Search

Countries with emerging legislation on the waste electrical and electric equipment (WEEE), but limited infrastructure, may find in other, more robust, systems the tools to develop adaptable and socioeconomically viable management schemes. Additives found in the plastics in electronic goods, such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs), are components of a safety system, but introduce characteristics that result in their waste being hazardous. Established and emerging regulatory systems need to implement legislation that impacts the management of WEEE, to reduce risks to human health and the environment, while maximising opportunities for resource recovery from widely varying materials. To assess the context of developed and emerging regulatory systems, a baseline study was undertaken of WEEE plastics in Scotland and Uruguay. For the identification of BFRs in plastics, an internationally validated screening methodology using X-ray fluorescence was adopted at different processing operations. It was observed that, using a threshold of 830 mg/kg for Br as a BFR tracer, in Scotland, more than 70% of the plastics would be recyclable, while, in Uruguay, that fraction dropped to 50%. These results, and the wider literature discussion, highlight the impact that regulatory frameworks have on the quality and recyclability of recovered material. We identify future actions to be considered by policy-makers for a more sustainable regulatory approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of mulching film has significantly contributed to improving agricultural output and benefits, but residual film has caused severe impacts on agricultural production and the environment. In order to realize the accurate recycling of agricultural residual film, the detection of residual film is the first problem to be solved. The difference in color and texture between residual film and bare soil is not obvious, and residual film is of various sizes and morphologies. To solve these problems, the paper proposes a method for detecting residual film in agricultural fields that uses the attention mechanism. First, a two-stage pre-training approach with strengthened memory is proposed to enable the model to better understand the residual film features with limited data. Second, a multi-scale feature fusion module with adaptive weights is proposed to enhance the recognition of small targets of residual film by using attention. Finally, an inter-feature cross-attention mechanism that can realize full interaction between shallow and deep feature information to reduce the useless noise extracted from residual film images is designed. The experimental results on a self-made residual film dataset show that the improved model improves precision, recall, and mAP by 5.39%, 2.02%, and 3.95%, respectively, compared with the original model, and it also outperforms other recent detection models. The method provides strong technical support for accurately identifying farmland residual film and has the potential to be applied to mechanical equipment for the recycling of residual film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste electrical and electronics equipment (WEEE) recyclers have become a boon for countries as they assist to reduce carbon emissions by recycling the WEEE in the most ecofriendly way. The evaluation and choice of optimal WEEE recycling partner is a significant and multifaceted decision for the managerial experts because of the involvement of several qualitative and quantitative criteria. Thus, the aim of the article is to propose a novel methodology by integrating a combined compromise solution approach and similarity measure within the context of single-valued neutrosophic sets (SVNSs) and, then, used to solve the decision-making problem. In this approach, the criteria weights are evaluated by a new procedure based on a similarity measure. For this, a novel similarity measure is introduced for SVNSs and also presented its efficiency over existing similarity measures. To investigate the efficiency and practicality of the introduced approach, a case study of WEEE recycling partner selection is taken under the SVNSs environment. Finally, comparison and sensitivity analysis are made to check the robustness and stability of the developed methodology. The outcomes of this article exemplify that the developed approach is more suitable and well consistent with existing approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to compare the status of implementation of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) in the Municipality of Candijay, Bohol, Philippines for the year 2015 and 2020 to find ways for the sustainability of the implementation of the Town's Solid Waste Management. Wastes were collected monthly for one year from the five sampled barangays with 122 households. Field investigations, on-site waste measurements and characterizations were conducted. This is a mixed method employing QUANT-Qual approach. Descriptive statistics which include percentages, and weighted mean were used for the quantitative approach while narrative analysis for the qualitative was used. The results revealed that from the previous data of SWM implementation found out that the average biodegradable waste generated in the year 2015 which was 46.14% decreased to 10.94% as a result of home proper waste disposal. Likewise, the recyclable waste which had 27.27%, the number decreased to 26.08%. Since residual wastes should be collected, the collection increased to 59.85% from 15.42% due to acquisition of additional garbage trucks. For special waste, from 11.16% previously collected, it decreased to 3.13%. There was significant difference between the biodegradable, residual and special wastes. In the present SWM implementation, innovation played an important role in recycling waste materials. Shredded plastics and crashed glasses were converted into mixture to create concrete products. The