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Formal scavenging grants material circularity, but its potential contribution to the sustainability of a Supply Chain (SC) is far from being a trivial issue. Thus, this paper aims to understand what is the impact of formal scavenging on the sustainability of an SC and quantify it. Accordingly, a case study in an Italian Pulp and Paper circular SC was developed through the lenses of the Triple Bottom Line. This SC consists of five groups of stakeholders and a formal scavenger that collects and redistributes wastepaper. The findings show that, in a one-year time window, the formal scavenger generated an economic value of over €3 million and led to saving 718 tCO 2 e and an energy equivalent to that consumed by 1000 average Italian families every year. In addition, it created new stable jobs and directly contributed to decreasing the waste tax in the geographical area in which it operates. Furthermore, formal scavenging proved to be effective in building up SC resilience in the face of unexpected changes in the prices and volumes of wastepaper. The results contribute to framing formal scavenging as a collaboration-based solution to enable the achievement of sustainability benefits in closed-loop SCs and provide actionable suggestions for SC managers and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decarbonizing the building sector to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs) is a complex issue that poses significant challenges to the scientific community. In this context, the current paper aims to assess the viability of employing incinerated by-products as a sustainable mineral resource to produce sustainable geopolymers. To this end, the study focuses on the formulation of geopolymer binders using fly ash with various proportions (ranging from 0 % to 50 %) of metakaolin (MK), investigating their physico-mechanical, microstructural analysis as well as their sealing capacity. The results indicate that incorporating 30 % MK not only preserves good workability but also significantly improves mechanical strength, ensuring long-term durability by increasing bulk density and concurrently reducing water absorption and harmful porosity. Moreover, the results of the Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) demonstrated that the released contaminants remained within the regulatory limits established by the USEPA. The geopolymer binder developed exhibited a significant reduction of 77.23 % and 57.92 % in terms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 -e) emissions and energy demand compared to conventional cement. This study introduces a novel approach to promoting a circular economy within the building sector. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing number of electric vehicle batteries will reach the end of their life cycle with the fast growth of electric vehicles. Since the recycling of retired electric vehicles batteries is of great significance in the light of resource utilization, ecological protection, energy saving and economic benefits, the proper management of electric vehicle battery recycling (EVBR) is crucial for achieving sustainable development. However, due to the involvement of multiple stakeholders, there are many potential barriers in the process of EVBR, and analyzing these barriers can significantly help the recycling management of waste electric vehicle batteries towards a circular economy. Although the literature has focused on analyzing obstacles to implementing reverse logistics for electric vehicle lithium battery recycling from a manufacturer's perspective, less attention has been paid to analyzing barriers to EVBR from a multi-stakeholder perspective. This paper thus aims to investigate the barriers to EVBR from a multi-stakeholder point of view, identify the main barriers affecting battery recycling, and analyze the interrelationships and hierarchies between these barriers. Based on expert opinions and literature reviews, this paper identifies twenty major barriers to EVBR and uses interpretive structural modelling (ISM) method to determine the interrelationships and hierarchies between the barriers, and finally classifies the barriers to EVBR into a seven-level structural model. Furthermore, matriced impacts corises-multiplcation appliance classement (MICMAC) analysis is applied to categorize the identified barriers to EVBR, and the twenty barriers are finally classified into three categories, namely dependent barriers, linkage barriers, and driver barriers. This paper discusses theoretical insights, managerial and practical implications, and measures to overcome EVBR barriers based on the results, which show that the lack of more appropriate incentives is a major barrier to EVBR implementation. This paper provides a solid theoretical foundation for the further development of battery recycling policies, and will also help relevant stakeholders and governments to better understand these barriers and adopt effective approaches to address them. [Display omitted] • This paper studies the barriers to electric vehicle battery recycling. • A hierarchy of potential electric vehicle battery recycling barriers is identified. • Measures to overcome the barriers to electric vehicle battery recycling are given. • Several key theoretical implications and managerial insights are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic waste has become a major global concern, due to the widespread use of plastics, resulting in plastic waste accumulation in landfills, and poor plastic waste management that has caused discarded plastics to accumulate in oceans, worldwide. Pyrolysis, a thermochemical treatment technique, offers a sustainable and efficient solution by reducing pollution and recovering valuable energy and products. This paper provides an overview of existing pyrolysis techniques for plastic waste and discusses the parameters that influence product yield and selectivity. It explores the impact of different catalysts on the pyrolysis process and offers a comparative assessment with the conventional pyrolysis. By recovering plastic waste through pyrolysis, the dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels can be reduced, bolstering energy sustainability while mitigating plastic waste's environmental repercussions. This paper also discusses the deactivation and regeneration mechanisms of the catalysts, as well as strategies to optimize liquid oil production from plastic waste, highlighting the potential for utilizing pyrolysis-derived liquid oil as a more sustainable energy source. Lastly, the paper includes a discussion on the future outlook of the pyrolysis industry. This review would provide recommendations for future research directions, enabling researchers and stakeholders to identify key areas of interest and develop new projects accordingly. [Display omitted] • Pyrolysis technology has the capability to convert plastic waste into valuable fuels and chemicals. • A comprehensive review of recent advancements in plastics-to-fuels and chemicals technology was presented. • The product yield and selectivity are determined by operating parameters and catalysts. • Emphasis was placed on the importance and significance of establishing a circular economy for plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to investigate how resource strategies, which intend to reduce waste and increase recycling, influence on human exposure to hazardous chemicals from material recycling. In order to examine the flows of hazardous chemicals in recycled material, a mass flow analysis of plastics and paper at European level, including the flow of phthalates, i.e. di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), and benzyl-butyl phthalate (BBP), has been performed. The result for the year 2012 shows that 26% of plastic wastes and 60% of paper consumed in Europe were recycled. This corresponds to the finding that approximately 4% of DEHP and BBP and 18% of DBP annual demands in Europe as raw material re-enter the product cycle with recycled plastics and paper. To examine the potential contribution of the phthalate exposure through recycled plastics and paper, a case study assessing the childhood exposures to phthalates from foods packed in recycled paper and plastics has been performed for 2-year-old children in Denmark. The result verifies that an increase in recycled paperboard and PET bottles in food packaging material causes a significant increase in childhood exposure to DBP corresponding to an additional exposure of 0.116–0.355 μg/kg bw/day; up to 18% of the total DBP exposure in Danish 2-year-olds. While most of the DEHP exposure can be explained, more than 50% of DBP and 70% of BBP exposure sources still remain to be identified. Finally, a conceptual framework for a circular economy based on sustainable and clean resource flows is proposed in order to increase material recycling without increasing adverse health effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By introducing local recovery networks, regional and local environmental authorities can play an important role in facilitating the circular economy. This paper studies a network design problem that encompasses the recovery of separately collected household waste streams, which are collected in containers at civic amenity sites. We formulate a generic tactical-operational container collection problem that will be solved using a mixed integer linear programming approach. This paper makes both a theoretical and practical contribution. We are the first to study a two container vehicle capacity restriction combined with collection site inventory capacities, time windows, shift break time, and shift duration constraints. The model is applied to a number of real-life test instances and scenarios. The results provide insight in how different combinations of scenarios exactly affect the fleet requirements. This not only includes the number of trucks or information under which circumstances an additional truck would (not) be needed, but also the 12-day collection schedule for the collection crews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste generated from electrical and electronic equipment, known as e-waste, is increasing worldwide. Developed countries like those in Europe produce the most significant proportion of e-waste worldwide and, therefore, rely on exporting it to other countries for waste disposal. As Europe is transiting towards a Circular Economy and tackling environmental-related problems, there has been an increase in environmental policies and regulations in this area. This paper presents empirical evidence of how European Union regulations have affected the exports of e-waste. Yearly data from 2010 to 2018 for a panel of 18 European Union countries were analysed using the PCSE (Panel-Corrected Standard Error) estimator. In order to measure environmental regulation, Environmental Tax Revenues from the manufacture of computers, electronic, and optical products were selected. The findings of this paper suggest that taxation is ineffective