or fish protein hydrolysates, among others) can be extracted from the previously discarded fish biomass and its by‐products. While it is clear that these valorization strategies will produce economic benefits, they also will cause an impact on the environment of variable magnitude. Therefore, an eco‐efficiency assessment is necessary to discern which processes are most suitable for planning a valorization strategy. Within this type of wasted organic material, biomass from cartilaginous fish offered additional valorization potential, since other compounds such as cartilage or chondroitin sulfate can be obtained. The environmental impacts of the different valorization schemes implemented and tested on a fully operative real marine biorefinery located in an important Spanish fishing port (Marín—NW Spain) were quantified using the life cycle assessment methodology, while the benefit of the proposed systems was estimated as the gross benefit. The results obtained indicate that the extraction of high value‐added bio‐compounds is generally more eco‐efficient than the established process of fishmeal production, although its environmental performance is worse. Nevertheless, these environmental impacts could be reduced by optimizing and scaling‐up the production processes and the associated equipment, especially focusing on the energy and water consumption of the plant, The authors acknowledge the financial support received from the European Union through the LIFE Environment Program of the European Union (LIFE13 ENV/ES/000131‐iSEAS) and Xunta de Galicia (Grupos de Potencial Crecimiento, IN607B2017/2 and IN607B2018/19). Amaya Franco‐Uría, María Teresa Moreira and Gumersindo Feijoo belongs to the Galician Competitive Research Group GRC 2013‐032, program co‐funded by ERDF, and to CRETUS (AGRUP2015/02)

There is growing concern about the nutritional quality and the environmental impact of the food we eat. Although the population is increasingly aware of adhering to diets that meet these requirements, the reality is that current dietary patterns deviate greatly from these recommendations. In the case of Portugal, the Mediterranean and Atlantic diets have traditionally coexisted in the country but it is predictable that current consumption patterns do not conform to them. Accordingly, the present research has a dual objective, taking the Portuguese dietary pattern as a case study. First, sustainability in terms of environmental and health impacts is monitored over a 9-year period (2008–2016), including the stages of production, distribution, and household activities. Secondly, an example of alternative diet is proposed in the pursuit of a more sustainable dietary pattern. The carbon footprint from a life cycle perspective has been selected for the environmental impact assessment and the Nutrient Rich Diet 9.3 index for the analysis of the nutritional quality. An average value of 4.20 kg CO2 eq·inhabitant−1·day−1 is reported for the Portuguese diet for the period under study. Regarding the alternative diet proposal, it leads to an increase of the nutritional quality of around 67%, and a reduction of the carbon footprint by approximately 25%, approaching the values of recommended diets such as the Mediterranean and the Atlantic ones. This research can serve as a reference for decision-makers, as well as to provide consumers with a clearer picture of what should be included in their food basket.

The development of biotechnological processes through which high added value products can be obtained, using non-valuable industrial streams, has become a primary objective in the scope of sustainability and circular economy strategies. It is in this context where this research report is framed, in which a biorefinery approach has been developed using mussel processing wastes (MPW) as a resource, thus avoiding the environmental impacts involved in their management. Through an enzymatic pre-treatment and a batch fermentation process, this waste stream is valorized, and three high added value products are obtained: pediocin, lactic acid and crude protein. To develop comparative scenarios, a detailed analysis of the environmental impacts associated with the production of pediocin at two purity levels (2.5 % and 95% w/w), using the MPW and a commercial fermentation medium (MRS) has been performed by applying the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. The results obtained show the great potentiality of MPW as C-source, both from an environmental, economic and technological point of view since, when compared with MRS, the carbon footprint is reduced from 24.02 to 15.87 and from 23.85 to 15.66 kg CO2 eq/kg of products for a purity of 2.5% and 95% w/w of pediocin, respectively. Besides, analogous impact reduction values are observed for the rest of the impact categories evaluated. However, certain hot spots have been identified, which future improvement studies should focus: energy and calorific requirements, mainly, as a contribution higher than 50% is observed for most of the impact categories This research has been financially supported by the European project iFermenter, Spain (Grant Agreement 79057). IFermenter is a project funded under the “Bio-Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme”. The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C 2017/29) and to the Cross-disciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS Research Center, ED431E 2018/01) SI

