This study evaluated the grain size and high organic content from drinking water treatment sludge (DWTS) in the properties of ceramics. Samples were studied using raw and oven dried DWTS at 110 °C in two granulometries (0.180 mm and 0.075 mm), with and without calcination (550 °C), as partial replacement of two soils commonly used in ceramic production. Specimens were prepared with 5, 10, and 20% DWTS and calcined at 950 °C to determine their chemical, physical, mineralogical and mechanical properties. The DWTS reduced the density and increased the absorption and shrinkage of the specimens after calcination. An increase in strength with up to 10% sludge, driven by the presence of fluxing agents, was verified. The processing method had little influence on the properties of ceramic with above 10% of sludge. In conclusion, the use of raw DWTS obtained better results with low energy usage for its reuse.

This paper presents the life cycle assessment results of a study of plastic recycling via hydrothermal upgrading (HTU), a chemical recycling technology. It was investigated due to its potential to address current gaps in the plastic recycling system, largely due to several plastic packaging materials and formats that cannot be processed by traditional mechanical recycling technologies (primarily due to technoeconomic reasons). As society transitions towards a net-zero-based circular economy, assessments should be conducted with a futuristic outlook, preventing costly mistakes by employing the right technologies in the right areas. HTU can generate up to 76% reduction in climate change impacts when compared with comparable end-of-life treatment technologies whilst conserving material with the system. Additionally, further reductions could be achieved by changes in electricity consumption within the study. This represents a new insight to chemical recycling of polymers by establishing a prospective life cycle assessment study that looks to introduce a step-change in the recycling system. By creating a transparent cut-off model with consistent allocation, it highlights the benefits of introducing this technology as opposed to the current model of disposal through incineration or landfill.

The authors have revised the circularity of materials, which is important to stimulate circular activity processes. The theoretical part starts with describing the characteristics of the circular activity and the comparison of circular and linear systems in terms of recycling. Later on, the authors examined key elements important for the circularity and the results of an examination of various sectors. The authors formed a correlation matrix and used a dynamic regression model to identify the circular material use rate. The authors suggested a three-level methodology, using it provided a dynamic regression model which could be applied for forecasting the size of circular material use rate in European Union countries. The results show that private investments into recycling and the recycling of electronic waste and the recycling of other municipal waste categories are important in seeking to increase the usage rate of circular materials.

Abstract:Global ship demolition is mostly concentrated in south Asian countries, namely Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and China, since 1990’s, having competitive advantage for their high natural tide, and low environmental and social costs. Due to high social and environmental externalities, stakeholders increase monitoring of the externalities and continue to prescribe improvement towards sustainability, which put pressures on profitability and competitiveness. As a consequence, also seen in the past, a leakage effect may emerge, leading to shift of this activity to a region, with relatively less monitored and less stricter on social and environmental impacts. Unfortunately, the leakage effect is never predicted in shipbreaking in order to understand the level of push compatible in the given socio-economic contexts. In this study, we have attempted to predict the future ship demolition landscape, applying machine learning technique to 34,531 in-service vessels worldwide, larger than 500 gross tonnage (GT), which is run against a learning model based on 3500 demolished vessels from 2014. This study shows that redistribution may occur among the top recycling nations: India may emerge out to be a dominant player in shipbreaking, surpassing Bangladesh by a margin of two-fold, while Pakistan and China are in decreasing trend. In addition, the leakage effect is observed, in that Vietnam is predicted to be the fourth largest ship demolition country, while China and Pakistan recede from the third and fourth place to 6th and 8th. Turkey is predicted to advance from fifth position to third position by vessel count but stays same in term of total GT dismantled. Although it is not clear if any leakage is to be observed in the near future, this study may be a model for future predictive analytics and help stakeholders take evidence-based business decisions.

The shipbreaking industry is located predominantly in South Asian countries, and dismantles end-of-life ships to meet national steel demand. There are charges that this industry exploits local environmental, economic and social conditions to boost profits. The majority of this previous research often draws from a single disciplinary point of view that ignores or downplays complexities and trade-offs, precluding realistic policy improvement. Here we review 110 shipbreaking papers published in international peer reviewed journals that are indexed in SCOPUS, Science Direct and Google Scholar. We found that to date, shipbreaking research revolves around the coastal contamination of end-of-life ships waste over many other topics, and lacks critical interdisciplinary studies that explain trade-offs between environmental, social and economic factors that would better inform policy formulations for improvement of worker safety and environmental conditions. We propose a Life Cycle Sustainability assessment (LCSA) framework that could incorporate these trade-offs in a single analysis. We hope this review guides future studies towards more comprehensive sustainability measurement of shipbreaking activities.

Botanical recycled concrete, or concrete bonded with wood, is formed by heat pressing the mixture of concrete and wooden waste. Botanical recycled concrete is a relatively new material and the relationship between production condition and its real-world performance is not clear yet. This experimental study investigated the influence of several production condition factors on the density and bending strength of botanical recycled concrete. As a result, temperature and mass ratio of concrete powder to wood flour presented significant effects on the density of this botanical recycled concrete. The increase in production temperature resulted in a remarkable increment in density and bending strength. This is probably due to increased wood flowability and accelerated compaction and bonding formation. The fineness of wood flour had a significant effect on improving bending strength. This is attributed to a larger contact surface between the wood substance and concrete particles.

Driven by the rapid uptake of battery electric vehicles, Li-ion power batteries are increasingly reused in stationary energy storage systems, and eventually recycled to recover all the valued components. Offering an updated global perspective, this study provides a circular economy insight on lithium-ion battery reuse and recycling.

The cruise ship industry has become a well-implemented industry in the Baltic Sea area, and each year, the number of cruise ship passengers rises steadily. Efficient waste management in cruising ports around the Baltic Sea is a crucial element in minimizing environmental impacts. This research involves the four selected ports of Copenhagen, Helsinki, Stockholm and Tallinn. The study applies statistics and interview data to the analysis of waste management systems for cruise ship-generated waste. The interview data involves 14 executives and professionals responsible for environmental issues and decision making in their respective ports. The interviews highlighted the need for standardized environmental legislation and related procedures, which would result in coherent measurement systems. These systems would enable transparent environmental monitoring, thus maintaining the ports’ competitiveness. A common environmental legislation would support the emerging waste management system for the whole Baltic Sea area. We suggest that ports should focus on handling specific types of wastes and collaborate as a spatial network. Specialization to allow discharge of certain fractions of waste is essential. The paper concludes by addressing demands for future research, particularly vessel- and customer behavior focused studies.

