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A growing research interest currently exists in the use of paper as a building material. This work aims to present the results of a measurement campaign developed on innovative waste paper-based building components. The research was carried out in Southern Italy and used some local by-product aggregates. Three different mixture designs were developed in the laboratory by adding three kinds of biomass to a pulp paper blend: fava bean residues (FB), sawdust powder (SP) and coffee grains (CG) extracted from exhausted chaffs. A physical characterization was carried out measuring the bulk density and bulk porosity. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis of the single aggregates was followed by a microstructure analysis of the final components. Bulk density evaluation showed a range between 200 and 348 kg·m−3. Furthermore, thermal performances were measured; the thermal conductivity of the experimented samples ranged from 0.071 to 0.093 W·m−1·K−1, thus it is possible to classify the tested materials as thermal insulators. Moreover, the acoustic properties were evaluated and tested. The normal incidence sound absorption coefficient was measured by the impedance tube on cylindrical specimens. In general, a different behavior was observed between the upper and lower base of each specimen due to the manufacturing process and the shrinkage caused by the different interactions occurring between the aggregates and the pulp paper waste; for example, the presence of sawdust reduced shrinkage in the final specimens, with consequent smaller physical variations among the two faces. The correlation existing between the manufacturing process and the microstructural properties was also investigated by the estimation of the non-acoustical parameters using the inverse method and taking into account the JCA (Johnson, Champoux and Allard) model as a reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how and whether circular economy (CE) business models affect the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the waste management sector. A case study is used to determine the relationship between CE business models and SDGs. It shows that CE business models, potentially, can contribute directly to achieving a significant number of SDGs. The strongest relationships are between the CE business model and the targets of SDG4 (Quality education); SDG 5 (Gender equality); SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 8 (Decent working and economic growth); SDG 9 (Industry, innovation and infrastructure), SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities) SDG 12 (Responsible consumption and production). After a narrative literature review on the intersection between CE and SDGs, the paper performed a case study on Contarina SpA, a firm that developed a business model to recycle wastes into recyclable materials under a CE approach. The case findings could stimulate further research into how this and similar types of business models will help societies to change from the 'use‐it‐once‐and‐throw‐it away' mentality of linear business models to the integrated, holistic, CE model that seeks to emulate nature's cyclical systems, and achieve the implementation of sustainable development goals (SDGs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Circular economy (CE) disclosure is becoming urgent for firms, but an accepted and recognized approach to address it is still missing, especially at small and medium enterprises (SMEs) level. This study aims to contribute to this issue by exploring the potential of the adoption of Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards as a standardized approach for CE disclosure. The paper proposes a framework that identifies the existence of specific relationships between the topics included in GRI 300 Standards and CE strategies, which can be considered as managerial guidelines for CE strategy disclosure by companies. Design/methodology/approach: The paper uses an explorative research methodology based on the content analysis of secondary data taken from the sustainability reports of the SMEs listed in STAR segment of Borsa Italiana. Findings: The analysis shows that GRI Standards are currently adopted to disclose the CE strategies by Italian SMEs across different economic sectors including construction, food, automotive, retail, personal and household goods, industrial goods and services, electronics, media and technology. In particular, GRI 301 is used for the disclosure about Recycling, Reuse, Reverse logistics, Industrial Symbiosis, Eco-Design, Product as a Service and Refurbishing/Reconditioning/Remanufacturing. GRI 302 is suited to disclose CE strategies about Eco-Design, Renewable Energy and Industrial Symbiosis. GRI 303 can be useful to disclose about Reuse and Industrial Symbiosis. GRI 305 is appropriate for Eco-Design, Renewable Energy, Product as a Service, Industrial Symbiosis and Recycling. Finally, GRI 306 is useful to communicate the CE strategies of Recycling, Reuse, Reverse Logistics, Eco-Design, Industrial Symbiosis, Maintenance/Repair, Refurbishing/Reconditioning/Remanufacturing. Practical implications: The paper includes implications concerning how to report the implementation of a wide range of CE practices, mainly using GRI 301, 302, 303, 305 and 306. These implications are mainly addressed to SMEs in different economic sectors. Social implications: The use of the proposed framework, by improving the transparency and communication of the CE strategies used by companies, may contribute to accelerate the consumer awareness on CE practices fostering the CE transition, especially of SMEs, with a positive effect on society and environment. Originality/value: This study extends the literature on CE by developing one among the few standardized approaches using the GRI Standards for the disclosure of CE strategies, a topic mainly investigated in the literature with reference to large companies in a few industries. The framework is also useful to explore the implementation of CE strategies across SMEs in different industrial sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the content and quality of circular economy (CE) and environmental information (CEEI) disclosure in sustainability reports. Additionally, it provides suggestions for heightening CEEI disclosure. Using the content analysis, we analysed the changes that took place after the European Union (EU) action plan (2015) selecting a sample of sustainable reports in the cosmetic industry in Italy in 2014 and 2019 years. We applied the Climate Disclosure Standard Board (CDSB) framework focused on 12 reporting requirements designed to encourage corporate standardized disclosure of environmental information. Our analysis is performed through a frequency term analysis. Additionally, to measure the general shift of semantic over the two years towards CEEI, a semi‐supervised topic modelling approach was applied, whose topics were obtained by aggregating all terms with a significant variation from the content analysis. Findings show that the recent reports (2019) include terms related to the environment in a slightly more frequent way compared to 2014. We provide stronger evidence of the shift in the origin of the topics, being coherent with the changes introduced from the EU 2015 act, and the requirements of the CDSB framework nevertheless the CE seems still under‐reported in the area of governance, strategy, management and performance. The paper discusses the need for further Institutional (EU directives), regulatory (CDSB framework) and stakeholders' pressure (on companies. Finally, the implementation of an integrated reporting for social, economic and environmental disclosure is suggested as a way to ensure an effective CEEI disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to provide an evaluation of the environmental and economic aspects of strawberry cultivation in the Campania and Basilicata regions of Southern Italy, and to consider the effects on strawberry productivity following compost tea (CT) application. Eight strawberry-growing systems were tested. To this end, compost tea production and characterization were described; a quantitative analysis of the strawberries' yield was performed, and environmental impact per ha and per kg of strawberries was estimated using the life cycle assessment methodology. To compare the profitability of the systems analyzed, the gross profit of the farmers was calculated, also considering the social cost of pollution. One of the two organic systems analyzed, using solarization for soil disinfestation, biological fight for pest control, and corrugated boxes as packaging recycled at the end-of-life, was the most sustainable system with carbon credits. At the same time, organic crops are not always the most sustainable and profitable systems if significant irrigation and fertigation interventions are carried out, as in another organic system analyzed. Plastic materials and zinc structures were the most impacting items in almost all analyzed systems. The use of a CT with an elevated number of beneficial microorganisms with a high suppressive action allowed to obtain a good increase of the yield, in both systems that used it, and to have a higher gross profit. On the other hand, the validity of this technique was strongly linked to the finding of high-quality green compost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New hypotheses for reusing platforms reaching their