2,013 results
Search Results
2. Removal of toilet paper fibers from residential wastewater: a life cycle assessment.
- Author
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Wang, Xiaoyu, Liu, Guoqiang, Sun, Weimin, Cao, Zhiguo, Liu, Huaqing, Xiong, Yiqun, Li, Baoqin, Sun, Xiaoxu, Li, Yongbin, Xu, Rui, Huang, Duanyi, and Gao, Pin
- Subjects
TOILET paper ,PRODUCT life cycle assessment ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,WASTE recycling ,WASTEWATER treatment ,ENERGY consumption - Abstract
Toilet paper has been reported as one of the major insoluble pollutant components in the influent of wastewater treatment plants. Toilet paper fibers contribute to a large production of sewage sludge, resulting in a high treatment cost and high energy consumption. To find energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environment-friendly technologies for fiber removal and resource recovery from wastewater, a life-cycle assessment (LCA) was performed to analyze the wastewater treatment processes, including a sieving process for removing and recovering suspended solids before the biodegradation units. Based on the LCA results, it was estimated that the sieve screening process saved 8.57% of energy consumption. The construction phase of sieving consumed 1.31% energy cost compared with the operation phase. Environmental impact analysis showed that sieving reduced the impacts of climate change, human toxicity, fossil depletion, and particulate matter formation, which reduced the total normalized environmental impacts by 9.46%. The life-cycle analysis of the removal of toilet paper fibers from wastewater revealed the need to use more efficient methods to enhance the recovery of cellulose fibers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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3. MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT | NATIONAL DIRECTORATE OF QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT invites tenders for Ph Indicator Paper, Rechargeable Batteries and Battery Chargers. File is Attached with the Details of the Call.-
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Environmental impact analysis ,Battery chargers ,News, opinion and commentary - Abstract
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT | NATIONAL DIRECTORATE OF QUALITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, Uruguay has invited tenders for Ph Indicator Paper, Rechargeable Batteries and Battery Chargers. File is Attached with the Details [...]
- Published
- 2024
4. HOW SUSTAINABLE AND GREEN IS TODAY'S MODERN PRINTING INDUSTRY? MYTHS AND FACTS.
- Author
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Horvath, Csaba, Aydemir, Cem, and Yenidogan, Semira
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DIGITAL communications ,PRINTING industry ,DIGITAL technology ,CIRCULAR economy ,SUSTAINABLE development ,SOCIAL consciousness ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,SUSTAINABILITY - Abstract
Going green... So many projects to reduce environmental impact start this way and continue with the first task being to eliminate printed communication and go paperless and digital. All this is not driven by thoughtful environmental considerations, but by an aversion to paper-based communication that is wrongly anchored in the social consciousness. The authors draw attention to the misconceptions that people have about paper-based communication, showing that they are untrue and that they are often used to greenwash the digital world, thus distracting attention from the harmful environmental impact of their own processes. At the same time, they present the facts against the myths, citing scientific sources and reports, as well as their own research. They analyse the real environmental impacts of paper-based communication and the extent to which technology processes meet sustainability requirements. The world of print communication (including the modern printing industry) attaches great importance to sustainability. The Gutenberg galaxy has provided the basis for the development of human knowledge and culture for half a millennium and plans to continue to play this role in the future. It aims to meet the requirements of environmental sustainability, the circular economy and to work with the rest of the supply chain to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The authors detail and analyse these processes in their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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5. Exploring cyclic dominance in rock-paper-scissor strategies within the Optional Prisoner's Dilemma: A quantitative analysis with environmental feedback.
- Author
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Shuvo, Md. Fahimur Rahman and Kabir, K.M. Ariful
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ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis , *DILEMMA , *SOCIAL dominance , *QUANTITATIVE research , *EXTREME value theory - Abstract
• The study aimed to quantify the cyclic dominance resembling rock-paper-scissors observed in the optional prisoner's dilemma, considering cooperators, defectors, and loners as the three competing strategies. • The research utilized theoretical and numerical analyses to explore the impact of environmental feedback on the replicator dynamics. • The rate of environmental replenishment and the payoff from draw games were identified as crucial factors influencing gameplay dynamics. • The study revealed that the loner's payoff and the strength of the dilemma played pivotal roles in determining the dominant strategies. This research investigation delves into the concept of cyclic dominance and its interplay with environmental feedback within the framework of the Optional Prisoner's Dilemma (OPD) game. A quantitative model has been meticulously constructed to encompass both the OPD and Rock-Paper-Scissors (RPS) games, wherein the outcomes are contingent upon environmental feedback. The intricate relationship between player populations and their surrounding environment is elucidated through the utilization of replicator dynamics. The empirical findings of this study shed light on the existence of distinct equilibria contingent upon the prevailing environmental circumstances. Under scenarios characterized by resource depletion, an equilibrium state emerges wherein only solitary individuals (referred to as "loners") persist. Conversely, under conditions of resource replenishment, an equilibrium is established where various strategic approaches coexist in equal proportions, akin to the dynamics of the Rock-Paper-Scissors game. Notably, cyclic dominance manifests itself during periods characterized by intermediate environmental conditions. Several pivotal factors have been identified as determinants of these dynamic phenomena, including the rate of environmental replenishment, the strength of the dilemma presented, the payoff for loners, and the reward for a draw. It has been empirically demonstrated that the presence of extreme values in the replenishment rate, irrespective of whether exceptionally high or exceptionally low, serves as an impediment to the emergence of cyclic dominance. This model underscores the substantial influence of environmental feedback on social dilemmas, particularly in the context of the OPD game, ultimately leading to the emergence of competitive cyclic dominance games reminiscent of the Rock-Paper-Scissors game. In doing so, it elucidates the intricate interplay between evolutionary game incentives and the dynamics of the surrounding environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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6. Recent achievements of greenness metrics on paper-based electrochemical (bio) sensors for environmental and clinical analysis.
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Silva-Neto, Habdias A., de Lima, Lucas F., Rocha, Danielly S., Ataide, Vanessa N., Meloni, Gabriel N., Moro, Giulia, Raucci, Ada, Cinti, Stefano, Paixão, Thiago R.L.C., de Araujo, William R., and Coltro, Wendell K.T.
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ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis , *STENCIL printing , *ELECTROCHEMICAL sensors , *ECOLOGICAL impact , *MICROBIAL fuel cells , *PENCIL drawing , *SUSTAINABLE chemistry - Abstract
This review proposes, for the first time, a recent overview of ecological information involving electrochemical paper-based analytical devices (ePADs) dedicated to sensing environmental and clinical situations. The options of manufacturing methods are screen printing, stencil printing, pencil drawing, laser scribing, inject-printing, and additive printing. We have covered ecological aspects such as resource efficiency, safety, and toxicity regarding using paper-based (bio) electrodes. To see the ecological impact of testing methods by using ePADs, the Analytical GREEnness (AGREE) approach was utilized as a greenness metric calculator model since the tool makes use of 12 principles of Green Analytical Chemistry. Positive and negative concepts from the revised values of AGREE metric of clinical and environmental analysis were introduced and discussed. Also, we finalize the present review informing the life cycle of ePAD and some challenges that can impact the next generation of disposable electrodes. • The greenness metrics involving paper-based electrochemical (bio)sensors have been reviewed. • Ecological impact for environmental and clinical analysis was introduced using the AGREE approach. • Resource efficiency, safety, and toxicity regarding using paper-based (bio)electrodes are discussed. • The life cycle and challenges that can impact the next generation of disposable electrodes are covered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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7. Irving Pulp & Paper plans for generational upgrade of Saint John pulp mill.
