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Driven by a technological transition, paradigms such as Lean, Green, and Circular Economy are increasingly being addressed by manufacturers to provide increasingly complex solutions. Whether considering products or services, design plays a decisive role in this context. Concurrent engineering and approaches to Design for X (DFX) have become commonly related to products and services, revealing the prominent potential to enhance product quality, improve sustainability performance, increase consumer satisfaction, and support the design of products, processes, and systems. However, many researchers have developed several DFX techniques with modified applications for different domains. This diversity makes it hard for practitioners and researchers when considering advanced technologies, to suit the current DFX with an integrated lean, green, and circular design perspective. In this regard, this paper aims to present a literature analysis concerning a potential model for the integration of four paradigms of management: lean, green, circular economy, and Industry 4.0 while considering DFX approaches. As a result, a framework that illustrates the connection between the fourth paradigm considered and the DFX approaches is presented. Our analysis would be useful to academics and practitioners since it indicates the field's key limitations and research lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the transition towards a circular economy (CE) being a significant element in achieving the decarbonisation of the built environment, a clear and common pathway to applying CE principles to building design is still lacking in both industry practice and academia. The integration of Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has the potential to enable the identification of feasible pathways to increase circularity. This study aims to investigate its practical use to facilitate the application of circular economy principles at the early stage of building design via using LCA-based BIM plugins. Within this aim, the paper centres on a co-production approach and presents a gap analysis by identifying gaps in knowledge and implementation as well as addressing the pressing needs of the current practice in the UK. A series of semi-structured interviews with expert practitioners in the field were conducted for data collection, contributing to the following phases of the co-production by allowing for an in-depth investigation and reflection of the practice. The findings have revealed that: (a) there is still an insufficient level of contextual awareness and readiness in the implementation of CE principles in the built environment and LCA understanding and (b) the adoption of BIM at the early stages of building design is still limited in the current practice; BIM models with sufficient level of data details and quality to enable circularity assessment are rarely produced. Thus, the paper highlights the need for enabling mechanisms, including the introduction of legislative instruments, the involvement and commitment of the industry and key stakeholders, the support for training and skills improvement, and the establishment of effective communication and implementation process management frameworks. Future research agenda points to the need of formulation of a BIM protocol to enable integration of BIM and LCA to promote CE principles in the building design process. [Display omitted] • Co-production is a promising approach to capture and respond to the industry needs. • Lack of seamless integration between BIM and LCA tools. • Insufficient understanding of how to apply CE principles in the building design. • Lack of systematic guidance and standardised process to implement BIM and LCA integration. • A tailored BIM protocol needed for applying LCA from a CE perspective in the building design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food value chain is responsible for significant environmental and resource pressures. 14% of the total food produced in the EU is lost or wasted along the supply chain (FAO, 2019) and 19% is disposed of when reaching the consumption stage (UNEP, 2024). Therefore, to tackle the problem of food loss and waste (FLW), it is crucial to make the agri-food system sustainable. Adopting a life cycle approach to measure and assess the impacts created by FLW prevention actions is key to achieving this transition. This paper provides a detailed mapping study of EU projects that previously dealt with the issue of FLW prevention and compiles the LCIA methods that were used to conduct their environmental assessments. Two essential requirements are set to evaluate the suitability of the identified LCIA methods to detect the most beneficial FLW prevention and reduction (FLWPR) action in terms of environmental sustainability. Results show that the Environmental Footprint v3.0 method (EF v3.0) is the LCIA method that better meets these requirements. To shed light on its suitability, this paper uses the EF v3.0 method to make a comparative LCA of two specific hypothetical FLWPR actions concerning the fresh tomato value chain. Moreover, this study highlights the strengths of this LCIA method and explores pathways to overcome possible shortcomings. The outputs of this study represent an academic breakthrough in the field of FLWPR by addressing the requirements for guiding the selection of a method that enhances comparability between FLWPR actions and provides science-based tools that can help decision-makers follow a path to a more sustainable agri-food system. [Display omitted] • Tackling food loss and waste problem is crucial for a sustainable agri-food system. • Life cycle approach is key to assessing the impacts of food loss and waste prevention. • At midpoint, weighting and single score help to compare environmental performance. • Having a whole picture of environmental performance enables hotspots identification. • Environmental Footprint 3.0 allows to compare food waste prevention actions impacts. [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]

This paper describes the role of Design Thinking (DT) in the context of sustainable development (SD), based on a perceived research need to identify the features which may characterise its deployment, and identify ways via which it may be optimised, especially in the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The main goal of this study is to examine the connection between DT and SD and showcase examples of what has been done to deploy it, using real-case situations. From a methodological perspective, the paper deploys a set of two methods: bibliometric analysis and case studies. Among other findings, the paper shows that DT can be used to help implement the UN SDGs by providing an approach that emphasizes human-centered design. This includes identifying problems, creating user-friendly solutions, and testing them in order to ensure that they are effective. Also, by using DT, companies, organisations, and governments can create low-cost, high-impact, and sustainable solutions to help achieve SDGs such as SDG8, SDG9, SDG12, and SDG13, among others. Overall, DT provides a framework for combining creative and analytical reasoning, specific mindsets, and diverse hands-on tools and techniques to improve critical thinking abilities towards sustainability challenges. The novelty of the paper relies on the fact that the combined use of the two methods allowed the identification of some useful features of DT, which may facilitate its deployment in sustainability contexts. This may assist future studies since it provides a theoretical basis for the field. • Research gaps in DT prevent its widespread use in SD. • The paper deploys bibliometric analysis and case studies. • DT within a circular economy is an emerging approach. • DT may foster sustainability practices. • A novelty is the identification of pathways to optimise DT in SD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whenever the policy challenges to address ask for a strong scientific background, decision makers depend on the underlying research activities. One of the fields in which research is able to affect the design and implementation of policies is given by the Circular Economy (CE). Our purpose in this paper is to understand how scholars carry out their research in the CE to realize whether a common pattern emerge and identify implications for policy. We provide a systematic investigation of the world's ten largest national research communities (NRCs) to highlight differences and similarities and understand the underlying patterns of research. We refer to eight key dimensions, which are mostly original ones and, therefore, represent elements of novelty of the paper: internationality, interdisciplinarity, specialization, relevance of local issues, policy implications, provision of case