Marcelino, S.; Gaspar, P.D.; Paço, A. Sustainable Waste Management in the Production of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants—A Systematic Review. Sustainability2023, 15, 13333.
Marcelino, S.; Gaspar, P.D.; Paço, A. Sustainable Waste Management in the Production of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants—A Systematic Review. Sustainability 2023, 15, 13333.
Marcelino, S.; Gaspar, P.D.; Paço, A. Sustainable Waste Management in the Production of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants—A Systematic Review. Sustainability2023, 15, 13333.
Marcelino, S.; Gaspar, P.D.; Paço, A. Sustainable Waste Management in the Production of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants—A Systematic Review. Sustainability 2023, 15, 13333.
Abstract
Due to the growing demand for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (PAMs), environmental risks associated with overexploitation and inadequate waste management are increasing. Since MAPs residues have a notable potential to be valorised, the implementation of Circular Economy solutions can play a central role in transforming waste management problems into economic opportunities and in responding to the growing demand for MAPs. Circular economy is viewed as a solution for fostering a sustainable system planet and positively contributes to the economy and society. A systematic review was conducted aiming to identify potential applications for the valorisation of MAP, under a sustainable waste management and circular economy approach. A total number of 47 studies were analysed and it was verified that MAPs residues can be valorised for energy purposes, crop management and applications in chemical, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic industries, among others. Despite the wide range of possible applications, to promote a progressive implementation of circular economy strategies by the industry, further investigation is needed regarding the development of more efficient techniques and technology to develop value-added products and the assessment of sustainable performance in empirical investigations, considering both economic and environmental indicators.
Keywords
Medicinal and aromatic plants; sustainability; circular economy; waste management; valorisation
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Waste Management and Disposal
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
