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For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) seeking to adhere to sustainable standards and gain a sustained competitive edge, green marketing and cleaner production are increasingly imperative. Green marketing has grown a lot in popularity in the present market, which makes it possible to rebrand and repackage existing products. This study looks at how green marketing in Algerian industrial SMEs might help achieve sustainability through cleaner production. Data analysis was performed using Smart PLS 4 softwareV.4.1.0.8 and structural equation modeling. With a mediation effect of 47.4%—higher than the direct impact of cleaner production on sustainability—the study's conclusion is that green marketing strongly mediates the relationship between cleaner production and sustainability. This suggests that by combining green marketing with cleaner production methods, SMEs can reap significant profits. In accordance with their financial and environmental goals, SMEs can effectively incorporate cleaner production methods and green marketing with the help of the research's practical recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors of the article decided to verify the requirements for companies looking for sources of financing for projects that will enable them to transform the circular economy. Clarifying the requirements will allow companies to initially verify their ideas. For this purpose, an analysis was carried out of the requirements set for enterprises by committees assessing circular economy projects and allocating funds for their implementation. The analysis allowed us to identify several features that indicate whether a given project fits into the circular economy model. The article proposes a system model that can be used to prepare the company for changes towards the Green Deal (GD) by implementing the Cleaner Production (CP) strategy in the company. The implementation of a Cleaner Production strategy initiates further changes, gradually developing the company's potential towards implementing the circular economy assumptions. This solution is much cheaper than the expensive services of consulting companies and much simpler than trying to prepare a competition application on your own, the authors asked themselves a research question: can the implementation of a Cleaner Production project be an initial action supporting SMEs in obtaining external funds (domestic and foreign) intended for the implementation of circular economy solutions? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy efficiency is a critical component in cleaner production, and evaluating the opportunities for saving energy could improve energy efficiency by reducing electricity consumption and increasing competitiveness. In this context, the aim of this study is to examine different scenarios that can lead to better energy efficiency in a short-cycle time flowshop, which is performed with the aid of digital manufacturing software. It has been widely acknowledged in the literature that changing the energy state of machines in short-cycle time flowshop manufacturing is impossible due to the high production volume, which requires the machines to operate full time. We used computational simulation, via digital manufacturing software, to examine the potential for improvements in energy indicators through various scenarios. The scenarios were built using energy and manufacturing data from a real system. The main contribution is in showing that, by controlling the buffers' occupation, the feeding systems of the machines and planned introduction stop. In addition, it is possible to consider new energy states for the machines and, consequently, enhance the energy, as well as the sustainability, indicators in this type of manufacturing process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With respect to peak carbon and carbon neutrality, China's economic structure is developing towards low carbonization, circulation, and cleanliness. There is an urgent need to expand the scope of cleaner production audits, improve cleaner production efficiency, and promote cleaner production through regional coordination. The 14th Five-Year National Cleaner Production Implementation Plan proposed selecting 100 parks or industrial clusters to conduct an overall cleaner production audit innovation pilot. To promote the coordinated development of cleaner production areas, this study constructed a set of cleaner production index systems for industrial parks, established an evaluation model based on the binary semantic evaluation method, and selected an industrial park in central China as an audit pilot. The binary group θ 1 = (2 ,   − 0.1084) of the rating results was determined to be a cleaner production park. Based on the evaluation results, the clean production potential of the park was analyzed, and suggestions for clean production were put forward. Sixteen representative enterprises in the park were selected to build twenty-one ecological chains, providing reasonable suggestions for constructing a systematic and circular enterprise symbiosis network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing concern has been expressed about uranium (U) accumulation in agricultural soils caused by the long-term application of mineral fertilizers. More than 80% of naturally occurring U transfers from phosphate rock (PR), the raw material used in mineral fertilizer production, to phosphorus (P) fertilizers. These fertilizers are then distributed on agricultural soils, where the U could accumulate over time and become a risk to the environment. The objective of this work was to review the reported content of U in P fertilizers, its potential dispersion in soils, and its uptake by plants in different countries in the world as reported in the literature. The articles for this systematic review were selected from the Scopus database published between 2003 and 2022. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) protocol were used. A total of 54 articles were assessed based on the standard inclusion and exclusion criteria. U concentrations in P fertilizers, agricultural soil dissemination, and plant uptake for available data were obtained and assessed. In order to compare a set of related data from the collected articles, box and whisker plots showing the distribution of U in P fertilizers are presented by region. The results from the reviewed articles show that the U concentrations in P fertilizer were in the range of 0.1–653 mg kg−1. Interestingly, Minjingu P fertilizers from Tanzania, which are used in six East African countries, showed the highest U concentrations (159 to 653 mg kg−1, average 390 mg kg−1). The reported U concentrations for these fertilizers are, in fact, comparable to those of conventional low-grade uranium deposits mined in Namibia and elsewhere. Additionally, approximately 96% of the reviewed articles indicate that fertilized soil has higher U concentrations than non-fertilized soils, hinting at a measurable effect of mineral fertilizer use. The review recommends U extraction during mineral fertilizer production so that potential environmental risks can be reduced and U resources that would otherwise be lost can be recovered and used to substitute conventional U mining elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-consumer soft plastics often face inadequate management practices, posing threats to both human life and the environment while also leading to the loss of valuable recyclable materials when not recycled. Traditional mechanical recycling methods are unsuitable for waste soft plastics due to their thin and flimsy nature. This study presents an effective, user-friendly process for converting waste soft plastics into new products, generating value, and expediting their collection and recycling without the need for pelletization. The outcome of this process was compared with products derived from traditional recycling and commercially available alternatives through various analytical techniques including tensile testing, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The findings suggest that waste soft plastics can be transformed into flexible sheets without significant alterations to their properties. In particular, the ultimate tensile strength of samples recycled using the developed process in this study and traditional recycling were found to be 25.9 ± 0.4 and 25.2 ± 0.8 MPa, respectively, surpassing commercially available products by nearly 15 MPa. Additionally, a