studies, research focus and research method. A dataset with 3027 CE-related research publications that range from 2001 to 2018 has been used for the elaborations. Results show some similarities and differences: everywhere, the empirical method prevails over the theoretical, and research is mostly focused on the micro-level of analysis (e.g., consumers and firms), while national research communities differ with respect to the openness to international collaborations, the degree with which some specific disciplines contribute to research in the field of CE, and the consideration of local issues provide. • A cross-country comparison of national research communities (NRCs) studying CE is offered. • NRCs are compared along eight key-dimensions using eleven indicators. • Empirical methods prevail over theory and research focus is on micro-level analyses. • Differences emerge with respect to interdisciplinarity and attention to local issues. • China, US, and European countries are moving along diverse research trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decoupling economic growth from resource depletion is an urgent target to achieve. Adopting circular economy paradigm is the only way to address such challenge. Manufacturing scientists have to make a research effort addressed to find and design proper manufacturing processes enabling circular economy strategies such as remanufacturing, repairs, recycling, etc. This paper aims at enhancing the knowledge concerning Friction Stir Consolidation (FSC) process, a solid state innovative and resource efficient aluminum alloys scrap recycling process that directly turns a batch of chips into a consolidated billet. In this paper, FSC process is used to recycle AA7075 chips and different solid bonding criteria, already presented in literature, have been tested through an experimental and numerical approach. All of them failed to predict the chips solid bonding in FSC processes. Therefore, a new criterion, specifically designed for FSC, is presented. The performance of conventional criteria has been compared to that provided by the new criterion on two validation tests. For the analysis of the bonding prediction performance, an innovative procedure is proposed for the threshold values identification. The proposed approach is based on experimental data collection, numerical simulations and an optimization procedure implemented in MATLAB environment. The new, and here presented criterion, provided the best results with at least 90% of prediction accuracy compared to the conventional Plata – Piwnik criterion characterized by an average accuracy equal to 55%, instead. The proposed procedure, and the new identified solid bonding criterion, represent a powerful tool for understanding and designing aluminum alloys recycling through FSC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Propose an end-of-use condition estimation method based on reliability and warranty policy. • Present a two-stage optimization model for the Re -X decision-making problem. • Develop a condition-based end-of-use processing policy under demand uncertainty. • Reduce lifecycle cost and environmental impact for product family. • Demonstrate the methodology with case study and result analysis. The concept of circular economy has been diffused in recent decades to promote economic growth that does not add to the burden on natural resource extraction. Re -X options (e.g., reuse, repair, refurbish, remanufacture, recycle) have been gradually adopted in the product development process and optimized to reduce or eliminate waste and pollution. Although manufacturing incorporating Re -X options can be more environmentally friendly, it involves more sources of uncertainty than traditional manufacturing since the end-of-use products can be collected from multiple origins with various quantities and qualities, and the market demand for both new and remanufactured products cannot be forecasted perfectly. Thus, there is a need to optimize the Re -X policy to alleviate the negative impacts of the higher uncertainty. One option is using the reliability information of new products to estimate the end-of-use conditions and applying multi-stage stochastic optimization to capture multiple demand scenarios. This paper develops a two-stage stochastic optimization model to optimize the quality thresholds for reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing options. Our objective is to minimize the total cost, energy consumption, and environmental impact of producing and providing warranty service for a product family. The model employs reliability information of product components to estimate the warranty service cost and the end-of-use conditions of the returned resources. A case study on a general product family is implemented to illustrate the efficacy of the optimization model. Results show that the two-stage optimization can achieve cost and environmental impact reduction for a hybrid manufacturing and remanufacturing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to show how taxation of intermediate items produced from virgin and recycled materials negatively impacts closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) results (labor, capital, returns, outputs, prices, profits, and dead-weight-loss). It offers remedies to alleviate tax inefficiencies. After formulating upstream and downstream production functions and recycling process, a Stackelberg game framework is analytically solved and data from steel industry and automobile stimulus program in the US are used to obtain numerical results. The results show that an optimum collection channel along with endogenous consumer return behavior can improve outcomes and reduce inefficiencies stemming from output taxation. The principal policy implication is that American, Chinese, Canadian, and German governments' tax incentive programs applied to items produced from recyclables are a sound strategy in the way of spurring their circular economies, improving environmental sustainability, and reducing economic loss. [Display omitted] • Legislators aim to reduce environmental impact of used products and propel sustainable business. • However, governments interventions can distort circular economy outcomes. • This paper proposes remedies to reduce economic and environmental distortions. • The remedies include optimal collection channel and incentive-responsive return program. • The paper quantifies the outcomes in the steel industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular economy (CE) adoption is spreading worldwide, and it aims at decoupling the creation of value from resource consumption, leading to sustainable and responsible production and consumption as highlighted in the Sustainable Development Goal 12. The circular transition will ask for the transformation of the companies and the workforce, from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives. The set of required skills will be influenced by the circular transition, while the degree of implementation of circular activities will depend on the availability of adequate skills. Nevertheless, the extant literature has not reached a consensus on which competences are required for a circular transition, and few studies have approached this topic at all. This paper presents a systematic literature review to identify and categorize the skills that can facilitate the adoption of circular practices in manufacturing companies. The identified skills were systematically organized within a structured framework extending Porter's Value Chain. Leveraging the literature review's findings, the paper proposes a series of ideal job profiles for circular manufacturing, and it outlines some preliminary education and training paths. This research contributes to the current body of literature and practical understanding on the "human dimension" of circular manufacturing. [Display omitted] • Systematic literature review on skills required for circular manufacturing. • Skill classification based on circular manufacturing value-added activities. • Ideal job profiles modelled on the most relevant skills mentioned in literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) is a polymer which is considered as one of the major contaminants to the environment. The PET waste materials can be recycled to produce value-added products. PET can be converted to nanoparticles, nanofibers, nanocomposites, and nano coatings. To extend the applications of PET nanomaterials, understanding its commercialization potential is important. In addition, knowledge about the factors affecting recycling of PET based nanomaterials is essential. The presented review is focused on understanding the PET commercialization aspects, keeping in mind market analysis, growth drivers, regulatory affairs, safety considerations, issues associated with scale-up, manufacturing challenges, economic