end-of-life have been investigated in several works, discussing the potential conversions of these infrastructures from recreational tourism to fish farming. In this perspective paper, we discuss the conversion options that could be of interest in the context of the current energy transition, with reference to the off-shore Italian scenario. The study was developed in support of the development of a national strategy aimed at favoring a circular economy and the reuse of existing infrastructure for the implementation of the energy transition. Thus, the investigated options include the onboard production of renewable energy, hydrogen production from seawater through electrolyzers, CO2 capture and valorization, and platform reuse for underground fluid storage in depleted reservoirs once produced through platforms. Case histories are developed with reference to a typical, fictitious platform in the Adriatic Sea, Italy, to provide an engineering-based approach to these different conversion options. The coupling of the platform with the underground storage to set the optimal operational conditions is managed through the forecast of the reservoir performance, with advanced numerical models able to simulate the complexity of the phenomena occurring in the presence of coupled hydrodynamic, geomechanical, geochemical, thermal, and biological processes. The results of our study are very encouraging, because they reveal that no technical, environmental, or safety issues prevent the conversion of offshore platforms into valuable infrastructure, contributing to achieving the energy transition targets, as long as the selection of the conversion option to deploy is designed taking into account the system specificity and including the depleted reservoir to which it is connected when relevant. Socio-economic issues were not investigated, as they were out of the scope of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although most companies perceive that they might not be able to implement a circular economy (CE), some scholars perceive that companies may do so by developing dynamic capabilities (DCs). To empirically investigate the role of DCs in CE implementation, we analyzed a sample of 220 companies in Italy through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM). Our PLS‐SEM analysis demonstrates that DCs and their underlying organizational activities significantly facilitate CE implementation, which consequently improves the overall performance of companies. Moreover, a circular dynamic environment (CDE) may stimulate companies towards CE implementation. This paper contributes to the literature in the following manner. First, this paper highlights how companies can identify and pursue CE opportunities. Second, this paper contributes to the debate on the role of a dynamic environment and how DCs leads to performance. Third, this paper presents the measurement scales of DCs and shows how to operationalize a hierarchical component model (HCM) in PLS‐SEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the current geopolitical situation that has hindered the gas supply gas from Russia, Europe's main supplier, it is necessary to find alternative routes to guarantee the Italian gas stocks in winter at a reasonable cost. Such energetic strategies should consider the environmental sustainability of the different available options, fitting the targets of the EU environmental policy. With the aim of supplying a quantitative tool to support the European green transition, this paper reports the entire life cycle assessment (LCA) of three different options for the production and supply of natural gas/methane in Italy: the production of biomethane from biogas (considering a real-scale plant in Italy), the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplied by Qatar by vessel, and the use of compressed gas delivered from Algeria via pipeline. The application of the LCA standardized method allowed for the quantification of the environmental benefit provided by the first option, against all the considered impact categories, thanks to a combination of several advantages: (a) its low-impact anaerobic production, (b) its exploitation of a waste product from the food/agriculture industries, and (c) its production of valuable by-products, which can be considered environmental credits. The results proved the possible environmental gain resulting from an integrated energy supply system that would be able to enhance the economic fabric of specific areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of comparative research into the labor, organizational and spatial practices of a new kind of hybrid civic spaces that we refer to as "social impact-driven repair shops." These are an emerging typology of urban spaces dedicated to repaired and up-cycled items that also go beyond the functions of a traditional shop. Significantly, these shops are run not purely for economic reasons, but rather to position themselves as local, socio-political interventions aiming to confront the environmental impacts of waste, support ethical and affordable consumption, alongside providing new opportunities for employment. We focused our fieldwork (2017–2019) on three such "repair shops": ReTuna Återbruksgalleria in Sweden, The Loop in the United Kingdom and RiMaflow in Italy. We discuss the differing labor and spatial practices taking place within each while highlighting some of the tensions that emerge, and the implications for some of the wider debates in repair studies, "green work" and circular economies. We conclude by identifying two divergent and potentially antagonistic circuits of repair which we name "repair as solidarity" and "repair as poor economy," which we propose as a lens to better grasp the different logics underpinning the transition to circular economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the evolutionary pathways adopted by a digital platform to favor the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem inspired by circular economy behaviors, becoming an enabler in the development of a coevolutionary relationship between entrepreneurial ecosystems and circular economy. Design/methodology/approach: An in-depth single-case study method has been applied, investigating the case of circularity.com, the first and only circular economy industrial symbiosis platform in Italy. Findings: The paper shows how digital platforms can transition towards circular business models, particularly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Moreover, the findings show how sustainable platforms' need to revise their business models to effectively engage with stakeholders. The analysis also shows the central role covered by entrepreneurial ecosystems in the transition towards a more circular and sustainable business models. Originality/value: This paper contributes to theoretical development by offering new and insightful explanations of firms' behavior and coevolution, moving beyond the classic interpretation of industry dynamics and analyzing a unique case study. This study has implications for both practice and research, as it offers a better and more holistic understanding of the enabling role of digital platforms for a circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to an emerging literature stream advocating the multifaceted involvement of the waste management sector in supporting the up‐scaling of the circular economy (CE). It explores the role of waste collection and recycling platforms in overcoming various barriers to CE implementation, inductively analyzing the case of postconsumer wood in Italy. Data were collected from multiple sources: interviews with 33 informants, participation in project meetings, site visits, and public and private documents. The case shows how waste collection platforms can perform different activities that can help address cultural, regulatory, market, and technological barriers. First, these platforms can contribute to stimulating demand for postconsumer wood, carrying out information and communication activities, and fostering the development of a positive image of the recovered material. Second, the platforms can contribute to defining and implementing the conditions to enable the activation of recycling processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an emergence of circular economy concepts and growth and multiplicity of urban labels adopted by cities. Therefore, this paper aims to analyze the correlation between the use of urban branding strategies and the circular economy. A review was carried out on the concepts of the different urban labels and then a bibliometric survey was carried out relating these brandings with the circular economy. The initial analysis relied on the use of 14 urban brandings, six of which did not show bibliometric results and, for this reason, were excluded from further analysis. As a result, the correlation between the circular economy and these 8 urban brandings—sustainable cities, smart cities, resilient cities, green cities, low-carbon cities, ecocities, inclusive cities, and knowledge cities—has been assessed in more depth. Among all combinations with "circular economy", the terms "smart cities" and "sustainable cities" these were the ones that presented the greatest recurrence in the literature, with 45.4% and 38% of the total of articles (108). Environmental science appears as the knowledge area with the highest quantity of publications. Italy, the Netherlands, and China stood out as the countries with a greater