life cycle assessment revealed that producing flexible sheets from waste soft plastics using this innovative approach, rather than virgin polymer, could reduce fossil fuel depletion and global warming by 99.4% and 94.6%, respectively. This signifies the potential of the process to mitigate environmental pollution and produce high-quality products exclusively from 100% waste plastics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green technology innovation helps to improve both economic and environmental performance simultaneously. How to invest in green technology innovation under emission trading policy is a current issue worthy of attention. However, existing research has not delved into the choices of different green technology innovation models, namely cleaner production technology and end-of-pipe technology, available to firms and governments under the joint implementation of other policies. Thus, this paper studies the optimal model of green technology innovation under emission trading policy and emission tax policy by constructing a two-stage game model suitable for complex decision analysis. The results show that regardless of the value of emission trading price, the optimal green technology innovation choice of the firms is cleaner production technology. Furthermore, the results show that neither conflict nor consistency always exists between governments' and firms' choices. When the emission trading price is high, the choice of governments and firms is in conflict; when the emission trading price is low, the choice of the two is consistent, both prefer cleaner production. This study not only enriches the existing research in theory but also provides support for governments to guide the choice of firms and achieve a win–win situation in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research is to have a clearer understanding of the resource value of electrolytic Zn anode slime, explore its fine structure and treat it in a classified manner. In this paper, the composition, content and distribution of Pb, Mn and Zn in electrolytic Zn anode slime during one production cycle were studied under typical working conditions of enterprises, by using the method of μ-XRF combined with mm-XRF. Based on heatmap and cluster analysis, the resource value of anode slime at different points in the electrolytic Zn silting area and the conventional area was evaluated. The research results were as follows: (1) There were two different areas of electrolytic Zn anode slime: the silting area and conventional area. Between these, the silting area accounted for approximately 15% of the total number of anode plates, and there were significant differences between these areas in terms of surface element content, surface morphology, slime thickness and water content. (2) In the silting area, 3.9 mm away from the Pb-based anode plate surface, there were lumps with fluorescence counting intensity that was close to that of pure Pb. (3) Anode slime at a thickness of 0.1 mm in the silting area could be classified as a type of resource. The resource attributes were categorized using a complete-linkage algorithm and the actual demand of Zn hydrometallurgy enterprises for recycling anode slime from the leaching process, for those with ≥45% Mn content and <20% Pb content. High-Pb resources include 0–1.5 mm (CAP), 0–1.4 mm (SAP) and 6.3–7.0 mm (SAP). A low-Pb, high-Mn and high-Zn resource was identified at 2.9–6.0 mm (SAP). Low-Pb, high-Mn and low-Zn resources include 1.6–6.0 (CAP), 1.5–2.8 mm (SAP) and 6.1–6.2 mm (SAP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the negative environmental impact of plastic carrier bags has long been known, their use in Europe continues undiminished. Lithuania stands out for its high use and production of plastic bags. Governments and sustainability-driven businesses are taking various measures to reduce the environmental impact. Such measures include strategies to replace conventional plastic bags with paper or bioplastic bags, to reduce plastic bags by encouraging consumers to reuse them, and similar strategies. In contrast to the environmental impact of plastic bags, the socioeconomic effects of strategies to reduce their use have been much less studied in the scientific literature. Therefore, this paper analyses the impact of sustainability practices in the producing and using of carrier bags on Lithuania's gross domestic product (GDP), employment and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study uses the CleanProdLT computable general equilibrium model based on the latest available data for 2020. The model allows for analysis of economy-wide effects by considering cleaner production and more sustainable consumption scenarios at different levels of detail. The results of the analysis show that while the analysed substitution of plastic bags with bioplastic (BioPlastic scenario) or paper bags (PaperBags scenario) has positive socioeconomic impacts, the overall best results can be achieved by reducing their consumption (ConsReduction scenario). In detail, it is estimated that the GDP could increase by EUR 18 million under the PaperBags scenario, by EUR 47 million under the BioPlastic scenario, and by EUR 64 million under the ConsReduction scenario. At the same time, employment increases by 213 jobs, 891 jobs, and 449 jobs, respectively. While the PaperBags and the BioPlastic scenarios reveal increases in GHG emissions of 4.5 ktCO2eq. and 29 ktCO2eq., respectively, the ConsReduction scenario demonstrates a decrease in GHG emissions of 4 ktCO2eq.. These findings suggest that the recent policy decision to charge for plastic bags in supermarkets will have positive environmental and socioeconomic impacts in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large textile industries are deploying Industry 4.0 Technologies (I4.0T) aiming to develop a micro-level circular economy (CECP), considering cleaner production practices as a strategic tool. However, due to the environmental impact generated by the textile industry, it has not yet achieved Strong Sustainability (SS), denoting an important path to be pursued by managers and shareholders in view of meeting the 2030 agenda. With this, the objective of this study is to evaluate whether the adoption of I4.0T promotes CECP-driving SS actions in large textile industries located in Brazil. A survey was the research method adopted, and for data analysis, structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses and Pearson correlation between variables. It was concluded that the adoption of I4.0T promotes CECP. However, they neglect SS actions. Facilitators for CECP practices were big data, augmented reality, and autonomous robots. In terms of SS, I4.0T has a low impact on increasing resource consumption efficiency, reusing waste as input in other processes, and increasing access to commodities. This research contributes to the linking I4.0T, CECP, and SS theory. Moreover, with the dissemination of knowledge to managers about the I4.0T that generates the CECP, it is possible to develop sustainable strategies in operations. However, to move in this direction, it is essential that there is a collective effort of the government, companies, and society, starting by raising awareness about the importance of SS in the textile sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food waste is a global multidimensional problem, with economic, social, and environmental dimensions linked to sustainable development. This study analyses the socio-economic and pollution effects of reducing food waste in the European Union. The food waste reduction scenarios analysed cover all segments of the supply chain from primary production to household consumption. Using the economy-wide model SAMmodEU, the impact of the scenarios is analysed in the context of the whole economy. Most scenarios analysed demonstrate positive socioeconomic effects in terms of a slight increase in gross domestic product and increasing employment. The multicriteria analysis indicates that the best overall performance is achieved by reducing food waste in the foodservice. It is recommended to focus on behaviour in policy design, thereby reducing food waste both in food services and in households and ensuring positive socioeconomic impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calcium sulfate whiskers (CSWs) were synthesized using purified flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum as raw materials using a hydrothermal method, where the filtrate was recycled back to the reaction