shredded biodegradable wastes were converted into organic fertilizers. The produce out of these shredded materials were used to generate income which played an important role to sustain the solid waste implementation. Thusly, the level of implementation was already properly practiced. Solid Waste Management had employed organizational structure for implementation and dissemination of personnel's function. Additional equipment and personnel were acquired. To sustain the proper SWM, recycling equipment, public awareness, funding, expertise of personnel, equipment and facilities, innovations and other provisions must be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Control Theory & Applications / Kongzhi Lilun Yu Yinyong is the property of Editorial Department of Control Theory & Applications and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The dismantling and recycling of junction boxes, which is an important part of the photovoltaic module recycling process, was tested and designed scientifically. The equipment framework was built by three-dimensional simulation, and then the design of dismantling and recycling equipment for junction boxes of waste crystal silicon photovoltaic modules was completed through the experimental test and data analysis. The experimental results show that the initial idea of the dismantling scheme is correct, and the structure is feasible. However, some problems were not considered. This study provides reliable data support for the subsequent equipment development and ensures the smooth development of the subsequent design work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The steel industry has had a great boom with the passage of time since it expanded with industrialization, many are those who have experimented in facilitating the production of steel from iron as a mineral, because its manufacture is expensive and is required in different economic sectors. The production process of this industrial sector generates environmentally polluting waste, which has been the subject of study; that is why recycling was used as an input for this type of industry, obtained from disused items, known as scrap, including ferrous and non-ferrous objects, being the interest of the iron and steel industry those containing iron and steel. Thus, since the 40's, ferrous scrap has been included as a raw material in the manufacturing process of the steelworks and it is necessary to determine how this element impacts the process, Therefore, a bibliographic review was carried out to provide the advantages and a priori studies of different experiences in the world with this input and to prove that it contributes positively not only to the steel industry but to the world in general. It was concluded that the recycling of post-consumer equipment favors the environment, reduces costs in the manufacturing process and minimizes the mining exploitation of iron and other elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) use electrochemically active microorganisms to convert the chemical energy of organic matter into electrical energy, hydrogen, or other useful products through redox reactions. Microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) is one of the most common BESs which are able to convert organic substrate into energy (such as hydrogen and methane) through the catalytic action of electrochemically active bacteria in the presence of electric current and absence of oxygen. In the past decades, BESs have gained growing attention because of their potential, but there is still a limited amount of research is done for the environmental effects of BESs. This study initially provides an update review for MECs including general historical advancement, design properties, and operation mechanisms. Later, a life cycle assessment (LCA) study was conducted using a midpoint approach, which is TRACI methodology with EIO-LCA model to identify the potential impacts to the environment whether adverse or beneficial using the MECs to produce hydrogen with domestic wastewater as a substrate. The results show that the cumulative negative impacts were substantially larger than the positive impacts by contrast with the expectations, and the cumulative output data show that human health non-cancer impact provides the highest environmental effects than others mainly because of the inorganic chemicals, pumping and wastewater recycling equipment step. In addition, global warming potential and smog creation potential are also elevated mainly due to electricity usage, inorganic chemical and glassware reactor production. Later we are externally normalized each impact category to compare the results at the normalization level, and we again found that human health (cancer or non-cancer) potential provides the most negative impact on the environment in the MEC system originates on human health indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cutting fluid has cooling and lubricating properties and is an important part of the field of metal machining. Owing to harmful additives, base oils with poor biodegradability, defects in processing methods, and unreasonable emissions of waste cutting fluids, cutting fluids have serious pollution problems, which pose challenges to global carbon emissions laws and regulations. However, the current research on cutting fluid and its circulating purification technique lacks systematic review papers to provide scientific technical guidance for actual production. In this study, the key scientific issues in the research achievements of eco-friendly cutting fluid and waste fluid treatment are clarified. First, the preparation and mechanism of organic additives are summarized, and the influence of the physical and chemical properties of vegetable base oils on lubricating properties is analyzed. Then, the process characteristics of cutting fluid reduction supply methods are systematically evaluated. Second, the treatment of oil mist and miscellaneous