This review paper highlights feasible and practicable approaches for managing end-of-life rolling stocks. It aims to promote and enable sustainable procurement policy for rolling stocks. Firstly, it demonstrates that modern rolling stocks can potentially gain the environmental benefits since almost all of their materials used in the rolling stock manufacturing can be recycled and reused. In this study, brief definition and concept of various train types are introduced and discussed, accompanied by some demonstrative illustrations. Then, component analyses, recovery rates and percent proportion of each material in various rolling stock assemblies have been evaluated. The estimation of material quantities that can potentially be recycled has been carried out using industry data sources. The suitable management procedures for end-of-life rail vehicles are then discussed, together with the life cycle of the key materials in which the recyclability criteria take into account the environmental risks and the best and safest approaches to deal with them. The aim of this study is to increase the awareness of the public, train manufacturers and rail industries on the benefits to the environments from rolling stock recycling, which could result in sustainable society and urban livings.

Households and businesses are generating unprecedented levels of electrical and electronic wastes (e-waste), fueled by modernisation and rapid obsolescence. While the challenges imposed by e-waste are similar everywhere in the world, disparities in progress to deal with it exists; with developing nations such as South Africa lagging. The increase in e-waste generation increases the need to formulate strategies to manage it. This paper presents an overview of e-waste management on a global and South African scenarios with a specific case for Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) waste management practices in South Africa. CRTs present the biggest problem for recyclers and policy makers because they contain hazardous elements such as lead and antimony. Common disposal practices have been either landfilling or incineration. The research into the South African practices with regards to CRT waste management showed that there is still more to be done to effectively manage this waste stream. This is despite clear waste regulatory frameworks in the country. However, recent developments have placed e-waste as a priority waste stream, which should lead to intensified efforts in dealing with it. Overall, these efforts should aim to maximise diversion from landfilling and to create value-addition opportunities, leading to social and environmental benefits.

A tumbler screen type residual film–impurity mixture wind separator as a key equipment for secondary utilization of farmland residual film. During the working process, the proportion of impurities in the separated waste mulch film intermittently increases, resulting in poor working stability of the device, which may hamper long-term operation. In this study, the material inside the separation unit was continuously monitored, and the main factor affecting separator per-formance was determined to be the challenges in the effective depolymerization of some residual film–impurity mixtures. The principles of agglomeration and depolymerization of the residual film–impurity mixtures were analyzed using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) flow-solid coupling simulation methods. The key factor affecting the disaggregation of the mixture was the collision force between the residual film–impurity mixture and the trommel screen. The collision force was maximum when the residual film–impurity mixture first collided with the trommel screen when it was fed into the separation device. As determined by force analyses, the key factors affecting the collision force of the process were the material feeding amount and the structure of the inlet. Furthermore, simulations were carried out for different inlet structure forms; the evaluation index was the maximum collision force of the residual film–impurity mixture agglomerate on the trommel screen. The best disaggregation effect was obtained with a square feed inlet and at a feeding rate of 202 kg/h. A prototype was built using these specifications for verification. The average value of the ratio of impurities in the re-sidual film was 6.966%, the coefficient of variation was 7.38%, and the dispersion of statistical results was small. The ratio of impurities in the residual film was kept constant during the con-tinuous operation of the wind separator. Thus, this study analyzed the agglomerate disaggregation process and provided theoretical insights for deter-mining the optimal structures of the inlets of various cleaning devices and the feeding volumes.

Abstract: In order to accelerate deployment of distributed recycling by providing low-cost feed stocks of granulated post-consumer waste plastic, this study analyzes an open source waste plastic granulator system. It is designed, built and tested for its ability to convert post-consumer waste, 3-D printed products and waste into polymer feedstock for recyclebots of fused particle/granule printers. The technical specifications of the device are quantified in terms of power consumption (380 to 404W for PET and PLA, respectively) and particle size distribution. The open source device can be fabricated for less than USD$2000 in materials. The experimentally-measured power use is only a minor contribution to the overall embodied energy of distributed recycling of waste plastic. The resultant plastic particle size distributions were found to be appropriate for use in both recyclebots and direct material extrusion 3-D printers. Simple retrofits are shown to reduce sound levels during operation by 4dB-5dB for the vacuum. These results indicate that the open source waste plastic granulator is an appropriate technology for community, library, makespace, fab lab or small business-based distributed recycling.

The automotive industry is under growing pressure from regulatory agencies to improve the recyclability of their plastic components. Simultaneously, manufacturers are adopting natural fiber composites in vehicles to reduce carbon footprints and decrease reliance on petroleum-based materials. This presents a challenge at vehicle end-of-life however, as natural fiber-reinforced polymers are substantially more difficult to recycle than their unreinforced counterparts. This study investigated the development of a mechanical recycling process for paper fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites, focusing on the impact of injection molding parameters—specifically, injection temperature and rate—on the thermal, mechanical, and water uptake properties of the composites. The results showed that processing temperature had a greater influence on composite performance than injection rate, with some limited interaction effects between the two. Higher processing intensity damaged the paper fibers, increasing the number of nucleation sites and resulting in greater polypropylene crystallinity. These structural changes reduced tensile properties at higher intensities, while flexural properties improved. Objective function analysis was applied to identify optimal processing conditions, balancing these competing trends. Overall, the findings demonstrate that paper fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites can be recycled into automotive relevant injection molding compounds using conventional plastic manufacturing techniques, though careful tuning of processing parameters is essential to achieve optimal performance.