Diet and nutrition are essential factors in promoting good health throughout life. Their role as determinants of chronic non-communicable diseases is widely recognized. Additionally, the demand for food involves relevant environmental burdens that have to be taken into account on the way to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. As an important part of nutrition policy, food-based dietary guidelines (FBDGs) have been revised. The key question is: Are environmental considerations being incorporated into them? To address this issue, we modeled and compared both the main environmental indicators in terms of carbon footprint (CF) and water footprint (WF), and nutritional quality (according to the Nutrient Rich Diet index, NRD9.3 and a health gain score) of dietary guidelines from Northern and Southern Europe and America. Particularly, the FBDGs compared were Dutch Dietary Guidelines (DDG), New Nordic Diet (NND), Spanish Strategy for Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Prevention (NAOS), Mediterranean Diet (MD), Italian Dietary Guidelines (IDG) and American Dietary Guidelines (DGA). The IDG and MD offered the best profiles from a climate change perspective (2.04 and 2.21 kgCO2eq·day−1). Overall, DGA had the highest CF (2.98 kgCO2eq·day−1). WF presented greater fluctuations, not only due to daily-recommended amounts, but also because of different climate conditions and production systems of the reference countries. Hence, WF ranged from 1760 L·person−1·day−1 in IDG to 3181 L·person−1·day−1 in NAOS. Finally, the nutritional value of MD, which had the highest NRD9.3 (477) and health gain score (178), has been demonstrated when the comparison was made with DDG, the one with the lowest health gain score (97) and DGA, the worst in terms of NRD9.3 (391). To go ahead of the FBDGs that bet on all dimensions of sustainability, multi-criteria analysis is needed. Nutrition and environmental performance are not the only aspects of the problem; economy and sociocultural variables should be considered C.C.-F. would like to express her gratitude to the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for financial support (Grant reference FPU 19/06648). S.G.-G. would like to express her gratitude to the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for financial support (Grant reference RYC-2014-14984). C.C-F, S.G.-G., G.F. and M.T.M. belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C 2017/29) and to the Cross-disciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS Research Center, ED431E 2018/01). All these programs are co-funded by FEDER (EU) SI

The immediate need to build resilient food systems with lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and protection of water resources is a global challenge. To address this, the EAT-Lancet Commission described the global reference diet with principles of nutritional quality and environmental sustainability. With this in mind, the carbon and water footprints of the current Spanish dietary pattern have been compared with the EAT-Lancet global dietary recommendations, taking into account deviations in food intake. To provide additional context, differences between the average Spanish dietary pattern and dietary guidelines applied in other countries in Europe (Italy, the Netherlands and the Mediterranean region) and America have also been analyzed and discussed from a sustainability approach. We found that the EAT-Lancet diet requires less water resources (3056 L·person−1·day−1) and lower level of GHG emissions (2.13 kgCO2eq·person−1·day−1) in comparison with the Spanish dietary pattern (3732 L·person−1·day−1 and 3.62 kgCO2eq·person−1·day−1, respectively). Starch-based products and oils and fats were identified as largest contributors to both environmental indicators in the EAT-Lancet diet. On the other hand, meat and dairy were the environmental hotspots in the Spanish dietary pattern. Comparison with other food-based dietary patterns also raises environmental concerns about the high meat consumption in Spain. Overall, this analysis suggests that reducing the consumption of beef meat and dairy to a level in line with the global environmental targets set by the EAT-Lancet Commission would ensure a shift in Spanish dietary habits towards more environmentally sustainable food consumption patterns C.C.-F. would like to thank the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for financial support (Grant reference FPU 19/06648). C.C-F, S.G.-G., G.F. and M.T.M. belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C 2017/29) and to the Cross-disciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS Research Center, ED431E 2018/01). All these programs are co-funded by FEDER (EU) SI