number of articles related to the subject. In general, the results point to a trend of plurality of urban brandings, which are adopted according to the characteristics and strategy of each city. It is also worth mentioning that, in many cases, these brandings are not competitors, because in many opportunities they can and must be worked on a complimentary basis by cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge-based and innovative bioeconomy is a cornerstone for achieving the goals of the European Green Deal. Due to its comprehensive coverage, bioeconomy performance is challenging to assess unambiguously. This paper presents the results of a cross-country comparison of 22 EU countries applying the Complex Bioeconomy Sustainability Index for 2012–2018. Results were compared with results of the TOPSIS multi-criteria decision-making method on national bioeconomy strategies in Finland, France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, and Latvia. The research aims to combine a quantitative assessment of bioeconomy output indicators with a qualitative evaluation of bioeconomy strategies of EU Member States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study analyzes sustainable practices adopted by Italian firms to enhance the circularity of packaging and related results in terms of environmental improvements. Design/methodology/approach: The authors developed an empirical analysis using publicly available data from the National Consortium of Packaging (CONAI) in Italy, which consists of 603 circular packaging projects. The authors ran both descriptive and prescriptive analyses to determine individual sustainable practices and portfolios adopted to enhance packaging circularity and to verify related reductions in terms of CO2 emissions as well as energy usage and water consumption. Findings: The findings reveal that firms are more accustomed to focusing on single sustainable practices than on portfolios of practices to achieve packaging circularity. Raw material saving and logistics optimization are the most frequent sustainable practices adopted by firms to improve circularity of packaging. The reuse of packaging allows firms to simultaneously reduce CO2 emissions, energy usage and water consumption. Preferences in terms of portfolio of sustainable practices are strictly linked to the types of materials used for packaging and environmental targets. Originality/value: The authors investigate environmental practices that firms adopt to support packaging circularity, and the authors detect portfolios of sustainable practices that positively impact environmental performance indicators. This research extends a significant glimpse into the portfolio of sustainable practices for packaging in the circular economy implemented by firms, filling academic gaps and indicating business opportunities and avenues for economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cereal production, as well as other agricultural activities, has a relevant impact on the environment contributing to produce negative externalities. Furthermore, it is wasteful, increasing the pressure on the environment, without any utility, and reducing the economic performance of producers. This is particularly evident in regions, like Basilicata and Puglia (located in Southern Italy), where cereal production represents an important quota of regional economy. In order to reduce waste, it is necessary to redefine the cereal production chain, to improve its efficiency and to reduce the ecological footprint of the production, helping, at the same time, farmers to improve their economic performance. Bran is an output of cereal production that is generally wasted; however, it can be used as an input to other production chains. Finding new market opportunities for bran can be a successful strategy to promote circularity of the cereal chain achieving a better balance between social, environmental and economic aspects. To promote a circular production pattern, this study evaluated three different alternative projects for bran use (i.e., paper production, biogas and feed), by using multi-criteria analysis as a tool for local authorities to evaluate projects promoting circular economy. Involving all representative stakeholders of the cereal production chain, the results show ability to achieve the best solution (in this case the biogas one) in order to increase bran utility, implementing the sustainable development of rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste management systems have developed in recent years toward the adoption of sustainable management principles and practices, such as circular economy, zero waste, resource efficiency, waste avoidance, re-use, and recycling. Nevertheless, landfills continue to be used for waste disposal despite their risks related to contamination and effects on urban development. Most research on landfills focuses on their operational and technical aspects, while the performance and cost efficiency in managing landfills is less commonly studied, especially their post-closure management. However, improving efficiency is very relevant in the context of scarce public sector resources. This paper, therefore, analyzes the efficiency of post-closure management of landfills. Drawing on agency and stewardship theories, we focus on the difference in efficiency between public and private management of post-closure landfills. We use a linear mixed regression model to analyze data from 2015 to 2018 relating to 54 landfills (79% of which are privately managed) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The results show that public management is more efficient than private management. Results contribute to defining drivers of cost and confirming a disparity in the performance of private and public management. Our results cast doubt on the assumption, which is prevalent in new public management theory, that private operators are more efficient than public ones. We conclude by highlighting that to reach efficiency, it is better to increase the effectiveness of regulation in terms of value for money, without pre-determined preferences for the type of management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agri-food is the second manufacturing sector in Italy, due to its strategic nature. However, it is affected by several problematics, and one of the most severe is the generation of wastes and by-products. The circular economy could be a winning approach to improve the sustainability of the food supply chain. The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the current policy situation in Europe, with a focus on Italy. The history of circular economy policies in Europe started recently, and is continuing nowadays with the New Circular Economy Action Plan. Italy is in the top position for circularity, even if it has not yet implemented a proper circular economy policy. Future actions should concentrate on developing innovative circular models for the agri-food sector. [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]

Cities with their innovative capacity are key places to address critical climate, environmental and health challenges. Urban experimentations, such as Living Labs, can represent a starting point to reintroduce resources into the production cycle and reduce environmental impacts, embracing the paradigm of the circular economy (CE). According to recent studies, Living Labs at a city scale could generate significant environmental benefits, improvements in quality of life and positive impacts on citizens’ health.1 This paper aims at presenting the case of the Torino Living Lab on Sharing and Circular Economy (LLSC) to point out possible future scenarios of urban sustainable policies. The case study is analysed in five sections: (1) the description of the new permanent laboratory proposed by the City of Turin; (2) the past experiences of Living Labs in Turin; (3) the birth of LLSC and the involvement strategy; (4) the introduction of the eight admitted experimentations. In the light of the results collected, the last paragraph (5) came up with the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Treaths (SWOT) analysis in the LLSC. Eventually, it deals with the research question by offering a common ground for global and local policies focused on sustainability and CE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Closed-Loop Supply Chain (CLSC) and Industry 4.0 (I4.0) are two significant initiatives that have engaged European and global business over the past few years. While direct effects of these initiatives on performance have been found, the nature and performance effects of interactions among these two initiatives remain largely unexamined. This exploratory study theorises and investigates how I4.0 technologies can facilitate CLSC initiatives. Data are collected and analysed from enterprises located in the northeast of Italy. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is deployed to analyse the data. The data suggest a significant and beneficial moderator of I4.0 technologies on the relationship between CLSC practices and firm environmental and social performance. The data fails to find a significant relationship between CLSC practices and financial performance. Data-driven I4.0 technologies are seen to be of greater significance in such moderator roles, comparative to process-driven I4.0 technologies. Our analysis suggests that companies may be advised to adopt a targeted, systems approach for using data-driven I4.0 applications in conjunction with CLSC practices in order to realise performance gains. The findings represent important building blocks in developing theory in this formative area of study. Further implications are discussed from theoretical and practical perspectives. Abbreviations: CE: Circular Economy; CLSC: Closed-Loop Supply Chain; CLSC_ADO: Closed-Loop Supply Chain activities adoption; I4.0: Industry 4.0; I4.0_ADO: Industry 4.0 technologies adoption; PERF: Company Performance; PLS-SEM: Partial least squares structural equation modelling; TBL: Triple Bottom Line (Financial, Environmental, Social) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concepts of sustainability and circular economy (CE) have attracted enormous attention in the academic, business and political spheres. However, a systematic review of case studies concerning CE in the tourism industry remains lacking. The present study collected good environmental management practices and circular solutions related to energy, water and waste from tourist accommodations in Italy/Europe and China. Moreover, sustainable procedures were critically discussed within the strategic water-energy-waste-food-transport (WEWFT) nexus. When comprehensive data were available, good practices were also measured by Circular Indicators (CIs) and compared to benchmark values set by existing certification or labelling. CIs support the innovative, resilient and sustainable development and assessment of the tourism industry. Most of the strategies were focused on energy optimization and a lack of tangible data was depicted for food and waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Veterinarians play an essential role in improving animal care, as they are often viewed as trusted advisors, particularly in relation to disease control and management; however, little is known about veterinarians' perceptions and attitudes toward alternative feeds. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of age, gender, and willingness to adopt on the attitudes of livestock veterinarians toward the use of alternative feeds in farm animals. Methods: A total of 136 active veterinarians completed the online survey, distributed through the main veterinary associations in Italy. The questionnaire contained items on dietary recommendation, awareness, benefit and safety perceptions, and a willingness to adopt former foodstuffs (FFs), complemented with socio-demographic questions. Results: Almost 90% of the population reported a willingness to adopt FFs as feed. Men and women did not share the same perceptions of the nutritional composition of FFs, while the importance of product availability was found to be a key factor driving the age difference. Participants willing to adopt FFs as feed linked positive attitudes to attributes such as digestibility, energy intake, and positive social implications. Conclusion: Our findings provide a basic background on the current use of the FFs in Italy and suggest the need for the development of educational programs and marketing strategies to enhance the acceptability of FFs in farm animals to ultimately promote the transition toward more sustainable animal production. This study has limitations, including the number of recorded responses and reliance on national estimates. Future research is needed to investigate the perceptions of farmers and animal nutritionist from different countries. This could provide a more detailed picture of the current situation in Europe about the potential of using FFs in farm animals' feed, thus further contributing toward a greener and safer livestock production sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to a circular economy entails new challenges for architects and designers. Among these, one challenge is to look at waste not only as new resources, from an environmental perspective, but also as bearers of information capable of communicating their history and origin. Moreover, waste can be considered as a means of activating unexpected knowledge and social connections. The article illustrates a circular design experimentation, conducted with architecture and design students and a wine farm, which led to the creation of the CiaBOT project, a belvedere aimed at enhancing the landscape and providing a temporary stopping point in the Monferrato hills (UNESCO World Heritage Site, Italy). CiaBOT is not only a belvedere but is a microarchitecture capable of conveying both material and immaterial cultural values. Its form and materials are intimately connected with the territory with and for which it was designed. These make CiaBOT a "space" of hybridization and dialogue between agricultural tradition and innovation. But it is also a "space" of fieldwork education and knowledge co-generation in which academic and non-academic stakeholders have measured themselves. Through the description of the different stages of the design process, the article is part of the debate on new sustainable ways of designing and building, reflecting on new models of circular economy based as much on design strategies and processes as on the enhancement of human labor and the use of technologies appropriate to the context and actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of Industry 5.0 is novel from many points of view, as it fosters the transition to a sustainable, human-centric, resilient European industry. To reach this ambitious goal, it is necessary to act simultaneously on many fronts, starting from guaranteeing basic human rights (e.g., privacy, independence, and dignity) and paying attention to the circular economy and energy efficiency. Despite being difficult to adopt in its general formulation, this concept can be scaled up to specific fields, thus producing increased value with repercussions to the whole industrial process. The winemaking industry puts Italy at the forefront globally, as it is also among the key components of the whole national agrifood/agritech value chain. However, the Italian winemaking industry is quite fragmented, with a heterogeneous mix of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and with large companies having opposite approaches to the production process, both in terms of involvement of human resources and seasonality of efforts, due to the existing climate differences nationwide. This fact makes the adoption of common practices even harder but makes the benefits of projects promoting this process innovation more tangible. In such a framework, CANTINA 5.0 seeks to fill in this important gap, promoting the Industry 5.0 principles in a selected group of SMEs and large companies from two different Italian areas featuring different climate conditions and different seasonality, hence characterized by different wine harvesting periods and types of wine production. The present article deals with the description of this paradigm in its single parts, including the use of questionnaires and smart tools to detect the health and well-being state of factory workers and winemakers, the use of well-grounded (including gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) and novel (e.g., based on the Internet-of-Things) environmental monitoring tools applied to the cellars/production departments, and the sensory analysis of the end-products, also leveraging the chemical and emotional characteristics of wines produced using the Industry 5.0 approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International conservation approaches recognise architectural heritage as crucial in promoting sustainable development and enhancing human well-being. This has been highlighted by the recent New European Bauhaus (NEB) movement. As for the reuse of architectural heritage, this debate has led to the formulation of new guidelines that aim to maximise the tangible and intangible values of the assets from a long-term and circular economy perspective. In turning theory into operational practice, it is essential to reuse heritage structures while keeping these principles in mind and remaining within the boundaries of conservation objectives. To achieve this, evaluation tools that can aid in the decision-making process need to be identified. This research presents a novel model of indicators that can monitor and evaluate the quality of architectural heritage reuse projects, proposing a perspective that considers both the concept of well-being and the NEB principles. The proposed model is tested on Turin's IPIM (Provincial Institute for Childhood and Maternity). This structure has been transformed from an uncomfortable heritage into a cultural centre for contemporary art called Flashback Habitat. The case study tests the model's practical applicability and demonstrates its effectiveness in identifying the most challenging principles to apply in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The obligations arising from legislation and other instruments affect the macro-level decision-making related to the transition toward a circular economy (CE), which is a multifaceted topic since it tries to aggregate the interests of different stakeholders. In this context, this paper aims to analyse the current policies, strategies and initiatives related to the CE transition from a multicriteria perspective and under the lens of NIT (New Institutional Theory). This is the first approach that analyses which CE strategies and related practices boost the transition from a macro-level perspective, using a multicriteria method and considering developed and emerging economies. For this reason, this