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Pulp and paper is considered to be the fourth most energy-intensive industry (EII) worldwide. However, as most of the CO 2 emissions are of biomass origin, this sector has the potential to become a carbon-negative industry. This study proposes a new concept for conversion of the pulp and paper industry to carbon negative that relies on the inherent CO 2 capture capability of the Kraft process. The techno-economic performance of the proposed carbon-negative system, based on calcium looping (CaL) retrofitted to a pulp and paper plant, was evaluated. The effect of CaL design specifications and cost assumptions on the thermodynamic and economic performance were evaluated. Under the initial design assumptions, the reference pulp and paper plant was shown to turn from electricity importer to electricity exporter with the cost of CO 2 avoided equal to 39.0 €/tCO 2. The parametric study showed that an increase in the fresh limestone make-up rate resulted in a linear increase of the specific primary energy consumption for CO 2 avoided (SPECCA) and a reduction in the amount of electricity exported to the electric grid. This translates into an increase in the price of pulp and newsprint, and the cost of CO 2 avoided. This study has also demonstrated that the pulp and paper industry has high potential to become carbon negative. It has been shown that carbon capture and storage would become economically viable in this industry if the negative CO 2 emissions are recognised and a negative CO 2 emissions credit of at least 41.8 €/tCO 2 is implemented. • Concept of the Kraft process with inherent CO 2 capture. • Calcium looping for CO 2 capture is integrated in the lime cycle. • Reference pulp and paper plant turns from importer to exporter of electricity. • Pulp and paper industry has a high potential to become carbon negative. • Economic feasibility needs the inclusion of biogenic emissions in emission trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urgent challenge of reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions has created a growing demand for a more comprehensive understanding of how various technology options can contribute to achieving carbon neutrality. Energy efficiency has long been regarded as a key pathway in this context, but the volume and diversity of efficiency options has resulted in an unclear understanding of their combined impacts. In this study, we present a novel technology-explicit method to estimate the overall abatement potential associated with a comprehensive suite of 115 energy efficiency technologies spanning all relevant sector processes and energy types. By applying our flexible analysis framework to a case study of the Canadian pulp and paper sector, we demonstrate that energy efficiency could be the single largest contributor to achieving a carbon-neutral target for the sector. We find that efficiency can reduce emissions by 4.92 MtCO 2 e/yr (66%) relative to business-as-usual by 2050 at a weighted average abatement cost of -$162/tCO 2 e when accounting for capital, operating, maintenance, and energy costs. Abatement at the energy system-wide level is even larger, reaching 6.67 MtCO 2 e in 2050 when accounting for upstream effects. Adoption of the full suite of efficiency measures could materially improve the competitiveness of the sector by reducing energy and carbon costs. On the whole, our results suggest that proven energy efficiency technologies could be the primary element of a credible low-cost pathway towards achieving a target of carbon neutrality for the pulp and paper sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper production process comprises various manufacturing steps and generates an enormous amount of effluent, which consists of a large variety of contaminated chemicals. The higher color and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of the wastewater create a negative effect on all living forms and the natural environment. Electrocoagulation is a versatile process for the elimination of color and COD content from wastewater. In this study, the EC treatment has been used to identify the ideal conditions using several process variables such as pH, current density, time, and the dose of electrolyte. COD and color were reduced by up to 68% and 94%, respectively. Afterward, the treated water was compared with the standards of the world health organization (WHO) and the central pollution control board (CPCB) to find out the suitability of treated water for reuse for farming purposes. Germination tests of mung beans were conducted, and it was observed that the EC treated water is suitable for irrigation. The corrosion rate of mild steel was determined to be 2.85 mils/year, which has shown the short life span of mild steel electrodes. Furthermore, sludge produced by the EC process was analyzed and characterized for physicochemical analyses by using a variety of analytical techniques. The 69.93% iron content of the sludge was also recovered using the acid digestion method. After the physicochemical analyses, it was observed that sludge could also be utilized as a compelling supplement for plant growth, energy recovery, and industrial applications. According to this study, treated water could be a powerful alternative for reducing freshwater consumption in agricultural areas and increasing water availability in water-scarce areas. Effect of operating parameters on electrocoagulation treatment of pulp and paper industry wastewater, treated water and sludge management. [Display omitted] • The higher COD and color 68% and 94%, respectively, were removed from wastewater by using EC treatment. • The greater removal of pollutants occurred at a near neutral pH. • It was observed that there was an encouraging improvement in the biodegradability index of wastewater after EC process. • Treated water is found to be suitable for reuse in agriculture. • The produced sludge could be a compelling supplement for plant growth, energy recovery, and industrial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper production generates pulp and paper wastewater (PPW), and it is difficult to remove the high-level pollutants in PPW efficiently. Herein, an efficient industrial-scale pulp and paper wastewater treatment plant (PP-WWTP) that integrated physicochemical and biological processes is investigated and reported. This PP-WWTP treated 2.3 Mt of wastewater with 17,388 ± 1436 mg/L chemical oxygen demand (COD) annually. The PP-WWTP can effectively remove over 99.81% of the COD. In detail, the physical, anaerobic, aerobic and chemical steps accounted for 41.6%, 40.0%, 11.9%, and 6.5% of COD removal, respectively. The microbial communities of the bioreactors removed the pollutants efficiently and contained diverse microbes. Further metagenomic analyses of the bioreactors identified more than 90,000 genes/gene fragments encoding for carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZys), demonstrating high lignocellulose degradation ability of the bioreactors at molecular level. The xylanase activity assay showed some lignocellulase in the bioreactors were functional. Recycling the residual heat from the PPW along with energy recovered from biological treatment of the PPW, in the form of biogas (20,000 m³/d), could generate more than 1.5 M USD benefits/y. The results of this study demonstrated that the integrated physicochemical and biological process for PPWW treatment could effectively remove pollutants while generating revenue. Image 1 • An integrated process was applied in an industrial-scale pulp and paper wastewater treatment plant. • Most pollutants were removed in the biological part of the integrated process. • The wastewater treatment can generate benefits. • The high efficient COD removal ability was driven by large amounts of lignocellulase genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a framework of internal and external factors that influence the adoption of eco-innovation. We studied 80 adoption processes in the Dutch brewing industry and the Dutch paper industry and analysed the relative importance of different factors. We find that internal factors were more important than external factors. The analysis also shows differences between the industries. The financial advantage was important for both industries, but especially for the paper industry. For the brewing industry, ethical responsibility and stakeholders played a more important role in the adoption. The analysis also revealed differences for small and large firms. Ethical responsibility and stakeholders are relatively more often mentioned by small firms, whereas clear objectives and regulations were mentioned more by large firms. Our study highlights that the adoption of eco-innovation is a complex process and the position in the supply chain as well as the size of a firm influence what is important in the adoption of eco-innovation. • Many different internal and external factors influence the adoption of eco-innovation. • Internal factors are more important than external factors. • Ethical considerations and stakeholders seem more important for smaller firms. • The position in the supply chain influences which factors are important. • Firms visible to consumers are influenced by ethical considerations and stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigates for the first time the possibility of using carbon rich paper recovery sludge, and nitrogen rich meat processing industry waste as cultivation medium for the production of high value enzymes needed in the respective industries. The complex cellulose rich deinking sludge was able to support the growth of many industrially relevant enzyme producing microorganisms (Bacillus licheniformis, Candida cylindracea, Aspergillus oryzae, Trichoderma reesei) and of recombinant enzyme producers (Escherichia coli and Pichia pastoris). Further detailed studies with Trichoderma reesei as model organism demonstrated that the organism was able to grow optimally in the presence of 40gL-1 paper sludge as carbon source and 67.5 gL-1 pasteurised blood as nitrogen source substituted in Mandels medium. Under these conditions cellulase activities up to 28.1 nkat FPU were achieved. Anyhow, to achieve these results pretreatment of both waste streams is inevitable. In summary, this study provides the practical basis for a valorisation systems of paper industry waste to produce valuable enzymes to be used on-site in paper processing or for other purposes. Image 1 • Blood and paper waste used for microorganism growth. • Growth and cellulase production achieved utilising blood waste streams. • Pretreatment of paper waste and blood waste is necessary. • Waste to Value with in house use of cellulase in paper industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Use of non-degradable plastics in food packaging is alarming for the environment as they are often thrown away after short consumption. Though papers are replacing plastics in different sectors, their low water resistance limits their use in food packaging. in the past, water-resistant papers have been fabricated, but the natural degradability of the paper has