viability, and cost-effectiveness. In addition, the paper elaborates the challenges associated with the use of PET based nanomaterials. These challenges include PET contamination to water, soil, sediments, and human exposure to PET nanomaterials. Moreover, the paper discusses in detail about the factors affecting PET recycling, commercialization, and circular economy with specific emphasis on life cycle assessment (LCA) of PET recycled nanomaterials. [Display omitted] • Commercialization potential of PET nanomaterials was analyzed. • Challenges in scaling up of PET recycled nanomaterials along with safety and regulatory considerations were explained. • Challenges associated with PET based nanomaterials were discussed. • Life cycle assessment (LCA) of PET recycled nanomaterials was assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The textile and clothing industry is a significant global sector due to its economic and social contributions. However, it is one of the most polluting industries. There has been a significant uptake of research on circular economy implementation to reduce its environmental impacts. Nevertheless, there is a critical gap in reviewing how the research field is evolving and what the core focus and underlying assumptions of the existing research are. This paper utilises bibliometrics, content analysis, and problematisation to comprehensively examine the state of research. Analysing 132 primary documents dating from January 2014 to April 2023, this study reveals that sustainability-oriented innovation and transition challenges are the core focus of existing research. Technology-oriented circularity and its positive impact on sustainability is the in-house assumption that almost all studies are founded on. Besides unpacking the risk of such assumptions, this study provides tangible suggestions for future research on circular economy disruption, its rebound effect, and sustainability-oriented innovation. Although the time lag and language biases may have impacted the representation of current research trends, findings from this study can facilitate academic research and industry practice in implementing circular economy practices for a more sustainable future. • There is a significant uptake of research on CE implementation, its positive effects, challenges, and opportunities. • This paper utilises bibliometrics, content analysis, and problematisation to examine the research on CE in the TC industry. • Institutional factors, consumer behaviours, sustainability-oriented innovation and transition challenges are critical for CE. • The disruptive and rebound effect of CE, institutional isomorphism and innovation capability are future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to a circular economy can be undermined by rebound effects, which could mean secondary production does not fully displace virgin raw materials. So called 'circular economy rebound' is under examined in the academic literature and thus requires greater attention if it is to be successfully estimated and mitigated by decision and policy makers. Accordingly, this paper undertakes a systematic review of the methods that have been deployed to measure rebound effects of all types and identifies those quantitative tools that have yet to be utilised in the nascent area of circular economy rebound but which could have application in this context. In so doing, the paper also reflects on the data needs of different methods, as well as the magnitude of the different rebounds identified and potential mitigating strategies. Findings suggest clear research gaps within the rebound literature and identify areas in which estimation of the circular economy rebound specifically could benefit from this wider body of work on rebound assessment. • Circular economy rebound is underexamined in the academic literature. • A review of applied methods for estimating rebound effects is conducted. • Methods that could be used to estimate circular economy rebound are identified. • Data needs, rebound effect sizes and mitigation options are discussed/classified. • Major gaps in the rebound effect literature are synthesised in a research agenda. [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]

This paper identifies the Circular Value Chain Blind Spot in consumer behavior research on Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). A scoping review was conducted to ascertain the current state of research regarding consumer behavior in handling WEEE concerning circular or transformational and linear behaviors. By evaluating 122 articles from databases including Scopus, Web of Science (WoS), and ProQuest the findings reveal a notable focus on three key strategies among the 9 R framework: recycle, repair, and reuse. Recycling emerges as the predominant area of research, while circular transformation strategies and linear concepts are also explored. Unexpectedly, concrete consumer action strategies are underrepresented, with a primary emphasis on companies and governments. As consumers are recognized as crucial actors within the circular economy (CE), this paper terms this contradictory state as the Circular Value Chain Blind Spot. Addressing future research, the paper concludes with a comprehensive research agenda encompassing six key areas: nudging, differentiation, systemic perspective, waste hierarchy, value chain strategies, and cultural factors. By adopting this research agenda, we anticipate overcoming the Circular Value Chain Blind Spot and fostering equal consideration of all stakeholders involved in the WEEE problematic. • Circular consumer behavior in the field of e-waste is scarcely researched. • Limited research focusses on recycling and linear behaviors. • Scoping review as a suitable method for uncovering research gaps. • Identification of the Circular Value Chain Blind Spot. [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]

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]

Circular Economy (CE) is a promising solution for a wide range of stakeholders, including companies, governments, and society at large to confront serious environmental concerns (Crome et al., 2023) to address resource depletion, environmental degradation, and waste generation. As Cambodia's economy heavily relies on resource extraction and export-oriented industries (e.g., textile industry and agriculture contributing significantly to GDP), it generates substantial waste (fundamentally, Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), but also industrial, construction and demolition waste (UNDP, 2022a,b)), and pollution. To tackle such issues, the government has recently demonstrated a stronger commitment to sustainable development by integrating CE principles into a national policy. First, this paper explores the current environmental issues of the country. Secondly, it assessed the country's CE Strategy and Action Plan. Thirdly, as a primary finding, it was discussed the potential barriers, international collaboration prospects, and implementation recommendations to catalyze challenges into opportunities, covering the gaps observed in the country's CE Strategy and Action Plan, and following prominent CE trends. Lastly, it concludes that despite the hurdles, CE has the potential in the country to provide socio-economic benefits, including job creation, resilience, reduced reliance on imports, and improved public health. This paper consisting of policy analysis combined with a bibliographical review presumably represents the first work on this topic; it will be useful for foreign investors, academia, and policymakers. • A contemporary analysis of the most noteworthy environmental issues in Cambodia. • Policy adoption assessment of Cambodia's Circular Economy Strategy and Action Plan. • Discussion with barriers, international opportunities, and recommendations. [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]