The effects of climate change and water scarcity on food security in Latin America and the prevalence of metabolic risk factors that increase the likelihood of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among Chilean citizens are considered two significant challenges. The 2020 Sustainable Development Goals Report shows that an increasing number of people are suffering from food insecurity, and the growing stress on the environment associated with food production and resource exploitation. Therefore, the evaluation and monitoring of nutritional habits must be addressed because of their central role in meeting healthy and sustainable food goals. The objective of this study was to assess the environmental impacts (carbon and water footprint), nutritional quality and cost of diets of different socio-economic subgroups in Chile, mapping environmental hotspots and food insecurity. It was found that higher income was associated with higher environmental burdens related to food choices and higher dietary costs. Carbon and water footprints ranged from 2.42 to 4.74 kg CO2eq·person−1·day−1 and 1683–3110 L·person−1·day−1 for the first and fifth quintile, respectively. Chilean residents in the highest socio-economic quintile consumed more meat and fewer starch-based products than those in the lowest quintile. Meat was the main contributor to the carbon (56%–59%) and water (40%–43%) footprints and the determining factor in the differences between income quintiles. Although current diets in Chile do not meet nutritional recommendations, diet quality also increased with socioeconomic status. These findings could serve as a reference to implement public policies in Chile, ensuring healthy eating and food security in the context of climate change and water scarcity This research has been supported by the project Enhancing diversity in Mediterranean cereal farming systems (CerealMed) project funded by PRIMA Program and FEDER/Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (PCI2020-111978). C.C.-F. would like to express her gratitude to the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for financial support (Grant reference FPU 19/06648). C.C–F, R.R-L, S.G.-G., G.F. and M.T.M. belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C 2017/29) and to the Cross-disciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS Research Center, ED431E 2018/01). All these programs are co-funded by FEDER (EU) SI

The current energy and environmental crisis, linked to increasing industrialisation, has progressively driven the adoption of solutions focused on circular life cycle thinking, such as waste management with resource recovery and decarbonization of technologies. In this context, this study was built to quantify the environmental performance of a two-stage wastewater treatment process (dark fermentation with anaerobic digestion) in which three feedstocks (sugar beet molasses, cheese whey and wine vinasses mixed with wastewater treatment plant sludge) from the food industry were valorized as hydrogen. In this regard, several environmental profiles were created using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology with two system boundaries (cradle-to-gate and gate-to-gate) and two methods (ReCiPe Midpoint and Endpoint). Furthermore, this research was synergistically complemented with an energy analysis including indicators and input-output flow balances to provide a win-win solution for food waste utilization. The results have taken different directions depending on the methodological assumptions considered but, in general terms, the sugar beet molasses scenario can be claimed in all cases as the energetically sustainable process with the best environmental profile. With an energy surplus of 155%, the cradle-to-gate scenario recorded the best environmental impact in 4/8 midpoint categories and an overall reduction of 67% and 94% (excluding co-products) for the ReCiPe damage single score compared to the wine vinasses and wastewater treatment plant sludge and cheese whey scenarios, respectively. In this sense, the viability and competitiveness of these two scenarios is compromised by the lack of energy self-sufficiency (there is a 53% deficiency in the wine vinasses and wastewater treatment sludge scenario) and the lack of climate-neutral outcomes (a result of 5510 mPt/Nm3 H2 shows that the cheese whey scenario is far from being a zero-emission process) This research was funded by HP-NANOBIO Project (PID2019-111163RB-I00). The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC) ED431C-2021/37, to CRETUS (Interdisciplinary Centre for Research in Environmental Technologies) and to the department of chemical engineering of the University of Santiago de Compostela. S. Estévez thanks to the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for financial support (Grant reference PRE 2020-092074). J.J. Conde acknowledges Xunta de Galicia financial support through a postdoctoral fellowship (Grant reference ED481B-2021/015). C.I. Camacho would also like to express her gratitude to CRETUS for her research initiation summer scholarship SI

Bio-based adhesives offer a sustainable alternative to formaldehyde-based adhesives, which is the most common product applied in wood-based panel manufacturing. Despite the undeniable interest in lignin as a bulk chemical for the synthesis of bio-based adhesives, the main problem is its low reactivity. Therefore, it is crucial to study techniques to increase their reactivity, such as demethylation. One of the parameters to monitor the success of the demethylation is the methanol concentration measured in the reaction medium and complementing these results with the use of non-quantitative analyses such as FT-IR, MALDI-ToF and SEC. In order to maximize the action of the enzyme, a preliminary screening was performed with laccases with different redox potentials, which were added to organosolv lignin in the form of purified enzymes and cocktails. Trametes versicolor laccase was selected as the best candidate for the demethylation of organosolv lignin, with a methanol released concentration of 107 mg/L. Based on these results, parameters affecting both enzyme action and enzyme-substrate interaction were evaluated. Optimal working conditions were strongly defined by the use of surfactants that enhanced lignin solubility (Tween-80) and mediators that favored enzyme catalysis to participate directly in the enzyme catalytic cycle (HBT). However, it was also observed that factors such as pH, temperature and aeration have a direct impact on the enzymatic demethylation of lignin. Considering the operational variables that allowed better demethylation values, the amount of methanol released increased to 363 mg/L, which means an improvement of 239 %. These results were also supported by the increase in molecular weight observed in the SEC analysis and the reduction of the intensity of the FT-IR bands related to the methyl/methoxyl groups SI