been compensated. This study proposes water-resistant yet biodegradable papers from naturally abundant wastes, such as banana plant (BP) and water hyacinth (WH) and validates their properties for practical packaging uses. The resources were completely used, avoiding generation of any in-process biomass residue. This study for the first time reports the impact of ethyl cellulose (EC) coating (∼10 μm) on paper surfaces. The morphology and chemical analysis of the coated papers confirmed the consistent formation of EC layer on paper surfaces. The presence of EC significantly reduced the vapour transmission (22–30%) and moisture content (6–11%) of the papers. Water drops were stable on the coated surfaces at least for 20 min and then were wiped off leaving a dry surface. EC coating considerably increased the tensile index, i.e., 13–17% for BP and 20–35% for WH, though elongation and modulus properties remained almost unchanged. All the papers showed ultraviolet (UV)-resistance, while the coated papers were more transparent in the visible light region. Overall results confirmed the potential of the proposed EC-coated papers as a promising alternative to single-use plastics in food packaging. [Display omitted] • Water-resistant yet bio-friendly paper was made by ethyl cellulose (EC) coating. • Banana plant and water hyacinth were utilised as low-cost source of paper making. • Water drops were resisted by coated surface for at least 20 min. • Tensile index and transparency improved by coating though vapour transport reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling is becoming one of the main activities of the papermaking industry to palliate the consumption of natural resources. However, with the recycling process, the fibers experience structural damages due to the hornification phenomena and the mechanical refining. The present work aims to compare the effect of mechanical refining during recycling cycles, to recover the original mechanical properties of paper with the incorporation of lignocellulosic micro/nanofibers (LCMNF) from banana leaf residue. For that, industrial fluting paper was submitted to a recycling cycle and the effect of the increasing intensity of PFI-refining was compared versus the incorporation of LCMNF additions ranging from 1.5 to 4.5 wt%. In addition, with the objective of demonstrating that the proposed process could be plausible at a large scale, process water with high conductivity and charge density was used for comparison with tap water, usually used at laboratory scale. Results showed that the incorporation of 1.5 wt% of LCMNF was enough to recover the original properties of fluting paper (a breaking length value greater than 3443 m) with a low impact in pulp drainability (54 ºSR). At the same time, no structural damages were caused to the fibrous compounds, implying that the life span of paper products can be successfully increased. Higher dosages lead to papers with significantly improved mechanical properties, opening the opportunity to adopt environmental friendly strategies such as decreasing basis weight or, on the other hand, to reach new market niches by maintaining the basis weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recovered paper is one of the major raw material for recycled papermaking industry. In China, the domestic recovered paper recycling system is incomplete and the amount of recyclable recovered paper cannot satisfy the papermaking demand. Therefore, the recycled papermaking industry is extremely dependent on imported recovered paper as their raw fiber source. In 2018, Chinese government announced a ban on unsorted recovered paper and tightened the import quota for recovered paper, which resulted in a dramatic drop in the importing amount of recovered paper. It is an urgent issue to explore alternative production routes that are more economical and environmentally friendly. Herein, life cycle cost assessment is used to compare and analyze the recycled papermaking industry based domestic recovered paper and three alternatives (including straw, imported deinked pulp and imported wood pulp) as the raw materials. The results show that the life cycle cost of domestic recycled paper based recovered papermaking is significantly lower than the other three alternatives, whereas its external cost is higher than that of the production routes based on the imported deinked pulp and imported wood pulp. With the increasing price of the domestic recovered paper, imported deinked pulp is the trend of recycled papermaking industry in China. • Life cycle cost assessment is applied to the recycled paper industry in China. • LCC of four papermaking schemes based on different raw materials were assessed. • LCC for six types of paper products ranges from 924 to 1227 USD/t in 2017. • Imported recovered pulpboard is the best choice of wastepaper material supplement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pulp and paper industry traditionally generates large amounts of wastes at different stages of its production process, such as primary sludge that is extremely wet. The aim of this research is to evaluate a new process methodology aiming the incorporation of primary pulp and paper industry sludge waste, still in its liquid state, into cement and lime-based mortars. This procedure was compared with the incorporation of the waste in its dry state, which results from the traditional beneficiation process based on powder drying. Comparison was performed in terms of technological, durability and environmental performance of both wastes (liquid and dry) incorporated mortars, as well as with reference control mortar without incorporation. Two news models of liquid waste processing, for mortars incorporation, called thin and coarse liquid, were developed in order to evaluate technological parameters such as: consistency, entrained air, water retention, mass density, capillary absorption and mechanical strength. These parameters allow the characterization of durability, life cycle assessment and environmental conditions. Technological properties showed satisfactory results in mortars performance when waste was used as a thin liquid with nominal content (optimal mixture) similar to the reference composition. The air content of the mortar was 12% and the water retention 96.8%. In the hardened state, the optimal mixture had a mass density of 1.76 g/cm3, a capillary coefficient of 20.73 g/dm2.min1/2 and mechanical resistance to compression of 3.7 MPa and to flexion of 1.1 MPa, all results meet the limits of the literature for application in construction. It was found that the beneficiation process, which produces the thin liquid is the most efficient for the incorporation of waste into mortars when compared to the dry method. Indeed, the thin liquid waste incorporated mortars showed improved technological, durability and environmental properties. • Development of a new methodology for beneficiation of waste from paper industry. • Two liquid incorporation procedure were evaluated (thin and a coarse liquid). • The thin liquid (TL) presented the best technological and environmental properties. • The thin liquid (TL) can be used in mortars for civil construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An enzyme cocktail (xylanase-15U, pectinase-2U, α-amylase-2.5U, protease-2U and lipase- 1.8U) from Bacillus halodurans was applied for the biobleaching of unbleached and ODL (oxygen delignification) agro based pulp in the R&D set up of Shreyans Paper Mills Ludhiana, India, upscaling from 5 g (at lab scale) to 100 g odp (oven dried pulp). Enzyme pre-treatment was carried out at temperature and pH optima of 65 °C and 9–9.5 for 90 min followed by reduced chemical treatment. In case of unbleached agro pulp, as compared to the total chemical bleaching in mill, enzyme cocktail pre-treatment reduced the chemical usage by 50% without compromising brightness and rather with increased tensile strength (23.55%), burst factor (20.3%) and tear factor (3.17%) and reduced kappa number (19.5%). In case of ODL pulp, enzyme cocktail pre-treatment reduced the chemical usage by 40%, yet increasing brightness (2.24%), tensile strength (20.96%), burst factor (5.1%) and tear factor (8.2%) with reduction in kappa number (4.54%). The enzyme cocktail thus can make the paper manufacturing process greener, safer, economical and eco-friendly and may replace big budget ODL technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to examine opportunities for reducing the overall cost of lignocellulose hydrolysis to fermentable sugars. Primary sludge (PS), a negative cost lignocellulosic feedstock, was hydrolyzed sludge using a commercial cellulase preparation (Cellic® CTec2) in presence of non-ionic surfactants. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) 4000 facilitated the highest hydrolysis yield of 74.4% which represented a 2-fold increase over the control without surfactant. Response surface methodological analysis at four variables (hydrolysis time, solids, enzyme, and surfactant loadings) revealed that enzymatic hydrolysis was significantly enhanced by the interactive effect of all factors with solids and enzyme loadings as the most significant parameters (p < 0.05). Using ultrafiltration, 40% of the cellulase enzyme was recovered from the enzymatic hydrolysate and reused on fresh PS substrate. The hydrolysate fermentabilty was evaluated in production of 9.7 g/L bioethanol at 92% ethanol yield using Saccharomyces cerevisiae , and in production of 37.8% biolipids by the oleaginous yeast Cutaneotrichosporon oleaginosum at a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 40. The compression load of a sample prepared from the unhydrolyzed PS solids was 102% higher than Portland cement. The potential for valorization of the unhydrolyzed solids as reinforcement material warrants further investigations. • Enzymatic hydrolysis of primary sludge was optimized using statistical methods. • Surfactants increased the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency and yield. • About a third of the enzyme activity was recovered and recycled. • Enzymatic hydrolysate was evaluated in bioethanol and biolipid production. • Unhydrolyzed solids from sludge hydrolysis was assesses as reinforcement material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As China's ecological environmental problem becomes severe, corporate environmental behavior (CEB) has become the focus of a range of stakeholders, policy makers and the whole society since the operating activities of companies is the main source of environmental pollution. This study used a questionnaire survey and structural equation model (SEM) to examine the relative importance of external and internal pressures (EIP) on driving CEB. Data was obtained from 702 papermaking companies in China. The mechanism of EIP effects on CEB was tested employing SEM through path analysis, using AMOS 21.0. The results showed that government pressure, economic pressure and internal pressure played significant positive roles in environmental behavior of papermaking companies in China. Economic pressure was the most important factor on environmental behaviors (including