paper can be helpful for researchers and practitioners involved in implementing strategy and policymaking aimed at the transition toward a CE. It also contributes to the discussion on the global transition to the CE by identifying differences and similarities between countries. The proposed methodology has been applied to compare the realities in Italy and Brazil. The perceptions of several stakeholders from the two countries have been gathered through a questionnaire to evaluate numerous strategies against several social, environmental, economic, and technical criteria. The main results are: Italy presents a proactive behaviour, a higher level of institutionalisation, and a coercive isomorphism related to European regulations and strategies. In contrast, Brazil has reactive behaviour, a lower level of institutionalisation, and is impelled by mimetic isomorphism. Although it is possible to observe several advances in the last years in Brazil, the transition to a CE is still in the early stages compared to Italy. [Display omitted] • Transitioning to a new economic model is not a quick and straightforward process. • Transition requires changes in countries, regions, cities, supply chains and companies. • Some strategies and related practices have been adopted to enable the transition. • National legislation and Action Plans can boost the transition toward a circular economy. • In developing countries, the exploration of CE concept and its potential benefits has been rare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The development of cities and transport infrastructure produces a large volume of mineral waste (e.g. excavated earth material). At the same time, cities are increasingly trying to develop green infrastructures, given the ecosystem services they provide to people, but this comes with considerable economic and environmental costs associated with the transfer of fertile soil from rural areas to cities. In a circular economy approach, the reuse of mineral waste to build fertile soil is a substantial opportunity to reduce the economic and environmental costs of both mineral waste management and green infrastructure development. Soils constructed from these materials (constructed Technosols) must be able to support vegetation growth and become a suitable living environment for soil organisms. This requires ecological engineering to maximise the potential of constructed soils for biodiversity, both from a taxonomic and functional perspective. In this context, we systematically mapped the evidence related to the ability of soils constructed from mineral wastes to support biodiversity. Methods: We gathered published and grey literature through searches in two publications databases (Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection), one search engine (Google Scholar), nine organisational websites and through a call for literature. Titles, abstracts, and full-texts were successively screened using eligibility criteria. All included studies were described with coded variables and a database was produced. The extent of evidence was assessed and knowledge clusters and gaps were identified. Review findings: The searches yielded 9265 articles, and 153 articles were retained after the screening process. More than half of these articles were from European countries, with France leading the field with 40 articles, followed by Spain (15 articles) and Italy (10 articles). Most of the articles (75%) were produced after 2015. The main reasons for constructing soils from mineral waste were for mine rehabilitation (35%), waste recycling (16%) and experimental purpose (15%). The 153 articles were divided into 1962 studies, a study being a combination of a taxon, an intervention (i.e. soil construction) and a measured outcome. Among these studies, the most studied biological group is plants (69% of studies) and especially herbaceous species (32%), followed by microorganisms (17%) and invertebrates (14%). The most used type of mineral waste is mine waste (31% of studies) followed by excavated soil (16%) and demolition waste (14%). Finally, the most frequently measured outcome is plant growth (42% of studies), followed by organism abundance (16%) and diversity (10%). Conclusions: Three main knowledge clusters were identified which could be addressed in the future for full synthesis of the results: (1) How well do plants grow in soils constructed from mineral wastes? (2) What is the potential of soils constructed from mineral wastes to support biodiversity? and (3) How do microbial communities develop in soils constructed from mineral wastes? There is a lack of studies investigating several biological groups at the same time: only 6 articles out of 153 investigated the response of both plants, invertebrates and microorganisms to soil construction. More research is therefore needed on the ability to support a diversity of organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biogas sector in Europe and Italy is attracting growing investment, combining agricultural activity, the circular economy, and renewable energy production. Firms in the sector widely use debt capital and, for this reason, there is a need to evaluate the structure of investments, financing, and debt service capacity calculated by applying interest coverage ratios (ICRs). ICRs are widely used by banks in granting loans, and calculation of ICRs allows managers and policy makers to correctly evaluate firms' performance in the sector. In this research, based on a sample of 160 observations, the structure of investments and sources of financing of firms in the biogas sector, operating in northern Italy, are analyzed. ICRs are calculated with different approaches to establish which ICRs provide the most reliable results in the application. The research analyzes the correlations and highlights significant differences between ICRs. The research highlights some important findings: (a) the NWC is negative in 109 out of 160 observations and, therefore, constitutes a source of financing in the majority of observations; (b) ICRs based on EBITDA and CF are above the threshold value of "1" in 143 and 145 observations, respectively, while ICRs based on EBIT, OCF, and UFCF are above the threshold value of "1" in 132, 133, and 122 observations, respectively. The research allows the conclusion that the ICRs based on EBITDA and CF tend to overestimate results; ICRs based on EBIT, OCF and UFCF are preferable, and can therefore be applied by managers, banks, and policy makers and be used as debt covenants. For the calculation of the repayment of the NFP, the research has highlighted that ICRs in which the cost of the debt is deducted from the numerator are preferable. The research can thus be usefully applied and expanded to other territories, or by considering a larger sample with the aim of inferring conclusions of general validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The circular economy is a social, technological and economic paradigm that aims to build a production and consumption model focused on waste reduction and maximization of discarded matter recovery. Discussion of the circular economy often treats it as a technocratic and profit-driven phenomenon that can be developed by capital investment in a particular industrial sector without necessarily taking into account the needs of the surrounding geographic area. The promotion of the circular economy often emphasises recycling and other practices that may not fully use the recovered material but are highly automatable, thus creating only a limited number of jobs. At the same time, there is another model of the circular economy, in which small and medium-sized organizations engage in transformative and low-technology activities such as reuse and repair, benefiting local development and creating job opportunities. This model is often explicitly driven by a social development mandate. Still, it risks falling short of its goals because of a lack of expertise and a less systematic approach. This paper aims to introduce the Design-led Repair & Reuse (DLRR) framework for mitigating the shortcomings of this second model, using an approach that is both sustainable and accessible to organizations with limited resources. Inspired by the principles of "Design-driven innovation", "social & solidarity economy", and "appropriate technology", DLRR aims to generate a higher quality of processes and products from circular, low entropy and low capital-intensity production activities, resulting in a more solid, identifiable and conscious positioning in the reuse market. It complements the socially inclusive ethos of these third sector small and medium-sized organizations while contributing to the debate on integrating alternative perspectives into the mainstream circular economy discourse. The first part of this paper discusses the theoretical principles that have inspired the DLRR framework. The second part presents research that tests the consistency of these founding principles based on a case study of a sample of organizations in Italy that are active in circular waste transformation processes. • The circular economy is an emerging paradigm in the race to achieve environmental sustainability. • Mainstream discourse on circular economy often does not focus on the social dimension of sustainability. • This discourse often interprets circular economy in a technocratic way, emphasizing high-tech, capital intensive approaches. • Reuse and repair practices are more technologically accessible, and