The main driving forces on the development of eco-friendly wood adhesives are based on environmental sustainability, costs savings, recyclability, reusability and health benefits, in comparison with synthetic resins. Lignin, tannin, proteins and carbohydrates are the main renewable raw materials being studied. Taking as a premise the technical performance of different bio-based alternatives, in comparison with formaldehyde-based resins, it is necessary to evaluate the environmental profile of such products in order to assess the pros and cons. In this regard, this manuscript addresses the industrial-scale design and environmental evaluation, through the Life Cycle Assessment methodology, of four formaldehyde-free bio-adhesives. For this purpose, the use of renewable resources such as Organosolv (OSL) and kraft (KL) lignins, soy (SPI) and tannins (MT)), crosslinked and hardened with NIPU (non-isocyanate polyurethanes) were considered. The impact results obtained showed that OSL-NIPU bio-adhesive, with a single environmental score of 35.27 mPa, has the best environmental profile, followed by SPI-NIPU, with a value of 63.36 mPa. Therefore, both could be considered as potential substitutes for synthetic resins. On the other hand, it has been identified that hexamethylenediamine (HDMA), used as crosslinking agent for the formulation of the bio-adhesives, is one of the main hotspots of the environmental profiles of OSL, KL and MT NIPU bio-adhesives. In the case of SPI-NIPU adhesives, it is the soy protein isolation process that leads to a higher environmental contribution. Thus, future research should focus on trying to reduce the dose of HMDA and on improving the soy protein isolation process This research has been financially supported by ERA-CoBIOTECH project (PCI2018–092866) Programación Conjunta Internacional 2018-WOODBADH project. The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C 2017/29) and to the Cross-disciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS Research Center, ED431E 2018/01) SI

The role of the bioeconomy based on the use of renewable resources and also on the valorization of bio-based waste could contribute to a higher degree of sustainability. In this sense, biobased processes and products should exhibit values for indicators that demonstrate and outperform their competing counterparts. To this end, it is essential to apply a methodology to conduct the assessment of environmental impacts and potential damages at a global level. Life cycle assessment (LCA) has proven to be a suitable method to study the environmental profiles and damage scores of products and/or processes within their life cycle. In this regard, LCA impact scores are transformed into planetary boundary (PB) values, for which a threshold has been previously established. This has been the focus of this article, in which the environmental sustainability ratios of different bioadhesive scenarios have been evaluated under the combined framework of PBs and LCA for wood-based bioadhesives following different allocation approaches based on egalitarian, utilitarian, and grandfathering principles. In this way, it has been possible to assess the potential of bioadhesives to replace synthetic resins in the wood-based panel production chain. The results obtained show some variability in the environmental profiles and indicators, but it is possible to conclude that the bioadhesives selected can be considered as sustainable alternatives. However, improvements are required in certain PB categories, such as climate change or biogeochemical flows, as in some cases, the threshold value is exceeded. Future research should focus on two strategic lines: the application of guidelines for the evaluation of environmental sustainability at the planetary level and the optimization of bio-adhesive production to reduce their impact with the aim of achieving a more adequate sustainability ratio This research was financially supported by the ERA-CoBIOTECH project (PCI2018-092866) and the Programación Conjunta Internacional 2018-WOODBADH project SI

Carbon footprint (CF) has become a crucial piece to develop strategies to tackle the climate change issue. Its implementation makes it possible establishing a path towards decarbonisation with the aim to comply with European and global greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions guidelines and commitments. Currently, several tools for calculating the CF are available. However, the differences in the calculation methodology and data collection prevent comparative studies based on the results obtained to be made. For this reason, CEDEX (Centro de Estudios y Experimentación de Obras Públicas), commissioned by Puertos del Estado, prepared a good practice guide with a common methodology for calculating the CF of Spanish Ports. In this study, we tested this standardized methodology for the first time in the Port of Vigo (NW Spain) during a four-year period (2017-2020), developing a web tool to facilitate its application, with the ultimate aim to extend its implementation nationwide. This work demonstrates the suitability of the CEDEX methodology to quantify the CF in harbours, and to assess the interannual evolution of the emissions, thus facilitating the assessment of the different environmental strategies implemented in the port to achieve the emissions reduction targets. The main CF loads are derived from the loading/unloading operations, due to the consumption of fuel, accounting to a value of 14,161 kg CO

