Search

Lack of knowledge and tools hampers circular transition in the construction industry. This study analyzes the potential of a framework of circular indicators put forward by the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM-C) as an answer to the prevailing need of a metric for building circularity assessment to promote circular construction. A qualitative analysis approach is adopted, involving literature review, comparative case study and semi-structured interviews conducted for collecting expert opinions. An in-depth scrutiny of the BREEAM-C indicators revealed that they are rooted in circular principles, cover building circularity realizable through circular strategies, and have given due consideration to circularity in different impact areas, structural layers and life-cycle stages of buildings. Moreover, BREEAM-C indicators not only show capacity in identifying CE-related practices implemented, but also serve as benchmarks testifying that CE principles/strategies are incorporated in the design, construction, operation and management of the buildings. Despite having room for expansion, BREEAM-C has proven to be applicable and practical with potential for use in Taiwan as confirmed by expert opinions. Nevertheless, adaptation/localization is required to cater for different concerns with respect to climate and safety as well as local context and legislations., Resources & Recycling

The construction industry urgently requires a resilient information system for effective coordination of data transmission among various stakeholders, including both the public and private sectors. Such an advanced digital solution would not only enhance transparency along the value chain but also improve both the quality of and confidence in recycled materials. Achieving circularity and reducing environmental impact are closely tied to the efficient management of material flows and life cycles. Within this context, Material Passports (MPs) are posited as a foundational element, particularly when integrated with a digital database. This integration is particularly beneficial for increasing the circularity of concrete, beginning with end-of-life concrete, a major contributor to global construction and demolition waste. MPs effectively transmit crucial information about the quality of recycled aggregates, thereby enabling their use in future construction projects. This study explores the feasibility of employing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology as an MP, aiming to enhance sustainability in the concrete industry by improving transparency, traceability, and data reliability in the recycled concrete supply chain. Extensive laboratory tests carried out in three distinct experimental phases revealed that RFID tags exhibit remarkable resilience to mechanical stress typical in the supply chain and consistently maintain readability when embedded in concrete. The water content in concrete samples was identified as a significant factor influencing initial tag readability, although readability improved over time. Other factors, such as the type of aggregates, particle size distribution, and proximity to steel rebar, had minimal to modest impacts on tag performance. Additionally, the study confirmed that the readability of RFID tags remains robust at typical transport speeds, which highlights the potential of an RFID-based system in advancing supply chain manag, Resources & Recycling, Environmental Technology and Design

The bottom ash is increasingly used as a substitute aggregate material in road construction in China, and road salting is the major salt source in groundwater. Continuous rainfall releases soluble salts from the bottom ash subgrade into the surrounding soil and groundwater, resulting in potential hazards. Different methods were employed to simulate and collect runoff water during rainfall events, including batch leaching test, dynamic leaching test and constant head test, to assess environmental impact of bottom ash as road basement materials under continuous rainfall conditions. This study simulated the seepage of bottom ash backfill roads under different rainfall intensities, rainfall times, and rainfall pH values. A comprehensive sampling and laboratory testing program was undertaken to characterize the environmental impact of soluble salts from bottom ash. The obtained results reveal that the leaching concentrations of Cl− and SO42− exceed the limit specified in the class V standard of surface water, which are 2.06–2.17 times and 1.08–1.25 times, respectively. By examining the long-term environmental influence under the condition of continuous rainfall, the leaching of Cl− mainly occurs in the early leaching stage, and the maximum leaching concentration reaches 19,700 mg/L. The release concentration of Cl− begins to be lower than the class V standard of surface water when continuous rainfall approaches the total rainfall for 13 months. The cumulative release of Cl− in the bottom ash is 2.8–5.4 mg/g. Both rainfall intensity and rain pH affect the release of Cl−. The obtained results derived from the constant head tests indicate that stagnant water caused by rainfall deteriorates the release of soluble salt into the groundwater in only 1 day, especially at the early stage of 12 h. This work provides some basic information about how to minimize damage to the surrounding environment caus, Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public., Resources & Recycling

Respiratory tract infections represent the main cause of death from infectious diseases worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 infection (i.e. COVID-19) added to the existing global burden of respiratory tract infections, including tuberculosis. Among nanomaterials for fabric functionalization, graphene, in combination with hydrophobic molecules such as phytochemicals, represents a promising low-cost alternative to antibiotics. In this work, we used graphene and curcumin to create fabric coatings on cotton and polyester for the production of personal protective equipment resistant to infective agents. These coatings ensure the trapping of microorganisms via interaction with SARS-CoV-2 or mycobacteria surface and inhibit microbial infections.