can foster the creation of job opportunities. • A Design-led reuse and repair approach can contribute to strenghten the social dimension of circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alongside the concern for environmental sustainability, the concept of Circular Economy, a term for an economic system designed to regenerate itself, has gained momentum. Circularity finds full expression in Local Energy Communities (LEC), a newly emerging setup wherein the local energy needs of a community are met independently, through the choice of shared solutions for energy production from renewable sources. Erstwhile the use of stationary energy storage systems for self-consumption optimization, load management, peak shaving, backup power and ancillary services, would foster the value of these Local Energy Communities. In this paper, we design a techno-economic analysis to assess the impact of the usage of Second-life Batteries for increasing the energy self-independence of those communities. A cost-minimization approach with technical and economic constraints is used for the analysis and is applied to a use case of Italy. This paper assesses the benefits that a Local Energy Community can entail while considering self-consumption maximization of PV generation, load shifting and grid balancing needs, while addressing the problem of high storage costs through the exploitation of second-life electric vehicles (EV) batteries, adding an extra layer for circularity. Scenarios related to maximizing the self-consumption of photovoltaic generation and demand side management are designed considering four different LEC technology configurations. The results confirm LEC viability, showing lower energy bills for each scenario and greater benefits coupling a solar generation system with a storage solution. • Development of a techno-economic tool for Local Energy Community. • A feasibility analysis of Second Life Batteries is performed for the energy community. • Increased economic and energy savings are observed with second life batteries. • Second life of batteries are economically feasible for the community at 150€/MWH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within Circular Economy (CE) studies, the concept of Circular Supply Chains (CSCs) is still not mature, although it is expected to significantly develop in the next few years thanks to the growing interest of scholars, practitioners, and policymakers. CSCs represent the result of designing and synchronizing industrial functions among companies and with the outside partners to close the cycles, dematerialize the flows, reducing inputs and losses along the system. Besides being an interesting topic for large and structured companies, CSCs seem also to be relevant for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), which struggle to understand what CE practices can be implemented to make the transition towards a CE and enable CSCs. With the aim to seize the supply chain opportunities due to a CE transition of SMEs, an analysis of the literature was initially carried out to highlight the main CE practices that companies may implement, which also enable CSCs. Then, an empirical investigation on a sample of 100 SMEs in Italy, through an internet-based search and multiple case studies, was carried out to understand the practical implementation of CE practices in SMEs in Italy that enable CSCs. We believe our research in the present paper adds to the existing research on CE and CSCs, by providing a holistic view of how CE practices enable CSCs and shows how these practices may benefit the supply chains where companies operate, beyond their business processes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper concerns the assessment of biomass by-products from the urban greenery maintenance with an energy perspective. Usually pruning is not organized by a consolidated planning practice, mainly because of lack of information. After estimating the quantity of wood pruning by-products by means of dendrometric equations and the availability of information on current greenery management, an innovative GIS-based method was implemented and tested on Milan, in northern Italy. The main outcome is the quantification of the energy potential in terms of available wood biomass, displayed on a geo-referred urban map. Moreover, the outcomes of the research could support the administrations in improving the management of these materials otherwise wasted and therefore in converting public expenses for maintenance into public profits available for further investments. On the energy supply side, the GIS database could support the local matching between available renewable sources and energy supply systems in operation (i.e. local district heating and cogenerative systems), providing a low-range and cost-effective renewable resource, also enhancing circular economy at the local scale. • A novel method for an effective urban greenery management is proposed and analysed. • Dendrometric equations and a GIS were combined for pruning by-products estimation. • The urban greenery of Milan was considered as case study. • A biomass PE potential between 26 and 76 GWh was assessed for the case study. • The use of pruning by-products in a biomass district heating plant is evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides an accurate economic characterization of the supply of edible mushrooms throughout Italy within the European context to fill the relevant research gap and highlight barriers and opportunities that are consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals. Italian companies operating in this field were identified and economically characterized using the Chamber of Commerce's Register of Companies. A qualitative web content analysis was then conducted to extract information about the marketed products, mushroom species, and retail channels, as well as the adopted certifications. The obtained data were quantitatively analyzed through descriptive statistics and multiple correspondence analysis. The Italian market is concentrated in northern areas of the country, and the limited company size indicates fragmentation at the production level, which led to Italy not being competitive enough and, thus, heavily rely on imports. Production is limited to less than 10 species, and innovative mushroom-based products, such as burgers, have shown a limited presence on the market, although they are gaining market share online. The novelty of growing kits highlights the potential to use food production waste to create fungal substrates. Investments in training new mushroom growers and studying new formulations and new fungal species are needed; these investments could allow greater market differentiation and be a good opportunity to promote local economies and create new job opportunities, thus meeting the requirements for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current exploitation of freshwater, as well as the significant increase in sewage sludge production from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), represent nowadays a critical issue for the implementation of sustainable development consistent with the circular economy concept. There is an urgent need to rethink the concept of WWTPs from the conventional approach consisting in pollutant removal plants to water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the demonstration case studies at the Marineo and Corleone WRRFs in Sicily (IT), with the final aim showing the effectiveness of the resources recovery systems, as well as the importance of plant optimization to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from WRRFs. This study is part of the H2020 European Project "Achieving wider uptake of water-smart solutions—Wider-Uptake", which final aim is to demonstrate the water-smart solution feasibility in the wastewater sector. The main project goal is to overcome the existing barriers that hamper the transition to circularity through the implementation of a governance analysis tool. The preliminary actions in the two demonstration cases are first presented, while, subsequently, the water-smart solutions to be implemented are thoroughly described, highlighting their roles in the transition process. The achieved preliminary results underlined the significant potential of WRRF application, a great chance to demonstrate the feasibility of innovative solutions in the wastewater sector to overcome the existing social, administrative and technical barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wastewater sector paradigm is shifting from wastewater treatment to resource recovery. In addition, concerns regarding sustainability during the operation have increased. In this sense, there is a need to break barriers (i.e., social, economic, technological, legal, etc.) for moving forward towards water resource recovery facilities and demonstration case studies can be very effective and insightful. This paper presents a new water resource recovery case study which is part of the Horizon 2020 EU Project "Achieving wider uptake of water-smart solutions—Wider Uptake". The final aim is to demonstrate the importance of a resource recovery system based on the circular economy concept. The recovery facilities at Palermo University (Italy) are first presented. Afterwards, the resource recovery pilot plants are described. Preliminary results have underlined the great potential of the wastewater treatment plant in terms of resources recovery and the central role of the