slurry. The study investigated the impact of pH and Cu2+ concentration in the reaction solution with or without reagent compensation. The effects of cycle number on the crystal morphology, phase structure, and productivity of the hydrothermal products were also examined. The findings indicate that the crystal morphology and quality of the CSWs deteriorated as the cycle number increased due to a rise in pH and a decrease in Cu2+ concentrations in the reaction solution without reagent compensation. However, adding a specific amount of H2SO4 and CuCl2 to the slurry with filtrate recycle maintained the long fibrous shape of the hydrothermal products for up to seven cycles while also increasing their productivity from 73.7% to 86%. Regardless of reagent compensation, the cycle number of filtrate significantly affected the crystal morphology of the hydrothermal products, but it had no impact on their phases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei is an important agricultural production area in China, and farmers' agrochemical input behavior directly affects the risk of agricultural non-point source pollution and the effect of green agricultural development. Based on a questionnaire survey and field interview data, this study investigated the agrochemical input behavior of farmers in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei, and analyzed its influencing factors. Using the Probit model, we carried out an empirical study on farmers' willingness to invest in cleaner production of agrochemicals from four aspects: farmers' characteristics, agricultural input, environmental awareness and technical cognition. The results showed that the kinds of fertilizer were mainly compound fertilizer, urea and organic fertilizer, and the fertilization method was mainly surface spreading, accounting for 50.6% of the total surveys; the number of agrochemicals was determined chiefly by agricultural sellers, accounting for 55.5%. The proportion of the guidance from technical departments in Beijing was higher than that of Tianjin and Hebei. The first influencing factor for farmers' behavior towards agrochemical input was the pursuit of high yield and high profit, accounting for 24.9%, 22.6% and 26.0%, respectively. The guidance of relevant technical departments still did not fully cover the use of agrochemicals. The study also found that factors such as the price of farming materials, the price of agricultural products, family income, farmland facilities, government propaganda, technical training and subsidies all impacted the agrochemical input behavior. Pre-production technical guidance and farmers' awareness significantly affected the willingness to adopt cleaner production. Technical training was helpful to improve farmers' willingness to participate actively, and enhancing the pertinence of training played an important role in the adoption of cleaner production technology. In conclusion, the influencing factors of farmers' agrochemical input in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei were complex, and the scientific application level still needs to be improved. This paper finally discusses and puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions for agrochemical reduction and efficiency improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The textile sector of Bangladesh has positively contributed to a significant impact on its national economy and employment opportunities due to its rapid growth. The increasing number of wet processing units has led to a growing amount of wastewater volume as well as textile sludge (a byproduct of wastewater or effluent treatment plants). In 2015, the government of Bangladesh instituted the "Bangladesh Standards and Guidelines for Sludge Management". Therefore, this case study aimed to assess these standards' impact on the textile industry's sludge management practices, informing academic scholars of the research opportunities available, and serving as a policymaking tool for various other South Asia and Southeast Asia economies. The sludge management situation of thirty-six industries (namely, twelve dyeing, twelve printing, and twelve washing) was herein assessed through a self-administered questionnaire survey of respondents from the respective 'Top Management' and 'Environmental Chemical Responsible' (ECR) departments. Among the findings, the assessment revealed that neither treatment procedures nor reuse and recycling activities are present for sludge management in any of the studied industries. The responsible personnel from the textile industries have not undergone any level of technical training, and 41.7% of the printing industries still dump sludge in the open environment. The majority (83%) of stakeholders are unaware of the dangers and potential effects of improper sludge treatment. The key factors—responsibility, knowledge, behavior, and consideration—analyzed in this study, together with the study's recommendations, will be a vital step forward in formulating policy advocacy for hazardous sludge management within the textile sector of Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hybrid-factorial environmental input–output model (HEIM) is proposed for controlling industrial energy-related air pollution. HEIM has the advantages of analyzing industrial air-pollutant emission system (IAES) performance, quantifying key factors' individual and reciprocal effects on the system, generating optimal system planning strategies under multiple scenarios. HEIM is then applied to Fujian province, which is a special economic development region in China. The significant findings are as follows: (i) the main sectors of pollutants' (NOx, SO2, PM and VOCs) emissions are electricity supply (ELE), transportation (TRA), nonmetal minerals (NON), chemical products (CHE) and metal processing (MET); (ii) the proportion of air pollutants (NOx, SO2 and PM) emitted from energy activities can reach 83.8%, 88.6% and 68.1% of the province's total emissions, implying that it is desired for industrial activities to improve the energy efficiency and promote cleaner production; (iii) the system robustness was between 0.287 and 0.321 (maximum value is 0.368), indicating the emission structure of IAES was not healthy; (iv) the contributions of the key factors to air-pollutant emission equivalent are NOx emission (51.6%) > ELE coal consumption (25.8%) > SO2 emission (12.5%); (v) the contributions of the key factors affecting system robustness are equipment manufacturing's (EQU) direct consumption coefficient (81.4%) > CHE coal consumption (11.7%) > NON coal consumption (5.0%). The optimal strategies should strictly control ELE coal consumption (replaced by clean energy) and strictly limit NOx and SO2 emissions (e.g., technology upgrade) from the main sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an effective herbicide, 1, 3, 5-Triazine herbicides (S-THs) are used widely in the pesticide market. However, due to their chemical properties, S-THs severely threaten the environment and human health (e.g., human lung cytotoxicity). In this study, molecular docking, Analytic Hierarchy Process—Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (AHP-TOPSIS), and a three-dimensional quantitative structure-active relationship (3D-QSAR) model were used to design S-TH substitutes with high herbicidal functionality, high microbial degradability, and low human lung cytotoxicity. We discovered a substitute, Derivative-5, with excellent overall performance. Furthermore, Taguchi orthogonal experiments, full factorial design of experiments, and the molecular dynamics method were used to identify three chemicals (namely, the coexistence of aspartic acid, alanine, and glycine) that could promote the degradation of S-THs in maize cropping fields. Finally, density functional theory (DFT), Estimation Programs Interface (EPI), pharmacokinetic, and toxicokinetic methods were used to further verify the high microbial degradability, favorable aquatic environment, and human health friendliness of Derivative 5. This study provided a new direction for further optimizations of novel pesticide chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cleaner production has emerged as a comprehensive paradigm, aiming to reduce, or even avoid, the environmental impact in the production stage, in a broad variety of fields. However, the great number of interacting factors makes the assessment of efficiency and the identification of critical factors pose significant challenges to researchers and companies. Artificial