defensive, accommodative and proactive behaviors) of papermaking companies. Furthermore, the role of internal pressure on CEB (defensive and proactive) was second only to economic pressure, while the role of government pressure on CEB was much weaker than our expectation. However, the role of social pressure, which was imposed by general public and environmental Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), was not significant. Thus, policy makers should emphasize on the interactions of economic mechanism, government regulation and internal incentive mechanism to stimulate firms to adopt active environmental behavior. More concerns from the general public shall be addressed to enhance their driving effect on CEB in Chinese papermaking industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling is generally recognized as a key component of strategies to achieve improved resource efficiency and reduce the environmental burden associated with resource use. However, to maximize the net benefits offered by recycling, one must understand the system-wide effects of substituting primary materials with recycled materials and how those effects vary under alternative strategies. Consequential life cycle assessment (cLCA) approaches to evaluate the impact of increasing use of recycled materials require identification of grades and sources of scrap materials used at the margin. Various grades of recycled materials differ in their substitution possibilities and supply limits. However, most studies of cLCA for material recycling overlook these aspects and typically assume a fixed set of marginal activities. This study develops a model to describe the resource consumption behaviors of material producers and the resulting cascade of material flows for the case of the United States (US) pulp and paper industry. We observe that grades and sources of scrap materials used at the margin dynamically change so as the resulting environmental impact when demand for recycled containerboard products increases. The results show that the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission savings effect of using recycled materials can be considerably larger when marginal recovered fiber comes from additional recovery from landfill rather than being diverted from the export market. Also, the results show that the behavior of international trade partners for recovered paper may offset GHG emission savings from the domestic replacement of virgin pulpwood with recovered paper. Most importantly, such behaviors are dependent on grades used at the margin. The developed model and results can help inform the US pulp and paper industry, policymakers, and other stakeholders about the system-wide effects of increasing use of recovered paper. • We develop a model to describe resource consumption behaviors of the US pulp and paper producers and resulting fiber flows. • This study suggests the importance of identifying the grade and source of scrap used at the margin in the recycling industry. • CLCA based on static marginal technologies may not correctly quantify the system-wide effect of material recycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the early 2010s, the production of industrial wood pellet for overseas exports has grown considerably in the Southern United States (U.S.). In order to meet the increasing demand for woody biomass feedstock, the wood pellet mills in the U.S. South consume roundwood pulpwood along with low-valued logging residues and sawmill wood wastes. By estimating empirical roundwood pulpwood market models based on the bi-monthly time-series data, this study estimates the impacts of wood pellet production, precipitation, and the COVID-19 Pandemic on the hardwood and softwood pulpwood stumpage prices in 12 southeastern Atlantic coastal micro-markets. Results suggest that the wood pellet industry has led to an increase in pine pulpwood prices, but no statistically significant impact is found on the hardwood pulpwood prices. Rainfall is found to be a positive determinant of the roundwood pulpwood prices. Furthermore, since March 2020, the COVID-19 Pandemic is estimated to lead about 6% decline in both pine and hardwood pulpwood prices. This study provides empirical evidence and additional insights on the timber market dynamics and how small roundwood markets have reacted to the additional wood demand from a growing bioenergy industry in the U.S. South. • The wood pellet industry competes with pulp and paper mills for woody biomass. • The wood pellet industry has led to an increase in pine pulpwood prices. • No significant impact of wood pellets is found on the hardwood pulpwood prices. • The COVID-19 Pandemic has led to decline pulpwood stumpage prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing energy prices and market volatilities force energy intensive industries to implement energy management systems in order to ensure competitiveness. In this paper, we focus on the strategic level of energy management, specifically, on the analysis of the internal and external conditions that form the basis for strategic development. For this, we selected the case of the Austrian paper and pulp industry. We applied a hybrid method by combining an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats with an analytic hierarchy process which was based on a survey of expert opinion. The results show that cost-related factors predominate. According to our analysis, the four most important factors are all directly linked to energy costs, energy efficiency, and the energy market. Experts pay little attention to environmental issues or to energy market volatilities. Apart from that, the combination of an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats with an analytic hierarchy process promises to be a valuable tool for strategic energy management. This is especially true for energy intensive companies and/or sectors, since it enables decision makers to take strategic decisions based on a systematic understanding of the main issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Each day a large amount of toilet paper (TP) is flushed into sewers. Recovering the disintegrated fibers from wastewater can reduce the treatment cost and the recovered fibers have some value-added applications. However, typical preliminary treatment units are inefficient at capturing these small-sized fibers. Although sieving can recover them effectively, it is rarely used due to high costs. Results from this study suggested that redesigning TP to disintegrate less in water can be a more cost-effective approach. Here, we evaluated the disintegration of TP in sewers and fiber recovery through screening, sieving, and sedimentation. We found that the highly disintegrated TP are significantly more challenging to retrieve using conventional approaches. Fine screens with an opening size of 3 mm recovered only 45.7% of the TP fibers. Sieves with 0.1–1 mm openings retrieved up to 94.5% of the TP fibers but were very prone to clogging. Further, the fiber recovery by preliminary treatment was heavily impacted by the TP disintegration degree, which was found to be predominantly affected by the flow motion, wetting time, and inherent stability of TP. A life-cycle cost (LCC) analysis showed that redesigning TP (i.e., designing it to disintegrate into fragments rather than separated fibers) could significantly promote fiber recovery with the existing infrastructures. The 15-y operational costs could be reduced by up to 46% by using redesigned TP. This work presents a promising way to facilitate TP fiber recovery from wastewater at lower cost; pilot and full-scale surveys must be conducted to evaluate feasibility. Image 1 • TP disintegration results in fibers that are difficult to retrieve from wastewater. • Fine screens recovered 45.7% of TP fibers. • Sieves retrieved up to 94.5%, but can be clogged easily. • Lowering TP disintegration by 10–50% may reduce water treatment costs by 12.1–18.6%. • Breakup of TP into 0.5–1.0 cm fragments may reduce water treatment costs by 46%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new biotechnological sequence for decolorizing red and black colored paper was developed to reduce the environmental impact of the chemicals used in paper recycling processes. Commercially available low-redox potential laccase from Myceliophthora thermophila , which operates optimally under alkaline conditions, was used in combination with natural mediators to make the process even greener. Based on the optical properties of the resulting decolorized paper, red and black dyes were efficiently removed by all laccase–mediator systems. The best results were provided by the laccase–methyl syringate combination, followed by the laccase–acetosyringone system and the laccase–syringaldehyde system. The decolorization rate for red paper achieved with the laccase–methyl syringate treatment exceeded that obtained with ozone. Red was removed by about 98% by combining two enzymatic stages and hydrogen peroxide stage, and black by 65%, without altering the physical properties of the colored paper in either case. A sequence combining oxidative and reductive (formamidine sulfinic acid) chemical treatments led to comparable optical and physical properties for the two types of paper. The effects of Myceliophthora thermophila laccase and methyl syringate were similar to those of high-redox potential laccase from Trametes villosa combined with either methyl syringate or the synthetic mediator violuric acid. Image 1 • The laccase-natural mediator system was able to remove red and black dyes from paper. • Methyl syringate was the best mediator to decolorize papers. • Higher dye removal was produced by biotechnological stages than by chemical stages. • Both, low and high-redox potential laccases can be used to produce decolorization. • Several optical parameters were measured to assess paper decolorization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water removal during paper manufacturing is of primary importance to production rate and cost efficiency for the pulp and paper industry. It is crucial to develop methods to reduce energy consumption by increasing the percent solids in the paper web entering the dryers from the presses. This research aimed to develop a fundamental understanding of the effect of bio-chemo-mechanical pretreatments on a bleached softwood fiber matrix and evaluate the impact on the percent solids of the paper web after pressing. Experiments included enzymatic, refining, and cationic polymer pretreatments on the bleached softwood pulps, followed by laboratory papermaking and determining the equilibrium moisture content (EMC) after pressing and the pulp and paper properties. The combined effect of mild refining, controlled enzymatic pretreatments, and cationic strength aids proved to enhance the water removal during wet pressing (up to 35 % reduction) and increase paper strength (up to 60 % increase). The results of increased solids after pressing were used to calculate the potential reduction in drying energy during paper manufacturing. Energy savings of around 10 % for paper drying could be achieved through fiber matrix modification by bio-chemo-mechanical pretreatment. Enzymatic pretreatments have previously been conventionally applied before refining as an energy-saving method. However, this research shows that synergistic actions of enzymes added after refining modify the fibers and create the optimal conditions for enhancement in drainage, press dewatering, and paper properties. [Display omitted] • Enzyme-assisted fiber modifications improve press dewatering and paper strength. • Enzyme blends can enhance fiber cell wall flexibility and fibrillation. • Synergistically, enzymes increased ∼35% press dewatering and ∼60% tensile strength. • Enzymes, mild refining, and cationic biopolymers enhance paper process efficiency. • This research introduces alternative methods for decarbonizing the paper industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In accordance with global estimations, approx. 