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ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,PULP mills ,PAPER pulp ,SULFATE pulping process ,CLEAN energy - Abstract
Irving Pulp & Paper has submitted a preliminary application for a major upgrade to its pulp mill in Saint John. The project, known as NextGen, aims to increase the mill's capacity and green energy generation, making it one of the top-producing kraft pulp mills in the world. The company plans to construct a new recovery boiler, increase production by 66%, and implement environmental upgrades. The project is expected to generate significant economic benefits, including tax revenue, employment opportunities, and GDP growth. In other news, Cascades has appointed Hugues Simon as its new president and CEO, and GreenFirst Forest Products' subsidiary, Kap Paper, has secured a $24 million loan to support its paper mill operations. Additionally, a research project conducted by Quebec's Innofibre has shown that recycled carton pulp has great potential for manufacturers of moulded pulp packaging. The pulp made from post-consumer cartons has similar properties to virgin kraft pulp and can be used to manufacture high-quality moulded products. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2024
8. New Environmental Impact Study Findings Recently Were Reported by a Researcher at Dunarea de Jos University of Galati (Food packaging performance and environmental impact of polysaccharide-coated papers).
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ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,FOOD packaging ,POLYSACCHARIDES ,SOIL degradation ,REPORTERS & reporting - Abstract
A recent study conducted at Dunarea de Jos University of Galati analyzed the characteristics and environmental impact of paper coated with polysaccharide dispersions for food packaging. The researchers found that the polysaccharide coatings improved the barrier and antimicrobial properties of the coated papers compared to uncoated paper. The study also indicated that the tested polysaccharide combinations are suitable for use in food packaging, particularly for fatty products. The research concluded that the coated papers reached similar degradation levels after soil degradation, suggesting their potential environmental sustainability. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2024
9. Advances in Research of Molded Pulp for Food Packaging.
- Author
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Yifan Liu, Shufeng Ma, Feijie Wang, and Liqiang Wang
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FOOD packaging ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,FOOD industry ,FOOD production ,MOLDED pulp products - Abstract
The molded pulp, a product of three-dimensional papermaking technology, is environmentally friendly and has a low environmental impact due to its ability to decompose quickly in the natural environment after disposal. The application of molded pulp for food packaging can replace or reduce the use of plastic food packaging. Researchers extract fibers from plants for the production of safe and hygienic molded pulp for food packaging, and they also study and enhance the qualities of molded pulp to broaden its use in the food industry. This paper reviews the sources and varieties of plant fiber used in molded pulp for food packaging, as well as research on the improvement and optimization of the performance of molded pulp products. Additionally, issues with molded pulp's actual use for food packaging are reviewed, along with the potential for future research. This work can serve as a reference for molded pulp applications and research in the food industry in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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10. Environmental Impact Assessment of Flexible Food Packaging.
- Author
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Bittrich Vargas, Nathalie Katherine, Ruiz Mogollón, Marcela Ines, and Patricia Larios-Francia, Rosa
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FOOD packaging ,FLEXIBLE packaging ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,PLASTICS in packaging ,LIFE cycles (Biology) - Abstract
The impacts of environmental pollution are potentially irreversible and have become a major concern for society. Faced with this reality, the purpose of this study is to identify what type of flexible packaging material used in the food industry creates less pollution. The Leopold Matrix was employed to quantitatively assess the life cycle of plastic and paper packaging, using information from various scientific articles and peer-reviewed indexed journals. The interactions between physical, biological, and socioeconomic elements were established for each action in the life cycle of the packages. The results showed that flexible plastic packaging pollutes 16 percent more in the physical aspect concerning soil and water pollution than paper packaging, which has a more significant impact on air pollution. Regarding the biological aspect, plastic pollutes 63 percent more than paper in terms of damage to flora and fauna. Finally, on the socioeconomic level, paper poses a greater health risk for human beings owing to the emission of gases in its production, whereas plastic packages contribute more to the economy for being an extensive industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
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11. Regulatory update: Minnesota Public Utilities Commission; PUC , has issued ( 21-112) BRIEFING PAPERS--NOVEMBER 18, 2021 AGENDA
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Public utilities ,Environmental impact analysis ,News, opinion and commentary ,International Union of Operating Engineers - Abstract
Saint Paul: Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has issued the following document: Staff Briefing Papers Relevant Documents Date Order Accepting Application as Complete June 29, 2021 Notice of Public Information and [...]
- Published
- 2021
12. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Issues Errata Notice to the 11|19|2021 Order Accepting and Suspending Tariff Revisions and Establishing Paper Hearing Procedures re PPL Electric Utilities Corporation et al under ER21-2282. For notice see accession number 20211119-3076
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United States. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ,Gas transmission industry -- Taxation ,Natural gas -- Taxation ,Electric industries ,Environmental impact analysis ,News, opinion and commentary - Abstract
Washington: Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Issues the following Notice | Formal Notice ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT REPORT Name of Applicant: Columbia Gas Transmission, LLC Application Received: October 4, 2021 Docket No: CP22-003-000 [...]
- Published
- 2021
13. What's Greenest and Cleanest When Nature Calls?
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Brown, Elizabeth Anne
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Hygiene -- Methods ,Toilet paper -- Usage -- Environmental aspects ,Bidets -- Usage ,Trees -- Usage ,Environmental impact analysis ,General interest ,News, opinion and commentary - Abstract
These days, the toilet paper aisle is crowded with products that claim to be more sustainable, from bamboo and recycled material to products with ''forest-safe'' labels. But are they really [...]
- Published
- 2024
14. Artificial intelligence in tunnel construction: A comprehensive review of hotspots and frontier topics.
- Author
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Lianbaichao Liu, Zhanping Song, and Xu Li
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TUNNEL design & construction ,ARTIFICIAL intelligence ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,DECISION making ,SOIL mechanics - Abstract
Application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in tunnel construction has the potential to transform the industry by improving efficiency, safety, and cost-effectiveness. This paper presents a comprehensive literature review and analysis of hotspots and frontier topics in artificial intelligence-related research in tunnel construction. A total of 554 articles published between 2011 and 2023 were collected from the Web of Science (WOS) core collection database and analyzed using CiteSpace software. The analysis identified three main study areas: Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) performance, construction optimization, and rock and soil mechanics. The review highlights the advancements made in each area, focusing on design and operation, performance prediction models, and fault detection in TBM performance; computer vision and image processing, neural network algorithms, and optimization and decision-making in construction optimization; and geo-properties and behaviours, tunnel stability and excavation, and risk assessment and safety management in rock and soil mechanics. The paper concludes by discussing future research directions, emphasizing the integration of AI with other advanced technologies, realtime decision-making systems, and the management of environmental impacts in tunnel construction. This comprehensive review provides valuable insights into the current state of AI research in tunnel engineering and serves as a reference for future studies in this rapidly evolving field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Le papier, un support vertueux de la RSE.
- Subjects
DIGITAL communications ,ADVERTISING fliers ,MAILINGS ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,SUSTAINABILITY - Abstract
The article focuses on the evolving perception of paper as a sustainable medium in the face of digital dominance, shedding light on its environmental benefits compared to digital communication. It highlights how recent studies have shown that paper-based communication, such as flyers and mailings, can have significantly lower environmental impacts than digital counterparts.
- Published
- 2024
16. Special Issue Featuring Papers from the International Thermal Spray Conference (ITSC) 2021.
- Author
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McDonald, André, Azarmi, Fardad, Balani, Kantesh, Cizek, Jan, Koivuluoto, Heli, Lau, Yuk-Chiu, Li, Hua, and Toma, Filofteia-Laura
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METAL spraying , *ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis , *PLASMA spraying - Published
- 2022
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17. LCA in Saudi Arabia: a critical review.
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Shaukat, M.