The definition of the term gastronomy encompasses both the knowledge of food and its handling, preparation and consumption. Beyond a sense of cultural identity and tradition, gastronomy also represents a pole of tourist attraction. This is the case of Galicia, a region in north-western Spain. Within this framework, local dishes, which include distinctive elements of the Atlantic diet, have gained popularity. This research delves into the sustainability of 60 Galician recipes by performing a hierarchical cluster analysis to study their carbon footprint, the energy return on investment ratio and cost. The life cycle assessment methodology was followed to account for the carbon footprint and the energy return on investment ratio of the recipes. The scope was bounded to the cradle-to-fork phases through the life cycle: production of the ingredients, transport, and meal preparation. The functional unit selected was one serving of a Galician meal. The results suggest that the recipes could be classified into three main groups according to the presence of a greater or lesser amount of animal-based products. Cluster 1 comprises 10 meat recipes. Cluster 2 encompasses 31 recipes rich in fish with some vegetables and moderate consumption of red meat and dairy products. Cluster 3 includes 22 vegetable-based recipes. The higher the portion of animal products in the recipes (mainly red meat), the higher the costs and carbon footprint and the lower the energy return on investment ratio. Conversely, plant-based recipes tend to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and increase cost competitiveness and energy efficiency indicators. Based on this study, the food service could promote eco-labelling that support and certify restaurant menus. This research could also provide transformative climate education for sustainable food for consumers, giving advice to improve food-based dietary guidelines in Spain The Galiat project received funding from the ERDF-Interconecta for Galicia Program (ITC-20133014 & ITC-20151009), managed by the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness. The authors thank the participating companies that assisted in this study; these include the Belarmino Fernández Iglesias Hostelry School, Bodegas Terras Gauda, Bodegas Pazo de Rivas, Conservas A Rosaleira, Conservas Friscos, Aceites Olei, and Quescrem. C.C.-F. would like to thank the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for financial support (Grant reference FPU 19/06648). C.C-F, S.G.-G., G.F. and M.T.M. belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C 2017/29) and to the Cross-disciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS Research Center, ED431E 2018/01). All these programs are co-funded by FEDER (EU) SI

A sustainable city implies socio-economic characteristics that allow citizens to maintain a certain quality of life. However, the effect of overtourism in some tourist cities negatively affects the community. In this study, a methodology was developed to analyze how tourism affects the way of life of residents in Santiago de Compostela. This work aims to define a set of environmental and socio-economic indicators to assess the impact of tourism activity. To this end, surveys were carried out among the three groups involved in the tourism sector: Citizens, traders, and visitors. Thereby, data were collected from the responses to the surveys conducted. Finally, this set of indicators was aggregated to a sustainability score on a scale of 1 to 10. The results show a sustainability score of 6.84, and the main weak points were the mobility between the residence of citizens and peripheral areas and the change in the offerings by the commerce promoted by tourism. Consequently, this methodology is useful for policy makers when making decisions and proposing actions to foster sustainable tourism.

Climate change and water scarcity are clearly related environmental problems, making them global environmental issues. Accordingly, the water cycle management deserves a revision in its approach, integrating the concept of circular economy within an efficient and sustainable management of water resources and the design of wastewater facilities. In this sense, newly engineered decentralized facilities have emerged as a viable option for the treatment of segregated wastewater flows. The design has not only integrated the wastewater treatment function, but also resource recovery, such as water reclamation for agricultural and irrigation activities, fertigation, fertilization and energy sustainability. Based on these premises, the concept of decentralized wastewater management deserves the same degree of attention and development that has so far been reserved for conventional centralized management systems. Therefore, this paper proposes a progressive substitution of the business-as-usual scenario or centralized system by applying a small-scale wastewater management scheme performing a more efficient resource and water recovery in a medium-sized 4–5-star resort hotel. The spotlight was a membrane technology for the anaerobic digestion of the blackwater instead of the greywater treatment. A favorable environmental profile was found for the decentralized scenario under two circumstances: a large system boundary including the beneficial environmental impacts of the products and, based on the results obtained from a sensitivity analysis, an energy demand for the operation of the AnMBR lower than 2 kWh·m−3. The global warming potential results (around 9%) were even for such high demand and much larger benefits were obtained for other impact categories (94% for SOD and 98% for LU). Nevertheless, the operation (gate-to-gate approach) of these on-site recovery facilities is far from being optimized and further research should follow to decrease the 39.8% difference in the global warming potential between decentralized and centralized systems The authors would like to express their gratitude to the Run4Life project, which receives funds from the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (GA no 730285-1). They would also thank to Aqualia for all the technical support provided. SE, MTM and GF belong to CRETUS and the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C 2017/29). S. Estévez would also like to express her gratitude to the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for financial support (Grant reference PRE2020-092074). SI