intelligence and, particularly, artificial neural networks have proven their suitability to lead with diverse multi-variable problems, but have not yet been applied to model production systems. In this work, we employ dimensionality reduction in combination with a fully connected feed-forward multi-layer perceptron to model the relation between the input (cleaner production techniques) and output variables (cleaner production performance) and, subsequently, quantify the sensibility of the different output variables on the input variables. In particular, we consider Product Design, Production Processes, and Reuse as the input latent variables, whereas the Environmental Performance of Product, Environmental Performance of Processes, and Economic Performance comprises the output variables of our model. The results, employing data collected from a direct survey of 205 Brazilian companies, reveal that the best configuration for the ANN uses eight neurons in the hidden layer. Regarding sensitivity, the obtained results show that improving practices with poor marks leads to a higher enhancement of output figures. In particular, since reuse presents mainly low marks, it can be identified as an area for improvement, in order to increase overall performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The industrial impacts on the environment need to be minimized to reduce climate change, which will benefit human beings. Industry 4.0, the new production paradigm, promises productivity gains for companies that manage to implement it, but it is also dependent on natural resources, impacting the environment. The aim of this study is to identify and analyze possible cleaner production strategies associated with Industry 4.0 to optimize manufacturing systems in Industry 4.0 implementation projects, in addition to reducing the environmental impacts of these companies. Through a literature search, cleaner production strategies associated with Industry 4.0 were identified and classified into ten dimensions (strategy, waste, recycling, life cycle, resources, energy, production, work, performance and environment) contributing to the theory. The possibilities of using Industry 4.0 technologies were analyzed to meet each dimension. The relevance of this study lies in presenting possibilities for using and developing technologies and applications to meet these dimensions of cleaner production and helping those involved in Industry 4.0 projects to implement it more stably, contributing to the theory and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processing resource requirements in mineral extractive industries tend to increase over time as ore grades decrease, which consequently increases the environmental footprint of operations and products. This phenomenon may be alleviated by cleaner production interventions. South Africa is the largest global supplier of chromium. This study investigates the impact of cleaner production process improvements on selected resource intensities of the South African ferrochrome industry. Sustainability data, available since the start of regular sustainability reporting in 2007, were used to compile resource intensity trends. This was followed by a review of industry capital projects relating to resource-use optimisation, interrogated in interviews with industry experts, to ascertain their effect on resource intensities. The emergence of a symbiotic relationship with the platinum-group metals industry was identified as a major development, with chromite ore intensity decreasing from 2.54 to 1.98 kg per kg ferrochrome. Electrical energy intensity was observed to decrease from 3.47 to 2.86 kWh per ton ferrochrome, mainly as a result of cleaner smelting technology, though cogeneration fired by furnace off-gases also contributed significantly. The introduction of cleaner production interventions in the South African ferrochrome industry was thus documented to have resulted in decreased resource use intensities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aspires to investigate the influence of institutional pressure (IP) on cleaner production (CLP) practices and sustainable firm performances in the clothing industry of Bangladesh. Moreover, the research work explores the mediating role of cleaner production between institutional pressure and firms' environmental performance. It also analyzes environmental performance as a mediator between cleaner production and firms' economic performance. Data were collected from 246 textile and garments manufacturing units and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM) with the partial least square (PLS) method. The study findings unveiled a direct and positive relationship between institutional pressure and cleaner production, environmental performance and cleaner production, and firms' environmental and economic performance. The study's results also reveals that cleaner production partially mediate the relationship between institutional pressure and environmental performance while environmental performance is also partially mediate between cleaner production and firm's economic performance. The research outcomes recommend that the clothing manufacturing sector welcome institutional pressures and employ cleaner production practices, leading to sustainable performance. Finally, the study highlights the managerial and theoretical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce carbon dioxide emissions from traditional drying methods, this research investigated the use of microwave technology for drying Standard Thai Rubber (STR) in Thailand. Commercial microwave ovens were modified and integrated with the microwave emitting power control system to maintain the appropriate temperature levels to evaporate the moisture from rubber. Throughout the drying process, the temperature of the rubber was measured both internally and outside. The results revealed that STR5L and STR20 could be dried satisfactorily and met the requirements for standard Thai rubber properties by utilizing 500 W for 140 and 120 min, respectively. By keeping the temperatures less than 150 °C, rubbers' molecular structure is not destroyed from internal heat stress. Although utilizing less power for a longer period of time is possible, more energy was used, which is unfavorable. Compared to traditional hot air drying technologies, which take approximately 4–6 h for the drying process, microwave technology potentially reduces the drying time by half or more. If solar energy is used to supply electrical energy, 300,000 tons of Carbon dioxide can potentially be eliminated annually in the STR drying industry in Thailand by promoting approximately 1115 MW of Photovoltaic technology installations with the solar resources in southern Thailand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the rather long period of solving environmental issues and research, the problems of attracting green financial instruments as sources of financing and stimulating the development and implementation of clean technologies have not been sufficiently studied. The aim of the study is to: conduct a theoretical analysis of the available data; identify trends and study green financial instruments and propose their classification; formulate hypotheses for the development of green financial instruments; and apply empirical methods of analysis to identify the dynamics of the development of environmental taxation in the EU budget. A theoretical analysis of available sources identified existing green financial instruments, which were classified as: (a) aimed at improving existing technologies for the production of goods and services through the development of greening and eco-modernization projects that contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; (b) aimed at the development and implementation of innovative projects that change the technology for the production of goods and services, completely eliminating the emission of greenhouse gases. The hypotheses put forward for the study of the management of green financial instruments through the use of financial management mechanisms are formulated through theoretical analysis based on the environmental taxation of production technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Red mud storage is associated with an increased risk of dam failure and there is an urgent need to address the environmental problem caused by the very fine particle size (average 4.9 µm) of red mud with high alkalinity (pH = 10–12.5) in the alumina industry. The specific objective of this