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ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,PRODUCT life cycle assessment ,SUSTAINABILITY ,SCIENTIFIC literature ,ELECTRIC power production ,TECHNICAL reports - Abstract
Purpose: This paper aims to report the current status of life cycle assessment (LCA) in Saudi Arabia. It summarizes the LCA studies conducted in academia and industry. It also examines LCA collaboration networks and training opportunities. It then points out current gaps in implementing LCA in Saudi Arabia. Finally, it delineates the steps required to promote LCA both as a research methodology and as a sustainability assessment tool in Saudi Arabia. Methods: Using Scopus database and the Internet, a state-of-the-art review was conducted for this paper. "LCA", "Life Cycle Assessment" and "Saudi Arabia" were the key words used for searching scientific studies, industrial reports, training courses and conferences related to application of LCA within Saudi Arabia. The search resulted in 32 scientific documents and one industrial report. Further scrutiny reduced the final sample considered for this paper to eleven scientific documents and one industrial report that used a complete LCA study to report environmental impacts. Results and discussion: Studies considered for this paper were related to fossil fuels, buildings, electricity generation, desalination, and food consumption. However, overall number of publications and industry reports related to LCA in Saudi Arabia is very little as compared to other advanced economies. This sheer lack of studies conducted in Saudi Arabia can be attributed to lack of educational programs, consultancies, and research projects related to LCA. This points to the vast potential for developing LCA both as a research tool and sustainability assessment tool in Saudi Arabia. There is a need to develop a local network of LCA researchers, a local LCI database, and training courses. Conclusions: This study revealed that use of LCA as a sustainability assessment tool is still in its early stages within Saudi Arabia. There are only a handful of LCA studies that are reported in scientific literature related to Saudi Arabia. Additionally, most of these studies relies on non-local databases rendering the results of these studies less reliable. There is an urgent need to promote LCA within Saudi Arabia and academia can play a leading role by offering short courses, training for industry, and participating in joint projects to conduct LCA studies. Furthermore, local LCA databases and consultancies should also be promoted. It is conjectured that in the future, the use of LCA will grow in Saudi Arabia as the county is targeting to become a net zero carbon economy by 2060. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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18. Built Environment at Fifty Perspectives, Landmarks, and Prospects.
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BANISTER, DAVID, MARSHALL, STEPHEN, and NATAJARAN, LUCY
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BUILT environment ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,URBAN transportation ,SUSTAINABLE urban development ,YOUNG adults ,SUBURBS ,PUBLIC spaces - Published
- 2024
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19. Tapping the environmental potential of gift packaging: implications of mooncake in China.
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Shi, Zhimin, Chang, Yuan, Hao, Yan, Zhang, Lixiao, Li, Xinqing, Zhang, Pengpeng, and Pan, Mingxin
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ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,FOOD packaging ,PRODUCT life cycle assessment ,PACKAGING ,PACKAGING materials - Abstract
Purpose: Unlike ordinary products, festival food gifts like mooncakes in China are prone to excessive packaging, using various materials and complicated decorations, which increases the resource and environmental burdens of consumption. This study evaluated the environmental impacts of different mooncake packaging options, including metal, wood, and paper-based packaging. Methods: This study sampled 64 mooncake packaging types (with low, medium, and high prices) in the Chinese market and employed life cycle assessment modeling to quantify and analyze the environmental impacts of different mooncake packaging types. Based on these results, this study identified environmental-friendly options and shed light on directions to alleviate unnecessary environmental impacts associated with the packaging of massive seasonal festival food. Results and discussion: The weight of packing materials associated with 1 kg of mooncake product ranged from 0.5 to 2.5 kg (with a mean value of 1.2 kg), resulting in average greenhouse gas emissions of 2 kg of CO
2 -eq, or approximately 67 times the value of ordinary food packing (0.03 kg of CO2 -eq). Among the three packaging types, metal-based packaging had the highest environmental impacts, followed by wood and paper-based packaging. The outer packaging was the dominant contributor to the environmental impacts of metal-based packaging, while the impacts of wood and paper-based packaging were primarily derived from the middle packaging materials, which mainly consisted of individual packaging boxes and fixed pallets. Higher-priced mooncakes had heavier packaging weight and greater environmental impacts, suggesting that they bear more environmental responsibility. Conclusion: Excessive and extravagant packaging was responsible for the increasing environmental burden associated with mooncakes. For both mooncake producers and consumers, turning back to the essence of the festival itself will be crucial for mitigating the environmental impacts of packaging. This study is an initial attempt to quantify the environmental impacts of traditional festival food packaging, and the study results facilitate evidence-based policymaking to transition the festival commodity packaging sector in a more sustainable direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2023
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20. Environmental Assessment of Hydrothermal Treatment of Wet Bio-Residues from Forest-Based and Agro-Industries into Intermediate Bioenergy Carriers.
- Author
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Ugolini, Marco, Recchia, Lucia, Wray, Heather E., Dijkstra, Jan Wilco, and Nanou, Pavlina
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PRODUCT life cycle assessment ,ORANGE peel ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,HYDROTHERMAL carbonization ,MANUFACTURING processes ,SEWAGE sludge digestion - Abstract
Hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of low quality, wet biogenic residues into intermediate bioenergy carriers can potentially contribute to a more flexible and stable renewable energy system and reduce environmental impacts compared to current residue disposal practices. This study quantifies the environmental impacts via life cycle assessment (LCA) of a novel hydrothermal process for the treatment on an industrial scale of application of three wet biogenic residues (paper bio-sludge, olive pomace, and orange peel) into bioenergy carriers, i.e., solid pellets and biogas. A comprehensive attributional cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted; the life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) utilised the ReCiPe impact assessment method. A selection of 10 significant impact categories was prioritised. Reliability of this categorization was also ensured through a sensitivity analysis carried out using Monte Carlo simulation. Climate change, particulate matter formation and terrestrial acidification impact categories showed the highest reliability, while for freshwater ecotoxicity and freshwater eutrophication impact categories in the study suggest the need for more robust data and further investigation. The climate change impact category presents the following values, as kg CO
2eq /tresidue : pulp and paper bio-sludge (PPB), 17.9; olive pomace (OP), −1290; orange peel (ORP), −1301. The LCA study compared electricity yields of the hydrothermal treatment process with conventional treatment processes for each of the target residue streams. The environmental performance of the proposed hydrothermal treatment benefits significantly from the combination of intermediate bioenergy carriers (pellets) from the solid fraction with biogas production from the liquid fraction. Avoided emissions due to the heat recovery provide further environmental benefits. The LCIA results show that the carbon footprint of the F-CUBED production system, as kgCO2eq /kWhe , accounts for –4.56, −0.63, and −0.25 for paper bio-sludge, olive pomace and orange peel, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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21. LA FIN D'UNE IDÉE REÇUE SUR L'IMPACT ENVIRONNEMENTAL.
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PAPER industry ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,RECYCLED paper - Abstract
The article focuses on dispelling a common misconception about the environmental impact of the paper industry with topics include the use of recycled and certified papers from responsibly managed forests in France and highlighted in a study by La Poste in collaboration with Quantis and Ademe.
- Published
- 2023
22. Recent Developments in Research on Food Waste and the Circular Economy.
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Ng, Sai-Leung and Wong, Fung-Mei
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FOOD waste ,CIRCULAR economy ,SUSTAINABILITY ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,PUBLICATIONS - Abstract
Food waste is a global challenge, with profound implications for food security, resource utilization, and sustainability. A circular economy represents a promising solution in addressing food waste effectively by keeping food materials and products in use and circulating them within the economy. To provide an overview of the research on food waste and the circular economy model in the past decade, this study examines 1022 documents on food waste and circular the economy to ascertain the state, themes, and knowledge structure of the field. The results showed that the number of publications has increased greatly in the past decade. "Circular economy of food", "bioenergy", "waste valorization", "waste management", "resource recovery", and "environmental assessment" were the major research themes. Earlier studies focused on resource recovery from organic waste and the bioeconomy of bio-products; recent research interests shifted to sustainability and the valorization of agri-food waste. On the other hand, some highly cited documents and productive authors were important in the development of research on food waste and the circular economy. Furthermore, three groups of journals—"food and environmental sciences", "open access", and "environmental sustainability and resource management"—and five clusters of international collaboration—"European Union Group", "advanced economy group", "agricultural economies", "global influencers", and "isolated countries"—were identified. This study provides readers with an overview of the research field of food waste and the circular economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Vehicle Platooning: A Detailed Literature Review on Environmental Impacts and Future Research Directions.
- Author
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Rebelo, Micael, Rafael, Sandra, and Bandeira, Jorge M.