Peru has become one of the world's main agricultural hubs for a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Two of these products, avocado and green asparagus, have raised attention in recent years in the international scene from an environmental perspective due to the high amounts of water they require, as well as the long air and marine freighting distances to export these products to Europe, Asia or the US. Consequently, the aim of the current study was to perform an environmental assessment of these two products using two life-cycle methods: carbon and water footprint. For the latter, water scarcity, acidification, eco-toxicity and eutrophication impact categories have been selected for assessment. Inventory data were gathered from six different companies located in different regions of the hyper-arid Peruvian coast. The results report that the products are not carbon intensive and are in line with other similar plant-based products. Conversely, the hyper-arid conditions of the cultivation sites require a large volume of groundwater to fulfill the needs of the crops. Interestingly, even though this may lead to overexploitation of groundwater resources in the absence of appropriate management policies, the low mobility of pollutants, namely pesticides, constitutes a natural barrier to protect the degradation of natural water bodies. Similarly, highly technified irrigation systems have allowed minimizing the amounts of water used per hectare. In conclusion, results from this study may be useful in more concise environmental assessment studies on food products and diets, considering the consumption of these Peruvian products in many countries in the world. Furthermore, results are also important at regional level since they depict the carbon and water performance of these products and can also be accompanied by cross-cutting certification schemes, including Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules Guidance.

Challenges associated with the sustainability of the water cycle pose new opportunities for resource recovery and greater environmental protection. While centralized wastewater treatment plants must evolve in their design and operation to adapt to a scenario of increasing demand for water, resources and energy, the decentralized approach emerges as an option to be considered in small communities or developing residential areas where bioenergy production can be improved through the recovery of organic matter in segregated streams or where the investment in the sewer network for connection to a centralized facility may be technologically or economically unfeasible. The main objective of this work is to evaluate the environmental and economic profile of a hybrid-decentralized configuration for the purpose of efficient wastewater management and resource recovery and its comparative evaluation with the centralized treatment scenario. Beyond water reclamation, decentralized treatment offers the possibility of valorization of digestate streams as nutrient sources for horticultural or ornamental crops in the vicinity of the plant. Based on the results of the environmental profile, this manuscript shows that the decentralized treatment approach is in line with the philosophy and guidelines of the circular economy, as it allows the use of reclaimed water and biofertilizers under safe and environmental-friendly conditions This research was supported by the Run4Life project, which receives funding from the EU Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme (GA no 730285-1). All of them belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group (GRC ED431C 2017/29), to CRETUS (Interdisciplinary Center for Research in Environmental Technologies) and to the department of chemical engineering of the University of Santiago de Compostela. Dr. S. González-Garcia would also like to express her gratitude to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for financial support (Grant reference RYC-2014-14984). All these programs are co-funded by FEDER (EU). S. Estévez also thanks to the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities for financial support (Grant reference PRE2020-092074) SI

The management of vineyards depends on the use of plant protection agents. Regardless of the numerous environmental impacts that these pesticides generate during their production, their dosage as pest control agents in vineyards causes an important toxic effect that must be monitored. Copper-based inorganic pesticides are the most widely used agents to control fungal diseases in humid wine-growing regions. It is, however, significant that the environmental analysis of their use through the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology does not provide detailed information on the potential toxicity of this type of pesticides. Hence, most studies report average values for copper characterization factors (CFs), excluding local soil characteristics. The objective of the study was the spatial characterization of the ecotoxicity factors of copper soil emissions as a function of the chemical characteristics of vineyard soils located in Portugal and Galicia (NW Spain). A multiple linear regression model was applied to calculate the comparative toxic potential. Subsequently, CFs for copper were calculated based on spatial differentiation considering the variable properties of the soil within each wine appellation. The CFs obtained for the area evaluated ranged from 141 to 5937 PAF·m3·day/kgCu emitted, for fibric histosols (HSf) and dystic cambisols (CMd), respectively. Moreover, the average values obtained for Galician and Portuguese soils were 1145 and 2274 PAF·m3·day/kgCu emitted, respectively. The results obtained illustrate the high variability of CF values as a function of the chemical characteristics of each type of soil. For example, Cu soil mobility was linked to organic carbon content and pH. Finally, to validate the representativeness of the calculated CFs, these were applied to the results of 12 literature life cycle inventories of grape production in the area evaluated, revealing that impact scores associated with Cu emissions can considerably vary when spatially-differentiated CFs are implemented. published