in reducing e-waste exports, with a tax on manufacturers actually increasing them. Also, high dependence and sub-standard e-waste collection systems increase e-waste exportation. Given that countries often depend on foreign raw materials, a sensible approach would be to invest in collection points for e-waste to take economic advantage of this waste's vital elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The manuscript presents the management of waste from marine vessels and cargo handling companies in a selected European Union port. The main objective of the paper is to analyse and evaluate the existing waste management model in the port of Szczecin in the context of circular economy. The expert research carried out is aimed, inter alia , at identifying which of the solutions currently in use need to be improved from an environmental perspective. These measures could serve as a basis for the development of green logistics chains for waste generated in connection with the organisation of shipping. What is of particular importance in this regard is the information flow, which preferably should be an integral part of an international IT system enabling tracking of waste streams from their place origin to final disposal. In light of the above, it is particularly important to look for solutions which will support the creation and adoption of models providing sufficient control over the entirety of green waste management activities, in line with the circular economy concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education institutions (HEIs) can play a key role in the transition to the circular economy (CE) given their missions, characteristics and role in shaping the coming generations of citizens and leaders. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive examination of HEIs as microcosms for transitioning to circular models. Through a semi-systematic literature review, it focuses on the systemic transformation of HEIs and uses quantitative and qualitative content analysis to map 72 research papers covering the topic. The paper also introduces a methodological approach to address the complex nature of HEIs as intricate systems. The analysis reveals the presence of six main themes relevant to CE implementation in HEIs: education and research; campus physical facilities; tools and activities for greening the campus; material flows and waste management; collaboration, stakeholder engagement and behaviours; and frameworks for CE implementation. The analysis showed a growing interest in CE implementation in HEIs and evidence of the potential of HEIs to foster the transition towards it. However, an organized approach is currently lacking as is an understanding of how to apply CE practices within HEI systems. Recommendations for future research include comparing academic research findings with grey literature from HEI networks and other credible organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The UK is facing tremendous challenges in tackling food waste diversion from landfill. Whilst much effort has been made to prevent food waste, there is still a lack of attention and strategic approach in dealing with resource recovery and valorisation of food waste. This paper presents a systematic framework for sustainable organic waste management and valorisation in the UK through (i) review of current policy framework; (ii) analysis of resource recovery potential from food waste at national, community and organisational levels; (iii) proposition of alternative waste management strategies; and (iv) examination of challenges and opportunities with respect to economic, environment and social dimensions of sustainability of waste management strategies. The paper explores valorisation of source-segregated food waste and mixed waste from the supermarket and households into electricity and transportation fuels, through partially and completely decentralised configurations using anaerobic digestion and gasification technologies. This study demonstrates a potential for reducing the cost of electricity and greenhouse gas emissions of one supermarket store by 12% when adopting partially decentralised food waste anaerobic digestion strategy, and full substitution of fossil fuel based electricity with net surplus renewable electricity generation through complete decentralisation of mixed waste gasification. Therefore, a more integrated, circular and advanced technological approach in waste management should be undertaken as it can lead to a wider range of socio-economic and environmental advantages to the local community, highly essential in the UK. Image 1 • Valorisation of waste closer to the source promotes resource circularity. • A synergistic approach is robust in addressing challenges in waste management. • Technology and configuration determine the viability of valorisation strategies. • Decentralised waste management enhances community participation. • A supportive fiscal incentive scheme promotes uptake of waste valorisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper deals with the efficiency of the 28 European Union (EU) Member States for the years 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014 by employing Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and directional distance function to tackle undesirable outputs. Eight parameters are used, namely municipal solid waste (MSW) generation, employment rate, capital formation, gross domestic product (GDP), population density and for the first time sulphur oxide (SOx), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions from the waste sector for the relevant countries. The innovation of this paper lies in the fact that both new parameters are taken into account and that diverse modelling techniques have been employed in terms of the outputs and inputs used. The empirical results obtained were bias corrected in order to get the correct efficiency scores for each country studied. Overall the most efficient countries were shown to be Germany, Ireland and the UK. These results were then reviewed against the recycling rate of each country for the examined time periods. The recycling rate actually depicts the DEA results, namely more efficient countries seem to have a higher recycling rate too. Moreover the DEA efficiency results were contrasted to the overall treatment options used in the countries under consideration. Overall it is noticed that countries employing all four treatment options with high use of more sustainable ones and decrease in the use of landfill are the ones that also proved to be efficient according to DEA. These results resemble the image of a financial crisis hit Europe which tried to take advantage of the more sustainable treatment options in order to achieve a transition to a circular economy, whereas the value of products, materials and resources needs to be maintained in the economy for as long as possible and the generation of waste minimised. This can be a valuable lesson for policy makers in the design and application of national and EU legislations and directives in order to achieve also the targets towards a circular economy driven Europe. Highlights • Employing DEA to assess national waste generation. • Three novel environmental production frameworks designed. • Directional distance function to tackle undesirable outputs. • Comparison of results with treatment options and recycling rates. • Policy implications under a circular economy approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Industrial symbiosis is realised when companies work collectively and collaboratively to establish ‘waste-to-resource’ exchanges with one another. In previous work, we presented the architecture of a collaboration platform that allows companies to simulate and analyse the economic viability of establishing such waste-to-resource exchanges in the By-product Exchange Network (BEN) model. In this paper, we describe how we enhance the platform with a database engine for waste-to-resource matching. The database engine aims to fill the gap in information and knowledge of what valuable resources can be recovered from wastes or by-products, and what wastes or by-products can be used as substitute raw materials, and what technology or processes are required to make the waste-to-resource conversion happen. The database engine is built on a graph database that models and stores data for waste-to-resource matching, and comprises a query processor for determining the matches from the stored data. The database engine is implemented as a web application and demonstrated through use cases based on paper and food wastes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy paradigm requires new methods to design and operate manufacturing processes. In a production facility, reducing waste as well as optimizing waste management is of fundamental importance for companies aiming at adopting circular economy practices. This paper presents the concept of an intelligent waste management system for the efficient collection and recycling of industrial wastes, focusing on the metalwork-copper industry. The proposed approach facilitates the optimization of resource management in the waste collection process through the elimination of waste and the minimization of process variation, while, along with waste monitoring, consists of steps towards the creation of circular economy ecosystems. A software platform is proposed for receiving and storing waste data from the production, comparing them with expected statistical values and identifying abnormalities and/or deviations from pre-defined thresholds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analysis of EU-28 countries' compliance with EU Waste Hierarchy and its targets. • Innovative composite indicator to encompass priorities and deviations from targets. • Combination of Analytic Hierarchy Process and Goal Programming Synthetic Indicator. • Including prevention for a systemic perspective of waste management performance. • Identified countries with virtuous circular strategies to help lagging countries. The focus of this paper is to evaluate how well European countries are advancing towards a Circular Economy transition and to which extent they are fulfilling the European Union (EU) requirements in terms of municipal waste management. With this aim, an innovative composite indicator is devised by integrating the Goal Programming Synthetic Indicator (GPSI) methodology with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The suggested methodology allows to encompass not only the guidelines provided by the EU directives and the EU Waste Hierarchy, but also the deviations from the EU thresholds. As a first step of the analysis, a dashboard of indicators is identified together with a set of targets that European countries are supposed to meet. Indicators, targets and their relative importance in the dashboard have been discussed and validated by a team of experts. Then, two Goal Programming Synthetic Indicators are computed taking into account two different perspectives. The first one rewards the countries with good