The extensive use of polypropylene (PP) in various industries has heightened interest in devel-oping efficient methods for recycling and optimising its mixtures. This study focuses on formu-lating predictive models for the Melt Flow Rate (MFR) and shear viscosity of PP blends. The in-vestigation involved characterising various grades, including virgin homopolymers, copolymers, and post-consumer recyclates, in accordance with ISO 1133 standards. The research examined both binary and ternary blends, utilising traditional mixing rules and symbolic regression to predict rheological properties. High accuracy was achieved with the Arrhenius and Cragoe models, at-taining R² values over 0.99. Symbolic regression further enhanced these models, offering signif-icant improvements. To mitigate overfitting, empirical noise and variable swapping were in-troduced, increasing the models' robustness and generalisability. The results demonstrated that the developed models could reliably predict MFR and shear viscosity, providing a valuable tool for improving the quality and consistency of PP mixtures. These advancements support the de-velopment of recycling technologies and sustainable practices in the polymer industry by opti-mising processing and enhancing the use of recycled materials.

Pd EnCat™ 30 is a palladium catalyst broadly used in several hydrogenation and cross-coupling reactions. It is known for its numerous beneficial features, which include high-yielding performance, easy recovery, and reusability. However, the available data regarding its recyclability in Suzuki coupling reactions are limited to a few reaction cycles and, therefore, fail to explore its full potential. Our work focuses on investigating the extent of Pd EnCat™ 30 reusability in Suzuki cross-coupling reactions by measuring its performance according to isolated yields of product. Our findings demonstrate that Pd EnCat™ 30 can be reused over a minimum of 30 reaction cycles, which is advantageous in terms of cost reduction and more sustainable chemical production.

Clothing consumers mostly purchase, use, and dispose of clothing products in a linear business model. This approach pollutes the environment and causes economic and social crises in the ecosystems. This study evaluates the amount of generated postconsumer clothing waste (PCCW) and proposes recycling as a sustainable waste management approach. Data were collected to understand disposal behavior of consumers with 474 respondents selected from households in Bahir Dar city. The findings show that all the determinant factors on the PCCW generation level except religion were significant. The most frequently disposed type of clothing waste is jeans-trouser (51%). The CEBM was used to develop alternative products from a jeans-based clothing waste. The jean's fiber and fabric-reinforced composite materials were developed using unsaturated polyester resin as a sustainable way of PCCW management strategy. The shredded form fiber-reinforced composite was found to have a smoother surface than that of the chopped or cut fabric-reinforced composite. The product was characterized by physical and mechanical properties. The study can be further extended to the scope of the entire consumers in Ethiopia and alternative recyclable products can be studied.

Due to growing concerns about environmental pollution from plastic waste, plastic recycling research is gaining momentum. Traditional methods, such as incorporating inorganic particles, increasing cross-linking density with peroxides, and blending with silicone monomers, often improve mechanical properties but reduce flexibility for specific performance requirements. This study focuses on synthesizing silica nanoparticles with vinyl functional groups and evaluating their mechanical performance when used in recycled plastics. Silica precursors, namely sodium silicate, and vinyltrimethoxysilane (VTMS), combined with a surfactant, were employed to create pores, increasing silica's surface area. Early-stage introduction of vinyl functional groups prevented the typical post-synthesis reduction in surface area. Porous silica was produced in varying quantities of VTMS, and the synthesized porous silica nanomaterials were incorporated into recycled Polyethylene to induce cross-linking. Despite a decrease in surface area with increasing VTMS content, a significant surface area of 883 m2/g was achieved. In conclusion, porous silica with the right amount of vinyl content exhibited improved mechanical performance, including increased tensile strength, compared to conventional porous silica. This study shows that synthesized porous silica with integrated vinyl functional groups effectively enhances the performance of recycled plastics.

Hundreds of thousands of kilometers of communication and power (umbilical) cables and flowlines lie undersea worldwide. Most of these offshore cables and flowlines have reached or will soon be nearing the end of their service life, necessitating the need for a viable recycling approach to recover some valuable material, e.g., copper. However, separation into constituent materials has proven very challenging due to the highly robust design of the composite cables (and flowlines) to withstand service conditions and the tough external plastic sheaths that protect against seawater corrosion. Here, we summarize the findings of the cryogenic comminution of subsea cables and flowlines for an effective separation and recovery of component materials. Heat transfer analyses of complex multilayer flowlines and umbilicals were conducted to evaluate the time required for these structures to reach their respective critical brittle-transition temperatures. Subsequently, the time was used as a guide to crush the flowline and umbilical cables under cryogenic conditions. The results show that the flowlines and umbilical cables will reach the brittle-transition temperature after approximately 1000s (i.e., 17 min) of submergence in liquid nitrogen (LN). Comminution of the materials at temperatures near the brittle-transition temperature was proven relatively efficient compared to room-temperature processing. The present evaluation of heat transfer and lab-scale crushing will afford accurate process modelling and design of a pilot cryogenic comminution of decommissioned flowlines in an LN-doped atmosphere.

Recycled tire fibers (RTF) are currently one of the most abundant waste not being recovered due to several processing hurdles and the presence of high amounts of residual ground rubber particles (GR). Therefore, this study proposes a simple approach to separate most of rubber particles from fibers and to determine their rubber content using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA)/calcination. Afterwards, clean fiber (CF) and GR are used as fillers for recycled post-consumer low density polyethylene (rLDPE), and their effects on the physical properties are investigated. Accordingly, a series of composites with CF and GR is prepared at different filler concentrations (0-30%) via extrusion compounding before using compression molding and injection molding for comparison. In all cases, injection molding leads to higher strength and modulus, but lower elongation at break. The results show that incorporating 30 wt.% of CF into rLDPE yields a remarkable improvement in tensile strength (15%), tensile modulus (192%) and flexural modulus (142%). On the other hand, the incorporation of up to 30 wt.% of GR results in a reduction of both tensile strength and flexural modulus by 15%, confirming the critical role of the cleaning process for RTF in achieving the best results.