oil, the removal mechanism and approach of microorganisms, and the design principles of integrated recycling equipment are outlined. The conclusion is concluded that the synergistic effect of organic additives, biodegradable vegetable base oils and recycling purification effectively reduces the environmental pollution of cutting fluids. Finally, in view of the limitations of the cutting fluid and its circulating purification technique, the prospects of amino acid additive development, self-adapting jet parameter supply system, matching mechanism between processing conditions and cutting fluid are put forward, which provides the basis and support for the engineering application and development of cutting fluid and its circulating purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose is the most widely distributed polymer material in nature and is considered a low-cost, green and recyclable material. Because of its excellent mechanical, optical and thermal properties, people are interested in the research of cellulose-based flexible electronic devices. Among them, bacterial cellulose has a low fiber bundle size during the production process and is easier to process to obtain nanofibers. Hereby, in this study the composite thermoelectric film was prepared from bacterial cellulose nanofibers (BCNFs) and copper iodide (CuI), a low-toxicity thermoelectric material. Hydrophobic properties of the composite thermoelectric film were obtained by immersing in AKD emulsion. It showed good mechanical flexibility and high biocompatibility. CuI particles can be recovered successfully through cellulase simulating the degradation process, and the closed-loop of preparation-recycling can be completed. In addition, it achieves an open circuit voltage of 11.3 mV and output power of 2.76 nW at a temperature difference of 70 K. This work not only confirms the environmental protection of CuI/BCNF thermoelectric film, but also provides a strategy for the recycling of thermoelectric equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on the closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) comprising the manufacturer, retailer, and consumers in the waste products market, this study investigates how the government addresses the adverse selection problem on the hidden recovery costs of retailer and how it manages the moral hazard problem on the level of retailer's hidden efforts. Based on incentive theory, a government incentive regulation aiming at maximizing social welfare is established in this study. In addition, a list of contracts with transfer payments is presented to elucidate the retailer' collection efficiency and motivate the retailer to make the optimal investment. Besides, the impact of related factors on the recovery cost and social welfare level using numerical simulations is validated. Under government regulation, the retailer could maximize profit only by reporting the true recovery technology-type information to the government. Moreover, the retailer with high-recovery efficiency could obtain both retained profit and additional information rent. Finally, as the retailer made efforts to increase the recovery level, it increased investment cost, which affected the enthusiasm of enhancing the retailer's recovery efficiency. Thus, the government should not blindly pursue the enhancement of recycling efficiency regardless of the cost, but should focus more on the control of recycling equipment and technology cost. Overall, this study facilitates scientific policy development and provides a reference for promoting CLSC operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explains the importance of ELV recycling in the Republic of Serbia as well as the influence of the circular economy on the automotive industry. The advantages and significance of recycling of motor vehicles at the end of the life cycle, as well as the justification for the reuse of resources and the preservation of the environment, have been presented. Also, the paper presents the development of ELV recycling equipment and its importance for the entire state industry and economy.

This paper describes an algorithm for optimizing process flow diagrams, as well as the order in which the parameters of mineral waste recycling equipment should be optimized. We developed a flow chart for this waste-recycling process-train design analysis algorithm. When comparing different mineral-waste recycling process train options, it is best to use an generalized specific action criterion based on the total power consumption of the machinery, the total weight of equipment, and the average cycle time per unit volume (or weight) of recycled end product. We have developed an engineering technique for evaluating equipment systems, which enables selection of the most efficient mineral waste recycling equipment for production of end products of a given quality under certain specific production conditions, subject to the constraint that unit cost be minimized. A sample comparison is made to determine the efficiency of various types of equipment when producing finely-ground limestone from recycled limestone waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the challenges faced by general practice (GP) services in terms of personnel, materials, secondary support services, and discharge and communication obstacles during the thunderstorm asthma (TA) epidemic in 2016. Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and focus groups between September and October 2017. Participants were general practitioners (GPs), practice nurses, and administrative staff working on the TA epidemic days in the northern region of Melbourne, Australia. 