performance in the higher level of the Waste Hierarchy, while the second one penalizes countries whose infringements are in the lower part of the Waste Hierarchy. Hence two different systems of aggregating weights are identified by means of the Analytic Hierarchy Process and accordingly two scenarios are explored. The analysis is performed using Eurostat data on 28 European countries from 2013 to 2018. For each year, countries are assessed in terms of their ability to keep the right waste management track delineated by the Waste Hierarchy principles. Countries' ranking over time is first obtained and then interpreted in light of countries policies and achievements, deriving policy suggestions to improve waste management strategy able to reach the expected results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses household behaviour as response to changes in waste management systems. The paper discusses the results of a case study from Vellinge municipality (Sweden), where the introduction of separate food waste collection is thought to have a role in reducing the total amount of household waste and improving the sorting of packaging waste. The study relies on data from official waste statistics and a survey of 117 municipal residents focusing on households' perceptions, attitudes and self-reflected changes in waste sorting behaviour. The respondents mentioned the increased environmental awareness and the convenience of food waste sorting among the primary reasons for the perceived changes in personal waste sorting routines. The study also tested the significance of other variables, such as income, employment, economic activity, socio-demographics, infrastructure, waste tariffs, illegal dumping, and awareness raising campaigns. Most of the variables were static and none showed sufficient correlation to the observed reduction of waste collection rates and the improvements in sorting other waste fractions. The analysed case had particularly high income levels, which were the main dynamic variable under study. The analysis suggests that we may be observing an example of a decoupling between economic growth and waste generation rates. This observation is explained by the Kuznets phenomena and it is being discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic pollution is a ubiquitous and universally recognized environmental threat, and bioplastics have emerged as a potential solution to this issue in the last years. Being biobased and biodegradable, bioplastics have a reduced carbon footprint with respect to plastics, and they are not expected to accumulate and fragmentate in the environments as plastics do. Nevertheless, some bioplastics drawbacks such as their slow biodegradation in engineered (i.e., anaerobic digestion and composting) and natural (i.e., soil and water) environments have been used by sceptics to discredit bioplastics, and this have induced policy makers to use a precautionary approach to the topic (i.e., including bioplastics in the ban of single use products and in the count of inert materials in organic fertilizers). Using a simplified ecologic risk assessment analysis, this Opinion paper aimed to show that bioplastics that are proven to be intrinsically biodegradable are always a better choice than plastics. Having a residence time in natural environments of about 1–10 years, the likelihood of bioplastics causing harmful effects on living organisms is about 100–1000 times lower than plastics that resides thousands of years in the environments. Taking this into consideration, policy makers are asked to revise recent regulations and directives to enhance bioplastics diffusion and fight plastic pollution. In this sense, Single Use Plastic Directive 2019/904 may exclude biodegradable bioplastic items from the ban, and European Regulation on Fertilizers 2019/1009 may exclude biodegradable bioplastics residues from the count of inert materials in organic fertilizers. Bioplastics collection within biowastes and subsequent anaerobic digestion should be also favoured, in order to force controlled bioplastics biodegradation into biogas and reduce their leakage into the environment, resulting in the enhanced circularity of bioplastics products. [Display omitted] • Bioplastics are less hazardous than plastics due to their intrinsic biodegradability. • Policymakers should not be guided solely by the disadvantages of bioplastics. • Single-use plastic Directive needs to exclude biodegradable items from the ban. • Fertilizers regulation should not consider bioplastics' residues as inert materials. • Sorted collection of bioplastics with biowastes and their AD should be enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huge depletion of raw materials, inefficient waste management practices, increasing population and consumerist lifestyles, are even more coping companies with the adoption of Circular Economy (CE) principles in their Business Models (BMs). However, benefits coming from the implementation of CE within companies are not always clear to managers. To this aim, the paper has a multiple purpose. Firstly, the work provides to academics the list of the benefits deriving from CE adoption through a systematic literature review, declined under the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) perspective of sustainability, also by validating and grounding them through four practical use cases. Secondly, the work links CE benefits with a set of CBMs – based on Product-Service Systems (PSSs) – through a set of interviews with experts belonging to the Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) sector, trying to support industrials in both i) detecting benefits related with the adoption of CBMs, ii) increasing their awareness on benefits and iii) reaching them into practice. Given that PSS-based CBMs are renown both by the scientific and industrial community as the most suitable ones to achieve circularity, they were considered as the most appropriate to adopt also in this work. Finally, four use cases coming from the WEEE sector demonstrate how to link CBMs with CE benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The huge amount of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) generated in the world, as well as the adverse impacts on resources depletion, environmental contamination and human health are problems that need to be promptly, effectively and equitably addressed. Among the areas affected by management misconduct and illicit interests, the Campania region represents a paradigmatic case. A lack of detailed information about MSW flows, from collection and through treatment phases, prevents policy-makers and planners from finding appropriate and environmentally and economically sound solutions. As a partial approach to the solution, the authors of this paper outline the structure and functions of a Product Services System (PSS) based MSW management platform. In particular, data collection and elaboration, documentation of MSW flows and detection of environmental and human health impacts and waste prevention/reduction are essential elements of MSW of the system, within which the PSSs can be applied. Real-time sensors, big data analysis tools and online platforms are integrated, as basic tools, to implement the transition to equitable, sustainable circular economies. The solutions will be based upon multi-stakeholder inputs in decision-making to effectively address local needs to implement a re-designed, adaptive, dynamic, MSW management system. The new system must ensure safe and ecologically sound management of the resources in MSWs. As the new management system provides improvements in the environmental and human health and results in an expansion of jobs, it is anticipated that the system could also be useful in other parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract European countries are attempting to promote sustainable development by transitioning from a linear to a circular economy, where waste is to be prevented and recycling activities are promoted. This paper studies the implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies for the packaging waste in two later European adopter countries of waste management policies: Portugal and Spain. The main goal is to evaluate whether EPR policies in both countries have achieved their basic two goals: 1) reduction of waste, and 2) increase recycling activities. Two case-studies were built based on interviews made to main waste management stakeholders. The analysis shows that the implementation of the EPR policies have had a positive impact throughout the years in both countries. Regarding the waste reduction goal, the systems have still not been completely able to detach packaging waste production from economic growth, but they have been able to promote material usage reduction directly through the Green dot fee model adopted. Regarding the increasing of recycling activities, both countries have been able to increase such rates throughout the years, in the direction of the EU targets. Highlights • EPR policies implemented in Spain and Portugal are evaluated. • EPR policies have contributed to packaging waste reduction and increase recycling activities. • EPR policies are having a positive impact throughout the years in both countries. • Some challenges still need to be faced: eco-design promotion and packaging life-cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the Circular Economy (CE) has gained attention as a strategy for achieving sustainable development through cleaner production and reducing waste and pollution. At the same time, digital technologies are recognized as crucial sustainability drivers by enabling efficiency, collaboration, and innovation. This research paper explores the factors that support Green Entrepreneurship (GE) and digitalization in the context of CE and Waste Management (WM) in Indian manufacturing "Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises" (MSMEs). Further, the study prioritizes, establishes a contextual relationship, and clusters the GE factors that enable digitalization in the CE and WM of Indian manufacturing MSMEs. To meet research goals, the study uses a mixed-methods approach that includes a literature review, qualitative interviews with MSME managers, and theoretical support (stakeholder theory, resource-based view, dynamic capability theory, met expectation theory, and upper echelons theory) to find the enablers. Further, two-phase "Multi-Criteria Decision Making" (MCDM) tools are utilized. Initially, the quantitative "Best-Worst Method" (BWM) was used for ranking, and then "Total Interpretive Structural Modeling" (TISM) was used to establish a mutual relationship among the enablers. The strength of relationships among the enablers was established based on "dependence power" (DEP) and "driving power" (DRP). The findings through BWM analysis show that among the main category, technology-based enablers, and among sub-categories, top management and organizational coordination are the high-priority enablers/sub-enablers to optimize sustainable action. The findings