Cities today are dense networks of interchanging investments, information, goods and people, as well as centers of innovation and knowledge management. In such a complex framework of housing, social and economic interrelationships, cities become large consumers of resources and producers of greenhouse gases. Therefore, and in order to preserve resources and guarantee social services and the well-being of citizens, planning and policy actions are required that contribute to achieving sustainable growth. Beyond the environmental perspective, a socio-economic analysis is essential to make a comprehensive sustainability diagnosis of urban and rural systems. This paper presents a methodology for sustainability assessment, based on 38 indicators that include the three pillars of sustainability: social, economic and environmental. To carry out this assessment, 64 municipalities out of 313 located in Galicia (Northwest Spain) were selected and classified in three categories according to their population size (Medium Size, Small Size and Village). Moreover, two weighting methods have been considered (equal weighting and measured weighting attributed through Analytic Hierarchy Process method). The results show that most sustainable municipalities are located in the north of the region. On the other hand, regardless of the weighting method, 57% of the medium-sized municipalities are rated sustainable compared to 45% of those of the categories of Village and Small Size categories. Therefore, municipal size is relevant for measuring sustainability and there are no significant differences between the results obtained with the two weighting methodologies, indicating that the method developed is robust and could be applied to other municipalities and cities.

Today's society is increasingly aware of food consumption patterns. Under the perspective that real consumption trends are often not in line with healthy recommendations, this research focuses on the study of the environmental and nutritional sustainability of two types of food consumption habits present in the northern Atlantic area of Spain (Galicia). The main objective is, therefore to detect the existing deviations between the current Galician diet (GD) and the traditional and increasingly relevant Recommended Atlantic Diet (RAD), allowing verifying whether current consumption patterns ensure an optimal and sustainable nutritional profile. In this sense, the carbon footprint from a Life Cycle Assessment perspective has been estimated as environmental indicator of both dietary patterns and, the nutritional quality has been determined by the Nutrient Rich Diet 9.3 index and the Health gain score. The carbon footprint of both dietary models is moderately high compared to recommended diets such as the Mediterranean one. Comparing the two scenarios, the associated greenhouse gas emissions are about 15% higher for GD than for RAD, mainly due to the higher intake of beef and dairy products. On the other hand, nutritional quality is comparatively higher for RAD than for GD, associated with higher consumption of vegetables and fruits. An additional objective of this work has been to consider a sensitivity analysis to determine the effect of replacing beef with alternative sources. Having in mind this study, it can be concluded that the real consumption pattern in Galicia is far from the recommended one, with worse environmental and nutritional quality. The promotion of social awareness policies to guide consumers in the choice a healthier and more environmentally sustainable dietary pattern should be advisable for regional decision-makers as well as for those who wish to promote adherence to the Atlantic diet in other regions and countries This research has been supported by a project granted by Xunta de Galicia (project ref. ED431F 2016/001). Dr. S. González-Garcia would like to express her gratitude to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for financial support (grant reference RYC-2014-14984). The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group GRC 2013-032 as well as to CRETUS (AGRUP2015/02), co-funded by Xunta de Galicia and FEDER (EU) SI