study was to investigate the use of red mud based on the "simulation" integrating the sustainability aspect through the PROMETHEE method. The data source is from a field survey with experts conducted at the research location from the province of West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The results of the study using the PROMETHEE ranking parameter showed that the best optimal industrial cluster sites were Ketapang, followed by Belitung Island, Mempawah, and Teluk Batang, with scores of 0.4167, 0.0476, 0.0, and −0.463, respectively. However, using economic input and environmental output, the efficient frontier showed that Ketapang, Teluk Batang, and Pulau Belitung are efficient sites. Considerably more work will need to be carried out to determine the strategic partner in the increasing significant added value in the red mud industrial cluster sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mato Grosso do Sul State in Brazil is characterized by the 'Cerrado' ecoregion, which is the most biologically rich Savannah globally. In agricultural terms, the region produces several commodities that are exported around the world. This level of productivity has been achieved through the large-scale use of synthetic fertilizers, which has created several economic and environmental concerns. New approaches in soil fertility management are required to avoid environmental degradation, pollution, and socio-environmental damages. A field experiment, lasting two years, was conducted to investigate the composted sewage sludge (CSS) effects on an infertile acidic soil (Oxisol) planted to maize (Zea mays L.). The following complete randomized complete block design with a 4 × 2 + 2 factorial scheme (four replications) was applied: four CSS increasing rates (from 5.0 to 12.5 Mg ha−1, w.b.) following two application methods (whole area and between crop rows). A control, without CSS or synthetic fertilizers, and conventional synthetic fertilization without CSS were also investigated. Evaluated parameters were: (i) soil and leaf micronutrient concentrations; (ii) maize development, yield, and production. The CSS application increased: (i) the concentration of micronutrients in both soil and leaves; and (ii) the crop yield. Both were particularly true at the higher CSS applied rates. Such organic fertilizer can be safely used as a source of micronutrients for crops as an important low-cost and environmentally friendly alternative to mineral fertilizers, thus safeguarding soil health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plastic has transformed the world; however, it generates a huge amount of waste plastics. It is well evident that, if urgent action is not undertaken on plastic pollution, it will pose threats to not only the environment, but also human life. Just simply discarding waste plastics will result in wasting a lot of valuable materials that could be recycled. Recently, the use of waste plastics has been considered for producing wood plastic composites (WPCs), which are superior to normal wood. Waste plastics are pelletized using an extruder and are then subjected to injection molding. In this study, investigations were carried out to determine the possibility of producing WPCs without the palletization of waste plastic to turn WPC production into a shorter, simple, and easy-to-achieve process. Here, a waste milk bottle, a familiar single-use plastic, was picked as a case study. Waste plastic granules and wood particles were mixed and directly injection molded to produce valuable WPCs. The water absorption of WPCs with 20% wood is 0.35%, and this increased to 0.37% when wood content was increased to 40%. The tensile strength at yield, elongation at break, and impact strength of WPCs with 20% wood content are 19.54 MPa, 5.21%, and 33.92 KJ/m2, respectively, whereas it was 17.23 MPa, 4.05%, and 26.61 KJ/m2 for the WPCs with 40% wood content. This process can be a potential solution for two problematic wastes at the same time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cleaner production (CP) has emerged as a new concept to cope with the astronomical environmental degradation associated with the expanding scope of industrialization. We conducted a review of the scientific data on the conceptualization of "cleaner production" using published documents from the 2011–2021 period. Data were extracted from the CNKI and WOS databases—two major databases based in China and the United States, respectively. Citespace software was used to track the developmental process and trend of future research on cleaner production. We report the following findings: (1) While the literature on cleaner production in CNKI is decreasing, the literature in WOS has been increasing annually. (2) Even though clear instances of different research priorities exist between WOS and CNKI, the research problems addressed in the two databases, however, are mostly common. In terms of research collaboration, WOS is more likely to accept papers with cross-institutional authorship. The study further identified that there is no aggregation effect between Chinese research institutions. (3) In WOS, the Journal of Cleaner Production is the most popular journal for researchers, and in CNKI the Chinese Journal of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning leads in CP publications. (4) Regarding the research hotspots, there are obvious differences between WOS and CNKI. Finally, we put forward the future prospects for cleaner production research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An eco-friendly method for ι-carrageenan extraction from seaweed Eucheuma denticulatum through boiling and using a low concentration of Ca(OH)2 is reported. Compared to the traditional method of ι-carrageenan extraction using NaOH, the reported method using Ca(OH)2 had the advantages of using 93.3% less alkali and 86.8% less water, having a 25.0% shorter total extraction time, a 17.6% higher yield, and a 43.3% higher gel strength of the product. In addition, we evaluated the gel properties and structures of ι-carrageenan products extracted by Ca(OH)2 (Ca-IC) and NaOH (Na-IC). The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy results showed that the structures of Ca-IC and Na-IC did not change remarkably. The results of the thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry showed that Ca-IC had the same thermal stability as Na-IC. The results of the textural analysis showed that Ca-IC had a higher hardness and better chewiness compared to Na-IC. Rheological results indicated that Ca-IC and Na-IC exhibited shear-thinning and non-Newtonian fluid properties, whereas the viscosity of Ca-IC was less than that of Na-IC. In conclusion, this new method of ι-carrageenan extraction using Ca-IC is markedly better and yields higher quality carrageenan than the conventional method of using Na-IC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater protection is essential for global sustainable development. Due to the lack of motivation among farmers to build harmless disposal facilities for livestock excrement, there is a huge challenge surrounding groundwater protection, which also threatens the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: "clean water and sanitation". Aiming to improve the groundwater protection behavior (GPB) of farmers, this study involved the following approach: (1) the use of rural China as a case area; (2) an exploration of the theoretical mechanisms and quantitative impacts of cooperatives as a way to encourage farmers to build harmless disposal facilities for livestock excrement; (3) a discussion about improvement strategies to increase the possibility of farmers building harmless disposal facilities for livestock excrement. The study highlighted the following findings: (1) compared to farmers who did not participate in cooperatives, farmers who were in cooperatives were 1.18% more likely to build harmless disposal facilities for livestock excrement; (2) compared to the basic scenario, the probability of farmers building harmless disposal facilities for livestock excrement could be increased by 50~1300%. The results of this study could help to provide a reference for the introduction of policies to protect groundwater, as well as an experiential reference for the achievement of the UN SDGs 3 and 6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging economies suffer more severe pressure to coordinate sustainable production and consumption, and new industry input–output (IO) solutions are urgent. An emerging service