also suggest that technology infrastructure for cleaner and sustainable manufacturing, knowledge of green entrepreneurs, training, the dynamic capacities of digitalization towards a CE, subsidies, and finance are driving enablers. The research contributes to understanding the enabling factors of GE and digitalization and their interdependencies for CE and sustainable development. [Display omitted] • Green Entrepreneurship and Digitalization drive Sustainable Waste Management and Circular Economy. • Top management and organizational coordination are crucial for sustainable action. • Infrastructure and knowledge drive digitalization in the Circular Economy. • Digitalization and green entrepreneurship complement the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid population growth and urbanisation have accelerated waste generation, and effective waste management has become a major challenge worldwide. With advances in technology and management methods, waste management strategies have begun embracing digitalisation, leveraging the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, cloud/edge computing, machine learning, 5G communication, and blockchain technologies. Amongst them, the blockchain technology has the structural features of achieving information security and integrity without central guarantees. Blockchain also meets the data record/storage needs of waste management and the design of new mechanisms for effective waste management. These benefits make blockchain an attractive technology in the field of waste management, with researchers and practitioners alike investigating its broad applications to support sustainable waste management. However, this emerging technology has not yet been widely accepted by potential users. To further champion the application of blockchain technology, this review paper provides a systematic overview of the various pathways in which the technology has been applied in the waste management industry and further discusses its related challenges and opportunities via considering the promising prospect of combining blockchain technology with IoT, artificial intelligence (AI) and life cycle assessment (LCA). This review also provides insights for interpreting some emerging applications of blockchain in the field of waste management and clarifying the research paths in the context of blockchain, digitalised waste management, and circular economy. [Display omitted] • Impacts of blockchain technology on waste management have been substantial. • Recent development from blockchain's functional perspectives was surveyed. • There is a long way towards blockchain-based sustainable waste management. • Relevant challenges and opportunities in blockchain applications were discussed. • Outlooks in digitalised waste management and circular economy were clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To mitigate climate change while catering to the needs of a growing population, cities need to find smarter ways to manage their resources, while reducing their greenhouse gas emissions. Since waste management and circular economy will be instrumental in this endeavour, the current level of circularity in cities, the environmental impact of related activities and sharable best practices need to be explored. This paper examines the roadmap to zero emissions of the 362 cities that expressed interest in the Horizon Europe 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities Mission. Based on an unprecedented suite of city inputs, this study answers a set of research questions so far unaddressed due to the lack of a suitable dataset. The analysis focusses on a) current actions undertaken by cities in achieving a circular economy and reducing/optimising waste streams, b) envisioned circular actions in supporting climate neutrality by 2030, and c) urban sectors and metabolic flows for which circularity has a particularly high potential to mitigate climate change. Best practices are captured to create an informative set of actions aimed at policy-makers and at encouraging peer-to-peer learning. Finally, the barriers to incrementing circular approaches that emerge from the cities' self-assessments are compared to those identified in existing scientific literature to provide input for a more comprehensive conceptual framework. Overall, this study distils how circular economy imaginaries are translated into local governance and policy-making by focussing on a large group of cities. This is key to truly understand why some initiatives fail and others succeed and can inform all relevant stakeholders on the next steps to take. • Circular economy can be a strategy for cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. • Data from 362 cities pursuing climate neutrality is analysed. • Policy evolution, current/future actions, and barriers for circularity are examined. • Digital solutions, co-creation with citizens, and innovation are key strategies. • Frontiers for circularity are in construction, bioeconomy, and valorisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the circular economy primarily focuses on closing supply chains, residual waste management, and product lifetime extensions, reducing resource use remains critical. This paper examines the system-wide impacts of reducing resource use using a multisectoral computable general equilibrium model. Although not strictly circular, the focus is on a costless 'technology shock' that reduces the consumption of intermediate goods in the construction sector and its system-wide effects. The results suggest that there is potential for reductions in CO 2 emissions, but this is accompanied with a fall in GDP and employment, with unskilled workers experiencing larger negative employment effects. However, the scale of these GDP and employment effects is small, despite relatively large reductions in resource use. This indicates that technology-induced reductions in resource use have the potential to support the transition towards an economy that uses fewer resources without causing significant disruptions at the macroeconomic level. • 'More for less' is of importance in the transition towards a more circular economy. • Assess implications of an improvement in the resource-use intensity of construction. • Employ a dynamic, multi-sectoral computable general equilibrium model for Germany. • Identify a slight trade-off between the resource-use improvement and economic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about the increasing global consumption of non-renewable resources as well as shortages of primary raw materials and reduction of space available for final disposal of waste are raising important issues for the society. Additionally, the unsustainable treatment of resources belongs to the main concerns of the EU, resulting in the development of strategies for maximizing recycling rates in order to minimize environmental impacts and energy consumption caused by extraction of primary materials. In this paper, the Material Passport (MP) method, which evaluates the recycling potential and environmental impact of materials embedded in buildings, is demonstrated on a use case - a demolition object, in order to test its applicability at the end-of-life stage as well as to assess the recycling potential of the existing building. Three acquisition methods were applied on the use case in order to obtain information on the material composition as well as geometrical information: laser scanning, demolition acquisition (DA) and Urban Mining assessment (UMA), with regards to the quality and separability of the materials. A BIM-Model (Building Information Modelling) was generated, integrating the acquired data, as well as serving as knowledge database, from which element lists with incorporated materials were exported and mapped to the regarding recycling grade. As a result, an MP is generated for the exterior walls and the foundation, delivering information on the total masses, the share of recycling and waste masses, as well as the environmental impacts. The recycling potential of the exterior walls is ~52%, whereby the foundation has a recycling potential of ~20%. The existence of an MP at the end-of-life stage of a building can be seen as an outstanding advantage regarding recycling and reuse, thus supporting circularity and sustainability in the construction sector. • A thorough acquisition of existing buildings is required for the MP. • The MP enables the assessment of existing buildings' recycling potential. • The MP can serve as valuable documentation for a transition to circular economy. • The BIM-based method enables an extraction of exact quantities of a building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A bibliometric and selected literature review based on 670 papers was perfomed. • A comprehensive overview of plastic pyrolysis landscape is unraveling. • Spain is the most productive country in plastic pyrolysis research. • Plastic pyrolysis is and will still being a research trend in the coming years. • Plastic to fuel conversion has the potential to severely limit plastic pollution. Plastic materials have been crucial to the development of science, technology, and almost all aspects of modern progress since the mid-twentieth century. However, the increasingly unsustainable culture of plastic consumption and the accumulation of plastics in landfills, oceans, and broader ecosystems has also made negative, potentially irreversible environmental impacts. In recent decades, scientists and engineers have spent significant time and resources searching for more effective plastic waste management techniques based on thermochemical routes like pyrolysis. Indeed, plastic to fuel conversion has the potential to severely limit plastic pollution and to contribute to the circular economy, but industrial scale plastic pyrolysis has not been achieved. Therefore, this paper presents a bibliometric analysis and systematic literature review of pyrolysis-related articles in the Web of Science database published between 2001–2020. The resulting articles (n = 670) show that Spain is the most productive country in terms of total output and that there are an increasing number of researchers focused on this topic worldwide. The results also highlight the current landscape and future directions of plastic pyrolysis research based on the following hot topics: i) kinetic triplets as a vital component of plastic pyrolysis and scaling up processes, ii) catalysts syntheses and performance, iii) co-pyrolysis of plastic/biomass mixtures, and iv) reactor design and reaction parameters. In conclusion, the study offers a comprehensive overview of plastic pyrolysis progress, which will remain a major area of research for chemists and engineers in the coming decade and a powerful tool for environmental management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A successful transition to a Circular Economy, as promoted by the European Commission, requires solid information on the future availability of anthropogenic resources. Anthropogenic resources are human-made material stocks and