[Display omitted] • Mishandling of plastic and biomass waste poses significant global concerns, resulting in environmental and economic impacts. • Integrating 3D printing with waste upcycling offers environmental benefits and supports transition to circular economy. • The article examines the properties of recycled plastic 3D-printed parts, demonstrating comparable performance to virgin materials. • Explores the potential of incorporating waste biomass-derived fillers to further enhance mechanical properties. • Highlights the importance of optimizing printing parameters for improved strength, ductility, crystallinity, and dimensional accuracy. Mishandling of waste plastics and biomasses is a major global concern. Every year, around 380 million tonnes of plastic are produced, with only 9% being recycled, leading to widespread pollution. Similarly, waste biomass generation from agricultural and forestry sectors accounts for 140 billion metric tonnes, in addition to 2.01 billion tonnes from municipal solid waste. This review paper addresses the gap regarding the integration of 3D printing, upcycling of recycled plastics, and the utilization of waste biomass in sustainable composites. 3D printed parts from recycled plastic have shown comparable mechanical properties compared to virgin materials, which have been further improved by the addition of waste biomass-derived fillers. The paper acknowledges that different printing parameters have substantial influence on the strength, ductility, crystallinity, and dimensional accuracy of printed parts. Therefore, optimizing these parameters becomes crucial for achieving improved mechanical performance. Moreover, incorporating reinforcing agents, stabilizers, chain extenders, compatibilizers, and surface modifiers in plastic recycling and 3D printing presents an excellent opportunity to enhance mechanical properties, thermal stability, adhesion, and dimensional stability. Additionally, the review identifies research gaps and proposes the integration of machine learning and artificial intelligence for enhanced process control and material development, further expanding the possibilities in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore the institutional logic of manufacturing companies in the transition to a sustainable and circular economy. The paper follows abductive reasoning and uses a qualitative methodology encompassing primary data collected from 16 interviews with manufacturing companies and supplementary data from web-scan analysis, observation and 15 interviews with public institutions and environmental experts. We identify four specific co-existing logics of the circular economy of manufacturing companies and explain operating conditions of each logic. Compliance and commercial logics reflect instrumental thinking, while value chain and value creation logics are more based on integrative thinking. To illustrate opposites of instrumental thinking and integrative thinking, we propose an analytical framework of circular logics, that consists of three pillars, that is homogeneity vs heterogeneity, techno-centric vs system-centric perspectives, compliance vs ethical responsibility. The originality also relates to the prioritization among different logics. • Four CE logics of manufacturing companies discovered. • Compliance and commercial logics reflect instrumental thinking, value chain and value creation logics are more based on integrative thinking. • We propose an analytical framework of CE logics that consists of three pillars. • Based on attributions of negative and positive factors, managers actually can prioritize integrative CE logics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, understanding its impacts on cities has received much attention in science and policy circles. This paper systematically reviews the literature on the interface of the pandemic and urban sustainability. The objective is to portray the impacts brought by the COVID-19 outbreak in urban environments within the sustainability framework and to detect trends and challenges for future research. The paper follows a methodology that integrates both bibliometric and systematic review approaches. The first approach relies on bibliometric analysis to provide an overview of the landscape of main trends on this nexus. The second approach presents a content analysis that deepens the work by outlining the impacts of the pandemic and the challenges that emerged on five different key topics for urban sustainability. The role of resilient urban planning is discussed as an integrative concept to face diverse challenges in the construction of sustainable cities in a post-pandemic scenario. Likewise, the study deliberates on future research topics related to resilient urban planning, social equity, healthy urban environments, sustainable mobility, and circular economy. This review serves as a guide for researchers and urban planners to understand emerging challenges and future research trends in urban sustainability. [Display omitted] • A literature review integrating bibliometric and contents analysis synthesizes the effects of the COVID-19 on the urban sustainability. • The impacts are sorted into thematic areas: resilient urban planning, healthy urban environments, social equity, sustainable mobility, and circular economy. • Challenges for urban sustainability and resilience are proposed as topics for future research work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In today's competitive world, gathering precise context knowledge is a critical barrier for industry practitioners, professionals, and researchers in supply chain management, impeding their capacity to acquire expertise and give effective management awareness. In this regard, this study aimed to identify the data-driven capabilities of supply chain management. Realising the abovementioned issues, the existing literature on supply chain management needs to be further reviewed to explore the data-driven capabilities for sustainable supply chains. The study presented a systematic literature review on a data-driven sustainable supply chain to achieve this goal. One hundred ninety-seven documents from various publications were identified for bibliometric and network analysis from the Scopus database using specific keywords related to the research concept published during 2013–2023 through inclusion and exclusion criteria. The emerging themes were identified using the "R" package and reviewed the papers were reviewed in theme directions. The study showed that implementing data-driven and sustainable technologies could assist strategic decision-making. Also, Data-driven solutions can effectively improve sustainability in supply chain network operations performance. The study demonstrates that big data can contribute to achieving sustainability goals through bibliometric analysis and critique of previous papers published in the specialised field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores the alignment and misalignment of objectives within private companies and public organizations in their approach to the circular economy. While many studies have investigated the alignment within single actor types, this research reveals the dynamics of alignment when private companies and public organizations engage. Drawing upon qualitative research protocol, our study employs a circular economy financing initiative implemented in Italy as the empirical foundation for investigating these dynamics. The results highlight the positive repercussions when private companies and public organizations achieve perfect alignment, which triggers internal transformations within both entities. However, perfect alignment is seldom achieved. Our findings thus contribute to the literature by proposing actor misalignment as a potential barrier to the circular economy. This paper provides both theoretical and managerial insights into alignment dynamics within the context of the circular economy and offers a perspective on how these dynamics might evolve over time in multi-stakeholder circular economy initiatives. • Positive repercussions when private businesses and public actors achieve perfect alignment. • Perfect alignment between private businesses and public actors is seldom realized. • Actor misalignment represent a potential barrier to the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the acceleration of urbanization, resource depletion is becoming increasingly serious. The innovative strategy of resource utilization is of great significance to the development of new green building. Therefore, this paper combines artificial intelligence technology and deeply excavates the basic information of the old building images collected by the survey. It determines the specific future building construction information from the direction of sustainable development. Based on the traditional convolutional neural network U-Net model, this paper improves its shortcomings, proposes an improved IU-Net model and optimizes the full convolutional neural network structure based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). This paper analyzes and designs the future building information system platform oriented to circular economy, and it compares the improved IU-Net model with other models through experiments to obtain the accuracy and other indicators. The experimental results indicate that the system using the IU-Net model of full convolutional neural network based on PSO has higher prediction accuracy. It has better functionality for the analysis and decision-making of future building. • This paper proposes an improved IU-Net model and the full CNN structure is optimized based on PSO. • This paper analyzes the significance of the IU-Net model of full CNN based on PSO for building information analysis and feature extraction. • Experimental results indicate that the system has faster response speed and higher prediction accuracy. It has better functionality for the analysis and decision-making of future building. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dominant conception of the circular economy presents it as a politically neutral, technology-driven process of efficiency improvements and green market expansion. However, it does not consider the social embedding of circularity and thereby risks undermining the transition out of de facto linear economies. This paper begins with a critique of the dominant conception of the circular economy and its shortcomings in relation to allocation, justice, and sustainable scale. Second, the paper contributes toward theorizing an alternative, social economy-based embedding of circularity. We theorize how the social economy embeds circularity through: (1) business models reflecting the needs and interests of their stakeholders and, with them, a primacy of social value creation; (2) production and consumption based on active citizen involvement in deliberation and decision-making; (3) an approach to technology that seeks to empower technology users; and (4) the promotion of regional economies and circular value chains based on a sense of place. Our theory propositions are inspired by prior empirical research at the intersection of the circular economy and the social economy. We discuss the potential and the challenges of a social economy embedding of circularity against the background of vested interests and incumbents profiting from low circularity and unsustainability. • A critique of circular economy in relation to allocation, justice and scale. • A novel theoretical approach to social economy-based embedding of circularity. • Theory propositions about business, governance, technology and environment. • Reasons for stasis and for transformation toward socially embedded circularity. • Examples of social economy-embedded circularity from cooperatives and nonprofits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recycling spent lithium-ion batteries is a significant way to achieve life-cycle management and a green circular economy, helping to achieve carbon neutrality. The form of battery pack disassembly has gradually moved away from manual manipulation to a human–robot collaborative process. However, there is no established methodology for assessing spent lithium-ion battery disassembly between the environmental benefits, technical feasibility, and economic viability of human–robot collaborative disassembly (HRCD). To ensure the efficiency and security of HRCD processes, this paper develops a resilience assessment model for HRCD using stability, redundancy, efficiency and adaptation metrics. The resilience assessment theory is used to obtain the internal relations among the resilience indicators of the system. In this work, we evaluate the resilience of HRCD for lithium-ion battery disassembly by integrating fuzzy Bayesian fusion with an analytical network process unfolding cloud. The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt driver demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach, which allows greater flexibility in complex tasks performed by humans and robots. In case study, the weights values of stability, redundancy, efficiency and adaptability are 0.340533, 0.161384, 0.203835 and 0.294248, respectively. IR2&HO1 and IR3&HO2 have an assessment value of 93 and 95, respectively, with eigenvalues of 1.28 and 1.23, which are level I. RI3&HO1 and RI4&HO3 belong to level IV, with an evaluation value of 38 and 45, respectively, and a characteristic value of 2.27 and 2.55, respectively. The integrated methodology proposed in this paper could be effectively used by disassembly management, to evaluate the HRCD disassembly scheme resilient strategies for better managing production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to synthesize the extant literature on supply chain (SC) resilience and draw a roadmap for resilient SCs by employing a systematic literature review (SLR). The paper utilizes an SLR methodology to draw upon important themes and sub-themes. This is based on a pool of papers published in peer-reviewed journals. Major themes identified included SC networks and structures, Industry 4.0 and digitalization, innovation and entrepreneurship, capabilities and strategies, SC risk management, circular economy and sustainability. SC networks and structures, as well as the role of information technology and Industry 4.0, are an important theme of research in the literature. The literature at this juncture has mainly highlighted the role of big data analytics, blockchain technology, and artificial intelligence in SC resilience. In addition, the important capabilities highlighted by researchers include SC flexibility, SC capacity, SC robustness, SC relationship management and SC leadership for improving SC resilience. The important themes and sub-themes identified in the study would help identify the strategic fields of action for creating resilient SCs. Particularly, the conceptualization of resilience within the SCs would help to uncover the factors that play an important role in improving the SCs. Further, the study also focuses on the interplay between sustainability and resilience. The present study will help managers to understand the factors that affect resilience in SCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of the circular economy has emerged as a promising economic model to fulfill the increasing requirements for sustainable development. The underlying mechanism of a circular economy is based on the reuse, reduce, and recycle of technical and biological resources. Manufacturing companies need to adapt their existing business to the specific requirements of a circular economy to remain viable. Especially, the existing product design must be adapted to the business logic of a circular economy. For this, product-service-system (PSS) have a variety of potentials to operationalize a circular economy. However, the manufacturing sector lacks knowledge and methodological assistance to develop circular product-service-system ideas. Hence, the aim of the paper is a circular PSS ideation canvas to develop expedient PSS ideas for a circular economy. For this purpose, a design science approach was used. Requirements for the design of circular PSS ideas were gathered from literature and practice. Based on this, the identified requirements were assessed using a qualitative content analysis and assigned into an appropriate structuring framework. The resulting circular PSS ideation canvas comprises the core aspects of the value proposition canvas according to Osterwalder/Pigneur as well as 16 additional elements, such as obligations, existing business value, and the internal goals. Hence, the circular PSS ideation canvas provides companies with a systematic and structured assistance for developing new and circular PSS ideas. This enables companies to create initial PSS ideas in consideration of circular and sustainable requirements. The practical applicability of the circular PSS ideation canvas was evaluated with a medium-sized company in the electronics sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A closed aluminum loop can potentially reduce CO2 emissions considerably by using more post-consumer scrap (PCS). Unfortunately, there is a wide gap between the potential uses of recycling aluminum and the real introduction of it in structural aluminum-based products. In the case of Norway, the main criterion for customers is the quality of the product, challenging the usage of a high percentage of recycled aluminum in the casting mix. This paper aims to evaluate the influence of factors such as sustainable awareness and quality requirements from the customer perspective on the casting mix demand and the material flow that such demand will have on the manufacturing system. System Dynamics is used to model aluminum production and recycling in Norway and to understand the dynamics among the actors and material flow with changes in demand. A Causal Loop Diagram was built, mapping the decision-making process that generates the material flow in the automotive recycle aluminum value chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EN 45554 standard deals with the assessment of Reparability, Reusability and Upgradability of Energy-related Products, and aims to extend the life of those kind of products. According to the 2021 report of the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME), 83% of French people are concerned about the environment. This means a growing interest for repair. In addition, consumers want products that are increasingly reparable. Therefore, knowing the reparability score of any type of products has become crucial, but this standard only applies to products that consume energy during use. Hence, there is a need to extend reparability to a