Meeting the current demand for concrete requires not only mining tons of gravel and sand, but also burning large amounts of fossil fuel resources in cement kilning. Consequently, concrete recycling is crucial to achieving a material-efficient society, especially with the application of various categories of concrete and the goal of phasing out fossil fuels. A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) is used to assess the engineering material footprint (EMF) and the fossil fuel material footprint (FMF) in closed-loop recycling of three types of concrete: siliceous concrete, limestone concrete, and lightweight aggregate concrete. This study aims to investigate the impact of (i) concrete categories, (ii) methods to model recycling, and (iii) using renewable energy sources on the material footprint in concrete recycling. The results highlight that the concrete recycling system can reduce 99% of the EMF and 66–93% of the FMF compared with the baseline system, in which concrete waste is landfilled. All three recycling modeling approaches indicate that concrete recycling can considerably reduce EMF and FMF compared with the baseline system, primarily resulting from the displacement of virgin raw materials. Using alternative diesels is more sensitive than adopting renewable electricity in reduction of the FMF in concrete recycling. Replacing diesel with electrolysis- and coal-based synthetic diesel for concrete recycling could even increase the FMF, while using biodiesel made from rapeseed and wood-based synthetic diesel can reduce 47–51% and 84–89% of the FMF, respectively, compared to the virgin diesel-based recycling system. Finally, we discussed the multifunctionality and rebound effects of recycling, and double-counting risk in material and energy accounting., Resources & Recycling

Introduction: gut microbiota (GM) seems to be involved in the pathophysiology and progression of both metabolic syndrome (MS) and obesity. The aim was to investigate GM's composition in patients with severe obesity, candidates for bariatric/metabolic surgery BMS. Materials and Methods: Multicentre, prospective, cohort study, enrolling 84 patients with BMI 40–55 kg/m2, divided by metabolic status (MS) in healthy (group A), pre-MS (B), or MS (C). Results: No differences were found regarding anthropometric, nutritional parameters, except for vitamin D. As a whole the alpha and beta diversity examinations showed no statistical differences in GM profile. A total of 5/7 phyla with relative frequencies were identified above 0.1% (Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Verrucomicrobia). Fusobacteria and Patescibacteria represented the less abundant. There were no significant differences in the top ten genera. Data on Bacteroidetes (inversely related to triglycerides and LDL and directly related to HDL levels) and on Firmicutes (opposite trend) relative abundances suggest no differences among the three conditions. No correlation between the relative abundance of the main phyla and plasmatic glucose levels was observed. Conclusions: In a selected cohort of patients with obesity, MS did not affect the preoperative GM's profile. Severe obesity, per se, seems to be an independent condition affecting GM.

This paper aims to summarize, propose, and discuss existing or emerging strategies to shift towards a circular economy of materials. To clarify the landscape of existing circular practices, a new spectrum is proposed, from product-based strategies, where entire products go through several life cycles without being reprocessed, to material-based approaches, extracting, recycling, and reprocessing materials from the waste flow. As refillable packaging does not lose any functionality or value, when re-used through many life cycles, product-based strategies are globally extremely efficient and must be promoted. It appears however that their implementation is only possible at the scale of individual products such as packaging containers, relying on the cooperation of involved companies and consumers. It appears more and more urgent to focus as well on a more systematic and flexible material-oriented scheme. The example of circular glass recycling is a success in many countries, and technologies become nowadays available to extend such practices to many other materials, such as rigid plastics. An ideal would be to aim at an economy of materials that would imitate the continuous material cycle of the biosphere. Technological and business strategies are presented and discussed, aiming at a relevant impact on circularity., Resources & Recycling

The construction sector is the biggest driver of resource consumption and waste generation in Europe. The European Union (EU) is making efforts to move from its traditional linear resource and waste management system in the construction sector to a level of high circularity. Based on the theory of circular economy, a new paradigm called waste hierarchy was introduced in the EU Waste Framework Directive. This work uses the framework of the waste hierarchy to analyze the practice of construction and demolition waste (CDW) management in Europe. We explore the evolution of the waste hierarchy in Europe and how it compares with the circular economy. Then, based on the framework, we analyze the performance of CDW management in each EU member state. Innovative treatment methods of CDW, focusing on waste concrete, is investigated. This brings insight into optimizing and upgrading the CDW management in light of advanced technologies and steering the pathway for transitioning the EU towards a circular society., Resources & Recycling, Design for Sustainability