University in fostering the transition towards circular economy. The fermentation batch test highlighted a volatile fatty acids (VFAs) accumulation suitable for polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) production. The results of static adsorption and desorption tests showed that the highest amount of adsorbed NH4+ was recorded for untreated and HCl-Na treated clinoptilolite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shredding of end-of-life refrigerators produces every year in Italy 15,000 tons of waste polyurethane foam (PUF), usually destined for energy recovery. This work presents the results of the investigation of the oil sorption potential of waste PUF according to ASTM F726–17 standard. Three oils (diesel fuel and two commercial motor oils) having different densities (respectively, 0.83, 0.87, and 0.88 kg/dm3) and viscosities (respectively, 3, 95, and 140 mm2/s at 40 °C) were considered. The waste PUF was sampled in an Italian e-waste treatment plant, and its characterization showed 16.5 wt% particles below 0.71 mm and 13 wt% impurities (paper, plastic, aluminum foil), mostly having dimensions (d) above 5 mm. Sieving at 0.071 mm was applied to the waste PUF to obtain a "coarse" (d > 0.71 mm) and a "fine" fraction (d < 0.71 mm). Second sieving at 5 mm allowed an "intermediate" fraction to be obtained, with dimensions between 0.71 and 5 mm. The oil sorption tests involved the three fractions of waste PUF, and their performances were compared with two commercial oil sorbents (sepiolite and OKO-PUR). The results of the tests showed that the "fine" PUF was able to retain 7.1–10.3 g oil/g, the "intermediate" PUF, 4.2–7.4 g oil/g, and the "coarse" PUF, 4.5–7.0 g oil/g, while sepiolite and OKO-PUR performed worse (respectively, 1.3–1.6 and 3.3–5.3 g oil/g). In conclusion, compared with the actual management of waste PUF (100 wt% sent to energy recovery), the amount destined directly to energy recovery could be limited to 13 wt% (i.e., the impurities). The remaining 87 wt% could be diverted to reuse for oil sorption, and afterward directed to energy recovery, considered as a secondary option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture, one of the main economic pillars in Europe, plays a growing important role towards the environmental sustainability of the extra-urban land, in which the agricultural activities may proactively contribute to control and regulate the whole ecological conditions. Modern agriculture currently needs big quantities of agrochemicals, which are necessary for the growth and protection of crops and animals. These agrochemicals are commercially distributed to consumers in many types of containers. The most widely used packaging solutions usually employ plastic materials (e.g., containers for liquid pesticide; sacks for granular fertiliser; etc.). These materials, after the use of the agrochemical, need to be decontaminated, before being entrained in a recycling process, in the framework of a circular economy. In the present paper the main results coming from a EU-funded international project are reported, with specific reference to a pilot station that was realised in Italy with the aim to implement and test a codified system for the decontamination of these plastic containers for agrochemicals. The experimental tests were supported by relevant laboratory analysis, which have confirmed that the triple-rinsing decontamination procedure - traditionally employed by farmers for washing and decontaminating these containers - may be effective only under some well-defined conditions. Triple rinsing by farmers has indeed led to an only partial decontamination of the plastic containers, if farmers did not follow an appropriate triple-rinsing protocol, or did not triple-rinse the containers immediately after their emptying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogas production and use can represent a win-win strategy providing multiple opportunities to mitigate the emission of greenhouse gases responsible for climate change, while offering a range of important social, environmental and economic benefits. Nevertheless, as for other bioenergy pathways, biogas sustainability needs to be carefully assessed and continuously monitored in light of the specific geographic and temporal context in which it performs. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review on the sustainability assessment of domestic production and use of biogas in Italy, with a focus on the environmental dimension of the sustainability. Furthermore, it elaborates the results of the review to perform an ex-novo sustainability assessment of biogas pathway at national level, through the methodology developed by the Global Bioenergy Partnership. The biogas value chain in Italy can play a positive role to foster the transition towards an ecological and circular economy. This paper highlights both weaknesses and strengths of the biogas value chain in Italy and points out existing differences, in relation to the sustainability of the value chain, between various geographical areas of the country. The outcomes of this study could inform, both at national and international scale, the drawing of tailor-made policies and measures to reduce biogas-related potential risks of environmental impacts, as well as to support the replication and scaling up of successful management practices. Furthermore, they could serve as a baseline for the future monitoring of the sector. Ultimately, the paper reports the key difficulties encountered in the implementation of the GBEP methodology and the solutions adopted to overcome them. [Display omitted] • Three-quarters (75.4%) of the Italian biogas production takes place in the Po river valley, one-third comes from Lombardy. • Maize silage and livestock manure are the most common feedstocks in Italian biogas plants. • Roughly 80 k tons of nitrogen contained in livestock manure were treated by biogas plant in Italy in 2016. • The main source of GHG emissions along the biogas pathway in Italy lies in the cultivation of dedicated bioenergy crops. • Water shortage hampers the development of the biogas sector in southern Italy, restricting the cultivation of energy crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) management system of the European Union to be applied in all member states was introduced in 2002 by the first WEEE directive (2002/96/EC). Since the beginning, the system was intended to improve the management of WEEE and promote circular economy principles in the sector. This study aims at evaluating the environmental and social impacts of the WEEE management system in Italy, with a special focus on collection and recycling in Campania Region (the third more populated Italian Region, Southern Italy). The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is jointly applied with the Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA). All five categories of WEEE (R1 to R5) are considered in the assessment. The LCA results show that the extraction of metals and materials from 1 tonne of WEEE collection and recycling generates much lower environmental impacts than the extraction and refining of an equivalent amount of virgin resources. In particular, the results of the environmental LCA highlight that the treatment of 1 tonne of WEEE collected in the Campania Region provides the opportunity to recover several metals such as Aluminum, Iron, Steel and ferrous materials, Copper, Nickel, Lead, and precious metals (Gold, Silver, and Palladium). According to S-LCA, the collection and recycling of 1 tonne of WEEE provides positive impacts to the investigated sub-categories of recipients (i.e., local community and society), except in some cases where the collection may potentially generate negative impacts, expressed by a lower "safe and healthy living conditions" indicator in the local community sub-category. In particular, much more must be done to support small Municipalities towards better collection procedures and integration within the largest Regional and national WEEE valorization networks. Solutions are suggested to improve the transition of the WEEE management system towards a more just environmental and social circular economy model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circular economy (CE) has a huge potential to overcome sustainability challenges. The EU and several national governments have been urging firms for CE implementation. However, to date, most firms are failing in translating the CE concept into their business operations. Some scholars point out that firms may attain CE objectives through dynamic capabilities. To empirically investigate whether or not dynamic capabilities facilitate CE implementation, we analyzed a sample of 220 manufacturing firms in Italy through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Our PLS-SEM analysis shows that sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring capabilities and their underlying organizational routines significantly facilitate CE implementation. This paper contributes to the literature in the following ways. Firstly, this paper presents the measurement scales of dynamic capabilities and demonstrates how to operationalize a reflective-formative hierarchical component model (HCM) of dynamic capabilities in PLS-SEM. Secondly, this paper highlights the key capabilities and organizational routines through which firms can identify and pursue CE opportunities. Image 1 • We argue that firms may attain circular economy (CE) objectives through