flows, such as old landfills, buildings or different waste streams. A case study approach was adopted in this paper to investigate the role of the classification of anthropogenic resources in supporting the transition to a Circular Economy. The first objective is to identify the motivation and scope of the reviewed case studies. The second objective is to investigate to what extent they address the challenges linked to anthropogenic resource recovery. The third objective is to elicit in how far resource classification can contribute to promote anthropogenic resource recovery and to support the EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy. This paper includes case studies that classify materials recovered from old landfills, built infrastructure, national secondary metal stocks, electrical and electronic waste and waste incineration residues. With respect to anthropogenic resource recovery, five areas were identified, in which resource classification can have a meaningful contribution in the future, namely in knowledge management, research and development, policy support, (pre-) feasibility studies, and marketing. In a wider Circular Economy context, resource classification can play a key role in assessing anthropogenic resources in analogy to natural resources for integrated resource management. Further, it can be useful to improve communication along the value chain, e.g., to optimize waste management operations, processes and products for enhanced resource recovery and recyclability. Resource classification can also help compare different Circular Economy options. The paper concludes that a standardized classification, which encompasses guidance on detailed assessment of different types of anthropogenic resources, is necessary. This should take into account the fact that the availability of resources does not solely depend on the material quantities, but also on the technical, operational, economic, social, environmental and regulatory conditions which cumulatively enable or prevent recovery of these resources. • Information on available anthropogenic resources is key for a Circular Economy. • Anthropogenic resources can be assessed in analogy to natural resources. • Reviewed studies classify old landfills, built infrastructure, metal stocks, e-waste and waste incineration residues. • Different Circular Economy options could be compared in the future. • A standardized classification methodology for different types of anthropogenic resources is necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows how to constructively engage with waste and resource management frameworks, by clarifying their role in the societal discourse on waste and resources, providing insight into their step-based structure, and how they draw on different definitions of ‘waste’ and ‘resource.’ Through use of the concepts of ‘frame,’ ‘collective action frame’ and ‘logics,’ a language and conceptual toolbox is made available that facilitates a constructive debate around such frameworks. Ten waste and resource management frameworks are included here, among which are the five frameworks that are part of the synthesis of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation's Circular Economy framework: Cradle-to-Cradle™ by Braungart and McDonough, the Performance Economy by Walter Stahel, the Blue Economy by Gunter Pauli, Regenerative Design by John Lyle and the Industrial Symbiosis framework. A case is made for the careful consideration, creation, use and further development of such frameworks and directions are provided for the further development of the CE concept into a robust concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of small entrepreneurial companies and their partnerships with large corporations to advance the circular economy (CE). The authors provide insights from a U.S.-based empirical study that involved 12 companies and examined the emerging drivers, current challenges and future opportunities for advancing waste repurposing and product reuse. Many large companies fail to incorporate CE principles into their business strategy due to lack of mandates, costs, logistical hurdles and inertia. This presents an opportunity for entrepreneurial companies with innovative business models to fill the gap and provide critical links for corporations in reverse supply chains while creating new business opportunities with social benefits. The study found that despite the lack of federal regulations in the U.S. a growing number of corporations are partnering with entrepreneurs to reduce waste and advance product reuse. Key drivers for such trends include sustainability commitments and zero waste goals by companies and municipalities, European Union and U.S. state mandates, reputation and the growing focus on local sourcing. Technology, knowledge, and strategic partnerships between entrepreneurs and corporations play a critical role in reducing financial costs, time, energy, environmental impacts and resources, thus helping establish viable business models. The authors propose a new framework for corporate-entrepreneur collaborations to advance a CE. The study contributes to the research on the relationship between entrepreneurial innovation and the development of CE principles within corporate supply chains, a field that is still in its infant stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing schemes of solid waste handling have been improved implementing advanced systems for recovery and reuse of various materials. Nowadays, the ‘zero waste’ concept is becoming more topical through the reduction of disposed waste. Recovery of metals, nutrients and other materials that can be returned to the material cycles still remain as a challenge for future. Landfill mining (LFM) is one of the approaches that can deal with former dumpsites, and derived materials may become important for circular economy within the concept ‘beyond the zero waste’. Perspectives of material recovery can include recycling of critical industrial metals, including rare earth elements (REEs). The LFM projects performed in the Baltic Region along with a conventional source separation of iron-scrap, plastics etc. have shown that the potential of fine-grained fractions (including clay and colloidal matter) of excavated waste have considerably large amounts of potentially valuable metals and distinct REEs. In this paper analytical screening studies are discussed extending the understanding of element content in fine fraction of waste derived from excavated, separated and screened waste in a perspective of circular economy. Technological feasibility was evaluated by using modified sequential extraction technique where easy extractable amount of metals can be estimated. Results revealed that considerable concentrations of Mn (418–823 mg/kg), Ni (41–84 mg/kg), Co (10.7–19.3 mg/kg) and Cd (1.0–3.0 mg/kg) were detected in fine fraction (<10 mm) of waste sampled from Högbytorp landfill, while Cr (49–518 mg/kg) and Pb (30–264 mg/kg) were found in fine fraction (<10 mm) of waste from Torma landfill revealing wide heterogeneity of tested samples. Waste should become a utilizable resource closing the loop of anthropogenic material cycle as the hidden potential of valuable materials in dumps is considerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews studies of the environmental impact of textile reuse and recycling, to provide a summary of the current knowledge and point out areas for further research. Forty-one studies were reviewed, whereof 85% deal with recycling and 41% with reuse (27% cover both reuse and recycling). Fibre recycling is the most studied recycling type (57%), followed by polymer/oligomer recycling (37%), monomer recycling (29%), and fabric recycling (14%). Cotton (76%) and polyester (63%) are the most studied materials. The reviewed publications provide strong support for claims that textile reuse and recycling in general reduce environmental impact compared to incineration and landfilling, and that reuse is more beneficial than recycling. The studies do, however, expose scenarios under which reuse and recycling are not beneficial for certain environmental impacts. For example, as benefits mainly arise due to the avoided production of new products, benefits may not occur in cases with low replacement rates or if the avoided production processes are relatively clean. Also, for reuse, induced customer transport may cause environmental impact that exceeds the benefits of avoided production, unless the use phase is sufficiently extended. In terms of critical methodological assumptions, authors most often assume that textiles sent to recycling are wastes free of environmental burden, and that reused products and products made from recycled materials replace products made from virgin fibres. Examples of other content mapped in the review are: trends of publications over time, common aims and geographical scopes, commonly included and omitted impact categories, available sources of primary inventory data, knowledge gaps and future research needs. The latter include the need to study cascade systems, to explore the potential of combining various reuse and recycling routes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transformation of the energy systems encompasses technological, societal, cultural, economic, and environmental aspects and calls for a more important role for citizens and communities. Bioenergy systems are subjects to legal, technical, environmental, economic, and social settings. At the regional level, bioenergy can incorporate agricultural traditions and offer waste-management solutions. Many are the stakeholders, with different perceptions and sometimes, conflictual interests. This study is a multidisciplinary, comprehensive review of recently published papers, on legal, technical, economic, and environmental layers of the bioenergy. It highlights the role of bioenergy in the transition to a Circular waste-based Bioeconomy. Three dimensions of sustainability (environmental, economic, and social) were discussed and some thermodynamic (energy, exergy, emergy) and environmental indicators applied to bioenergy systems, were cited. Findings conclude that in the context of Circular Bioeconomy, global bioenergy sector may face challenges, due to the new demand for biomaterials from the same sources. Bioenergy sustainable pathways should be selected at the base of high efficiency, towards closing loops and in the concept of cascade and integrated biorefineries. At the regional level, bioenergy systems may be integrated with the cascade biorefinery models or can offer waste management solutions by stand-alone, tailor-made decentralized systems. In redesigning the bioenergy sector, local knowledge, public health, and community's resilience should not be neglected, while social-environmental benefits should be considered in addressing the viability of bioenergy plants. Social acceptance can be improved by a better understanding of the scientific and technical issues and by developing a broader consciousness of the planet and life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While