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ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,MICROSIMULATION modeling (Statistics) ,AIR quality monitoring ,ENERGY consumption ,FUTURES studies ,DRAG coefficient - Abstract
This paper provides a detailed literature review of the environmental implications of vehicle platooning, a topic gaining significant attention in transportation. While previous reviews have focused on the safety, planning, fuel economy, and microsimulation aspects of platooning, this paper delves into environmental aspects. It identifies a lack of research adopting a holistic approach to transport and environmental benefits and emphasizes the need for further research to enhance vehicle efficiency and improve air quality and health conditions. This study traces the historical evolution of platooning, highlighting the shift in research focus over the decades. It advocates for more research on platooning's environmental aspects, particularly pollutant emissions and air quality. The primary contributions of this work are threefold and include the following: firstly, it delineates simulation methodologies for platooning and the associated pollutant emissions; secondly, it offers a critical assessment of the existing literature on vehicle emissions, fuel consumption, and energy savings; and thirdly, it illuminates the prospective research challenges within the specialized domain of vehicle platooning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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24. DLUHC proposals aim to speed up environmental assessments: Experts broadly welcome consultation paper but doubt that councils have resources to make proposals work.
- Author
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Branson, Adam
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ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,ENVIRONMENTAL reporting ,GOVERNMENT policy - Abstract
Since the UK voted to leave the EU, environmentalists have worried that the government will use its new-found freedoms to lower environmental standards. Philip Allin, director at Boyer, where he leads on the planning consultancy's environmental assessment work, says that the desire to streamline the process is laudable, but points out that the same ambition didn't quite work out when the government brought in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2023
25. Airport sustainability through life cycle assessments: A systematic literature review.
- Author
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Bahman, Nahed
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PRODUCT life cycle assessment ,LIQUEFIED petroleum gas ,EFFECT of human beings on climate change ,EMISSIONS (Air pollution) ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,AIRPORTS ,DROUGHTS - Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change contributes to increased frequency and intensity of droughts, wildfires, storms, coastal sea level rise, and population displacements, in addition to causing lung and cardiovascular diseases from the emission of Criteria Air Pollutants (CAPs). The aviation sector is estimated to contribute 2%–3% of global anthropogenic Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. This excludes GHG emissions from airport operation and maintenance activities due to limited research in the area. This systematic literature review examined the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) carried out by previous studies on the environmental impacts of airport operation and maintenance activities. This allows to assess existing literature on the impacts of these activities; identify knowledge gaps in LCA based on the findings of the review; and propose areas for further research and improvement in mitigating the environmental impacts of airport operation and maintenance activities. A total of 11 papers were selected for thematic analysis and narrative synthesis following a systematic review process based on the research question which yielded a total of 263 peer‐reviewed research articles and dissertations on the topic. The findings of the review showed that knowledge gaps exist in the LCA of environmental impacts of Auxiliary Power Units (APU) and Ground Support Equipment (GSE) operations in the airport during aircraft turnaround time. Further research is suggested in the use of feasible and affordable alternative energy sources (electricity, compressed natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, and hydrogen) at airports to reduce the environmental impacts associated with petrol‐ and diesel‐powered GSE and gate operations at airports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. Evidence library of meta-analytical literature assessing the sustainability of agriculture – a dataset.
- Author
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Schievano, Andrea, Pérez-Soba, Marta, Bosco, Simona, Montero-Castaño, Ana, Catarino, Rui, Chen, Mathilde, Tamburini, Giovanni, Landoni, Beatrice, Mantegazza, Otho, Guerrero, Irene, Bielza, Maria, Assouline, Michael, Koeble, Renate, Dentener, Frank, Van der Velde, Marijn, Rega, Carlo, Furlan, Andrea, Paracchini, Maria Luisa, Weiss, Franz, and Angileri, Vincenzo
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,SUSTAINABLE agriculture ,CLIMATE change mitigation ,NUTRIENT cycles ,POLLUTION - Abstract
In the last two decades, an exponentially growing number of meta-analyses (MAs) synthesize thousands of peer-reviewed studies on the environmental impacts of farming practices (FPs). This paper describes the iMAP-FP evidence library, a comprehensive dataset on the effects of 34 categories of FPs (such as agronomic practices, cropping and livestock systems, land management options and mitigation techniques) on 34 impacts including climate mitigation, soil health, environmental pollution, water use, nutrients cycling, biodiversity, and agricultural productivity. Through systematic screening, 570 MAs published since 2000 were selected and categorized according to the type of FP. We assessed their impacts, the geographic regions covered, and their quality. We extracted 3,811 effects and their statistical significance associated with sustainable FPs (intervention) compared to a control (typically conventional agriculture) across 223 different intervention-control pairs. Our dataset is accompanied with an online free-access library, which includes a catalogue of synthetic reports summarizing the available evidence on each evaluated FP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
27. The PreDI matrix-a common terminology for offsite construction: definition, verification, and demonstration in environmental impact studies.
- Author
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Chaudhary, Kaden, Pan, Annika, Yin, Hongxi, Qu, Ming, Wang, Cindy, and Yi, David
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,SOLAR houses ,PRODUCT life cycle assessment ,SOLAR energy ,TERMS & phrases - Abstract
Given the increasing interest in offsite construction and the prefabricated components it produces, this paper aims to establish a common matrix, the PreDI, for the offsite construction industry. The effort is to enhance the comparability of research and practices in offsite construction, making it more universally understood. Offsite construction involves manufacturing components in a factory and then assembling them on-site. It is considered a more sustainable approach due to less material usage, energy consumption, and waste generation during component fabrication. However, the lack of common terminology for offsite construction poses many challenges in the industry and its research, hindering communication and research. The Prefabricated Dimensions and Integrations (PreDI) matrix, developed in the study, provides a solution for industry and research use. Thus, industry and academia can utilize the PreDI widely, accurately, and precisely in communication. This paper demonstrates the PreDI matrix's application in life cycle assessment research on offsite construction, showcasing its utility and setting the stage for more robust research analyses in the future. Using the PreDI matrix in 24 U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon houses further highlights its potential in the industry. Finally, the paper concludes with a broader outlook on its impacts on offsite construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Numerical and Theoretical Study on Flexural Performance and Reasonable Structural Parameters of New Steel Grating–UHPFRC Composite Bridge Deck in Negative Moment Zone.
- Author
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Ma, Jianyong, Yuan, Haoyun, Zhang, Jiahao, and Luo, Zuolong
- Subjects
BEARING capacity (Bridges) ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,BRIDGE floors ,FINITE element method ,STRUCTURAL steel ,COMPOSITE columns - Abstract
As the bridge's structural component is directly subjected to vehicle loads, the stress performance of the bridge deck has a significant impact on the safety, durability, and driving comfort of the bridge. In order to improve the bending performance of the bridge deck in the negative moment zone, a new type of steel grating–UHPFRC composite bridge deck was proposed in this paper. Firstly, structural details and advantages of the new steel grating-UHPFRC composite bridge deck were introduced. Secondly, the finite element program ABAQUS was used to establish a refined solid finite element model of the new bridge deck. The mathematical program MATLAB (PYTHON) was also used to analyze the effects of the structural parameters on bending bearing capacity and put forward reasonable structural parameters of the new bridge deck, considering the technical and economic indexes. Thirdly, the simplified plasticity theory was applied to analyze the bending bearing capacity of the new bridge deck, and the corresponding formula for bending bearing capacity calculation was derived and verified by numerical model results. In addition, the cost–benefit analysis and environmental impact assessment of the new bridge deck were also conducted. The results show that the bending bearing capacity of the new bridge deck in the negative moment zone increases with the increase of the width of the bridge deck, the thickness of the wing plate, and the height of the web plate, with a trend of increasing and then decreasing when the horizontal inclination of the web plate decreases. The bridge deck width does not have a significant effect on improving the bearing capacity. The bearing capacity calculated by theoretical formulas is close to that calculated by numerical models and the maximum relative deviation is 9.1%. The new steel grating-UHPFRC composite bridge deck proposed in this paper is superior to conventional steel-UHPC composite bridge deck in terms of cost-benefit and environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. The Application and Evaluation of the LMDI Method in Building Carbon Emissions Analysis: A Comprehensive Review.