Plastic waste constitutes one of the most important sources of pollution worldwide. Despite the growing recycling trend, nowadays there are no effective technologies that can compensate for the continuous increase in plastic production. Polyesters and polyamides are one of the most produced single-use plastics, mainly used in manufacturing textiles and soft drinks bottles. Today, only a very low fraction of these polymers can be recycled. It can be done by exploiting two leading technologies: mechanical and chemical recycling. Mechanical recycling represents, nowadays, the most used industrial application. However, it can treat a very narrow range of waste materials due to the impossibility of removing dyes and the deterioration of mechanical properties due to the incompatibility of different plastic materials. Another critical limit of this recycling technology is the limited number of recycling loops that can be done due to the thermal degradation that occurs during the extrusion process. The second possibility is chemical recycling, which allows the depolymerization of the original product to recover the monomers directly. The main drawbacks are the long reaction times and the many solvents needed to achieve high-purity products. Therefore, chemical recycling is economically feasible, only for big companies that can produce the virgin polymer in situ. In this work, a new technology has been patented. This process is constituted of three main steps. The first one is the distillation-assisted cyclodepolymerization (DA-CDP), introduced as a modification of the CDP process. In this unit, cyclic oligomers together with high molecular weight compounds have been produced. Then, after polymer purification, it is possible to achieve the same molecular weight of the initial polymer in less than 30 minutes, exploiting the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) in the next step.

Mechanical recycling of solid plastic wastes on a small-scale level can be accomplished with the correct approaches. Thermoplastics are mostly considered for mechanical recycling because of their physical properties and ease of reprocessing. This paper reviews the mechanical reprocessing techniques of selected thermoplastics (polyethylene terephthalate and polyolefins) since they constitute a significant proportion of plastics used commercially. Furthermore, necessary considerations for effective operation of small-scale plants, including energy requirements of machinery and optimisation in order to improve efficiency and product quality, are discussed. A clearer understanding and addressing of the process-related challenges will lead to successful establishment and management of small-scale mechanical recycling facilities to benefit communities. Efficient small-scale mechanical reprocessing establishments have become essential in reducing the environmental impacts of solid plastic wastes and for energy conservation.

The article discusses an alternative way of recycling radioactive waste (RW), presented in the form of radioactive building materials - concrete and reinforced concrete structures and metal fittings, with the further use of materials, obtained during recycling, in the space industry. That is, it is supposed to send radioactive waste into space not as a passive ballast, but as a payload that will operate in space under conditions of increased radiation.

Solid-state lighting has been replacing conventional lighting in the market, raising concerns for implementing an efficient end-of-life management system. Since LED waste streams have not been quite dominant, characterization studies (product-level characteristics, component-wise information, bill of materials, diversity, and differences) are inconsistent and having substantial gaps. This study investigates the end-of-life LED lamp literature, focusing on the bill-of-materials, and reveals that the characterization procedure suffers from a severe lack of sample representativeness. Consequently, characterization results are widely varied and not generalizable. Moreover, most of the studies did not inform and document the detailed sample characteristics, precluding the possibility of identifying reasons for variation. Combining available information from the recent studies, we present a mass distribution at the component level, exemplifying the prospect for meeting EU regulatory limit and the need for more insight at the lamp and component level. To fill the disconnection between lamp level characteristics and component and material content, we propose a characterization protocol that carefully documents lamp, component, and material level information by establishing a lamp-component–material composition nexus. The protocol may help researchers, policymakers, and industrial stakeholders conduct a systematic characterization, analyze complexities and prepare for a sustainable solution.

Nonwovens made of recycled carbon fibers (rCF) and thermoplastic (TP) fibers have excellent economic and ecological potential. In contrast to new fibers, recycled carbon fibers are significantly cheaper and the CO2 footprint is mostly compensated by energy savings in the first product life cycle. The next step for this promising material is its industrial serial use. Therefore the process chain from fiber to composite material is analyzed. Initially rCF length at different positions during the carding process is measured. Thereafter the influence of the TP fibers onto processing, fiber shortening and mechanical properties is evaluated. At last several nonwovens with different TP fibers and fiber volume contents between 15 vol.-% and 30 vol.-% are produced, consolidated by hot pressing and tested by 4-point bending to determine the mechanical values. The fiber length reduction ranges from 20.6 % to 28.4 %. TP fibers cushion the rCF against mechanical stress but hold rCF fragments back due to their crimp. The resulting bending strength varies from 301 MPa to 405 MPa and the stiffness from 16.3 GPa to 30.1 GPa. Design recommendations for reduced fiber shortening are derived as well as material mixtures which offer better homogeneity and higher mechanical properties.

IntroductionThe use of protective masks, especially medical masks, increased dramatically during the COVID-19 crisis. Medical masks are made of synthetic materials, mainly polypropylene, and a majority of them are produced in China and imported to the European market. The urgency of the need has so far prevailed over environmental considerations.ObjectiveAssess the environmental impact of different strategies for the use of facemaskMethod Different strategies for the use of medical and community masks are being investigated for their environmental impact in this study. 8 scenarios, differentiating the typologies of masks and the modes of reuse are compared using several environmental impact indicators, mainly the Global Warming Potential (GWP100), and the plastic leakage (PL). This study attempts to provide clear recommendations that consider both the environmental impact and the protective effectiveness of face masks used in the community.Results The environmental impact of single-use masks is the most unfavorable, with a GWP of 0.4 -1.3 kgCO₂ eq., depending on the transport scenario, and a PL of 1.8 g, for a one month protection against COVID-19. The use of home-made cotton masks and prolonged use of medical masks through wait-and-reuse are the scenarios with the lowest impact.ConclusionThe use of medical masks with a wait and reuse strategy seems to be the most appropriate when considering both environmental impact and effectiveness. Our results also highlight the need to develop procedures and the legal/operational framework to extend the use of protective equipment during a pandemic.

The issues of metallic scrap management and its utilization in manufacturing plants are nowadays intensely considered to address essential sustainability guidelines. Efficient recycling procedure for shop floor metallic scrap is not yet available because of abundance and contamination of nonmetallic constituents. Other ferrous metallic scrap are melted and purified during secondary steelmaking to get products in the form of blooms and billets are obtained. This study illustrates the potential of powder technology (powder metallurgy (PM) and metal injection molding (MIM)) based process for solid-state recycling and attainment of usable products. Industrially downgraded grinding sludge is pulverized and used as a raw material. Results showed properties of sintered parts are significantly improved due to in-situ reduction and densification during sintering. Recyclability Index (RI) was created to compare the effect of process variables on obtained products. Based on RI, recycled ferrous parts have about 70% comparable properties with equivalent pure iron parts. Complex reduction and sintering behavior in MIM, particularly, diffusion and pore volume kinetics limits applicability of MIM with this recycling approach. However, few industrial parts were developed and manufactured by PM based approach to validate the applicability of this novel recycling-cum-manufacturing process for the production of porous parts.