The purpose of this work is to assess the environmental impacts of the collection of mixed municipal solid waste (MSW) in a selected neighbourhood of the Portuguese city of Aveiro. To this purpose, the main elements necessary for the collection process (carrier bags, dustbins, street containers and vehicles) were analysed applying the life cycle assessment methodology, making use of locally gathered data. The main impacts associated with this activity are mostly related to the use of polyethylene plastic bags to carry the waste from the household to the waste container, and to the fuel consumption of collection vehicle that picks MSW from street containers and transports it to the treatment facility. The impacts associated with the plastic bags were primarily due to their disposal in a sanitary landfill after use and secondarily to the consumption of fossil raw materials required for their production. Given the relative high impact of the plastic bags, alternative scenarios were tested: using bags entirely produced with recycled polyethylene and bags produced with bio-based plastics derived from starch (TPS) and from wastewater (PHA). PHA bio-based bags were found to perform slightly better than conventional high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bags, but HDPE bags with 100% recycled content remained as the environmentally best option. A sensitivity analysis was performed to check the influence of bag size. Regarding the fuel consumption by collection vehicles, a comparison was performed to check how sitespecific conditions can influence the impact of this activity, resulting in remarkably higher consumptions when local data were used instead of reference databases. This work received financial support from LIFE+, the financial instrument of the EU for the environment, for funding the LIFE PAYT project (LIFE 15/ENV/PT/000609). C. Dias-Ferreira received support through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia – of POCH – Programa Operacional Capital Humano – within ESF – European Social Fund – and of national funds from MCTES – Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior (SFRH/BPD/ 100717/2014). info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Production and consumption of food has a significant effect on climate change. The effect of different consumption habits on the environment should not be under estimated, as there are different studies that mention the environmental impact associated with different foods, especially those of animal origin. The analysis of the Atlantic diet (AD), as the most common dietary pattern in Northwestern Spain, serves as an example of a diet with a high consumption of local, fresh and seasonal products, home cooking and low-processed foods. The evaluation was carried out by quantifying the carbon footprint following the Life Cycle Analysis methodology and identifying its nutritional quality according to the value of the Nutrient-rich Dietary index (NRD9.3.). According to the main results, the consumption of livestock products and shellfish is responsible for most GHG emissions (70% of the total). The basic ingredients of the AD, such as vegetables and legumes, make a relatively minor contribution (with an impact of 30% of the total) to the total carbon footprint of 3.01 kg CO2eq·person−1·day−1. As regards nutritional quality, AD has a high nutritional score (474), mainly due to the low intake of sodium, added sugars and saturated fats (nutrients to be limited in healthy diets). In general, both the carbon footprint and the nutritional index score are consistent with those of other studies on the Mediterranean diet, which has been recognised as beneficial. Therefore, it can be concluded that the AD may be recommended from a nutritional and environmental point of view, mainly due to the high intake of fish and vegetables. The communication of this valuable environmental and nutritional information to consumers should be taken into account when considering strategic actions for the adoption of healthy and sustainable dietary patterns This research has been supported by a project granted by Xunta de Galicia (project ref. ED431F 2016/001). Dr. S. González-Garcia would like to express her gratitude to the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for financial support (Grant reference RYC-2014-14984). The authors belong to the Galician Competitive Research Group GRC 2013-032 as well as to CRETUS (AGRUP2015/02), co-funded by Xunta de Galicia and FEDER (EU) SI

Preparing, finding and making the transition from a Bachelor degree level to a successful job in the profession of Chemical Engineering requires not only an investment of time and effort but also prior training in a work placement environment, which allows the development and strengthening of the professional skills of the future graduates. A central aspect of this process is the ongoing consideration of an industrial internship to take advantage of the goals, strengths and opportunities that such alternative offers to undergraduate students. The Industrial Internship Program of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Universidade de Santiago de Compostela prepares third- and fourth-year college students to successfully integrate and thrive in the professional world and to have their first experience in a real-life work context, supported by a dynamic community of administrative and teaching staff and employers. Companies that collaborate in the training of future chemical engineers are distributed throughout the national territory, which allows a strong connection with the socioeconomic environment.

The general framework of the Chemical Engineering studies in Spain includes the Bachelor's Degree (4 years), Master's Degree (the most common duration is 1.5 years) and Doctorate (3-4 years). In 2008, the Conference of Directors and Deans of Chemical Engineering (CODDIQ) was constituted with the main objective of promoting and improving the quality of Chemical Engineering studies in Spain. Currently, Faculties and Schools of 29 Spanish universities are members of CODDIQ. An analysis of the most characteristic indicators provides a representative radiography of the Chemical Engineering Studies in Spain, whose most outstanding data are: (i) 7,396 undergraduate students, 1,014 Master students and 556 PhD students, (ii) according to the gender profile of undergraduates and graduates, the percentage of women is similar to that of men, while for faculty staff, the percentage of women is 43% and 46% for Associate and Assistant Professor (respectively) and 23% for the category of Full Professor category; (iii) after completing the Bachelor studies, most of them continue their training in the MSc in Chemical Engineering, (iv) the employability after obtaining the Master's degree is very high (>75%), which in the case of PhDs is close to 100%. The studies of Chemical Engineering in Spain have a very direct relationship with society, especially in the chemical, environmental, biotechnological and energy fields. The companies that collaborate in the training of future professionals are distributed throughout the national territory, which allows a strong connection with the socioeconomic environment.