- Author
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Li, Yangluxi, Chen, Huishu, Yu, Peijun, and Yang, Li
- Subjects
SUSTAINABLE urban development ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,CARBON emissions ,PROBABILITY density function ,ENERGY consumption ,BIG data - Abstract
The Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) method is widely applied in research on carbon emissions, urban energy consumption, and the building sector, and is useful for theoretical research and evaluation. The approach is especially beneficial for combating climate change and encouraging energy transitions. During the method's development, there are opportunities to develop advanced formulas to improve the accuracy of studies, as indicated by past research, that have yet to be fully explored through experimentation. This study reviews previous research on the LMDI method in the context of building carbon emissions, offering a comprehensive overview of its application. It summarizes the technical foundations, applications, and evaluations of the LMDI method and analyzes the major research trends and common calculation methods used in the past 25 years in the LMDI-related field. Moreover, it reviews the use of the LMDI in the building sector, urban energy, and carbon emissions and discusses other methods, such as the Generalized Divisia Index Method (GDIM), Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL), and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) techniques. This study explores and compares the advantages and disadvantages of these methods and their use in the building sector to the LMDI. Finally, this paper concludes by highlighting future possibilities of the LMDI, suggesting how the LMDI can be integrated with other models for more comprehensive analysis. However, in current research, there is still a lack of an extensive study of the driving factors in low-carbon city development. The previous related studies often focused on single factors or specific domains without an interdisciplinary understanding of the interactions between factors. Moreover, traditional decomposition methods, such as the LMDI, face challenges in handling large-scale data and highly depend on data quality. Together with the estimation of kernel density and spatial correlation analysis, the enhanced LMDI method overcomes these drawbacks by offering a more comprehensive review of the drivers of energy usage and carbon emissions. Integrating machine learning and big data technologies can enhance data-processing capabilities and analytical accuracy, offering scientific policy recommendations and practical tools for low-carbon city development. Through particular case studies, this paper indicates the effectiveness of these approaches and proposes measures that include optimizing building design, enhancing energy efficiency, and refining energy-management procedures. These efforts aim to promote smart cities and achieve sustainable development goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Mitigating Urban Heat Island Effects: A Review of Innovative Pavement Technologies and Integrated Solutions.
- Author
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Ismael, S. F., Alias, A. H., Haron, N. A., Zaidan, B. B., and Abdulghani, Abdulrahman M.
- Subjects
URBAN heat islands ,SUSTAINABILITY ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,PAVEMENTS ,INFRASTRUCTURE (Economics) - Abstract
In this review paper, we present a thorough investigation into the role of pavement technologies in advancing urban sustainability. Our analysis traverses the historical evolution of these technologies, meticulously evaluating their socio-economic and environmental impacts, with a particular emphasis on their role in mitigating the urban heat island effect. The evaluation of pavement types and variables influencing pavement performance to be used in the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) framework to choose the optimal pavement application are at the heart of our research. Which serves to assess a spectrum of pavement options, revealing insights into the most effective and sustainable practices. By highlighting both the existing challenges and potential innovative solutions within the field, this paper aims to offer a directional compass for future urban planning and infrastructural advancements. This review not only synthesizes the current state of knowledge but also aims to chart a course for future exploration, emphasizing the critical need for innovative and environmentally sensitive pavement technologies in the creation of resilient and sustainable urban environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Environmental Impact Assessment of Volatile Organic Compound Emissions during Trenchless Cured-in-Place Pipe Installation.
- Author
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Bavilinezhad, Salar, Najafi, Mohammad, Kaushal, Vinayak, Elledge, William, and Kaynak, Burak
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,LITERATURE reviews ,TRENCHLESS construction ,VOLATILE organic compounds ,PIPING installation ,VINYL ester resins - Abstract
Cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) lining is a widely adopted method for pipeline renewal, offering advantages such as rapid installation and cost-effectiveness. However, concerns regarding the environmental impacts of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions during the installation process have raised issues regarding the CIPP method. The literature review conducted in this paper indicated the need for stringent monitoring and management practices to mitigate adverse effects, emphasizing the importance of safe installation protocols. This paper presents the initial results of a case study focusing on VOC emissions, specifically investigating non-styrene vinyl ester resins and water curing. To capture emissions from CIPP activities, the methodology involved air sampling using various equipment, including photoionization detectors (PID), summa canisters, passive worker sampler sorbent tubes, and method 13 cartridges. The preliminary findings indicate that non-styrene vinyl ester resins resulted in VOC emissions well below the exposure limits set by OSHA and USEPA, with the highest measured concentration being 2.54 ppm. This demonstrates that non-styrene resins can significantly reduce environmental and health risks. The future phases of this project will explore different resins and curing methods to further validate these findings and develop comprehensive guidelines for safe CIPP installations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Cloud Sustainability: An Analysis and Assessment of the Plateau Prediction of 2023 Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies.
- Author
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Columbres, Mary Rose C. and Victoriano, Jayson M.
- Subjects
TECHNOLOGICAL innovations ,SUSTAINABILITY ,CLOUD computing ,DATA libraries ,SOCIAL systems ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis - Abstract
In identifying the status of cloud computing in a state of sustainability in terms of contribution and impact of cloud computing, the authors have gathered articles and journals and applied different methods to achieve the purpose of the study. The author hopes to identify the dominant challenges or issues that data centers have faced today in achieving cloud sustainability, specifically in the context of promoting greener practices within companies. Furthermore, the study will try to evaluate how cloud computing technologies help businesses in economics, environment, and social systems, also focusing on their environmental impact reduction strategies. Lastly, assessing the Gartner Hype Cycle for 2023, particularly to Cloud Sustainability, exploring when cloud sustainability is expected to reach its plateau of productivity, which is projected to occur within 2 to 5 years from the current timeframe. The study used a qualitative analysis framework that focuses on collecting data through experiences, opinions, and ideas related to the topic. Further, the author used thematic analysis to deeply understands the collected data systematically. Lastly, the author used mind mapping to provide a visual presentation and easily categorized the collected data. The paper discussed the contribution and advantages of cloud computing in economics, environment, and social systems. Furthermore, it also identified challenges and issues of data centers that offer cloud services. Thus, Data Centers are now starting to address these issues and this paper discusses all possible solutions that data centers are now starting to implement. Moreover, to support this argument this paper cited top 5 data center companies promoting sustainability. The authors conclude cloud computing contributes to all businesses enhancing their efficiency and competitiveness in the market. Further, cloud computing helps other technologies to enhance their capacity. However, since there is no 100% perfect technology there are implication in cloud computing. Thus, businesses and data centers provide solutions and keep on improving and capacitate these solutions to achieve sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. ASSESSMENT OF RADIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT UNDER VARIOUS METEOROLOGICAL CONDITION.
- Author
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Feifei WU, Binchi MENG, Bing LIAN, Yan WANG, and Jing KANG
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,WIND speed ,POLLUTION - Abstract
The meteorological parameters, e.g., wind direction, wind speed and atmospheric stability, affect greatly the diffusion of pollution and radiological environmental impact assessment. Based on the hourly meteorological data obtained from an automatic monitoring station, the radiological impact indicated by the air concentration, individual dose and maximal individual effective dose were analyzed and compared between 2020 and 2021. The paper concluded that children are the main group to be the most easily infected, and the critical exposure path is internal exposure from inhalation. This paper offers a new window for timely decision-making for radiological safety under different climate conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. CORPORATE SOCIAL ACCOUNTING AND CONTROL: THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS.