Recent increases in the demand for automotive lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have led to higher needs for critical materials like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite. Consequently, recovering materials from spent batteries has gained importance. This study aimed to (1) develop a mechanical pre-treatment method for separating and concentrating materials from spent NCM622 cells, and (2) evaluate the economic, environmental, and scarcity potentials of these fractions. The pre-treatment involved grinding and granulometric separation, producing six particle-size fractions. Analysis showed that the finest fraction (n < 0.5 mm) had 85% of lithium, 77.4% of cobalt, 75.1% of manganese, and 68.5% of nickel. This fraction represented 40.4% of the processed mass and had the highest economic value (USD 3,669/ton NCM cell). This fraction was also prioritized for recycling due to its superior environmental and scarcity considerations.

Thermoplastic fiberglass has been compression molded in the shape of thick panels with the nominal thickness of 10 mm and the size of 300x300 mm2. A simplified procedure has been adopted to speed up the lamination procedure, and making it adapt to the aim of recycling waste glass fiber fabrics and thermoplastics films. Low density polyethylene has been used as matrix to simplify the laboratory activities, but the same procedure can be extended to any other thermoplastic film, such as polyamide. The final thermoplastic composite shows unique properties in terms of repairability and improves its performances by increasing the number of repairing steps. For this aim, a repairability test has been designed in the bending configuration, and 3 consecutive cycles of bending/repairing/bending have been carried out. Static mechanical properties were, instead, low in comparison with traditional fiberglass, because of the choice of a polyethylene matrix. Bending tests have shown that the maximum strength is lower than 10 MPa and the elastic modulus less than 1 GPa. Nevertheless, the toughness of the thermoplastic composite was very high, and the samples continued to deform under bending for any displacement.

This review investigates the pivotal challenge of recycling material waste in the context of Additive Manufacturing with an emphasis on decentralized 3D printing, shedding light on its environmental and economic implications. With additive manufacturing experiencing exponential growth, the environmental impacts of waste generation during 3D printing processes have become increasingly significant. The paper explores various recycled materials commonly used in 3D printing, including polymers like polylactic acid (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), evaluating their characteristics and usability. General recycling methodologies, encompassing mechanical and chemical processes, are examined with attention to challenges such as polymer sorting, additives, coatings, contamination, and thermoset reprocessing. The economic and societal impact of integrating recycled materials into 3D printing and the environmental impacts are examined. By identifying research gaps and proposing future trends, this review contributes to a deeper understanding of how recycling can play a pivotal role in achieving environmental sustainability and economic viability within the decentralized 3D printing landscape.

Upholstery nonwoven fabric is a waste product mainly generated during upholstered furniture production. The polyester composition makes it problematic to recycle and reuse this product. This study examined the manufacturing process of nonwoven fabric-reinforced plywood composites and their selected mechanical and physical properties. Nonwoven fabric was integrated between veneers bound with urea-formaldehyde resin to improve standard layered composites' mechanical and physical properties. Several board variants were produced, differing in the position of the nonwoven layers in the composite structure. The composites were evaluated for modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and screw withdrawal resistance, among others. The results showed that the addition of nonwoven fabric significantly improved some properties. Variants with strategically placed nonwoven layers showed the highest performance increases. The results underscore the potential of nonwoven fabric as an effective reinforcing material, offering a path to developing high-performance plywood composites suitable for demanding applications. Another, environmental profit is that the nonwoven fabric waste, that was used in tested plywood production, has not been subjected burning nor landfilling, but, by incorporation to plywood structure, have positively contributed to Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) policy. The findings advocate for a circular economy approach, where industrial waste is effectively repurposed, contributing to the development of green materials in the wood-based composite industry.

A better understanding of high temperature processes in slags contributes to facilitate knowledge based design of the solidified product. Here, a slag analogue with a nominal composition of 17 wt% LiMnO2 and 83 wt% Ca2SiO4 was synthesized encountering fairly high cooling rates. The Mn species from 1223 K to 1773 K was simulated using a thermodynamic model assuming a homogeneous melt. The micro-composition including the Mn species of the solidified slag was determined experimentally and was used as basis for molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The MD simulation provides information on structure and viscosity at high temperatures, otherwise difficult to access. These parameters significantly influence oxidation state of redox-active elements and the solidified product. The micro-composition analyzed by electron probe micro analysis (EPMA) and synchrotron based micro-X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) showed that Mn-rich and Ca-Si-rich phases are separated. While the Mn-O phases did not contain noticeable Ca, the Ca2SiO4 phase had incorporated 0.6 wt% of Mn. The slag solidified into round shaped and droplet shaped grains of a Li-Mn-oxide, some Mn3O4 and Ca2SiO4. The powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) confirmed the formation of larnite, the identity of the Li-Mn-oxide however remained inconclusive. The Mn oxidation state (OS) was identified using synchrotron based micro-X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (micro-XANES). The Mn-O grains, matched well with Li-Mn-oxides and a Mn OS: +3 e.g. LiMn3+O2. Small areas matching Hausmannite (Mn2+Mn23+O4) were also identified. The OS of Mn in the silicate phase could not be identified. For comparison a slowly cooled slag analogue with similar composition however higher Si content, was also subjected to micro-XANES. The slowly cooled slag formed long Mn-rich needles in a matrix of large calcium silicate crystals. The Mn-rich crystals matched well with the XANES spectrum of a Mn3+ Li-oxide like LiMn3+O2. At the rim of the needles the Mn-spectra matched well the Hausmannite (Mn2+Mn23+O4) reference. In the silicate phases Mn had a OS: +2, unambiguously. The melt structure at different temperatures of two compositions i.e. LiMn3+O2 and Ca2SiO4 was simulated using molecular dynamics (MD). They serve as model compositions assuming a heterogeneous melt. The results show significant different degrees of polymerization and viscosity. Information from MD simulations can support the identification of potentially different oxygen permeability and with that prediction of oxidation states. The bulk composition was identified by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), bulk structure by PXRD and bulk species by lab-XANES. The synchrotron micro analysis including micro-XRD were performed at the microfocus beamline I18 at the Diamond Light Source. Pure reference compounds were prepared and characterized with the same multi-modal approach.