gypsum can effectively be recycled, most gypsum waste (GW) is currently landfilled in the European Union. In order to achieve higher recovery rates and promote a closed-loop supply chain, it is necessary that stakeholders can implement best practices, in particular from waste production to waste processing, processes that are part of the end-of-life (EoL) stage. In this stage, waste production cannot be reduced, and therefore the priority should be to appropriately collect and recover EoL products. The aim of the paper is to investigate best practices for the management of EoL gypsum in a circular economy. To achieve this, best practices for the management of EoL construction products are selected from the literature, adapted to the case of EoL gypsum and subjected to stakeholder consultation. Results revealed significant differences in the waste management practices between two target groups: gypsum recycling and non-gypsum recycling countries. It is concluded that three best practices are fundamental to promote a circular economy for gypsum products: on-site segregation of GW, clear waste acceptance criteria and clear recycled gypsum quality criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fully contribute to sustainable development, circular economy has to devote more attention to social inclusion. This paper thoroughly analyzed the literature, answering the research question: how is circular economy embracing social inclusion? The research design applied quantitative and qualitative strategies. Bibliometric quantitative analysis with the aid of VosViewer, the RStudio software, and Bibliometrix Package were employed. An inductive content analysis was undertaken to analyze the themes of circular economy and social inclusion, applying NVivo software. The results brought out six clusters: (i) reverse logistics and recycling, (ii) circular economy and innovation, (iii) social innovation, (iv) sustainable supply chains, (v) bioeconomy, and (vi) closed-loop supply chain. Our findings showed that the circular strategies of reuse and reduce were the focus of the surveyed literature, while consumers and communities were the key stakeholders addressed. Recycling was directly linked to waste management and the inclusion of waste pickers in developing countries. As future research themes, it highlighted more theoretical and empirical research about community and consumer engagement in circular practices, besides the importance of entrepreneurship and social innovation to intensify circular practices embracing social inclusion. • The literature focused on reuse and reduce as circular strategies. • The key stakeholders addressed were consumers and communities. • Recycling was linked to waste management and the inclusion of waste pickers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent global diffusion of circular economy regulatory policy packages (CERPPs) raises questions over their extent, composition, and potential effectiveness. While research into circular economy (CE) regulation is growing, a dearth of analyses of the optimal design of CE policy packages presents a clear gap in the literature. This paper therefore surveys current waste management policy to identify the degree to which circular economy principles are being translated into public policy globally. Examining resource use and waste management policy in 60 countries, the paper first provides a snapshot of the global spread of CE policy packages. Secondly, the assessment framework is applied to three case studies of recent CE policy packages from Finland, Greece and South Korea. These cases fall some way short of theoretical optimality, suggesting that long-term CERPP effectiveness is questionable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This contribution starts from the broad perspective of the global material cycles, analysing the main resource and pollution issues world-wide from the viewpoint of the disturbances to these cycles caused by human activities. The issues are analysed in the light of the currently developing COVID-19 pandemic with the resulting behavioural and business pattern changes. It has been revealed in the analysis of previous reviews that there is a need for a more comprehensive analysis of the resource and environmental impact contributions by industrial and urban processes, as well as product supply chains. The review discusses the recent key developments in the areas of Process Integration and Optimisation, the assessment and reduction of process environmental impacts, waste management and integration, green technologies. That is accompanied by a review of the papers in the current Virtual Special Issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production which is dedicated to the extended articles developed on the basis of the papers presented at the 22nd Conference on Process Integration for Energy Saving and Pollution Reduction. The follow-up analysis reveals significant advances in the efficiency and emission cleaning effects of key processes, as well as water/wastewater management and energy storage. The further analysis of the developments identifies several key areas for further research and development – including increases of the safety and robustness of supply networks for products and services, increase of the resources use efficiency of core production and resource conversion processes, as well as the emphasis on improved product and process design for minimising product wastage. • Overview of advances in waste reuse and cleaning, energy storage, renewables. • COVID-19 facilitated increasing the safety and robustness of supply networks. • Resource efficiency increase of core production and resource conversion processes. • Assessment of GHG footprints and suggestions for emissions reduction. • VSI PRES′19 overview considering the impact of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 21 s t century globalization and growth are being accompanied by a tremendous use of residential building materials and has increased the demand for aggregates in concrete-based materials. In the context of France, natural aggregate quarries are dispatched throughout the various regions and generally seem to satisfy the need for aggregates in residential construction. Such however is not the case in those fast growing cities/regions with few natural aggregate quarries. As a follow-up to the waste framework directive 2008/98/EC urging better resource use, this paper explores the ability to achieve circularity practices in residential building materials in French regions. To do so, the framework proposed in this paper aims to close the loop of residential building materials in France and reduce its natural aggregates' consumption. Stock and flows of materials consumed, construction and demolition wastes generated and recycled materials from this sector were assessed through a regional-level material flow analysis. Based on our results, an average reduction in regional natural aggregate extraction of 20 % is obtained when using stock and flows of recycled aggregates stemming from the residential component of construction and demolition wastes and re-injected in new dwellings. The residential wastes employed to reduce natural resource extraction include: concrete, block concrete, stone, solid and hollow bricks from baked clay, tiles, mortar, mineral plaster, glass, sand, and asphalt. The findings of this study also present an overview of the locks and opportunities to achieving the sustainable use of residential building materials. Image 1 • Guidelines for circular economy in French residential sector are provided. • Framework approach for identifying the potential stock of residential building materials is provided. • Main locks and opportunities to unleash the implementation of circular economy in French residential sector are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is estimated 30.8 million tonnes of waste is generated by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in England, more than is generated by households. Despite this there is surprisingly limited research nationally and internationally on the management of waste from SMEs. In England businesses have a Duty of Care to ensure that their waste is managed in a responsible way and it is illegal for them to household waste services. This paper presents the results from semi-structured interviews and site visits with 100 SMEs to assess levels of compliance with Duty of Care. It also presents the results of analysing 3.8 tonnes of household waste to identify levels of waste from SMEs illegally entering the household stream. The author believes this is the first study which attempts to estimate levels of business waste abuse of household services through undertaking waste composition analysis. With policy makers increasingly focusing on the Circular Economy the research is the first to estimate levels of resource leakage of recyclable and biowaste from SMEs into the household waste stream. 25% of SMEs interviewed were found to be illegally using household services for their waste, and 38% for their recycling. Waste composition analysis of household waste found that 6% of the waste sampled was from SMEs and that 77% of this waste was biowaste or dry recyclable materials that could have been diverted from disposal through recycling programmes. The paper considers the implications of these findings and presents recommendations to improve the management of the SME waste stream. • In England 30.8 million tonnes of waste is generated by SMEs. • It is illegal for businesses to use household waste services. • Of 100 SMEs interviewed 25% used household services for waste and 38% for recycling. • Of 3.8 tonnes of household residual waste analysed 6% was from SMEs. • 77% was dry recyclable material or biowaste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food chain has produced a break of carbon and nutrient cycles causing problems in local and global environment. It induces a growing use of chemical fertilizers, irrigation needs, energy use and green-house gases emissions. It also reduces the resilience of soils to climate change. This paper describes a technological process to restore the broken cycle of organic matter. The process is based on an anaerobic digestion followed by a composting enriched with earthworms, to produce bio-methane and humus in an optimised chain. Multiple are the environmental benefits: to produce a fuel with carbon dioxide emissions balanced, to enrich soils reducing the need of irrigation and the need of chemical fertilizers. Meanwhile the humus produced increases the carbon stock of soils and improve the carbon fixed by photosynthesis, closing the carbon cycle. The comparison of data of humus produced by composting and the “combined anaerobic digestion and composting” proposed are quite similar. Therefore the added value of the process described is the production of a renewable methane and avoiding its dispersion in the atmosphere; we remember that methane has a GWP 20 = 56. Adding earthworms in the composting treatment enrichs compost with hormones which increase the growth of plants, reducing the fertilising needs. It implies a reduction of Nitrous Oxide (N 2 O) produced by denitrifying bacteria that has a GWP 100 = 265 (IPCC, 2013). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food processing industry continues to grow, generating large amount of organically rich waste flows per year: these processors face significant economic and environmental pressures for appropriate conversion and disposal of these waste flows. Solid waste disposal problems, mostly in highly urbanized environments, energy shortages (primarily oil) and/or high petroleum prices, as well as environmental issues such as the shrinking landfill capacity, can all be addressed by converting waste material into useful and saleable products. This paper brings to the attention a possible strategy in order to meet the general EU directives concerning the residues utilization and percentage contribution for the total energy consumption by 2020, by evaluating the use of animal by-products (category 3, as defined in the directive 2002/1774/EC) for energy purposes. Slaughterhouse waste represents an important potential source of renewable energy: on average, 40–50% of a live animal is waste, with a potential energy content close to diesel fuel. Treatment of animal waste from slaughterhouse and the subsequent conversion to electricity is investigated as a case study in the Campania Region (Italy): the animal waste undergoes a rendering process, to separate a protein-rich fraction useful for animal meal production and a fat-rich fraction, to be combusted in a diesel engine for power and heat generation (CHP). An environmental assessment of the entire process is performed by means of LCA, providing a quantitative understanding of the plant processing. The study aims to understand to what extent electricity production from animal fat is environmentally sound and if there are steps and/or components that require further attention. The environmental impacts of the electricity production from animal waste are investigated adopting different points of view and they are also compared to the impacts of Italian electricity production (mix of fossil fuels and renewables). The study confirms that waste recovery represents a triple win solution, dealing simultaneously with human security, pollution, and, last but not least, energy recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nitrogen metabolism of the city of Suzhou, China, is assessed on a multi-sectoral, nexus basis. • Sustainability of technological interventions is evaluated according to the Triple Bottom Line. • Data and model uncertainty are accounted for. • Recommendations on realizing a more circular economy for the city are made. The urban socioeconomic metabolism of multiple flows of resources is highly complex. Our concern is that of moderating the environmental burden and intensity of this metabolism and elevating its "circularity" through technological interventions in the composition of urban infrastructure. The paper addresses present and possible future patterns of the nitrogen (N) metabolism of Suzhou, China, using a Multi-sectoral Systems Analysis (MSA) model of the water, energy, food, forestry, and waste management sectors of the city's infrastructure and economy. Two of the Triple Bottom Lines are employed in the assessment: those of the economic feasibility and the environmental benignity of the technological interventions. Environmental benignity is gauged by three Metabolic Performance Metrics (MPMs). 15 scenarios of these interventions are assessed, each being a different combination of introducing four particular promising technologies. The MPMs allow ranking of the scenarios according to, first, the ratio of incoming resource flows into the city and outgoing socio-economically beneficial products and, second, the rates at which "wastes" of no value are released to the atmosphere (as air pollutants), hydrosphere (water pollutants), and the lithosphere (solid wastes). The economic feasibility of the options can similarly be ranked according to the monetary values of resources (such as clean water or energy) that are saved by lowered urban consumption or that are recovered (such as biofuels or fertilizer) for beneficial re-circulation and re-use. All four candidate technological innovations are associated with the water and waste management sectors of urban infrastructure. We show that the trio of urine-separating technology, cultivation of algal biomass in wastewater treatment, and pyrolysis of animal manure can achieve an expected net annual economic benefit of 1.4B Yuan, together with the potential to recover some 31 Gg N yr−1. Notably, our computational assessment accounts for uncertainty, using Monte Carlo simulation and sensitivity testing. In particular, we examine how uncertainty may significantly undermine the conclusions we may draw about the promise of any given technological innovation vis à vis another alternative. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large quantities of food waste challenge sustainable development and there is significant value in the proper treatment of such waste. There are several food waste treatment technologies available, and food waste valorization requires planning for the collection, transportation, pre-treatment, treatment, and product sales. Managers need comprehensive system management objectives and strategies to promote the circular economy. To determine the optimal network design for food waste management systems, this paper develops a multi-objective mixed integer non-linear model from economic, energy, environmental, and social perspectives that integrates different treatment technologies into the three-phase separation pre-treatment. The proposed model was applied to a food waste management system in Chongqing, China, and the effects of different decision preferences of the managers, the water and grease proportion in the food waste on the optimization results were analyzed and discussed. It was found that different grease and water proportions influenced the optimal application of the technologies and system management decisions. With a 10% to 15% grease proportion, composting was seen to be more suitable than incineration or anaerobic digestion treatments, and the simultaneous application of multiple technologies was seen to be beneficial for food waste management systems. • A food waste system management model that integrates economic, environmental, energy, and social objectives is proposed. • Multi-technology integration based on three-phase separation pretreatment is beneficial. • Grease and water proportions in food waste affect the optimal management strategies. • Appropriate technology application can positively contribute to the achievement of objectives. • Decision-making preferences of decision makers can affect food waste recovery rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the obligations assumed by Croatian accession to the European Union in 2013, municipal waste still mainly ends at landfills, even in regions where significant investments were made in waste management centres based on mechanical-biological treatment, and in which mixed waste is collected and processed into refuse-derived fuel and disposed at so-called bioreactor landfills. Waste management sector in Croatia necessitates substantial restructuring if it is to achieve compliance with circular economy. Since Croatia is far from achieving specific targets, in 2016 an attempt was made to adopt a strategic waste management document that would have paved the way to reaching circular economy targets, but its contents were substantially modified in course of its adoption, preserving the concept devised a decade and half ago. The paper presents waste and circularity indicators for Croatia, analyses national policies, targets, achievements and EU recommendations, and proposes the measures which would accelerate Croatia's path towards circular economy, resource efficiency, reduction of marine litter in the Adriatic and bio economy. The model is applicable to other countries in transition and those which still rely on landfilling and linear economy concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste-to-Chemicals production represents a sustainable pathway considering the new Circular Economy approach and the environmental problems related to waste disposal management. This paper concerns about the LDPE production starting from a nonrecyclable plastic waste feedstock, providing a solution to both plastic demand and plastic waste disposal. The proposed process combines different technologies starting from a high temperature gasification of waste, which leads to a no tar syngas production. The present paper provides a feasibility analysis in order to reach an interesting product yield and an innovative process configuration, reporting the overall plant block scheme and the Process Flow Diagram. The heat and material balances of the entire production chain, including the steam production, the byproducts separations and the plant furnace units, were developed via the simulation software Aspen Plus V8.0. The paper shows each simulator flowsheet of some significant plant sections, reporting all the necessary equipment and thermal recoveries and the properties of each plant unit outlet stream. Last but not at least a feedstock analysis is developed by comparing the mixed plastic feedstock to the RDF one, showing the resulting data and considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy is receiving increasing attention as having the potential to break with the current linear economy of unsustainable production and consumption. A circular economy promotes system innovations that aim to design out waste, increase resource-efficiency, and achieve a better balance between economy, environment and society. Ensuring a successful transition to a circular economy requires the ability to measure and report on progress. Currently, there are three levels of indicators for measuring circular economy: macro (global, national, regional, city), meso (industrial symbiosis, eco-industrial parks), and micro (single firm, product). A detailed understanding of how to measure and document progress towards a circular economy is lacking, especially on a micro level. This is a barrier for both producers who want to provide circular products and services, and for the consumers who want to know how to compare products. This paper helps to open the black box, not by developing a method for measurement, but by categorizing and assessing what is already being done. This paper reviews 30 indicators of a circular economy at the micro level, where the majority of indicators focused on recycling, end-of-life management or remanufacturing, while fewer indicators consider disassembly, lifetime extension, waste management, resource-efficiency or reuse, and the majority of the papers are published in the last few years. There is no commonly accepted way of measuring circular economy in general at the micro