- Author
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Mihaylova, Lyudmila and Papazov, Emil
- Subjects
SOCIAL accounting ,ECONOMIC activity ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,STAKEHOLDERS ,BUSINESS planning - Abstract
Business is essentially a socio-economic activity that adheres to a specific logic and is planned, reported, evaluated, and controlled. The paper focuses on the accounting of socio-economic activities, particularly social and environmental accounting, which has become essential in business management. Enterprises must incorporate social and environmental accounting into their reporting to adapt to the evolving environment. Contemporary managers understand the significance of this decision and are seeking practical solutions in this regard. Social accounting involves revealing the social and environmental impacts of a company's economic activities to specific stakeholders and society in general. Corporate social accounting gradually developed a methodology and tools for consistent reporting to stakeholders. Corporate social accounting involves providing information for impact assessment and monitoring and evaluating accounting and control systems. New areas of corporate accounting and control are currently under development. They are committed to integrating information on strategy, performance, and enterprise development in a manner that connects economic, social, and environmental indicators. Studies indicate that social accounting is increasingly playing a significant role in the advancement of models for strategic analysis and internal control systems within enterprises. Yet, many countries have not thoroughly examined the practical aspects of corporate social accounting or adapted models for strategic management and control. This paper focuses on accounting, internal control, corporate social accounting, and their relationship with business strategy. The study aims to explore ways to enhance the involvement of accounting in utilizing strategic models to analyze and oversee environmental and social aspects integrated into business strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
35. A major change at the last minute for a major tunnel project... surely not!
- Author
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Brown, Tim
- Subjects
TUNNEL design & construction ,CONSTRUCTION industry ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,BORING machinery ,HARBORS - Abstract
Sydney's historic third harbour crossing reached a major milestone in late 2022 when the NSW Government awarded a contract for the design and construction of Stage Two of the mega project to ACCIONA. The Western Harbour Tunnel project will provide an alternative road crossing of Sydney Harbour to those currently provided by the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Harbour Tunnel. The contract award came at the end of a successful competitive tender process with the second and final stage of the Western Harbour Tunnel (WHT) to include the construction and commissioning of: • Underground connections to Stage One at Birchgrove • Tunnelling between Birchgrove and Warringah Freeway • Complete tunnel fit-out. The project had been in development since 2015 and the Environmental Impact Statement for the project was prepared, assessed and the project's planning approval received in January 2021 on the basis the harbour crossing would be achieved with an immersed tube tunnel - the same approach used to build the original Harbour Tunnel in the early 1990s. The outcome of the competitive tender process in 2022 resulted in Transport for NSW determining that the use of tunnel boring machines (TBMs) provided the best overall solution to complete the tunnelling beneath Sydney Harbour. As a result, a pair of the largest TBMs to operate in the Southern Hemisphere will each tunnel approximately 1.5km from Birchgrove to Waverton including under the Sydney Harbour seabed. This paper will provide a detailed overview of how, during the procurement phase to select the industry design and construct delivery partner, alternative options for the delivery of the project were developed, proposed, considered and ultimately selected for the critical harbour crossing section of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
36. Implementing concepts from green logistics in the turkey production supply chain.
- Author
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Wilson, Griffin, Horsey, Bazyl, and Stone, Richard
- Subjects
TURKEYS as food ,SUSTAINABILITY ,SUPPLY chain management ,VALUE chains ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis - Abstract
Introduction: The global turkey market represents a sector of increasing growth in the previous decade, and projections for the next decade reflect the probable continuation of this growth. Industry trends also indicate the globalization of turkey meat production, as the loci of production has continually shifted from one dominated by the United States to one with an increasing number of production units globally. In contrast with other popular meat products, comparatively fewer resources have been devoted to academic research concerning the growth, production, distribution, and sale of turkey and turkey products. This lack of research is particularly notable in the area of supply chain management and environmental sustainability. Given the increasing volume of turkey production and lower volume of academic interest, it stands to reason that there remain many opportunities for improvement across the value chain in this industry. Methods: In this paper, we take a "green logistics" approach and use data provided by one of the largest turkey producers in the United States to formulate a mixed-integer program aimed at minimizing the environmental impact of turkey products in a segment of the product supply chain. Results: Implementation of the resulting brooder-finisher farm assignments developed by the model would yield an average 50% decrease (184 metric ton) in greenhouse gas emissions at the operation under investigation while also addressing other areas of significant vulnerability for the industry (production costs, biosecurity risk, and animal wellbeing). Discussion: As consolidated turkey meat production systems continue to expand globally, we argue that a similar approach could readily be deployed by these growing and emerging production systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. Mapping the Evolution of Green Innovation Management: Patterns, Challenges, and Future Directions.
- Author
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Thirakulwanich, Anuphat
- Subjects
SUSTAINABLE development ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,GREEN technology ,CITATION analysis ,STAKEHOLDERS - Abstract
Green Innovation Management (GIM) has become increasingly prominent over recent years, reflecting a global advancement in responding to environmental challenges through ecofriendly practices. This research illuminates the evolving landscape of GIM research, describing its conceptual emergency and academic significance by undertaking an exhaustive bibliometric analysis, where the growth of GIM literature is valuated, scrutinizing patterns in publications, citations, and collaborations. The study identifies the most relevant institutions, articles, countries, and keywords utilized in research about GIM. The findings reveal a clear alignment between innovation and environmental awareness, highlighting solutions prioritizing environmental impact without compromising developmental objectives as it relates to the authors and institutional collaborations networks involved in studying GIM. The research identifies significant stakeholders and collaborative networks while highlighting regional disparities in how policy frameworks affect GIM research output. The report highlights unexplored regions and suggests further research for academics of sustainable development and green innovation. The paper critically examines the complexity and trend of GIM globally, while providing a strong urge for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to reinforce their commitment to sustainable innovation and strategies for future environmental action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. Digital Ecosystem to Enable Circular Buildings -- the Circular Twin Framework Proposal.
- Author
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Schützenhofer, S., Pibal, S., Wieser, A., Bosco, M., Fellner, M., Petrinas, V., and Kovacic, I.
- Subjects
DIGITAL technology ,CIRCULAR economy ,DIGITAL twins ,BUILDING information modeling ,BUILT environment ,ECOSYSTEMS ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis - Abstract
Implementing circular economy principles in the built environment significantly reduces raw material extraction and generated waste. A transition is essential, especially as it accounts for 40-60% of global raw material extraction and 33% of total waste in the European Union. This paper shows the methodological approach to generating a digital Building model to enable circular economy in the early design stage by coupling Generative Design methods, enabling automated variant generation of Digital building models, Building Information Modelling objects, and assessment algorithms to evaluate the environmental impact and circularity. By visualising the assessments of the generated variants of (so-called) Circular Twins in a Virtual Reality environment, including user interaction with a voice-controlled Virtual Agent, the digital Circular Twin ecosystem enables the early implementation of the goals of the circular economy and sustainability in Architecture, Engineering and Construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Air pollution modeling to support strategic environmental assessment: case study—National Emission Reduction Plan for coal-fired thermal power plants in Serbia.
- Author
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Josimović, Boško, Todorović, Dušan, Jovović, Aleksandar, and Manić, Božidar
- Subjects
AIR pollution ,GREENHOUSE gas mitigation ,COAL-fired power plants ,RENEWABLE energy transition (Government policy) ,THERMAL coal ,POWER plants ,AIR quality ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,DECISION making - Abstract
The paper presents a specific method of environmental impact assessment applied in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) for the National Emission Reduction Plan (NERP) in the Republic of Serbia, based on air quality. The specificity of the approach is in the application of a semiquantitative method of multicriteria evaluation based on air dispersion modeling and the integration of SEA goals, indicators and criteria for assessing the impact of the NERP on the quality of air and other environmental elements in this method. When predicting changes in air quality for the planning horizon to 2028, the physical, geographical and climatic characteristics of the area were taken into account, as well as technical measures to reduce SO
2 emissions, since this was the dominant pollutant from the Serbian coal-fired power plants studied by the NERP. Air pollution modeling was carried out using the AERMOD software package based on the data collected, and the quantitative results obtained were used in a multicriteria evaluation as part of the SEA. The results of the research indicated the importance of applying this approach in order to significantly increase objectivity in the SEA process, since it is an important element of decision making at the strategic level. In addition, a comparative presentation of the modeling results before and after application of the NERP was an important part of the SEA process, and it provided a clear insight into expected changes in the air quality. This is a key argument for making appropriate policy decisions on spatial, energy, environmental and socio-economic development in the Republic of Serbia, which, like other developing countries, is sluggishly following global trends in energy transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