wider range of products, including mechanical and mechatronic products. To achieve this main objective, one important step of comparison of existing methods is necessary. This paper aims to compare the EN 45554 standard to the existing methods in the literature for assessing reparability. First, a literature review is conducted to identify existing methods for reparability. Then, a comparison study is performed. Finally, based on this comparison, a set of criteria is obtained as an outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reaching a higher level of sustainability of a products life cycle became a strategic goal for many companies over the past years. To achieve that higher level of sustainability, the transformation of linear product life cycles (cradle to grave) into circular life cycles (cradle to cradle) in the context of a Circular Economy (CE) is one promising approach. However, implementing a circular life cycle results in higher requirements in defining the best fitted strategy at the end of each product use stage depending on economic, environmental and social factors. In order to cope these increased requirements, the whole product life cycle has to become more transparent. This transparency can be reached by a holistic digital representation and virtual quality control of all life cycle stages. To implement a virtual quality control in each stage and enable the monitoring and controlling of the whole life cycle, the concept of Virtual Quality Gates can be extended. Virtual Quality Gates divide a defined manufacturing chain into different virtual, quality-relevant decision points to check the product quality and ensure a defined quality state before further manufacturing steps are approved. This concept can be transferred to each life cycle stage to ensure a holistic optimization of the products life cycle quality and an optimized selection of a strategy at the end of each use stage. This paper presents a framework for the implementation of virtual quality gates into product life cycles. These extended quality gates are defined as Life Cycle Gates, which are virtual decision points to optimize a product life cycle. The demand and applicability of the concept is shown for a mechanical recycling process of automotive parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, resource scarcity, and the current energy crisis demand fundamental change to overcome future problems. The Circular Economy represents a sustainable process transformation by closing value chain loops. Remanufacturing is one method that extends the life cycle of materials by returning worn-out products (cores) to the manufacturer to produce like-new remanufactured products. In detail, cores are disassembled into core components, which are inspected, sorted out, cleaned, remanufactured, and reassembled into a remanufactured product. The challenge is that multiple components in different conditions must be combined into one remanufactured product because only a certain quantity of core components can be used for remanufacturing due to quality criteria (yield rates). The cores' uncertain quantity and different yield rates of core components limit the maximum amount of remanufactured products, and the component with the lowest quantity acts as the bottleneck. In other words, although the rest of the parts have been remanufactured through costly and time-consuming processes, they remain unused, and the output of newly remanufactured products is obstructed. Such inefficiencies must be reduced to increase efficiency and create a sustainable process. This paper proposes a problem formulation and a concept that optimizes the utilization of remanufactured components in remanufacturing processes by modifying the bills of material of remanufactured products. The concept implements a dynamic infill of new parts, applying a dynamic mixture of new and remanufactured components to increase the number of remanufactured products while following technical and process restrictions (e.g., production and material planning, quality requirements). The utilization problem is identified as a combinatorial optimization problem and translated into a general multidimensional knapsack problem. The resulting knapsack problem is optimized with a meta-heuristic to find a satisfying solution for the utilization of remanufactured components. Following the case study methodology, the concept is developed, tested, and validated with an automotive OEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Digital Twin (DT) is a virtual replica of a product or product-service system, which can be used to provide transparency of a product's sustainability and to positively influence the ecological impact throughout its lifecycle by means of intelligent data analytics. This paper identifies current sustainability-focused application scenarios of DTs in the manufacturing industry and outlines the results of a systematic literature review (SLR). The identification of the state-of-the-art and the assessment of current DT concepts with regard to the addressed product lifecycle phases, technological maturity and sustainability scope point towards key directions to guide future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for sustainability is challenging manufacturing companies and endangers the viability of their current business models. Their historically linear value creation model needs to be restructured to remain viable and to be conform with the requirements of sustainability. As a result, the circular economy has emerged as a promising economic model. For implementing a circular economy, it is essential to adapt the existing product design and business model towards more circularity. However, the knowledge regarding interdependencies between the circular product design (CPD) and circular business models (CBM) remains vague in theory and practice, hence leading to untapped potentials in practice. The aim of this paper is a framework that allows for an integrative conceptualization of CPD and CBM for the circular economy. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify concrete challenges, barriers, drivers, and potentials for CPD and CBM. By consolidating the results, a framework is derived that characterizes the specific areas of influence for CPD and CBM. Through this, companies receive a deeper understanding about the functionality of a circular economy. Based on the outlined challenges, companies can effectively plan the implementation of the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainability challenges expressed by The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and transformation towards a more Circular Economy (CE) imply the needs for broad collaboration in innovation and entrepreneurship. CE is perceived by business suitable for contributing directly to achieving several of the SDGs. In entrepreneurship education (EE) a new educational approach is emerging towards problem-based learning (PBL) solving open-ended real-life issues. In this paper, a connection between sustainability, CE, and EE has been strengthened. We briefly explore an increased attention to sustainability and how CE overtime has been introduced in an educational setting where entrepreneurial learning and sustainable value creation can take place. The scope for investigation is a project with two courses at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences with partially common educational activities. Increased educational attention to sustainability arose in 2017-2018, during spring semester of 2019 a CE-test was conducted and fall 2019 CE were implemented and continued in 2020-2021. Engaging CE shows positive outcome, and the main findings are: (1) CE offer a common language and platform for real-life sustainability cases in EE; (2) CE- and sustainability-cases are demanding and call for simplification; and (3) Open-ended CE-cases imply need for external collaboration, and thus more structure. In summary the CE project suggests promising possibilities for experiential learning, sustainable value creation, and an opportunity for increased external orientation. A deeper understanding of CE is achieved. There is a need for further empirical examination [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effort to achieve a balance between industrial development, environment, human health and economic growth in the world represents a driving engine of the latest strategies for resource usage and carbon footprint reduction, which include the application of the Circular Economy (CE) concept. The central idea of the CE concept is to increase the value of resources within a closed system to enable the use of a minimum number of natural resources while providing sustainable economic growth. The aim of this paper is to map the history and evolution of the CE concept to highlight its current application. Historical