Recent research has specifically targeted the decision-making process of eco-friendly individuals, emphasizing the significance of recycling and its impact on sustainability. Our study extends this inquiry by examining the correlation between recycling participation and pro-environmental behavior among consumers, integrating the concepts of self-efficacy, feelings of pride, and social pressure into our analysis. Utilizing Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), we aimed to explore the intricate relationships that underpin these behaviors. Results suggest that self-efficacy and feelings of pride significantly influence individuals' recycling behaviors, highlighting the role of psychological and social factors in promoting environmental sustainability. Interestingly, it was concluded that social pressure did not have the expected moderating effect on increasing consumers' feelings of pride and self-efficacy toward recycling activities.This study not only sheds light on the underlying mechanisms that drive pro-environmental actions but also contributes to understanding sustainability promotion through recycling and offers insights for policymakers and environmental advocates to foster environmental responsibility and behavior change.

In "genome editing," a type of genetic engineering, DNA is added, taken away, or changed in an organism's genome. Biomedicine, biotechnology, and synthetic biology, just to name a few, have all gained a lot from how often this method is used. Before the editing process can start, a Double-Strand Breaks (DSB) must be made in the DNA at a specific gene. Researchers have made nucleases, which are sometimes called "molecular scissors," to fix this DSB. Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), Zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs), and homing endonucleases are all examples of protein targets that have been studied and changed. The last part gave an overview of these study projects and explained how to make Cas12a for specific uses. The applications of Cas12a have been extensively studied in recent years, but the protein still holds a lot of promise as a treatment and screening tool. In order to give a quick review of CRISPR-Cas12a and its uses, we will briefly talk about the structure and function of the different parts of the reaction pathway that lead up to the catalysis of the target DNA. Cas12a uses a multistep process to make sure that it is selecting the right DNA. This is a good trait for a device that changes the DNA because it makes it less likely that something bad will happen. Even though data shows that a new CRISPR RNAs (crRNA) molecule can stop Cas12a from randomly destroying ssDNA, it may still hurt the host cell while trying to change the genome. The action of Cas12a catalysis, which is a powerful tool for changing the genome, needs to be changed so that it can be more easily controlled and managed. Using what we know about how Cas12a works, we have made mutants that are less active on ssDNA and more active on dsDNA. So far, only Cas9 and Cas12a, which are both part of the CRISPR family, have been used to change the genome. Because of how similar and different these two endonucleases are, CRISPR can now be used for multiple scientific purposes. Cas12a is better than Cas9 because it makes double-strand breaks (DSBs) that favor Homology-Directed Repair (HDR) over Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and can change more than one copy of the genome at the same time. Both Cas9 and Cas12a are being changed to make them better at detecting Protospacer Adjacent Motif (PAM) than they are in their natural state. This will make it possible to start focusing on more genes.

The circular supply chain was applied to many industries in the past studies, whereas the rubber recycling industry has not been explored in detail yet. Therefore, this study indentified the key factors of the circular supply chain used in remanufactured products, thereby perfecting its framework. This study put forward 5 aspects and 19 criteria for reference, so that companies in the rubber recycling industry are able to clearly know the direction of implementation when con-structing the circular supply chain for remanufactured products. This study integrated expert opinions with the fuzzy Delphi method and the fuzzy decision making trial and evaluation laboratory proposed key factors, and performed the ranking of importance. The results have displayed that key aspects include the circular business model (A3), increasing the value of resources in the supply chain (A4), and risk management of the circular supply chain (A2). The factors that the rubber recycling industry needs to pay attention to are: optimizing the production process (C2), sharing data in the product lifecycle (C4), effectively tracking and recycling products (C5), redesigning remanufactured products (C13), enhancing resource efficiency (C16), and identifying waste composition and separating materials (C14) . Based on the abovementioned, we had a discussion in this study.

In the article, the authors presented the problem of the transition effect in bridge engineering, its causes, negative consequences, and suggested a solution involving the use of integral bridges with the embankment through a spatial bars structure using reinforced composite polymer material. Integral bridges are designed to collaborate with road or railway embankments in bearing loads. Additionally, their application minimizes maintenance and construction costs while enhancing durability. Current solutions in bridge engineering were described. It is predicted that the presented concept will reduce the amount of plastic waste and contribute to the long-term use of materials. The article emphasized the importance of sustainable development, recycling, and the potential application of substitute materials.

The phenomenon of decreased serum uric acid (UA) levels in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and its relationship with purine metabolic pathways remain unclear. We compared inosine, hy-poxanthine, xanthine, and UA levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of PD patients with those of controls, and investigated the effect of changes in the purine metabolic system on UA levels in PD. Overall, 134 samples (serum, 45 PD patients and 30 controls; CSF, 39 PD patients and 20 controls), were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. A general linear model (GLM) was used to investigate relationships among purine metabolites. Compared to controls, PD patients had significantly lower UA levels in the serum and CSF, and serum and CSF UA levels were significantly correlated. Additionally, in PD, decreased serum hypoxanthine levels were observed with decreased CSF inosine and hypoxanthine levels, suggesting the involvement of the purine recycling system. GLM analysis indicated that the reduced UA levels in PD were mainly due to sources other than the purine metabolic system, such as exercise, nutritional indices, muscle volume, or adipose tissue. Our results highlight the impairment of purine recycling pathways in PD, as evidenced by the decreased serum hypoxanthine and CSF inosine.