40. A Formulation Model to Compute the Life Cycle Environmental Impact of NiZn Batteries from Cradle to Grave.
- Author
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Malviya, Ashwani Kumar, Zarehparast Malekzadeh, Mehdi, Li, Jinping, Li, Boyang, Santarremigia, Francisco Enrique, Molero, Gemma Dolores, Villalba Sanchis, Ignacio, and Yepes, Víctor
- Subjects
LEAD-acid batteries ,LIFE cycle costing ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,LITERATURE reviews ,ALTERNATIVE fuels - Abstract
This paper presents a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the environmental impacts (EI) produced by novel nickel-zinc battery (RNZB) technology, which is a promising alternative for energy storage applications. The paper develops mathematical models for estimating the life cycle environmental impacts of RNZB from cradle to grave, based on an extensive literature review and the ISO standards for life cycle costing and life cycle analysis. The paper uses the ReCiPe 2016 method of life cycle analysis (LCA) to calculate the EI of RNZB in terms of eighteen Midpoint impact categories and three Endpoint impact categories: damage to human health, damage to ecosystem diversity, and damage to resource availability. The paper also compares the EI of RNZB with those of other battery technologies, such as lead-acid and lithium-ion LFP and NMC. The paper applies the models and compares results with those provided by the software openLCA (version 1.11.0), showing its reliability and concluding that NiZn batteries contribute approximately 14 MJ for CED and 0.82 kg CO
2 eq. for global warming per kWh of released energy, placing them between lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries. This study suggests that NiZn battery technology could benefit from using more renewable energy in end-use applications and adopting green recovery technology to reduce environmental impact. Further developments can use these models as objective functions for heuristic optimisation of the EI in the life cycle of RNZB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
41. Transforming waste management methods: a Dutch Airport's journey toward a circular economy through baseline measurements and strategic priority setting.
- Author
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van der Tuin-Rademaker, Anne, Tschavgova, Elisabeth, van Maaren, Christian, Solis, Sara, Campisano, Saro, and van Dam, Sonja
- Subjects
AEROSPACE industries ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,WASTE management ,CIRCULAR economy ,ENVIRONMENTAL management - Abstract
Airports, the essential hubs of global travel, have to cater for the increasing demands for air travel, with growing passenger numbers and the associated growth in resource consumption. While the aviation sector prioritizes reducing environmental impact in the air, substantial waste is generated at airports. This necessitates a critical examination of waste management practices, especially since a Circular Economy (CE) approach is gaining momentum within the aviation sector. This article introduces the Baseline Circular Airports Method (BCAM), a methodology developed and rigorously tested at Schiphol Amsterdam airport. BCAM systematically analyzes resource streams, considering composition and relevant stakeholders, treatment processes, and environmental impact. By doing so, it establishes strategic prioritization of resource streams for airports to perform focused and effective interventions. BCAM analysis reveals that the highest impact of operational resource streams are Residual, Plastic, Swill, Paper, and International Catering Waste (CAT1), and that corresponding waste management efficiencies can be determined. These outcomes serve as a baseline for ongoing monitoring, offering airports a starting point for strategic planning and assessing progress towards sustainable waste management and CE transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
42. Automatic Bird Species Recognition from Images with Feature Enhancement and Contrastive Learning.
- Author
-
Yang, Feng, Shen, Na, and Xu, Fu
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,BIRD populations ,WILDLIFE conservation ,IMAGE recognition (Computer vision) ,IMAGE intensifiers ,WILDLIFE monitoring ,BIRD conservation ,RARE birds - Abstract
Featured Application: The research introduced in the paper develops an automatic bird species recognition system powered by feature enhancement and contrast learning, aimed at advancing ecological conservation and biological research. This system bolsters the precision of identifying bird species, aiding in the protection of endangered birds and automating the monitoring of bird populations and their migratory behaviors. It also supports in-depth behavioral and ecological research and evaluates the impact of human activities on avian life. The technology's potential applications are vast, including its use in citizen science initiatives, environmental impact assessments, educational programs, and the tourism sector, where it can provide real-time species identification, thereby enriching eco-tourism experiences and raising biodiversity awareness. Accurate bird species recognition is crucial for ecological conservation, wildlife monitoring, and biological research, yet it poses significant challenges due to the high variability within species and the subtle similarities between different species. This paper introduces an automatic bird species recognition method from images that leverages feature enhancement and contrast learning to address these challenges. Our method incorporates a multi-scale feature fusion module to comprehensively capture information from bird images across diverse scales and perspectives. Additionally, an attention feature enhancement module is integrated to address noise and occlusion within images, thus enhancing the model's robustness. Furthermore, employing a siamese network architecture allows effective learning of common features within instances of the same class and distinctions between different bird species. Evaluated on the CUB200-2011 dataset, our proposed method achieves state-of-the-art performance, surpassing existing methods with an accuracy of 91.3% and F1 score of 90.6%. Moreover, our approach showcases a notable advantage in scenarios with limited training data. When utilizing only 5% of the training data, our model still achieves a recognition accuracy of 65.2%, which is significantly higher than existing methods under similar data constraints. Notably, our model exhibits faster execution times compared to existing methods, rendering it suitable for real-time applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
43. The Adoption of Green Programming Languages as a Promising Approach to Improve Computing's Sustainability.
- Author
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Kashyap, Arya
- Subjects
PROGRAMMING languages ,SUSTAINABILITY ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,COMPUTING platforms ,ENERGY consumption ,COMPUTER operating systems - Abstract
As the environmental impact of computing worsens, transitioning to more sustainable computing practices, also known as green computing, has become crucial. This literature review examines the concept of green computing, focusing on the environmental impacts of software languages and how millions of developers worldwide interact with popular yet energy-intensive languages such as Python and Perl daily without realizing their negative environmental consequences. The review elucidates how such impacts are measured and the potential advantages and drawbacks of adopting more green programming languages as new tools instead of energy-intensive ones. The paper further argues that green computing, while challenging to implement now, is critical for creating a more sustainable future for our society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
44. A Systematic Analysis of Life Cycle Assessment Studies during 2000-2022.
- Author
-
Hatami, Amir Mostafa, Sabour, Mohammad Reza, Alam, Ehsan, Zarrabi, Hamid, and Hajbabaie, Mohammadreza
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,ECOLOGICAL impact ,GREENHOUSE gas mitigation ,SOCIAL network analysis ,SUSTAINABILITY - Abstract
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a widely recognized tool for environmental assessment, which has experienced a strong development both in methodology and applications. This paper aimed to perform a bibliometric analysis of LCA research during 2000-2022, considering publication types, publication trends, subject categories, journals, institutions, countries, and author keywords. Social Network Analysis was applied to recognize mapping trends, status, and hot spots in LCA research and to discover co-authorship relations and international collaborations among countries worldwide. The results of this study showed that the number of LCA publications has remarkably increased by more than tenfold over the study period. The United States, with 5885 publications (17.3%), was the most productive country in terms of the number of publications. The keywords "sustainability," "environmental impact," "carbon footprint," "circular economy," "recycling," and "climate change" were the most occurred keywords in the literature. The keyword "sustainability," growing from 221 in 2000-2011 to 2013 in 2011-2022, was the most trending keyword. The keywords "water footprint," "biogas," and "GHG emissions" exhibited the highest increase in frequency, with growth rates of 18.5, 11.2, and 7.1 times, respectively. The outcomes of this study showed the cumulative progression of the literature, thereby establishing a framework for future works in LCA research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
45. The impact of the stringency of environmental policy on a firm's financial performance: an empirical study of European automobile manufacturers.