literary sources and scientific studies were used to map the CE concept evolution while policy instruments provided information mainly on current development. The overview indicates both success and failure of the CE projects over time listed by regions. Successful applications of the CE in the Czech Republic have been identified. The results provide useful information for further research seeking to define the CE concept in practical terms and consider potential opportunities that arise during its implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy (CE) has been one of the key environmental policy concepts of the last decade. Despite the growing number of CE policies, applications and research, we still lack a detailed understanding of what kind of policy idea we are referring to with the CE. Our purpose in this perspective is to untangle the ideational features of the CE by separating three dynamic dimensions from the idea: economic model, conceptual innovation and policy objectives. In addition, we propose the research of hybridity as a fitting theoretical discussion to understand the plural societal setup in which the idea of the CE has been implemented. • Paper clarifies the nature of the circular economy (CE) as a policy idea. • Three dynamic ideational dimensions of the CE are discussed. • The research of hybridity is proposed as a resource for CE policy analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integration of remanufacturing into an original equipment manufacturer's (OEM) value chain can enhance circularity. In order to realize a transition towards circularity, it must be economically beneficial. This paper aims to compare and economically evaluate several remanufacturing scenarios with varied retailer involvement, to identify how an electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) manufacturer can perform remanufacturing profitably. To meet the aim of this paper, data was gathered through more than 50 semi-structured and unstructured interviews, including workshops with a robotic lawn mower manufacturer and eight of its retailers in Sweden, and through a literature review in the fields of remanufacturing, acquisition of cores (used products), and sales of remanufactured products. The scenarios consist of a decentralized, with minor or no involvement of an OEM, and six centralized, where an OEM manages remanufacturing. Here, looking at a case of the centralized scenario, the remanufacturing process is performed at the OEM manufacturing plant in a European low-wage country, while cores are acquired in Sweden. This research concludes that the OEM's economic benefits are greater in remanufacturing scenarios with low involvement of retailers. However, succeeding with acquisition and sales without retailers requires establishing new retail channels, which also leads to uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linear material flows dominate in the Swedish manufacturing industry, and knowledge on remanufacturing as a value-retention process remains limited. Today, only a limited amount of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) for consumer goods (that are acquired for personal use), such as laptops and mobile phones, are remanufactured in Sweden. More support is needed to enhance the remanufacturization (a shift towards remanufacturing) of manufacturing industries by targeting manufacturers that have prerequisites and/or show interest in implementing remanufacturing on their products (later called developing remanufacturing industries). One way to support the developing remanufacturing industries could be by providing a tool to assesses manufacturers' potential with remanufacturing. The aim of this paper is to introduce such a tool, called the Remometer™, and to present this approach to measure a company's remanufacturing readiness level (RRL). The data was collected through a literature study and semi-structured interviews to fulfill the aim of this paper. The authors' research on lean remanufacturing, in collaboration with EEE, automotive, heavy equipment and machinery manufacturers, service/maintenance providers and retailers, laid the basis for developing the Remometer™ tool. By assessing 15 subjects shared between four critical to remanufacturing areas, namely, business model, production system, product and customer, manufacturers can measure their remanufacturing readiness level and a gap towards a world-class remanufacturer. However, neither RRL nor a gap is a purpose of the Remometer™ tool, but a useful measure to communicate to top managers on a manufacturer's potential to become more circular through remanufacturing. Remometer™ is developed to support the remanufacturization of a Swedish EEE manufacturer of consumer goods and can be applied at other developing remanufacturing industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adsorption is one of the most important techniques for the remediation of textile industry wastewaters containing high concentrations of toxic dyes. Calcium phosphates (CaPs) have been advocated among the most promising adsorbent phases in virtue of their high dye adsorption potential, low production cost, and possible recovery from circular economy sources. In this paper, we investigated the application of synthetic CaPs (CaP–S) and two CaPs extracted from food by-products, namely from bone meal (CaP-BM) and fish bones (CaP-FM) for the removal of a model dye, copper phthalocyanine tri-sulfonic acid, also known as acid blue 185 (AB-185). All the materials were characterized from the physical-chemical point of view and used for the study of adsorption kinetic and isothermal adsorption of AB-185 at neutral, acidic and basic pH values. The best adsorption capacity was obtained for CaP–S, followed by CaP-BM and CaP-FM. Nonetheless, results showed that all the materials can be employed for removing AB-185 from wastewaters of textile industry, and we correlated dye removal efficiency to the adsorbent phase specific surface area (SSA) and ζ-potential, as well as to dye concentration and pH of wastewaters. Finally, as the process used to produce the studied CaPs affects their main final physical-chemical parameters and performance in terms of dyes removal, it is important to consider the variables of CaPs production process (e.g., temperature, time of treatment, grinding etc.), especially when CaPs are recovered from circular economy sources by thermal treatments of food-byproducts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Circular Economy (CE) is facilitated by the closing of material flow loops. This requires the development of complex collection, sorting, and product recovery mechanisms. Besides infrastructural challenges, product recovery is further complicated by the manufacture and consumption of increasingly complex multi-component and multi-material products whose design often limits efficient disassembly at the end of product life. The lack of information on how to treat end of use (EoU) products and the associated costs further inhibits recovery-related decision-making. Thus, the default EoU treatment is often simply landfilling and/or incineration resulting in the loss of valuable resources. In addition, resulting environmental degradation may be avoided when other product recovery strategies such as recycling, remanufacturing and direct reuse are applied. This paper proposes a system dynamics tool inspired by the materials recovery hierarchy to understand the sustainability impacts of EoU recovery. The model evaluates environmental trade-offs for alternate product recovery strategies prioritizing the recovery of EoU products, sub-assemblies, components, and materials over more destructive options of landfilling and incineration. A case study centered around EoU solar photovoltaic (PV) panels is used to validate the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Designing more circular products is essential to reaching Sustainable Development Goal 12, Responsible Consumption and Production, which is anticipated to be achieved by 2030. To achieve progress toward a circular economy in power electronics, discarded products, modules, or components must be recovered. This requires the implementation of End-of-Life (EoL) strategies. In order to maximize the high-value circularity efficiency of a power electronic product, EoL choices and constraints should be taken into account early on in the design phase. Since disassembly is a known bottleneck in EoL practices, design to enable disassembly is essential. Modularity enhances the product's reconfigurability and disassemblability, its reuse in other product families, as well as the product's maintenance, and serviceability. So, it is anticipated that this multiple life cycle thinking enabled by modularity would contribute to the transition towards more circular power electronic designs. Therefore, in this paper, we