15 million tons of residues are yearly generated from paper and pulp industry, which are traditionally used as biofuels or just disposed in landfills. However, residues composition and laws in force urge producers to search for new waste management strategies. From another point of view, the construction industry uses more than 33% of total natural resources, worldwide which has led several governments to limit the use of natural raw materials for building. In particular, fired brick industry produces yearly approx. 1600 billion bricks which represents millions of tons of natural resources consumption. Therefore, the goal is to contribute to reduce the amount of used clay. Thus, this paper explores the mineral and technological properties of brick made by using different percentages of paper pulp residues and fired at 900 °C. Results indicate that by increasing the replacement ratio, blend requires larger amounts of water which leads to a proportional increasing of shrinkage during drying. In spite of mineral transformations are not influenced by paper pulp residue, the porosity is linearly increased which leads to reduce compressive strength and thermal conductivity up to 30% for 20% of replacement ratio, in both cases. Thus, it is concluded that series made by replacing up to 10% show compressive strength above 5 MPa, water absorption beyond 20% and toxicity indexes meet the mandatory requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulp and paper wastewater ozonation was tested at pilot-scale in a medium-potentiality wastewater treatment plant (143,000 population equivalent). Single wastewater lines (bleaching and process water), as well as wastewater mixture (before and after secondary biological treatment) were investigated to evaluate the best ozonation conditions. The aim of the work was to evaluate the feasibility of substituting current tertiary physicochemical treatment with an ozonation unit, reducing operating costs and improving management operations. The tests were useful to identify the ozone dosage required to achieve the desired COD abatement. Ozone effectiveness was more pronounced in process water (60% COD removal), rather than bleaching water (28% COD removal); ozone showed a significantly higher efficiency on pulp and paper wastewater mixture after biological treatment (up to 81% COD removal) rather than before biological process (46% mean COD abatement). COD removal efficiency at a dosage of 100 mg O 3 /L was comparable to existing physicochemical treatment (mean 50%); a good TSS abatement (up to 20–30 mg/L) was observed as well. Toxicity analysis revealed that ozonation treatment did not modify treated effluent toxicity characteristics (mean Daphnia Magna mortality of 23.3%). Economic analysis proved that ozonation installation cost would be 1.5–2.0 M€, for total flowrate to be treated of 1200 m3/h. Ozonation would lead to an economic saving of about 300,000 €/y compared to actual physicochemical treatment and the investment cost could be recovered in about 7 years. The proposed innovative approach, including plant analysis, pilot-ozonation tests, data regression, respirometric fractionation, toxicity and economic analysis, could be exported to other industrial wastewater treatment plants to allow an increased advanced oxidation processes diffusion. • Full-scale pulp and paper ozonation applicability was assessed with a pilot study. • Respirometry was coupled with pilot-tests, toxicity assays and economic analysis. • Wastewater mixture effectiveness was related to streams biodegradability. • Daphnia Magna toxicity in ozonated stream was comparable with secondary effluent. • An economic saving of about 300,000 €/y was estimated for full-scale operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to production technologies such as blasting, transportation, and loading, large quantities of dust are produced in surface mines. This dust not only pollutes the environment but also restricts the development of coal mining enterprises. This work aims to use waste paper as raw material for the efficient extraction of cellulose, in which waste materials can be converted to useable materials. This work can broaden the sources of raw materials and provide new methods for the efficient preparation of dust suppressants. As a matrix, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose is a novel crust-dust suppressant that is synthesized by graft copolymerization with polyvinylalcohol and N-vinylpyrrolidone in this study. The results of experiments revealed the high purity of sodium carboxymethylcellulose prepared in flotation for 20 min, the degree of substitution DS > 0.8, and the viscosity of 2% aqueous solution>300 mPa s, which can satisfy the requirements of the experiments. The microscopic reaction and structure of the product are analyzed by infrared spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy and thermogravimetry, and the microscopic mechanism of a crust-dust suppressant is investigated. The reaction process and structural characteristics of the product were analyzed by infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and the product reaction process and final structure were deduced. Thermogravimetric experiments showed that the product had strong thermal stability and ensured the performance of the product during use. This paper reveals the combination of dust suppressants and coal via molecular dynamics simulation. The product performance experiments show that the product has a high shell strength of 98 HA, satisfactory freeze-thaw resistance and high temperature resistance, permeability higher than 15 mm/min, and dust suppression rate of approximately 88% when the wind speed reaches 15 m*s−1 and it can degrade without pollution. In general, the product can effectively suppress coal dust and other forms of dust. Image 1011236 • A new kind of dust suppressing material with excellent properties was prepared. • Conduct comprehensive tests on the characterization and properties of materials. • Raw materials for preparation are cheap. • Final product can be degraded after being extracted from waste paper. • MS technique was used to analyze the action mechanism of the dust inhibitor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green liquor dregs and slaker grits are pulp and paper mill residues usually landfilled. Whit high calcium carbonate content, its use as alternative raw materials in traditional ceramic products becomes an interesting study field. In order to evaluate its incorporation potential, the residues characterization with diverse approaches was performed and for the first time reunited exploring this eco-friendly intent. Green liquor dregs and slaker grits were characterized by its chemical and mineralogical composition (XRF, XRD, FT-IR); physical and morphological characteristics (particle size, BET surface area, density, SEM) and thermal properties (TGA). Chemical and mineralogical analysis reveals the high calcium carbonate content in calcite form especially on slaker grits, that has less inorganic and organic contaminants than green liquor dregs. Smaller irregular-shaped particles and bigger surface area was found on this last residue, comparing with slaker grits. The thermal analysis indicated a lower calcite decomposition for green liquor dregs (720 °C), while this event on slaker grits occurred 40 °C above (760 °C). Thus, it was observed the residues behavior and characteristics are much alike calcium carbonate itself, especially slaker grits, considering its composition, morphology and thermal events. As conclusion, the potentiality uses of green liquor dregs and slaker grits as alternative raw materials on ceramic products was revealed. Being able to incorporate clay, concrete, glasses and great majority of other ceramic products, these residues use will generate excellent benefit-cost ratio to industries and environment. Image 1 • Green liquor dregs and slaker grits were characterized by diverse approaches. • High calcium carbonate content in calcite form on both wastes was confirmed. • Residues behavior and characteristics are much alike calcium carbonate itself. • Slaker grits is purer than green liquor dregs. • Wastes revealed great potentiality use as alternative calcium carbonate source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Partly inspired by the concept of masterbatch in plastics manufacturing, we developed a strategy to improve the technical viability, the economic feasibility, and the environmental performance of lignocellulosic micro-/nanofibers. Instead of investing strenuous efforts in dewatering and/or drying nanocellulose suspensions to maximize their consistency without significantly hampering redispersion, which still stands as an unresolved challenge, we used them in high proportions (up to 50 wt%) to reinforce a high-yield pulp. The suspension can be dewatered-pressed (0.70–1.75 MPa) to obtain wet laps of never-dried reinforced pulps, or dried to consistencies over 90% to produce dry boards, but at the cost of lower strengthening capability. In any case, both wet and dry reinforced boards succeeded in enhancing the breaking length of a recycled pulp by up to 62% and 56%, respectively. In light of these results, we proposed a tentative upscaling and subsequent assessment of the process, evaluating different scenarios. From the technical point of view, reinforced pulp boards are much easier to handle and to deliver than dilute aqueous suspensions. In economic terms, savings in transportation costs are worth remarking. Last but not least, this strategy fulfills at least three goals associated with the concept of cleaner production: water recovery (internal recycling), lower CO 2 emissions (especially if transportation takes place by road), and avoiding hazardous chemicals such as hypochlorite. [Display omitted] • The masterbatch strategy in plastics manufacturing is applied in papermaking. • Micro-/nanocellulose-enriched pulp boards were produced by dewatering-pressing and/or heating. • Reinforced pulp boards were used as an effective strengthening agent for packaging paper. • This novel approach to distribute lignocellulosic micro-/nanofibers minimizes volume and cost of transportation. • Water recycling is enhanced and CO 2 emissions in transport/delivery are