dynamic capabilities. • Sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring capabilities significantly facilitate CE implementation. • Key routines to identify CE opportunities include, but not limited to, market monitoring and R&D. • LCA seems to be an essential tool to identify CE opportunities. • Key routines to accomplish CE opportunities include, but not limited to, strategic planning and technological upgradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to identify the main elements that characterize the emissions to the atmosphere in Italy and the downstream waste in relation to the evolutionary dynamics of companies in the agro-industrial system. The choice to focus our study on Italy seems to be opportune since it has well-established territorial and socio-economic characteristics that may play a role in promoting the sustainable growth in Europe and in the Mediterranean basin. The first part of the study analyses the trend of the atmospheric emissions (by pollutants environmental issues) attributable to the agro-industrial system, in the last twenty years. The second part offers an intercensal and evolutionary picture of the enterprises of the agro-industrial system, examining the main subsystems of these firms and comparing them with the aforementioned emissions dynamics. In the third and last part of the study, we provide a further comparison between companies with special waste and the related production activities of the Italian agro-industry in order to evaluate the conversion activity into bio-based products and bioenergy (circular economy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current scenario of transition to a Europe-wide circular economy (CE), the Waste-to-Energy (WtE) treatments represent a smart solution to generate renewable energy, reduce landfills and ensure sustainable waste management. The costs and environmental impacts of existing WtE treatments are very different for each available technology. In many cases, their identification is affected by a set of variable boundary conditions strongly dependent on local municipal requirements. In light of these considerations, the paper aims to compare the investment in three different WtE treatments (i.e., incineration, gasification, and flameless oxy-combustion) to identify the best solution to support the current transitional phase towards a CE condition. An overall yearly cost analysis was developed by varying local municipal requirements, including investment, operating, and carbon emissions costs. The overall yearly cost and the revenues, due to energy sales and tipping fees, allowed to evaluate the profitability of the investment in the plant lifetime to identify the best WtE treatment. The investment profitability was evaluated by adopting the Net Present Value (NPV) method by estimating the cash flow statement over the entire plant lifetime. The performance of the three WtE treatments, classified as "conventional" (i.e., gasification and incineration) and "innovative" (i.e., flameless oxy-combustion), were compared in a case study concerning Southern Italy's Metropolitan City of Bari. The applied methodology showed, in this case, that gasification, at the moment, has to be deemed as the most sustainable treatment for MSW management. Moreover, the study proved a high dependence between the carbon price and the profitability of the investment and, thus, in the next future the innovative oxy-combustion technology will gain an advantage over all the other technologies, when carbon price will be higher than 44 €/tonnes CO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strategic relevance of extracting raw materials from waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in the EU is increasing due to value chain risks caused by geopolitical instability, accessibility of specific minerals, and decreasing reserves due to growing extraction rates. This article examines the quantities of so‐called critical raw materials (CRMs) originating within WEEE streams from a depletion perspective. Presently, current recycling targets are based solely on mass collection and recycling rates. We examine the potential limitations of this approach using an exergy‐based indicator named thermodynamic rarity. This indicator represents the exergy costs needed for producing materials from the bare rock to market. The case of Italy is used to explore the application of the indicator at the macro (national) and micro (company) level for the product categories "small electronics" and "screens and monitors." Our estimations show significant differences between the mass and rarity of materials within Italian WEEE streams. While iron accounts for more than 70% of the weight of the product categories analyzed, it accounts for less than 15% of the rarity. Similarly, several CRMs with a small mass have a higher rarity value, for example, tungsten with less than 0.1% of the mass and over 6% of the rarity. The policy context is reflected upon, where it is argued that thermodynamic rarity can provide novel insights to support end‐of‐life WEEE decision‐making processes, for example, target development and recycling standards setting to help prioritize material monitoring and recovery options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forestry sector in Italy and throughout Europe is going through a critical period due to ongoing natural and anthropological processes, such as climate change and the abandonment of rural areas. These processes lead to a constant fragmentation of properties in small forest parcels, with direct impacts on management capacity. In this framework, new sustainable forest management methods are being tested and are shown to be good practices to oppose the decline of forest ecosystems. Their innovative aspects concern the introduction of a form of shared and circular economy, where management is built on the process, rather than on the product. Their technical activities are based on precision forestry systems and digitalization. The new approach takes into consideration the fact that the woods are an asset available to the whole community, in terms of benefits and protection. Forest Sharing® is an example of the application of shared forest management systems, due to which the owner user benefits from several services and opportunities, such as the advanced monitoring platform and the access to investment funds. After eighteen months of activity, the first results of the application of the new management systems can already be seen. Many aspects need further development, such as case studies concerning the enhancement due to forest certification and new recreational activities. Shared forest management systems have the potential to increase the level of knowledge and awareness of citizens about environmental and territorial issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism is the third largest socio-economic activity in the EU and thus it can be considered an engine for development, producing many positive impacts, from trade sector to employment. At the same time, it can produce many negative impacts because it is configured according to the model of linear economy. A deep analysis of impacts produced by tourism sector and its great potential in contributing to the achievement of SDGs are presented. The aim of this paper is to identify a tourism development/management model able to produce multidimensional benefits and, simultaneously, reduce (environmental, social and economic) costs. In this perspective, the circular economy is proposed as a model able to contribute to make tourism more sustainable. This model necessarily requires appropriate evaluation tools, indicators and knowledge. [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]

Over the last few years, much attention has been paid to the phenomenon of household food waste which largely contributes to the total amount of food waste generated in industrialised countries. The reduction of food waste has been also included within the European strategy of circular economy and ambitious objectives have been assigned to the European member states. Youths proved to be the segment of the population most inclined to waste food and therefore they need to be monitored. This exploratory study, based on a survey involving 380 youths residing in Italy and Spain, aims at investigating the complexities of food waste behaviour within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. By referring to the PLS-SEM approach, we analyse the validity of the relationships between individual habits, attitudes, addiction to marketing ploys and sales strategies, and attitudes towards food waste. It also aims at verifying the existence of mediator effects in order to better understand these relationships. The construction of the Importance Performance Matrix Analysis enables identification of the dimensions which greatly influence positive behaviour, and whether urgent attention and interventions are required. The results confirm that behavioural models are appropriate for explaining youths' behaviour towards food waste with an important role played by the perceived behavioural control. Situational factors which characterize the moment of purchase should be carefully considered and monitored. This paper concludes that marketing and sale strategies negatively influence the waste behaviour of individuals, emphasizing the important role of retailers in preventing the generation of food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]