aim to consider modular designs of power electronic converters (PECs) and categorize them. As a result of a corresponding discussion about the existing PECs, we point out the general potentials to enhance circularity by modularity applied to PECs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remanufacturing is a circular strategy increasingly adopted by more and more manufacturing companies. However, the remanufacturing suitability of products may differ. This paper aims to develop a method of assessing the suitability of products to be remanufactured. This research used a case study approach with interviews and observations at a case company supported by the research literature. The suitability assessment has been applied to a handheld battery-driven assembly tool based on factors acting as barriers or enablers for remanufacturing. The assessment is suggested to consist of two parts: a product type assessment with factors such as scale of sale, market, and reverse logistics, and a product design assessment with factors connected to product design and the remanufacturing process steps. For handheld battery-driven assembly tools, at the case company, the most critical barriers are their large number of variants in combination with the small scale of sale for each variant. These barriers can be avoided by introducing upgradability, standardization, and modularity in future product designs, thus enhancing their remanufacturability. The most significant remanufacturability enabler is to design for service and repair. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The remanufacturing activities on the market are increasing as more companies follow the trend of applying resource-efficient solutions. This trend is also seen among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) when closing their resource flows. However, as there are few descriptions of how OEMs initiate remanufacturing in practice, there is also little guidance for them to follow. Therefore, to support OEMs in initiating remanufacturing, the aim of this paper is to describe areas investigated during a remanufacturing initiation. This is conducted by studying an OEM of robotic lawn mowers without prior remanufacturing experience and then describing the undertaken journey from primarily producing new products to also offering remanufactured products. The study describes four areas of investigation at the OEM: (1) Select products for remanufacturing, (2) develop the remanufacturing process, (3) determine the quality of remanufactured products, and (4) perform sales activities. These areas are elaborated on to show the considerations of the OEM during the initiation. Based on the findings, the importance of viewing the remanufacturing initiation phases as a system of parallel activities rather than a linear chain is emphasised for future development of guiding remanufacturing initiation frameworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has made significant progress in supporting circular economy and reverse logistics by learning from diverse data to predict, e.g., routes or to assist workers in sorting. However, it remains an open question how AI can be integrated and trained into such operational processes, where little to no data has been collected previously. Traditionally, AI models would only be rated by their accuracy. This paper aims to introduce the concept of green incremental learning, i.e. rating AI models not only for their accuracy but to evaluate energy efficiency as well. A ramp-up of a data-driven AI system for part recognition is explored under consideration of energy efficiency. Therefore, we combine online and incremental learning, working with growing data sets to simulate a ramp-up phase. We present experiments of incremental learning on business and image data, partially supported by regular joint training steps. We start local CPU-based machine learning and prediction on business data from the first sample. Finally, we compare incremental learning to traditional batch learning and show energy-saving potential of up to 62 % without a significant drop in accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the materials needed for the production of electric vehicles (EVs), in particular batteries and motors, are subject to substantial supply chain uncertainty. A circular economy approach that recovers these materials/components from end-of-life (EoL) vehicles would reduce the dependence on primary (virgin) materials/components. However, there is a lack of EoL infrastructure that can process the whole EV in a holistic manner. To address this pressing issue, this paper discusses a potential EV Renewal System (EVRS) that aims to directly rebuild used EVs and recover maximum value from EoL components and materials. The EVRS is investigated through a network model, and based on network topology analysis, proxy variables are defined to characterize system complexity. Furthermore, a line balancing algorithm is designed to divide the system into workstations, with the goal of streamlining the system workflow under unpredictable EoL EV conditions. This study proposes a framework, that synthesizes the results from network topology and line balancing, for evaluating the process design of remanufacturing systems, which is adaptable to a diverse range of industries and that can galvanize more remanufacturing practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their bad image, factories have been pushed outside urban areas, making their supply networks wider with increasingly high environmental impacts. Although factories' implementation inside urban areas might be challenging with various constraints related to legislation, neighborhood, and higher rental costs, it can also be a great leveraging opportunity to increase resilience alongside created value, and reduce costs and negative impacts. This is mainly due to the concentration of circular economy actors inside urban areas, in addition to the availability of funding for sustainability-driven projects by local private and public institutions. The present paper proposes a design approach that provides urban factories with a set of local stakeholders' engagement opportunities to enable circularity design throughout their value chain. A test of the approach has been conducted during 2 workshops with eco-design experts who were proposed with a case study of an urban factory in Grenoble. It has allowed the validation of the approach's usability and usefulness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research paper is to explore the antecedents and consequences of circular entrepreneurship in emerging markets. The consequences of circular entrepreneurship will be explored through the lens of three dimensions of sustainability: social, economic, and environmental. This study used a multi-case approach, which is frequently applied in circular business literature. The study used convenient and purposeful sampling techniques to identify circular entrepreneurs starting a business by recognizing opportunities in CE. We interviewed the 15 entrepreneurs (all participants engage in plastic circular entrepreneurship) with more than 8 years of experience. We employed a semi-structured interview method because respondents explored important information during the interview. Atlas.ti, a prominent qualitative software package, was used for analysis. This study portrays the antecedents and consequences of circular entrepreneurship identified when circular entrepreneurs take the initiative to serve low-income customers. This study points out that circular entrepreneurs can be motivated both intrinsically and extrinsically. The consequences of circular entrepreneurship show how such enterprises impact on society, sustainability, and the economy. The study points out that circular entrepreneurship can have both positive and negative impacts on the environment. By investigating the determinants and consequences of circular entrepreneurship in emerging markets, the authors make a significant contribution to the field of circular economy and entrepreneurship. We have limited logistics and resources, thus we did not collect data from stakeholders, who might provide a richer picture and insights into how circular products affect their lifestyle. Policymakers can get a better understanding of such enterprises from the findings of this study. They should reassess policies regarding circular entrepreneurship and suggest ways to promote open innovation within circular entrepreneurship. Circular enterprises serve low-income customers by offering an affordable product with attractive features. The government should develop an open innovation action-packed forum to find, design, and create prototypes, as well as introduce more comprehensive sustainable solutions for wastable plastic products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]