lowered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce energy use and achieve a low carbon production in pulp and paper industry (PPI), it is essential to improve energy efficiency in pulp and paper production. In this study, the energy savings from the PPI were estimated based on a techno-economic analysis by EAGER tool for PPI at the factory level. The structure and implement procedure were introduced initially. Two typical pulp and paper mills from China were determined to estimate the impact of selected energy efficiency technologies (EETs) on energy savings as the cases in the base year. One Factory (A) only produced paper products (i.e. corrugated paper and Kraft linerboard) while the other Factory (B) also produced market pulp besides sack paper. In totally 22 selected EETs were applied to assess their saving potential in Factory A, and 29 measures were applied in Factory B. The results show that 2290 TJ and 1179 TJ of final energy could be saved annually in Factory A and B, corresponding to reduction of 29.4% and 13.6% total energy consumption respectively for the case factories. The CO 2 reduction potential was 32.3% for Factory A compared with that of 16.6% in Factory B. It suggests that the pulp and paper mills should encouraged to use this method estimating energy saving potential, and improve their energy efficiency with suggested measures in order to reduce energy consumption and related carbon emissions further in the coming years. • Energy savings of pulp and paper production were estimated at the factory level. • A techno-economic evaluation tool was applied to access the energy savings and carbon emission reductions. • Two typical pulp and paper factories from China were investigated to estimate their energy savings in the base year. • It is useful to assess energy savings and select feasible EETs in achieving energy saving and emission reduction targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recycled paper industry produces tons of waste whose disposal is a cost for industry and the environment. This research examines the suitability of de-inked paper sludge (DPS), after pelletization, as a sustainable alternative component to a peat-based growing media, creating ideal root conditions for tree development (e.g. high water storage, low compaction). DPS, tested on Lepidium sativum L. germination, did not show toxicity effects. Three species, Quercus ilex L., Lagerstroemia indica L. and Prunus serrulata "Kanzan", were planted in 40 cm Ø pots filled with a control (peat, pumice and zeolite) and the experimental substrate (compost, DPS pellets, pumice and zeolite). After two years in the nursery, the trees were planted in situ. The physical and chemical properties of substrates were analyzed. Plant morphological and physiological parameters were monitored: trunk diameter, leaf dry matter, leaf nitrogen, chlorophyll, and photosynthetic efficiency. The new substrate showed higher C org (+135%), total N (+73%) and easily available water (+19%), compared to the control substrate used in the nursery. In this new substrate, the trees showed similar radial growth values to the control in the nursery and after transplanting in situ improved their photosynthetic performance in terms of quantum yield of photosystem II (+36%, and +29% in P. serrulata and L. indica , respectively) and electron transport rate (+39%, +25%, and +32% in P. serrulata , Q. ilex and L. indica , respectively). Pelletization represents an attractive amendment for growing media, which enhances the plant's physiological health status. This study proposes alternative recovery methods for paper industry waste with low environmental impact. As the process is developed locally, it should also contribute to reducing energy-related CO 2 emissions from transport. Pelletization represents an attractive novelty in the use of DPS as amendment for growing media, which enhances the plant's physiological health status. This study proposes alternative recovery methods for paper industry waste with low environmental impact. As the process is developed locally, it should also contribute to reducing energy-related CO 2 emissions from transport. Image 1 • De-inked paper sludge and mature compost mixed were tested as a new substrate. • The new substrate showed high organic carbon, nitrogen and water availability. • Holm oak, Crape myrtle and Kanzan cherry grew healtlhy in the new substrate. • The new substrate is suitable for tree growth to overcome transplanting stress. • The study proposes alternative recovery methods for paper industry waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve an effective re-utilization of pulp and paper industry waste (PIW), PIW was recycled and used as a filler to prepare green-composites based on linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) through an extrusion and injection molding in this study. The resultant green-composites were characterized by infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetry, tension, dynamic mechanical analysis, and micro mechanism. The results showed that the addition of PIW promoted crystallization and improved the thermal stability of LLDPE, HDPE, and UHMWPE. Moreover, the tensile properties of LLDPE, HDPE, and UHMWPE were significantly improved as a result of PIW addition. The best tensile strength of 26.73 MPa and Young's modulus of 1.82 GPa were obtained in PIW/HDPE composites. The dynamic mechanical analysis revealed that the addition of PIW increased the rigidity and elasticity of LLDPE, HDPE, and UHMWPE. The utilization of hazardous PIW in this study not only avoids secondary pollution but also generates green-composites with better thermal and mechanical properties. • Green-composites were made from Pulp and paper industry waste (PIW). • The addition of PIW improved the thermal stability of the polymers. • The mechanical properties of the green-composites were better than polymers. • PIW based green-composites provided a sustainable way to manage industrial wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial fuel cell (MFC) is considered to be a sustainable technology for cellulosic waste treatment and energy recovery; however, studies on cellulose-degrading exoelectrogens are scarce. Giant panda gut microbiota may provide potential cellulose-degrading exoelectrogens due to consumption of high-fiber diet. In this study, strain LZ-P1 isolated from giant panda gut simultaneously showed cellulose-degrading and electricity-generating characteristics. 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed 99% homology with Cellulomonas iranensis. Results showed that the strain generated 1.08 U/mL endoglucanase and 180 mV electricity when cellulose was used as the sole carbon source. Genome sequence confirmed that strain LZ-P1 possessed complete cellulose degradation and extracellular electron transfer pathways. Proteomic analysis further confirmed that the enzymes involved in cellulose-degradation and extracellular electron transport were remarkably up-regulated, including endoglucanases, riboflavin biosynthesis protein, and cytochrome C oxidase. When strain LZ-P1 was applied to MFC-mediated paper recycling wastewater treatment, a maximum power density of 44.05 mW/m2 and 8.72% coulombic efficiency were recovered in 72 h. Therefore, strain LZ-P1 would be a potential candidate for cellulosic waste management and energy recovery. Image 1 • Strain LZ-P1 isolated from giant panda gut can convert cellulose to electricity. • Genome and proteomic data of LZ-P1 indicate its cellulose-degrading and EET pathways. • MFC mediated by LZ-P1 is a promising method to treat cellulosic wastewater for energy recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fly ash and waste lime are solid wastes generated in pulp and paper mills. Due to high CaO contents, these secondary lime materials can be potentially utilized in the steelmaking process to partially replace primary lime. In this study, fly ash and waste lime from Swedish pulp and paper mills were made into briquettes and for the first time utilized as slag formers to replace primary lime in a pilot-scale Argon Oxygen Decarburization (AOD) stainless steelmaking process. The purpose was to evaluate how these CaO-containing materials could affect the AOD process and the steel quality. The results show that the S, P and CaO contents in the fly ash and waste lime are important concerns for metallurgical application. Firstly, due to lower CaO contents (61.5% CaO in fly ash and 90.6% CaO in waste lime versus 95.2% CaO in primary lime), utilization of these secondary lime materials could lead to higher slag amounts in the AOD converter. Secondly, due to higher S and P contents (0.40% S and 0.26% P 2 O 5 in fly ash, 0.11% S and 0.75% P 2 O 5 in waste lime versus 0.08% S and 0.01% P 2 O 5 in primary lime), utilization of these secondary lime materials could increase the S and P contents in the steel. The S content in the steel can be controlled during the reduction and desulfurization stages; however, the P content in the steel increases with an increased use of these secondary lime materials. Thirdly, the metallurgical performance of fly ash and waste lime is as good as primary lime when considering the aspects that: (a) utilization of fly ash and waste lime doesn't have negative effects on the decarburization stage nor on the reduction stage during the AOD process; and (b) fly ash and waste lime are as efficient desulfurization agents as primary lime. In future industrial applications, the alkali content and the variations of chemical compositions (especially with respect to S, P and CaO) of these secondary lime materials need to be carefully controlled to ensure a sound metallurgical operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and EPD-like demands have been gaining importance, particularly due to the release of Product Environmental Footprint by the European Union (EU). EPDs could be demanded in international trade, potentially creating a technical trade barrier for emerging economy countries. Thus, those countries should evaluate their readiness to successfully meet this demand. In this sense, this paper aims to analyse and propose strategies for EPD promotion in Brazil. Brazil's situation regarding life cycle assessment (LCA) and EPD development was analysed considering its business, academic, public policy and consumers contexts. In addition, an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) was elaborated based on interviews with EPD stakeholders in the country. These allowed some strategies to be proposed considering the principle of connecting strengths and opportunities, compensating for weaknesses and neutralizing threats. The results showed that Brazil has a technical and institutional context that enables EPD growth due to the initial stage of LCA database, EPD programs, stakeholders' engagement, and availability of experts. However, in general, these aspects aren't in an adequate level for successful EPD promotion. There is still a large path for EPD understanding and life cycle data availability. Besides, financial and technical restriction, especially considering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), present