supply and consumption mode, the sharing economy (SE) penetrates various industries and rewrites the technological–economic links between sectors via integrating scattered and idle resources. The sustainable effects of such industrial linkages changes triggered by its specific activities remain unclear. The study aims to clarify the mechanism of SE in coordinating the relationship between production and consumption among industries and demonstrate its particular role in cleaner production and sustainable consumption to reveal its multistage and systematic impact on industrial development through input–output linkages. Grounded on the IO and complex systems theory, we establish an IO-DEMATEL industrial development evaluation model embedded in the IO table. The comparative analysis of IO cross-sectional data in 2007 and 2018 deduces the dynamic evolution of industrial interaction and structure under the penetration of SE, as well as its contributions to the national economy in China. The result reveals that sharing activities raise the industry prominence moderately and promote the cleanliness and resource-conservation of industrial connections. However, the prominence of the five sectors regarding input, output, or comprehensive influence currently ranks in the lower-middle levels among all industries. Industrial structure optimization has only been observed on the supply side. Our findings complement a deepened empirical evidence of SE and its sustainability, which is also of practical significance for policymakers to identify the critical industries that conduct cleaner production and sustainable consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cleaner production is certainly a challenge of our everyday life, and a lot of effort and energy is required to achieve it. This paper has created a model of five strategies for cleaner production in Libyan industry, which have been evaluated on the basis of eight criteria. In order to determine the significance of the criteria, a novel interval rough SWARA (step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis) method has been developed, which takes into account the preferences of decision-makers (DMs) by applying interval rough numbers. A novel interval rough ARAS (additive ratio assessment) method has been developed for the evaluation and selection of the most favorable strategy for cleaner production. The integration of the developed methods has yielded results showing that the first strategy, launching awareness-raising campaigns to publicize these policies, represents the most realistic and best current solution to achieve cleaner production in Libyan industry. A comparative analysis with some existing interval rough methodologies has been presented to verify the superiority of the proposed model. In addition, in a sensitivity analysis, the weight of the most significant criterion has been changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the carbon footprint of the University of Exeter by analysing its energy consumption between 2012 and 2020 to assess its current standing in the process of achieving carbon neutrality. The study then explores the possible methods of reaching this target in line with the University of Exeter's Environment & Climate Emergency Policy Statement. The leading part of the statement is as follows: "All Campus activities/operations shall have a carbon net zero impact and or result in environmental gain by 2030 and aims to be carbon net zero by 2050 (accounting for all associated activities and Scope 3 footprint)". Using methods of energy consumption reduction, a new carbon footprint for Scope 1 and 2 emissions was calculated for the year 2030, which included phasing out oil and gas and swapping out inefficient systems, such as old heating or lighting. This reduced the emissions from 17.24 ktCO2e to 3.34 ktCO2e also greatly helped by the reduction in electricity grid conversion factors. The remaining emissions would be reduced further to net zero by on site solar and offsite wind investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cleaner Production (CP) addresses precautionary, site-specific environmental measures to reduce emissions and assess resource efficiency potentials at the point of origin by analyzing operational material and energy flows. The approach is generally based on the criteria quality as well as environmental/occupational health and safety, and promotes their integration. The paper presents options for applying CP to aggregate mining, based on a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and illustrated by results from a study of small-scale industrial aggregate mining in Hoa Binh Province (Vietnam). The regulatory framework to limit the impact of mining on the environment is largely comparable to international standards and is suitably enforced. Despite gaining experience through the practical handling of enforcement procedures over the long term, there is still a considerable potential to optimize CP strategies in Vietnam’s aggregate mining industry. This is shown by the results of a survey of aggregates mining companies in Hoa Binh Province as well as on-site data collection to determine the technological characteristics of production facilities alongside economic and environmental factors. The assessment of the survey is supported by LCA results for: (a) the existing situation; and (b) the scenario of a merging of companies, undertaken to improve the resource efficiency of the aggregate mining in Hoa Binh. Findings can help implement an integrated approach to foster the sustainable mining of building aggregates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wood industry is known for being among the biggest resource consumers, having a relatively low yield. The wood furniture industry as part of the wood industry also remains a big generator of residues and a big consumer of resources. Diverse solutions and technologies have been developed to deal with the residues generated, but those technologies are mostly applied at the end of the production chain with limited results. Cleaner production represents a program based on continuous strategies applied to a more sustainable use of materials and energy, minimizing waste and pollution. This paper presents a case study of a cleaner production program developed in a small furniture industry in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil, applying the concepts of cleaner production with parameters of ecodesign developed for the furniture industry. The object of study was the production of a wooden chair made from eucalyptus wood. The application of the cleaner production program and ecodesign parameters allowed a detailed characterization of the waste, resulting in opportunities for a reduction of the use of raw material by 30%, a reduction in waste by 49% and allowing a reduction in energy by 36% due to simplification of the productive process. Among the strategies applied were reshaping pieces, redesigning, and the substitution of materials. The results suggest that despite the existence of more complex environmental methods and approaches, the application of cleaner production plus ecodesign parameters could be more achievable for micro and small furniture industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Received: 20 April 2017; Accepted: 8 May 2017; Published: 12 May 2017 This paper is a Colombian case study that calculates the total water footprint (blue, green, and grey) for heavy crude production (11.5 average API gravity) occurring in three fields, located in the Magdalena watershed. In this case study, the highest direct blue footprint registers 0.19 m3/barrel and is heavily influenced by cyclic steam stimulation practices. This value could be reduced if the water coming out of the production well was to be cleaned with highly advanced wastewater treatment technologies. The highest grey water footprint, at 0.06m³/barrel, is minimal and could be reduced with conventional wastewater treatment technologies and rigorous maintenance procedures. The green water footprint is negligible and cannot be reduced for legal reasons. The indirect blue water footprint is also considerable at 0.19-0.22 m³/barrel and could be reduced if electricity was produced onsite instead of purchased. In addition, the paper identifies methodological flaws in the Colombian National Water Study (2014), which wrongly calculated the direct blue water footprint, leading to a 5 to 32-fold sub-estimation. It also ignored the grey, with important implications