Investigating the potential impact of composting and recycling waste on income distribution are crucial to promote a fairer and more sustainable fresh tomato supply chain (FTSC). Therefore, this study aims to explore the potential of gaining extra income from recycling tomatoes waste generated along the FTSC and to calculate the contribution of extra income from recycling tomato waste to reduce income inequality along the FTSC. Data were collected from 136 greenhouse tomato producers, 60 wholesalers, 18 exporters, 120 domestic retailers, 22 overseas retailers, and 3 recycling facilities in Türkiye. Marketing cost, absolute marketing margin, relative marketing margin and net profit margin were used when economically analyzing the FTSCs. Research results showed that the net profit share of the producer decreased associated with the increasing number of intermediaries. Research results also showed that revenue gained from composting and recycling of product loss and waste increased the welfare of greenhouse producer more than other supply chain actors. When taking into account the revenue from composting and recycling of wastes, producers increased their net profit by 9.85% at first FTSC, while that of second and third FTSCs were 8.29% and 9.21%, respectively comparing to the prevailing conditions. The contribution of extra revenue from composting and recycling of wastes to retailers was more comparing wholesaler and exporter. Retailers and wholesalers gaining from recycling in domestic FTSCs was more comparing to overseas one. Close cooperation between producers, wholesalers, exporters, retailers, and recycling facilities is essential for the effective implementation of waste recycling initiatives. Organizing the training and education programs focused on waste management can increase the extra income of producers and active intermediaries in FTSC from composting and recycling tomato wastes. Offering financial incentives, grants, or subsidies can encourage producers and other actors within the supply chain to adopt waste recycling practices. Continuous research and innovation are crucial in identifying and developing new technologies, processes, and strategies to minimize food loss and waste. Dominating fair-trade practices to ensure that all FTSC actors may balance the income distribution among FTSC actors.

Fresh water is an increasingly scarce resource in both urban and rural developments. As a response to this challenge, non-potable water reuse is on the rise. This research explored a potential off-grid system for water purification, consisting of a staircase wetland with terracotta pot plants working as a filter for greywater. The study further investigated the physicochemical properties of the greywater and the soil before and after the wetland purification. Results showed that the filtered water satisfied all requirements for water reuse, e.g., pH, turbidity, and total coliforms. The research then uniquely investigated the effect of greywater on the soil biodiversity and soil biomass using soil DNA extraction and the tea bag index testing method. The filtered greywater absorbed by soil decomposed the soil faster and stabilized it better compared to tap water-absorbed soil or unfiltered greywater. The DNA generation sequencing revealed no significant differences in alpha diversity between control and treatment samples. The beta diversity differences were significant. This nature-based solution can lead to reduced load on the sewage system, resulting in less wastewater generation.

Phosphorus (P) is the most important substance in inorganic fertilizers used in agriculture industry. In this study, a multi-product and multi-objective model is presented considering economic and environmental concerns to design a renewable and sustainable P-fertilizer supply chain management (PFSCM). To handle complexities of the proposed model, an ensemble knowledge-based three-stage heuristic-metaheuristic algorithm utilizing heuristic information available in the model, whale optimization algorithm, and variable neighborhood search (named H-WOA-VNS) is proposed. At first, a problem-dependent heuristic is designed to generate a set of near-optimal feasible solutions. These solutions are fed into a population-based whale optimization algorithm which benefits from both exploration and exploitation strategies. Finally, a single-solution metaheuristic based on variable neighborhood search is applied to further improve the quality of the solution using local search operators. The objective function of the algorithm is formulated as a weighted average function to minimize total economic cost, while increasing crop yield and P use efficiency. Experimental results over five synthetic datasets and a real case study of the P-fertilizer supply chain confirm the superiority of the proposed method against the state-of-the-art techniques. The results demonstrate that the proposed method performs well in optimizing both the economic cost and environmental issues.

Previous studies investigated the effects of seed rates and seed recycling practices on the yield and yield related variables. However, higher yield does not always guarantee cost-efficiency. This study aimed at investigating the yield effects of plot-level seed rate along with the cost-benefit analysis of seed recycling practices. This study has introduced the dose-response model to the existing analytical methods used in analyzing the effect of different agrochemicals on crop yield. A multi-stage stratified sampling technique was used to select a total of 450 sample respondents. Data was gathered using a mix of data collection tools. Descriptive statistics along with the dose-response model have been applied for data analysis. Farmers of the study were found to be dissimilar in terms of their seed rate application. The dose-response analysis indicated that the highest average wheat yield has been associated with a seed rate of 50 kg ha-1 above what is recommended. The yield effect of seed recycling has also been assessed and a one-time seed recycling has caused a yield decline of 665 kg ha-1 as compared to the non-recycled seeds. The cost reduced by using recycled seed is by far lower than the economic gains associated with using unrecycled and fresh seeds. The cost-benefit analysis made clear that farmers can reduce their seed costs through seed recycling but their yields and net income can be best improved by using unrecycled CBWS. Thus, farmers must be encouraged to make use of unrecycled seed by establishing agricultural credit schemes geared towards seed procurement and seed price subsidy as key strategies to reduce economically wasteful seed recycling practices.

The recycling, incineration, and final disposal rate of municipal solid waste (MSW) are calculated based on the total amount of waste input to each facility in many countries. These statistic data have serious limitation in setting the national goal and policy for effective waste management because it is not considering the amount of foreign objectives in the process of each life-cycle stage. This case study is to estimate the actual rates of recycling, incineration, and final disposal by material flow analysis (MFA) after the collection of MSW in Korea. The actual rates of recycling, incineration and final disposal for MSW in 2016 were 49.9%, 32.9% and 23.1% respectively, indicating that the recycling rate was lower by 10.1%, while the incineration and final disposal rates were raised by 7.6% and 8.4% respectively, compared with the statistics for current MSW. In addition, the changed actual rates of recycling, incineration treatment, and final landfill, and variation of waste treatment charge according to treated amounts per treatment method was analyzed. This results of this study will contribute to establish national level of plan on effective waste management.