structural barriers. Nevertheless, by promoting EPD, Brazil could have gains in terms of credibility, access to global markets and environmental awareness. The opposite could happen if the country doesn't seize these opportunities. Furthermore, to influence Product Category Rule (PCR) definitions was said to be a key opportunity to avoid rules that disregard Brazilian singularities. Strategies for EPD promotion should focus on sensitizing and engaging different stakeholders in strategic sectors (civil construction, paper and pulp, coffee, ingredients derived from soya and livestock), enhancing technical capacities and life cycle data generation, and strengthening EPD programs to boost the Brazilian internal market and PCR development. Brazilian institutions should be encouraged to follow international discussions on EPD and internalize them, fostering sustainable production and consumption in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biobased and biodegradable polymers are a promising solution for agricultural plastics problems, especially for pollution and toxic residue from disposed non-degradable plastic mulch films. Application of biobased and biodegradable mulch films has been hindered by poor mechanical properties and higher cost than conventional plastic mulch film (polyethylene and poly (vinyl chloride)). This work explores the performance of multi-layer fertilizer-infused mulch papers fabricated via blade coating and melt compression molding with biodegradable poly (butylene succinate) (PBS), poly (hexamethylene succinate) (PHS), and their copolyesters. The water absorption, tear propagation properties, enzymatic degradation, and fertilizer release behavior of these multi-layer constructions are characterized. The influence of processing methodology on the coating performance is also discussed. It was found that a polymer concentration of 90 mg/ml in the blade coating process increased the coating thickness to about 30 μm, which slowed water absorption; however, the composition ratio of PBHS polymer coatings had little effect on water absorption. The coatings improved the tear propagation resistance up to 3 N (comparable with that of PE mulch film, 1.6 N) and biodegradation resistance of MP in soil. In this work, PHS coated MP provide an optimal strategy for the dual functions of mulching and fertilizer controlled release, as demonstrated by the barrier properties, degradation rate and mechanical properties. Plant growth trials demonstrated improved fertilizer utilization from slow-release coated papers, as shown by acceleration of the blossom and root growth. [Display omitted] • Coated paper composites provide both mulching and fertilizer controlled release. • Polyester coatings 15 μm thick improve mulch paper tear resistance by 100%. • Coated paper enzymatically degrades by 4% over two weeks versus 22% for uncoated paper. • Polymer-coated mulch paper slows phosphate release and improves the vigor of plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a circular economy, extended producer responsibility (EPR) is a regulatory approach that accounts for all environmental costs associated with a product throughout its life cycle. When considering the EPR, the regulator must (1) design an integrated framework for different stakeholders and (2) provide effective policies to create financial incentives to accelerate the circular system. Recycling funds and subsidies are the most prominent financial strategies that can either encourage or curtail the flows of recycled products. In Indonesia, a few companies provided recycling bonus s to their customers as incentives to increase the recycling rate. However, the recycling rate was not as effective as expected by the enterprise because recycling was practiced by a limited number of companies, rendering it economically unviable. The enterprises hope the government could develop a recycling fund system. In order to develop the recycling fund system, a system dynamic model was proposed and simulated to optimize the recycling funds and subsidies based on decentralized reverse supply chains. Although it is not a novelty model; however, the research show a very significant results for the government in Indonesia. This enabled a more precise, well-planned, and sustainable decision-making process for the EPR. In addition, by utilizing the system dynamic model with different scenarios in a real case study (aseptic paper packaging waste), we found that the capacity of the recycler could become the reference for the funds to be paid by the importer-producer group, wherein the recycling rate will increase with an increase in the recycling fund. • When formulating an EPR scheme, two points must be considered: framework and policies. • A system dynamic model was proposed and simulated to get the optimal solution. • A related case study involving aseptic paper packaging (APP) was considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Food waste paper reviews are still scarce. • The paper presents a systematic mapping study on household food waste. • 190 papers were selected and analyzed to propose a conceptual framework. • The study proposes a conceptual framework extending the Theory of Planned Behavior. • Thirteen food waste predictors were found to evaluate consumer behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this research was to quantify and compare the environmental impact of a number of different deinking sludge utilization approaches. A comparative life cycle assessment of deinking sludge material and energy recovery was performed for the baseline scenario—landfill disposal, and four alternative scenarios: two cement plants, a lightweight aggregate plant, and a stone wool plant. Sludge pretreatment and transportation processes were included in the scenario analyses. The results of the life cycle assessment showed that the use of dry deinking sludge in a cement plant in Finland, 45 km from the point of supply of the deinking sludge, to substitute 46% of the petcoke and 2.7% of the limestone showed the best performance. Therein, a global warming potential reduction of 13% and an eutrophication potential reduction of 12% – the highest reduction out of all impact categories studied – were achieved. A similar reduction in global warming potential of 12% was achieved when deinking sludge was incinerated and the ash utilized in cement production in a Russian plant located 350 km from the paper mill. However, abiotic depletion potential and acidification potential slightly increased by 2.6 and 1.5%, respectively. A maximum reduction of 2.1% out of al impact categories was achieved when dry sludge was used in a lightweight aggregate plant. That is considerably less compared to the reduction achieved at the cement plants. The use of deinking sludge ash in a stone wool plant to substitute 25% of cement resulted in a maximum reduction of 25% in the ozone layer depletion potential. Thus, the utilization of deinking sludge in construction materials production while preventing its landfilling has beneficial effects on the environment, in particular decreased greenhouse gas emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore the potential of crude xylano-pectinolytic enzymes in bio-pulping of rice straw, in order to reduce environmental pollution. In this study, the effect of integration of bio-pulping strategy before chemical pulping of rice straw has been investigated. The bio-pulping efficiency was found to be maximum at xylanase:pectinase dose of 400:120 IU/g rice straw, temperature 55 °C, treatment time 3 h, Tween 80 (1%), pH 8.5 and pulping consistency 1:10 (g/mL). Bio-pulping enhanced the permeability of pulping chemicals, generated pulp with higher yield, brightness, along with higher residual active alkali content of black liquor in comparison to the pulp obtained after chemical pulping. Bio-pulping also resulted in 10% reduction of alkali dose and improved paper quality, with increase in breaking length (13.9%), burst index (27.0%), double fold (39.3%), gurley porosity (18.75%) and viscosity (8.77%) of unbleached bio-pulp. Bio-pulping also improved the bleachability by removing the D 2 step of bleaching and produced pulp with higher physical strength properties, breaking length (15.92%), burst index (20.47%), tear index (3.87%), double fold (36.0%), gurley porosity (25.0%) and viscosity (28.36%). Hence, this environmentally sustainable bio-pulping approach can decrease the chemical load and ultimately pollution, along with enhance the yield and quality of paper. This is the first report demonstrating cleaner pulping of rice straw using crude xylano-pectinolytic enzymes, produced by a bacterial isolate. • Pulping of rice straw was done using cleaner approach. • Bio-pulping resulted in 10% reduced alkali load during chemical pulping. • Biopulping also reduced the consumption of bleaching dose. • Biopulping generated pulp with higher yield and optical properties. • Production of better strength paper with eco-friendly approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disposable paper cups comprise typical single-use plastic items, as they are lined internally with a thin plastic coating for waterproofing. They are consumed at a staggering rate worldwide, with the UK alone consuming around 7 million cups daily, thus annually producing around 30,000 tonnes of paper cup waste. Contrary to popular belief, less than 1 in 400 paper cups is currently recycled in the UK, which is in stark contrast to the waste hierarchy and the European Commission's ambitious Circular Economy Action Plan. Paper cups typically end up in landfill sites or even improperly disposed of, contributing to (micro)plastic waste and potentially polluting the world's oceans. The implications of the latter are not fully known yet and cannot be quantified by existing life cycle impact assessment methods. By employing the life cycle assessment methodology, UK's annual carbon footprint from paper cup consumption was found to be 75 kt of carbon dioxide equivalents, which is similar to that of manufacturing 11,500 mid-size passenger cars. Globally, their environmental footprint was found to be comparable to that of some 1.5 M average European inhabitants, indicating the nature and extent of the single-use plastics problem, which paper cups are just a typical example of. Paper cup recycling could reduce this environmental footprint by up to 40%, whereas switching to reusable cups appears to be more environmentally sustainable, achieving a threefold reduction in carbon emissions, which at global scale is more than twice Malta's annual carbon footprint. Results indicate that consumerism along with small daily choices, such as using reusable cups or bags instead of their disposable counterparts, could play a huge role in climate change. At policy level, no concrete measures to curb the superfluous consumption of paper cups, as well as of other single-use plastic items that are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, have materialised. Furthermore, it appears that decision- and policy-makers tend to step in to curtail wasteful and polluting practices only when environmental problems have started to generate widespread concern, instead of undertaking preventative policy measures. Image 1 • The environmental sustainability of disposable paper cups was examined. • 75 kt CO 2eq are emitted annually in the UK and 7.5 Mt CO 2eq globally. • Switching to reusable cups axes carbon emissions by threefold. • Robust LCIA methods should be introduced to account for (micro)plastic pollution. • Existing policy on single use plastics appears to be too little too late. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study is to produce an oil sorbent from paper industry waste by reducing the water sorption capacity with silane coating. Waste material was pretreated and then coupled with two different kinds of alkoxysilane, by solution immersion process. Coated material was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and contact angle measurements. Oil and water selectivity from water surface were evaluated for three different oil types. Production cost of the sorbent was determined and compared with other commercial products. Effect of silane coupling on water sorption percentage was more apparent for thinner oil film thickness which was 0.127 cm. The water percentage for uncoated sorbent at this film thickness was 38.24% for diesel-oil mixture. For surface coated material, water sorption percentages were 9.27% for (3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APS) and 10% for 3-(Trimethoxysilyl) propyl methacrylate (MPS). The results show that industrial waste can be converted into an oil sorbing material by silane coupling. After coating, the material can be a good alternative for the removal of spilled oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forest sector is vital in Europe, providing economic and social benefits to communities. However, this sector is also responsible for some environmental impacts, and it is crucial to ensure that these impacts do not outweigh the benefits described. For this reason, this paper proposes an environmental and economic assessment of three forest wood products – uncoated woodfree paper, natural cork stoppers, and particle boards. The life cycles of these products were modeled using foreground data and a life cycle assessment was conducted to determine the environmental impacts associated with these three life cycles. For the economic assessment, the net present value method was adopted. From the results, it is possible to conclude that the utilization of 1 ha of forest land for 100 years to plant Eucalyptus globulus used in the production of uncoated woodfree paper generates the least environmental impact per euro. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to determine the reliability of the results achieved given the uncertainty associated with the data used to model the three life cycles. The same critical impact categories and the same critical life cycle stage (raw materials' extraction) were identified for the three systems under study. Given these similarities, an effort must be made by the forest sector to reduce the impacts of these categories and this life cycle stage. To assist on this task, a set of generic and industry-specific recommendations is provided for companies operating in the forest sector. • An environmental and economic assessment of three forest wood products is performed. • The life cycle assessment methodology and the net present value method are used. • The production of uncoated woodfree paper generates the least environmental impact per euro of NPV. • Using sensitivity analysis, the results were found to be reliable. • Recommendations for different stakeholders in the forest sector are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indonesia's internationally- and domestically-significant pulp and paper industries source their feedstock from tree plantations. A suite of regulatory (Indonesian Sustainable Production Forest Management Certification and Timber Legality Verification) and market instruments (forest certification) have been introduced to promote sustainability and legality of production from tree plantations, and some producers have also adopted other voluntary sustainability measures. This study investigates sustainability and legality compliance by actors in an Indonesian pulp and paper value chain as a case study of environmental innovation. Results are based on primary fieldwork along segments of the value chain, and analysis of audit reports and other publicly-available information. The value chain sources fibrewood from tree plantation concessions and pallet wood from a variety of suppliers. Audit reports suggest high levels of compliance with sustainability and legality requirements, but our research suggests that these reports might not reflect some area of poor performance and non-compliance. We identify weaknesses in the design of regulatory systems, and in auditing and monitoring processes, as the principal reasons for these deficiencies. Drawing on relevant theory and on practice elsewhere, we suggest that compliance and sustainability can be improved by addressing key areas of regulatory silence, by shifting auditing to be more performance-than paper-based, by strengthening independent monitoring from civil society, by increasing the frequency of witness auditing from the National Accreditation Board, and by fostering synergies between regulatory instruments and voluntary forest certification. These changes would improve the effectiveness of regulatory and voluntary instruments to promote cleaner production in Indonesian pulp and paper value chains. Image 1 • Indonesian pulp and paper value chains are globally significant. • These value chains must comply with national sustainability certification and legality verification systems. • Audit reports suggesting high levels of compliance do not appear to reflect areas of poor performance and non-compliance. • Weaknesses in regulatory design, auditing and monitoring are the main reasons for poor performance and non-compliance. • Changes in regulatory design and implementation would promote cleaner production in Indonesian pulp and paper value chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upcycling agroindustry residues into new valuable products is a strategy for mitigating environmental impacts while increasing material circularity. In this study, two sizes of eggshell particles (D 90 = 7.1 μm (ESAJ) and D 90 = 16.3 μm (ESBU)) were obtained and their incorporation as fillers into biodegradable pectin/starch film was evaluated. The effect of the presence of eggshell particles (2–8 w/w%) on the structural and morphological aspects, water barrier, and mechanical, optical, and thermal properties of the biocomposites was evaluated and then the reinforced film was applied on the surface of kraft paper. The release of calcium in an acidic solution was inverse to the size and concentration of particles and the released íon may contribute to the crosslinking of pectin. The incorporation of only 2 % eggshell resulted in 42% lower solubility of the film. The eggshell-reinforced films proved to be more opaque and rigid. The addition of 6% ESAJ significantly improved the tensile strength (an increase of 32%), modulus of elasticity (an increase of 29.7%), and water vapor barrier (59% of improvement). DSC analysis suggests that the calcium from the eggshell interacts with the pectin polymeric structure, reducing the sites available for water molecules, which may have caused more mobility of the chains through the matrix. The reinforced pectin/starch film was very well adhered to the kraft paper in the application test by continuous casting, but the coated paper showed no improvement in oil and water resistance, which means that other coating processes need to be explored. • Eggshell was used as a reinforcing filler material in pectin/starch film. • Eggshell particles were well adhered to the matrix. • The eggshell powder had improved the water resistance of the pectin/starch film. • The addition of 6% eggshell had increased the film's tensile strength in 32%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing monitoring system for paper industrial wastewater treatment system is an important route for wastewater reuse and recycling from wastewater, which are regarded as effective way for cleaner production. A novel hybrid deep leaning CLSTMA model, which based on sequential fusion convolutional neural network (CNN), long short term memory (LSTM) and attention mechanism (AM), was developed to monitor the water quality in a full-scale paper industrial wastewater treatment system for energy conservation and emissions reduction. The hybrid CLSTMA model for predicting water quality of paper industrial wastewater treatment system was divided into three steps: spatial information fusion by using CNN module, temporal information fusion by using LSTM module and variable weighted calculation by using AM module. Compare with other models (CNN, LSTM and CLSTM models), RMSE of CLSTMA model for the effluent chemical oxygen demand (COD eff) reduced by 23.3–31.55%, MAE of CLSTMA model reduced by 38.89–74.50%, R of CLSTMA model increased by 8.29–11.86%. For the effluent suspended solids (SS eff), compared with CNN and LSTM models, RMSE of CLSTMA model reduced by 10.26% and 9.92%, MAE of CLSTMA model reduced by 5.37% and 3.44%, R of CLSTMA model increased by 15.13% and 37.21%, respectively. While, R of CLSTMA was consistent with CLSTM model, but RMSE and MAE of CLSTMA model reduced by 16.07% and 7.49% than the CLSTM model. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed CLSTMA model has a great potential in monitoring paper industrial wastewater treatment system for cleaner production. [Display omitted] • A new deep learning model was proposed for real-time estimation of water quality. • The new model was based on convolutional neural network, long-term short-term memory and attention mechanism. • The new model can guarantee wastewater reuse and reduce the wastewater treatment cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this survey is to provide an overview about what efforts have been spent during the years by academia and industry make cheese packaging more sustainable. The analysis followed is based on a structured methodology that has general validity. A large pool of scientific papers (403) and patents (2272) was analysed and classified by identifying the exploited eco-strategies, the materials, the types of protected cheeses and by intersecting them to obtain more detailed classifications. The review is accompanied by graphs and tables to explain trends and to select the most representative papers or patents. Overall, the most followed strategies are improving cheese shelf life with active/vacuum or modified atmosphere packaging and using biodegradable packaging. The preferred materials are bioplastic with vegetal origin, followed by synthetic plastics. A great attention is paid to soft cheese and its requirements, such as the rapid perishability. Some discrepancies were found, mainly between the strategies covered by the papers and the patents and partly on the claimed materials. In particular, over the years, papers have become more interested in increasing cheese shelf life, especially by using active packaging, while patents remain strongly focused on biodegradable packaging. Finally, while not excluding biodegradability, it would seem that the development of cheese packaging could lean more towards active and smart (sensorized) ones in the future, even in industry. [Display omitted] • Survey of 403 scientific papers and 2272 patents about sustainable cheese packaging. • Analysis and classification by eco-strategies, packaging materials, and types of contained cheese. • Analysis of the identified mismatching between papers and patents about strategies and materials. • Relevant topics are biodegradable packaging and increasing cheese shelf life through active packaging. • Most used materials are bioplastic with vegetal origin and synthetic plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The textile industry is resource-intensive, which has a significant impact on global emissions and waste pollution. To meet the demand of textiles over a third of fibres used in manufacturing are sourced from fossil fuels. As the global demand for textiles continues to grow, manufacturers are having to seek innovative approaches to providing sustainable and regenerative cellulose fibres. However, the latest climate change pressures on the textile industry have uncovered grave environmental issues associated with traditional regenerative cellulose production, such as the viscose manufacturing process. The viscose process requires intensive use of hazardous chemicals which leads to water pollution and ecotoxicity. In addition, if forestry products are unsustainably sourced for this process, this can lead to resource scarcity and deforestation. To provide a holistic solution for mitigating these challenges this study uses the by-products of paper manufacturing dissolved in an ionic liquid to produce regenerated cellulose filaments. Paper mill sludge (PMS) is a cellulosic by-product typically used on animal bedding and land spreading. The material has been dissolved in an ionic liquid - 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium diethyl phosphate - with the aid of a co-solvent dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) - and spun into continuous filaments for textile production. The mechanical properties of paper sludge filaments are found to be competitive with commercial viscose, which is promising for their drop-in replacement. It is also demonstrated that by increasing the concentration of the PMS from 9% to 12.4%, an improvement of the filament properties can be achieved; an increase in modulus from ∼19 GPa to ∼26 GPa and strength from ∼223 MPa to ∼282 MPa. These values are shown to be competitive with other commercial, less sustainable, regenerated cellulose fibres. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial productivity is often judged solely by the primary product's marketability, while opportunities for secondary products derived from process by-products are often overlooked. In paper mills, large volumes of moisture-rich paper mill residuals (cellulose sludge) are produced, for which commercial use is currently difficult. Port Hawkesbury Paper LP, Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, produces over 7 t/hr of waste sludge with a seasonally-dependent dryness ranging from 25 to 38% (w/w). Various chemical or mechanical dewatering options exist; however, knowledge of the unique sludge composition and properties is essential to predicting how the product will react under each method. Sonication, Fournier rotary press technology, freeze/thaw cycling, and gravity drying were among the dewatering opportunities briefly explored outside of the chosen method, acidification. Notably, many industries utilizing dewatering technologies may not be producing value-added by-products, while geographic and climatic placement may limit processes which are possible for others. In the present study examining enhanced end-use value, further dewatering occurred through a comparative in situ experiment contrasting sulfuric acid and ferric sulfate acidification (direct acid injection into sludge). While both proton donors acidified the sludge and decreased moisture content, sulfuric acid was the more cost-effective option, yielding an ∼4% increase in dryness, with commensurate economic and environmental benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling wastewater of the pulping and paper-making industry are widely considered for clean production, which heavily rely on the timely and accurate monitoring in paper-making wastewater treatment processes. A novel predicting model based on genetic-deep belief network algorithm was proposed to improve the predictive accuracy and reliability for process monitoring. Considering the deep belief networks (DBN) as a deep learning model is aiming to describe the relationship among variables in a complex process modeling, genetic algorithm (GA) was employed to reduce the input variables dimensionality, simplify the network structure and overcome the dynamic characteristic difficulties of process data in monitoring. Compared with DBN and back propagation neural network (BPNN), the GA-DBN effectively achieved a better predictive accuracy than other tests models in complex wastewater treatment processes. The value of the coefficient of determination of GA-DBN model is increased by 1.71–1.86% and 5.21–9.32%, respectively. The GA-DBN model can be structured with fewer variables or samples to describe the complex paper-making wastewater treatment process, obtaining the better model performance and predictive accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's globalized world wood-based products are often imported from countries other than those where the wood was grown. Bilateral trade statistics are thus only of limited help for getting a better understanding of how production-related environmental impacts are caused by consumption elsewhere. This study presents a novel physical accounting model that allows flows of wood-based products to be traced along international supply chains, therefore making it possible to consistently relate the consumption of wood-based products to the origin of roundwood. In comparison to previous studies, the proposed method covers entire supply chains, including finished wood and paper products, such as furniture and printed matter, and also accounts for flows of processing residues and recovered paper. The main results of the accounting model are detailed country-by-country matrices indicating the locations of origin of the products consumed in a given nation. For instance, it is revealed that out of the finished wood products consumed in the USA in 2018, 75.6% originated domestically, 10.7% from neighbouring Canada and the remaining 13.7% from other countries. Potential applications and extensions of the presented approach are also discussed. • The accounting approach traces flows of wood-based products along supply chains. • The method has a high regional resolution and covers 16 different products. • Processing residues, recovered paper and finished products are also accounted for. • Matrices indicate the origin of the raw material contained in consumed products. • The model is useful for investigating the theory of unequal ecological exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of CaO for lime-based plaster and render generates 1.2 t CO 2 /t CaO, consumes 1.78 t CaCO 3 /t CaO. This research paper examines the environmental and economic performance of upcycling paper mill sludge (PMS) and carbide lime (CL) as replacements for hydrated lime (HL) in lime-based plasters production. For this, a new Cradle-to-Gate industrial-scale inventory is designed, upscaling recent lab-scale innovations, investigating PMS and CL treatment processes, followed by a Cradle-to-Grave scenario analysis. The results show that incorporating CL in the plaster yields better environmental and economic outcomes compared to PMS. The intermediate treatment for CL is cost-effective and has low carbon emissions. The upcycling of CL eliminates 100% of CO 2 emissions, while PMS reduces emissions by 11%. The production of the traditional binder HL is more expensive than upcycling PMS (+69%) and CL (+65%), with carbon taxes accounting for 35%, 44% and 15% of production costs, respectively. The effect of an equilibrated carbon price to ensure fair market competition, considering the natural carbonation of lime (carbon credit) is discussed, and the cost assessment reveals a 47% and 54% reduction for upcycled plasters using PMS and CL, respectively, compared to traditional HL. [Display omitted] • Availability, properties, and treatments of secondary lime resources. • Industrial-scale inventory for upcycling carbide lime (CL) & paper sludge (PS). • Cradle-to-Grave assessment: CL reduces CO 2 most, trailed by PS and hydrated lime. • Key factors for Cradle-to-Grave impact: lime kiln heat consumption (PS) and drying operation (CL). • Cost analysis of carbon taxes and credits across the material's life-cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remediation of contaminated soil can be performed by using various techniques, which must be adequately tailored for each specific case. The aim of this research is to critically evaluate the potential use of red mud and paper ash and a combination of the two as immobilization additives for the remediation of contaminated soil from one of the most polluted sites in Slovenia. The proposed procedure involves the preparation of geotechnical composites made from contaminated soil and mixed with 25 wt% of immobilization additives and an optimal quantity of water to achieve consistency, at which maximum compaction according to the Proctor Compaction Test procedure can be achieved. The results reveal a positive, time-dependent trend for the immobilization of potentially toxic elements in the composite with paper ash, because of the formation of the new hydration products with potentially toxic elements. In a composite containing only red mud, potentially toxic elements were immobilized by sorption mechanisms with no general time-dependent trends. The composite with a combination of additives demonstrates the remediation characteristics of both red mud and paper ash. Using this approach excavated contaminated soil, red mud and paper ash can be successfully recycled in the proposed composites, which can be beneficially used in situ for rehabilitation of contaminated sites. Nevertheless, mobilization of some potentially toxic elements at high pHs may represent a limiting factor and has to be taken into the consideration when a combination of red mud and paper ash is used as immobilization additive. • Sustainable remediation of contaminated soil by an immobilization method. • Characterization of red mud and paper ash as an immobilization additives. • Preparation of chemically inert geotechnical composites for fill or embankments. • Environmental assessment and mechano-physical characteristics of composites. • Description of the main immobilization mechanisms in the obtained composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]