- Author
-
Chomachaei, Fahimeh R. and Golmohammadi, Davood
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL policy ,FINANCIAL performance ,AUTOMOBILE industry ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,GENERALIZED method of moments ,AUTOMOBILE factories ,AUTOMOBILE showrooms - Abstract
Purpose: The authors investigate the impact of the stringency of environmental policy on the financial performance of European automobile manufacturers. This paper contributes to the debate about the impact of environmental policy on a firm's competitive performance. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use cross-country sector-level panel data for 71 firms from 18 European countries from 2010 to 2019. The authors apply a fixed-effect model and then, to address the endogeneity issues, the authors use the generalized method of moments (GMM) model. To further examine the validity of the results, the authors use a data-mining modeling approach as a robustness test. Findings: By considering the dynamic impact of environmental policy and overcoming the endogeneity issues, the results show that the impact of the stringency of environmental policy on a firm's financial performance depends on the time horizon: the stringency of environmental policy has a short-term negative impact but a long-term positive impact on a firm's financial performance. Research limitations/implications: The authors limited the study to the auto industry in Europe. In addition, future research could consider the impact of environmental policy on other financial performance indicators such as Return on Sales or Return on Equity. Also, it would be interesting to conduct a similar study in the United States or China using a firm-level data set to examine the robustness of the results. Practical implications: Stringency of environmental policy improves a firm's financial performance in the long term. It is essential for firms and managers to consider the dynamic impacts of environmental policy on their financial performance and adopt a long-term perspective when evaluating the costs and benefits of complying with environmental regulations. The findings help management develop a long-term vision for investment and budget allocation. The results support management's view for strategic decision-making against the common budget argument and challenges for stockholders when it comes to adopting new technologies and planning long-term investment. Social implications: It is crucial for firms to recognize the broader societal benefits that come with environmental policy. Firms must not only focus on their financial performance but also on their social responsibility to protect the environment and contribute to the greater good. Therefore, firms must take a long-term perspective and recognize the broader societal benefits of environmental policy in order to make informed decisions that support both their financial success and their social responsibility. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature by helping to explain the inconsistent results of studies about the impact of environmental policy on a firm's competitiveness. Using a firm's financial performance as one of the main metrics for competitiveness, this study takes into account both endogeneity and contemporaneity in evaluating the impact of the stringency of environmental policy on a firm's financial performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
46. Challenges and Issues in Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) Development in Iraq.
- Author
-
Al-Bakri, Maythm and Fairbairn, David
- Subjects
SPATIAL data infrastructures ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,GEOGRAPHIC information systems ,INFORMATION sharing - Abstract
This paper addresses the nature of Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI), considered as one of the most important concepts to ensure effective functioning in a modern society. It comprises a set of continually developing methods and procedures providing the geospatial base supporting a country's governmental, environmental, economic, and social activities. In general, the SDI framework consists of the integration of various elements including standards, policies, networks, data, and end users and application areas. The transformation of previously paper-based map data into a digital format, the emergence of GIS, and the Internet and a host of online applications (e.g., environmental impact analysis, navigation, applications of VGI data, governmental efficiency drives) have led to huge leaps forward in SDI development. However, SDI progress can be held back by numerous challenges, both technical and non-technical. The paper outlines these challenges from the perspective of the country of Iraq, where there is an absence of a clear direction towards efficient SDI operation and a lack of knowledge for establishing and managing effective SDI. These challenges could be met by considering and resolving generic issues, identified by the experiences of other nations, by researchers, and by organisations. These issues are investigated and assessed by means of a questionnaire survey and interviews, directed towards important participants in the field of SDI development in the country. The results present the SDI issues in order of relevance to assist developers and users in solving potential SDI and data integration problems within Iraq. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
47. Assessing the impact: Environmental impact assessment in the textile and garment sector in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia and Viet Nam.
- Author
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Sharpe, Samantha, Retamal, Monique, and Martinez Fernandez, Maria Cristina
- Subjects
ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,TEXTILE industry ,ASSET management ,ENVIRONMENTAL management ,SUSTAINABLE development - Abstract
Environmental regulations provide protection for both environmental assets and the livelihoods of communities that depend on these assets. The analysis evaluates the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes for proponents of industrial projects in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia and Viet Nam. The paper finds that enhanced environmental outcomes can be achieved by greater awareness among proponents of the links between environmental management (as facilitated by the EIA process) and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
48. Striving for excellence—A journey without an end: The noblest search is the search for excellence – Lyndon B. Johnson (1964).
- Author
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Boer, Harry, Björk, Jennie, and Goduscheit, René Chester
- Subjects
SUSTAINABILITY ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis - Abstract
Mokter Hossain is also one of the authors of ' I Frugal innovation: Antecedent, mediators, and consequences i ', which he authored together with Nivedita Agarwal, Yasser Bhatti and Jarkko Levänen. The authors analyse survey data of 176 high-tech small firms to find that process innovations are much more likely to be shared voluntarily, while product innovations are likelier to leak away without the firm's consent. The authors take their starting point in the question how responsible digital innovation becomes an accepted and desired innovation practice for businesses. The authors derive three clear, practical suggestions from their study for companies and managers who want to stimulate innovative behaviour of their employees. [Extracted from the article]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
49. Recycling Versus Leasing in Closed-Loop Supply Chain: A Comparative Analysis Anchored on Consumer Ownership Perceptions.
- Author
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Chen, Haitao, Xu, Qiang, Dong, Zhaohui, and Zhao, Hetian
- Subjects
SUPPLY chain management ,CLOSED loop systems ,MANUFACTURING industries ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,COMPARATIVE studies ,CONSUMER behavior - Abstract
Manufacturers increasingly recycle end-of-life products to realize residual economic value and mitigate environmental impacts on the economic system. Concurrently, with the burgeoning growth of the product-service system, leasing models offer an alternative method to complete the material loop without direct collection. While prior research has delved into recycling channels, incentive mechanisms, and remanufacturing within closed-loop supply chain management, a comparative analysis between recycling and leasing strategies remains under-explored. This study seeks to bridge this gap by elucidating the manufacturer's strategic decision-making process, factoring in consumers' product ownership perceptions. We propose a manufacturer decision model anchored on consumer choices and segment it into three scenarios based on varying ownership perceptions. Our analysis contrasts market demand and profit outcomes across these scenarios. Notably, we discern that a hybrid strategy is optimal when ownership perception is low; however, when such perception is heightened, a dedicated recycling strategy proves more advantageous. Importantly, introducing a leasing option does not entirely overshadow the conventional sales market but is susceptible to being overshadowed itself. From a managerial standpoint, while integrating a leasing program might augment revenue streams, sole reliance on it is inadvisable. Furthermore, reshaping consumption paradigms to emphasize product functionality over ownership can pave the way for more expansive leasing strategies, optimizing revenue generation within a closed-loop framework. Plain Language Summary: This paper uses the consumer choice model and the decision model to analyze the two approaches for closing the loop, leasing and recycling. In contrast to previous studies of closed-loop supply chains, this paper considers leasing as another way of closing the loop and takes into account its cannibalization effect on the market for new products and its priming effect on consumers with lower willingness to pay. The paper concludes that the leasing strategy cannot completely cannibalize the selling market and is conditional on implementation, while the recycling strategy can completely cannibalize the leasing market and is always effective. This paper has some applications for closed-loop decision making for manufacturers to improve economic and environmental gains. Manufacturers and policy makers should advocate new forms of consumption that encourage consumers to care more about product function than property rights, thus leaving more room for the rental market to acquire greater benefits. This paper does not consider the supply of P2P platforms when portraying the leasing program and does not use empirical studies to verify the conclusions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. Trade-In and Trade-Old-for-Remanufactured in Closed-Loop Supply Chain Under Different Power Structures and Government Subsidy.
- Author
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Kailing Liu, Quanxi Li, Jinda Liu, and Yi Li
- Subjects
SUPPLY chain management ,SOCIAL services ,CONSUMER preferences ,PRODUCT quality ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis - Abstract
Trade-in (TON) and trade-old-for-remanufactured (TOR) programs are commonly used to boost consumer demand and recycle old products, and can generate significant economic benefits from disassembling or reusing old products. However, the influence of channel structures on the TON and TOR optimal decisions of closed-loop supply chains (CLSCs) is rarely discussed. To explore the impact of the implementation of the TOR program on the optimal pricing and demand strategy, enterprise profit, environment, and social welfare when the enterprise has applied the TON program, we develop four models with different power structures and market decisions to maximize enterprise profits based on consumer utility and the Stackelberg game: (1) manufacturer-led model with TON (Model M); (2) retailer-led model with TON (Model R); (3) manufacturer-led model with TON and TOR (Model TM); (4) retailer-led model with TON and TOR (Model TR). The manufacturer-led models may benefit consumers more and stimulate the replacement consumers' demand for TON and TOR programs. Both TON and TOR demand for the Model TM are considerable. However, when the retailer is in the driver's seat, the retailer can profit more due to government subsidies for the TOR programs. Our analysis provides insights into the choice of corporate power structures, reducing environmental impacts and improving social welfare. This paper studies for the first time the influence of different power structures and government subsidies on TON and TOR programs in CLSCs. Future research could consider the impact of old products quality or multi-period models on TON and TOR programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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