for water resource policy and management. To rectify the situation, future National Surveys should follow the procedure published here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green innovation is an important strategy in seeking sustainable competitive advantages. This paper investigates the impact of enterprise digitization on green innovation and its mechanisms. We find that enterprise digital transformation has a significant effect on the promotion of green innovation. This positive effect mainly stems from the advantage of resource reallocation generated by enterprise digitalization that can alleviate financing constraints and raise risk-taking levels. Furthermore, the level of economic development strengthens the impact of enterprise digitization on green innovation, and the positive relationship between enterprise digitization and green innovation is stronger in regions with stronger environmental regulation and higher intellectual property protection, as well as in state-owned and heavily polluting enterprises. Digitization can optimize resource utilization, strengthen the capacity of green innovation in pollution reduction and promote the clean production of enterprises. Our results show that enterprise digitization plays a positive role in innovation activities. Furthermore, our results show that enterprise digitization plays a positive role in innovation activities.

This paper examines local policy implementation of Cleaner Production (CP) in China. As the major policy implementer, China's local government plays a crucial role in promoting CP. A better understanding of the factors affecting local government's incentives regarding CP and different strategies available to the local government can help policy makers and implementers improve CP practices and other environmental policy outcomes. This paper uses the cases of Hangzhou and Guiyang to demonstrate that local conditions of policy implementation have a direct impact on the success of CP promotion. Based on 35 in-depth interviews, statistical data and internal government reports, we find that the location-based incentives of local government strongly influence their implementation strategies; and that the choices of different strategies can bring out various policy results. From this study, the identified location-based incentives are affected by energy resource endowment, economic development stage and technological competence. The successful implementation strategies involve using different policy instruments synthetically, regulating CP service organizations by controlling their qualifications, differentiating CP subsidizations, and improving transparency of project progress and outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the economic and environmental gains that result from the implementation of cleaner production in a small enterprise (SE) from the metal and mechanics industry, allowing for overcoming barriers and contributing to sustainable development goals. The research work builds on a case study that involved several data sources, including semi structured interviewing and non-participant observation. Data analysis involved the calculation of mass balance, building solid and liquid waste that were minimized in the process. The results suggest that cleaner production led to economic gains, by allowing for reduction in losses and promoting a better use of raw materials. It also led to environmental improvements by means of the implementation of a wastewater treatment station that allowed for the reuse of water in the manufacturing process. It was concluded that the economic gain in the project played a determinant role for the SE to overcome the barriers for the implementation of CP and leading to the reduction of the environmental impact in the abiotic, biotic, water and air compartments, as estimated with the Mass Intensity Factor. The study offers a timely and relevant contribution for the literature in the field, while offering insights for o managerial practice, and the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations Development Program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental situation is not optimistic. Improving the level of enterprise green development behavior can help enterprises to comply with the trend of environmental protection. However, existing studies do not explain the factors influencing enterprise green development behavior. This research collects and screens 33 empirical studies related to enterprise green development behavior from multiple authoritative data platforms, which cover 10 different countries and regions. A quantitative approach is then used to comprehensively explore the influencing factors, deeply dig into their degree of influence, and explore the moderating effect of the moderators. The results show the following: (1) corporate tangible resources, corporate intangible resources, market environment, policy and institutional environment, and public supervision have positive effects on enterprise green development behavior, and there are differences in the degree of influence; (2) corporate intangible resources have the most significant influence on enterprise green development behavior; (3) the size, region, and industry of enterprise can moderate enterprise green development behavior. This research suggests four participants: society, enterprise, market, and government. The research results are intended to provide a basis for researchers to further study enterprise green development behavior for specific industries and promote enterprise green development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Product-Service System (PSS) is a sustainable strategy that shifts the focus of the business from selling physical products to providing service by using the product. The innovation proposed in the PSS, focused on sustainable production and consumption, is consistent with the sustainable development goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. The scientific literature on PSS in machining showed studies that address the economic factor of PSS contract, machine maintenance and logistics and operational process improvement. Then, there is a lack of studies on the assessment of the PSS in machining under a sustainability factors perspective. Thus, the objective of this paper was to evaluate the economic, environmental, and social advantages of PSS cutting tools in machining. Consistent with this aim, the research focused on a case study in a diesel engine parts machining company. From an economic point of view, the results indicated a reduction in operating costs of US$ 1,206,080 per year, which allowed a nine-month return on investment. From an ecological perspective, the recovery of 602 kg of carbide per year mitigated the environmental impact of tungsten and cobalt exploration. These results are even more expressive because it deals with scarce metals. Furthermore, technological advances reduced the risk of injury to operators. This research increased knowledge on PSS in machining by presenting an original study that led the analysis under a sustainability perspective. Moreover, this study contributes to managers by showing the business model's advantages that reduce operating costs and socio-environmental impacts, enhancing sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy is the main element for a modern lifestyle that must be considered in economically reliable and sustainable development dialogues. The financial performance of solar power projects has become the main issue, especially in developing countries such as Pakistan, where it has gained the special attention of government and regulatory authorities. The present study evaluates green technology strategies for the sustainable development of solar power projects in Pakistan. We examine the moderating role of cost and riskiness of the methods between the nexus of capital budgeting techniques and the financial performance of solar power projects. The analysis is performed on data collected from 44 respondents (chief financial officers and chief executive officers) by accompanying an inclusive questionnaire survey. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) is used to assess the formulated suppositions. The results reveal that green technology strategies positively impact the sustainable development of solar power projects. The profitability index is a good source of higher financial performance of the solar power projects. The results further demonstrate that the cost and riskiness of the methods significantly moderate the nexus of capital budgeting techniques and the financial performance of solar power projects. These findings provide a valuable manual for policymakers, government institutions, and regulators to select the appropriate green technology strategy to increase cleaner production and sustainable development of solar power projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted how inadequately prepared humanity is to manage global disasters. Conversely, this crisis also offers an exceptional opportunity to move towards a more equitable and sustainable future. This paper explores three stimuli that can lead people to the change towards sustainable Post-COVID-19 societies: crises, knowledge, and alternative paradigms. From a theoretical approach, the paper addresses the roles of each stimulus and the capacity they may have, individually or together, to encourage the debate about the relationship between environmental conditions and human crisis. This study contributes to the discussions on the importance of strategic transformations of the global consumption and production systems. It takes this unique opportunity to move towards a more sustainable future. Moreover, it urges that this transformation process be articulated with alternative paradigms that seek to go beyond inequalities, conflicts, imbalanced development, and ecological deterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although Industry 4.0 has received much attention in recent years due to the possibility of increasing companies' productivity, the implementation process is complex. The aim of this study is to present a holistic model for implementing Industry 4.0 based on cleaner production as a fundamental tool for the development of production systems that meet the Sustainable Development 04026-002Goals (SDGs), and social stakeholders that cooperate with this implementation process, helping to develop sustainable infrastructure, processes and technologies to increase the sustainable transformation of these companies towards Industry 4.0. The method used was literature research, and the Delphi technique was used to ask specialists to contribute with their experience to evaluate and propose improvements to the model, in the form of a consensus. The model contributes to the Sustainable Development Goals 9, 12 and 15. This holistic and sustainable model is a contribution to theory and practice, helping executives, technicians, entrepreneurs and those involved with Industry 4.0 to base the implementation process in the needs and specificities of each company, avoiding the "one fits all" models, considering the peculiarities of each company and the complexity of the implementation process in a more efficient and collaborative digital production ecosystems base, seeking to reduce inequalities, through the joint effort of social stakeholders to find ways to restore and/or improve social harmony, impacted by Industry 4.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving sustainable socio-economic development requires approaches that enhance resource use efficiencies and can address current cross-sectoral challenges in an integrated manner. Existing evidence suggests an urgent need for polycentric and transformative approaches, as global and local systems have come under strain. This study conducted a systematic literature review at the global level to assess the progress made towards achieving a circular economy between 2010 and 2020, a period covering the formulation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the initial five years of their implementation. The focus was on the potential of improved water and energy use efficiency, linking them to food production within the context of a circular economy. Identifying successes, opportunities, challenges, and pathways towards a circular economy from the literature review facilitated developing a conceptual framework to guide strategic policy formulations towards a more sustainable economy. A combination of transformative approaches is analysed in an integrated way in response to the 2030 global agenda on sustainable development. Thus, the study is informed by the initiatives to attain SDGs and mitigating negative environmental impacts due to waste and pollution. The premise is to enhance transformational change as a catalyst for employment creation and the attainment of a green economy while reducing waste. Transformative approaches have been identified to provide pathways towards global climate targets and protection of the environment from further degradation. They are a catalyst to achieve SDG 12 on ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a by-product from the metallurgical industry, steel slag contains a large amount of metal elements. In many developing countries, the output of steel slag is huge and the comprehensive utilization rate is low, hence the development of a novel application method for steel slag is of great significance to increase its utilization rate to improve the environment. This paper reviewed the dissolution behavior of Fe, P, Ca and silicate of steel slag under seawater and acidic solutions as an application in the cultivation of different microalgae, such as diatoms, spirulina, and chlorella. This review clarifies that proper pre-treatment of steel slag can effectively increase the dissolved elements of steel slag in the solution and provide more nutrients for the growth of microalgae. Microalgae cultivated with steel slag as a nutrient can be used to produce biodiesel which has a very broad application prospects for cleaner production and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PVD (physical vapor deposition) and CVD (chemical vapor deposition) have gained greater significance in the last two decades with the mandatory shift from electrodeposition processes to clean deposition processes due to environmental, public safety, and health concerns. Due to the frequent use of coatings in several industrial sectors, the importance of studying the chromium coating processes through PVD–sputtering can be realized, investing in a real alternative to electroplated hexavalent chromium, usually denominated by chromium 6, regularly applied in electrodeposition processes of optical products in the automotive industry. At an early stage, experimental tests were carried out to understand which parameters are most suitable for obtaining chromium coatings with optical properties. To study the coating in a broad way, thickness and roughness analysis of the coatings obtained using SEM and AFM, adhesion analyzes with the scratch-test and transmittance by spectrophotometry were carried out. It was possible to determine that the roughness and transmittance decreased with the increase in the number of layers, the thickness of the coating increased linearly, and the adhesion and resistance to climatic tests remained positive throughout the study. Thus, this study allows for the understanding that thin multilayered Cr coatings can be applied successfully to polymeric substrates regarding optical applications in the automotive industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production and utilization of fertilizers are processes with known and noteworthy environmental impacts. Direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and a high contribution to water eutrophication due to the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) derivatives are some of the most crucial impacts derived from the overall life cycle of fertilizer use. The life cycle assessment (LCA) has been reliable and analytical tool for the identification, quantification, and evaluation of potential environmental impacts of fertilizers related to the products, production processes, or activities throughout their lifecycle. In this paper, a gate-to-gate LCA approach was applied in order to identify and evaluate the impacts derived from the production processes of nitrate and compound fertilizers the production industry in Northeastern Greece. The results from this study prove that compound fertilizers have a greater impact compared with nitrate fertilizers, contributing up to 70% of the total production impacts. Furthermore, climate change, freshwater eutrophication, and fossil fuel depletion were identified as the most crucial impact categories. Finally, a comparison with relevant LCA studies was conducted, in order to identify the possibility of a consistency pattern of the fertilizer production impacts in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]