level, nor within the different circular economy principles of recycling, remanufacturing etc. As circular economy often is presented as a means to a sustainable development, the alignment between the three dimensions of sustainability and the reviewed indicators is analyzed, which showed that the majority of indicators focus on economic aspects, with environmental and especially social aspects included to a lesser extent. This biased approach to circular economy that favors economic aspects over environmental and social impacts can lead to sub-optimizations when companies apply circular economy and may lead to a narrower approach to sustainability than what has previously been the case. For future research it can be interesting to explore if the same bias exists on meso and macro level, but also to analyze how a more coherent approach can be standardized on micro level. • There is no common standard for how to measure micro level circularity. • 30 indicators for micro level CE are reviewed and analyzed. • The majority of micro level indicators focus on the outer circle of CE. • A limited number of indicators focus on the inner circles of CE. • Most indicators focus on economy with limited attention to environment and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This VSI focuses on what cross-cutting insights might be gained from research to increase the energy/materials circularity and the contribution of eco-innovation, cleaner consumption, and waste management to produce a logical body of knowledge that may lead to increased resilience and a sustainable Planet. The articles' collection shows development trends of sustainable, cleaner production under the Special Issue: A Resilient and Sustainable World. Some selected d papers have been presented and emerged from the 10th and 11th International Workshop on Advances in Cleaner Production (IWACP), held in hybrid mode in Italy (Ferrata and Florence). The contribution of the articles in this Special Issue could be divided into efforts toward sustainable and cleaner production, aiming (i) Eco-innovation for cleaner production and circular economy, (ii) Proper monitoring and identification of cleaner production, circular economy, and eco-innovation, (iii) cleaner production, circular economy and eco-innovation targeting social wellbeing and cleaner environment, (iv) cleaner production, circular economy and eco-innovation targeting emission reduction, and (v) cleaner production, circular economy and eco-innovation targeting improved and optimized production processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast and uncontrolled population growth, combined with increasing urbanisation and the negative effects of modern lifestyles, has left cities facing numerous challenges. One of the challenges is the production of urban waste on a large scale. According to goals established in Directive (2008)/851, all European Member States should ensure that biowaste is separated at the source by December 31, 2023. This directive aims to improve household and organic waste programmes and ensure a progressive transition towards a circular economy. In this context, the active participation of citizens is fundamental. This paper aims to identify, analyse, and integrate into a comprehensive framework, how psychosocial factors have been presented in the literature. Socio-demographic characteristics and communicational/educational interventions on household organic waste are also examined, along with how circular economy principles can be applied to organic waste management. A systematic literature review was performed to develop the new framework. The results of the study highlight that researchers who have published on the subject have mainly focused on infrastructural issues, and only 23% of the reviewed articles addressed one or more psychosocial factors. Moreover, household, organic waste separation behaviour is influenced by levels of education as well as perceived convenience and social norms. On the other hand, the results show that it is not possible to state with scientific precision the effective impact of communication and education campaigns on this type of behaviour. The proposed framework is useful to guide policymakers in defining strategies for waste prevention. Furthermore, researchers and practitioners can benefit, since scientific knowledge on household organic waste has been summarised and conceptualised, providing recommendations for future research paths. [Display omitted] • Systematic literature review on household organic waste management. • Psychosocial and socio-demographic factors influence organic waste management. • A new framework was proposed to identify dimensions' impact on Directive 2008/851. • The framework supports the definition of strategies for organic waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A circular economy has been proposed as a sustainable alternative to our current linear economic system, mainly by recirculating material resources for new product development. To understand resource recirculation in practice, this paper analyses over 50 examples of products developed from discarded materials, categorising them into the recovery routes described in the circular economy literature. The examples were obtained during interviews with waste management professionals and designers who had developed products with discards. Practical challenges to implementing a circular economy were identified based on the example categorisation and comments from the interviews. The main difference observed was that the examples mostly recirculate resources to make different types of products, whereas a circular economy requires manufacturing companies to take back their own products to secure their material resources. This is partly because in practice the material collection system in place is waste management, rather than manufacturing-centred take-back systems. A revised model for recovery routes in society in which waste management is allocated an important role in facilitating material recirculation is therefore presented. The study highlights that current product design is facing a new challenge of anticipating social, economic and environmental challenges to realise the goals of a circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of circular economy (CE) is to an increasing extent treated as a solution to series of challenges such as waste generation, resource scarcity and sustaining economic benefits. However the concept of circularity is not of novel as such. Specific circumstances and motivations have stimulated ideas relevant to circularity in the past through activities such as reuse, remanufacturing or recycling. Main objectives of this work are: to provide a comprehensive review of research efforts encompassing aspects of resources scarcity, waste generation and economic advantages; to explore the CE landscape in the context of these three aspects especially when they are considered simultaneously; based on an idea of a comprehensive CE framework, propose an implementation strategy using top-down and bottom-up approach in a concurrent manner. To fulfill this objective a comprehensive review of state-of-the-art research is carried out to understand different ideas relevant to CE, motivation for the research and context of their recurrence. Main contributions of this paper are a comprehensive CE framework and a practical implementation strategy for a regenerative economy and natural environment. The framework emphasizes on a combined view of three main aspects i.e. environment, resources and economic benefits. It also underlines that joint support of all stakeholders is necessary in order to successfully implement the CE concept at large scale. The proposed framework and implementation strategy also identify new avenues for future research and practice in the field of CE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last decade has seen a new wave of ambitious policies in order to address the mounting ecological damage caused by high levels of consumerism and the depletion of resources to manufacture short life-cycle products. In this paper ‘Zero Waste’ and ‘Sustainable Materials Management’ are examined as prominent labels of an evolving waste policy discourse towards waste prevention and reduction and material cycles. Using discourse analysis key documents are comparatively assessed, presenting the origins of these two concepts and how they entered the waste policy domain. The different framing tactics and governance models are then presented. The findings demonstrate that the different discourse paradigms around the concept of ‘waste’ and ‘materials’, influences what policy initiatives, measurement tools and outcomes are pursued. Although Zero Waste and Sustainable Materials Management are gaining popularity as indicators of shifting waste policy towards Sustainable Production and Consumption Policy, particularly with increasing discussion and application of Circular Economy governance models in Europe and China, a distinction still exists between the conceptualisation and implementation within and across the two concepts. It is in this transition towards a Circular Economy that it is valuable to review the role of policy labels, keywords and framing context in waste policy and the ability of enhanced waste management to assist in the development of more sustainable and environmentally acceptable economic and social behaviour models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular Economy (CE) implementation is considered an instrumental strategy to help reaching the world's resource, energy, and climate mitigation targets, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030. However, major barriers must be overcome to facilitate CE implementation in industry such as cultural, market, regulatory and technological considerantions (Kirchherr et al., 2018). Improving management systems within industrial companies is crucial when implementing effective CE solutions in compliance with existing industrial standards such as quality and environmental management systems. However, it is not yet common practice yet due to the lack of standardized, suitable, and easy-to-use supporting analytical tools. This paper attempts to fill this gap by presenting Industrial Circular Economy Questionnaire (ICEQ) , a self-diagnosis questionnaire built upon the revision of industrial harmonized standards and, academic literature on business-level CE assessment tools. ICEQ , compiling a set of 165 questions for company self-CE assessment, was applied to 30 industrial companies belonging to 17 economic sectors (automotive, machining and metalworking transformation, waste management, machine tool, etc.) in the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC) in Spain. The automotive sector stands out with 70% of circularity while Machining and metalworking transformation only has 34%, showing that the automotive sector is more conscious of CE since they must comply with End-of-Life Vehicles (EoLV) legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]