18 participants contributed to the study from six clinic sites. Both daytime and evening clinics experienced a surge in respiratory patient presentations. After-hours clinics were inundated with asthma patients during the night of the thunderstorm. Consistent themes emerged about the challenges encountered by participants the most significant being limitation of medication, equipment, space, and personnel. The extraordinary influx of patients necessitated participants innovate solutions including recycling equipment, procuring medications from hospitals and community pharmacies, triage, altering management strategies and extending clinic hours. Participants were limited by the paucity of information from local services during the TA epidemic. This study supports the view that GP services made a substantial contribution to the emergency response on the evening of the TA epidemic that occurred in Melbourne in 2016. Demands on resources were considerable during and after the epidemic yet GP staff showed great resilience increasing clinic surge capacity. Our findings indicate significant barriers at an organizational level including resource limitations, inadequate operational information, and the absence of timely communication channels that impaired the response of GP services during a TA event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are well known for their mechanical resistance, durability and flexibility, which make them preferable for a wide variety of applications. The global production volume of CNTs is expected to reach 7,000 tons by 2025. This work performs cradle-to-gate life cycle assessments (LCAs) of industrially preferred single- and multi-walled CNTs synthesis processes. The aim is to evaluate global environmental impacts associated with raw materials acquisition and manufacturing and identify hotspots in CNTs production. Methods: Eight single-walled and seven multi-walled CNTs synthesis processes are evaluated using LCA. A mass based functional unit is selected as 1 kilogram of CNTs produced, and LCAs are conducted using SimaPro 8.5.2 Software with Tool for Reduction and Assessment of Chemicals and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI 2.1) and Cumulative Energy Demand (CED) impact categories. It is expected that industrial scale production provides significant material and energy savings as well as reduces environmental impacts per unit mass of the product, due to the use of efficient equipment and recycling of reagents. Therefore, hypothetical scaling up scenarios are applied in order to estimate associated impacts. Lastly, industry-based impact projections are developed for industries where the majority of CNTs are used using the Laplace criterion. Results and discussion: The results showed that chemical vapor deposition is the most impactful route for manufacturing single- and multi-walled CNTs. Whereas, high pressure carbon monoxide route for producing single-walled CNTs, and arc discharge route for manufacturing multi-walled CNTs are found to be the least environmentally impactful techniques among different processes considered. Results indicate that the preference of synthesis process dominates the overall environmental cost of the CNTs as well as CNTs-enabled products. Additionally, using different scaling up scenarios, it is projected that the environmental emissions associated with producing CNTs may be reduced up to 88% globally. As industries use particular routes to synthesize the CNTs to be embedded in their products, it is found that the sectoral environmental impacts are not proportional with the industrial shares. Conclusions: CNTs offer technological advances to conventional products (e.g. heated jacket). However, thinking from a global scale, manufacturing CNTs has significant environmental impacts. This study provides segmented impact projections for industries, which then may be used to inform sectoral cradle-to-grave environmental impacts as a function of manufacturing processes. Based on the desired characteristics of produced CNTs (e.g. diameter, surface area), manufacturing CNTs with environmentally responsible production routes may help decreasing global environmental impacts significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A personal narrative is presented which explores the author's experience of recognizing the environmental impact of their cancer research, attempting a three-Dimensional-printing project using recycled materials.

The dramatic increase in express delivery packaging poses severe environmental threats, making recycling a top priority. A comprehensive conceptual framework was developed for exploring citizens' recycling behavior by integrating structuration and social network theories, and the nonlinear effects of determinants were identified. Further, the 1538 micro-data obtained from five eastern Chinese cities are used for descriptive, correlation, and ordinary least squares regression analysis. It is clarified that there are three distinct recycling behavior patterns, the most prevalent of which is collection station recycling behavior (CSRB), followed by mart equipment recycling behavior (SERB), and door-to-door recycling behavior (DTDRB). The empirical results indicate that social sanctions, responsibility attribution, and centrality positively predict recycling behaviors. Place attachment strengthens SERB and DTDRB. Notably, the authority effect exerts inverted U-shaped effects on recycling behaviors, and trust has an inverted U-shaped effect on CSRB. This study reveals the nonlinear effects of variables, and the findings provide implications for recycling practice. • Construct an integrated model considering social structuration and network theories. • Empirical reveal the possible negative impacts of positive antecedent. • Three kinds of recycling behavior exist among Chinese citizens. • Authority effect exerts an inverted U-shaped effect on recycling behaviors. • Trust has an inverted U-shaped effect on collection station recycling behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These themes are prevalent in the messaging being put forward by prospective exhibitors at K 2019--the massive, triennial plastics trade show taking place Oct. 16 to 23 in Dusseldorf, Germany. [...]