In this paper, ground tire rubber (GTR) was mechano-chemically modified with road bitumen 160/220 and subsequently treated using a microwave radiation. The combined impact of bitumen 160/220 content and microwave treatment on short-term devulcanization of GTR were studied by thermal camera, wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (WD-XRF), static headspace and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SHS-GC-MS), thermogravimetric analysis combined with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TGA-FTIR), oscillating disc rheometer and static mechanical properties measurements. The obtained results showed that bitumen plasticizer prevent oxidation of GTR during microwave treatment and simultaneously improves processing and thermal stability of obtained reclaimed rubber.

The practice of collecting, treating and management of solid waste prior to disposal has become a necessity in developing and modern societies. Over the years, it is known that most wastes that are disposed have a second hand value. However, the construction cost for conventional Material Recovery Facility(s) (MRFs) has been a major barrier for implementation. These technologies require considerable technical expertise, which is often not available in developing nations to successfully operate the MRFs. Covenant University; a private mission institution through her waste to wealth scheme is focused on managing and processing used materials to reusable products. These include Pet bottles, Paper wastes, Food wastes from cafeteria, plastic food packs, nylon, tin cans and others. Specific areas chosen for the Survey include the residential areas for staff and students and the two cafeterias. The waste generated was characterized based on the waste stream so as to quantify the amount of recyclable waste generated and most occurring. The survey involved the use of structured questionnaires, on-site observations and measurements. The study reveals an average amount of recyclable waste generated per day in the institution as 13.46% pet bottles, 4.03% paper, 55.56% food waste, 12.64% plastic, 9.63% nylon and 4.68% tin cans. The study established that adequate waste characterization is a requirement for effective integrated solid waste management which would boost resource recovery, reuse and recycling.

Most of the management in retail and sports facilities about tennis balls is subjective and leads to early disposal, further contributing to environmental waste. This paper discusses a machine learning-based framework to optimize tennis ball usage by providing an accurate forecast of their lifetime, using data-driven insights. We develop and test several predictive models using Random Forest, Support Vector Machines, and Neural Networks based on holistic datasets that include data on bounce dynamics, material composition, usage frequency, and environmental conditions. The framework also allows real-time monitoring and decision-making for the replacement of the tennis balls, in addition to identification of the key factors that influence performance degradation. Our results show that this could significantly extend the life of tennis balls, which again can help reduce the overall waste and support sports industry sustainability efforts. The proposed open-access framework is scaling up a solution for tennis clubs/stores in order to improve operational efficiency with a low environmental impact while contributing to the circular economy at the same time.

The increasing focus on environmental sustainability has prompted the healthcare sector, including dentistry, to reconsider waste management practices. Dental offices generate various waste streams from outdated technologies, including single-use plastics, hazardous materials, and digital waste. This scoping review explores how integrating circular economy principles with lean management practices can enhance sustainability and operational efficiency in dental clinics. Using the PRISMA methodology, the review identifies 30 articles that passed 1) the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and b) the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist from 2000. Circular economy principles focus on reducing waste and maximizing resource reuse, while lean management seeks to improve efficiency and minimize process waste. Together, these approaches can significantly reduce resource consumption and enhance recycling efforts in dental practices. However, barriers include high costs of sustainable technologies, regulatory challenges, and limited recycling infrastructure. The study also highlights case studies of healthcare and dental clinics successfully implementing these strategies, showing how they can overcome challenges and improve environmental and operational outcomes. Collaboration between dental professionals, policymakers, and industry leaders is essential for promoting the adoption of these sustainable practices.

The impulse of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is triggering the demand for few specific metals. These include copper, silver, gold, and platinum group metals (PGMs), with important applications in renewable energies, green hydrogen, and electronic products. However, the continuous extraction of these metals is leading to a rapid decline in their ore grades and, consequently, increasing the environmental impact of extraction. Hence, obtaining metals from secondary sources, such as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), becomes imperative for both environmental sustainability and ensuring availability. This recovery entails few problems such as allocation due to the simultaneous production of several metals, the use of non-renewable resources, and the exergy destruction during the life cycle of the metals. Therefore, this work analyses the waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) recycling process by proposing different exergy-based cost allocations for the mentioned metals, disaggregating the exergy cost into non-renewable and renewable, and considering the complete life cycle of metals with the Circular Thermoeconomics methodology. The results show a significant saving of non-renewable energy by using renewable energies in primary extraction (67-87%), recycling (97.6-98.5%), and renewable energies in recycling (98.7%, 99.0%), compared to conventional primary extraction. However, when considering the entire life cycle, between 47% and 53% of the non-renewable exergy is destroyed during recycling. Therefore, delaying recycling as much as possible would be the most desirable option for maximizing the use of non-renewable resources, which nature cannot replace in a short time.

This paper presents a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of producing alternative phosphorus (P) fertilizers from recycled water treatment residuals (Fe-WTR) and cowshed effluents, under the umbrella of circular economy approach. Fe-WTR is compared to a synthetic adsorbent, layered double hydroxide (LDH). Dairy wastewater is used as a P source for both adsorbents. The cost of 1 ton P-Fe-WTR sums up to 329 Euro. In contrast, the use of synthetic adsorbents (P-LDH) incurs significantly higher costs, amounting to 3329 Euros per ton, underscoring the economic advantage of utilizing waste-derived materials. Adopting Fe-WTR fertilizer not only offers substantial cost savings by avoiding landfill fees (40-150 Euros per ton) and wastewater discharge fines (500 Euros per ton) but also reduces environmental impacts. This sustainable method mitigates eutrophication and pollution, presenting a dual benefit of cost-effectiveness and environmental protection. Although our results are based on a specific case study, they reflect the potential value of extending the circular economic approach to P production worldwide: Recycling P from waste streams can be economically viable and environmentally preferable at large, aligning with global sustainability goals and demonstrating the practicality of circular economy principles in environmental management.

When disposing of waste metal resources in landfills, environmental issues such as soil contamination may arise. Recycling these resources not only recovers valuable metals but also mitigates environmental pollution. Platinum (Pt), a valuable metal used in fuel cells for its high water production activity, will see increased future demand as a fossil fuel alternative. This study analyzes the environmental and resource reduction effects of recycled Pt, considering the growing emphasis on its recycling for stable supply and demand of Pt. The environmental impact and resource consumption of recycled Pt with primary Pt (from natural mines) were compared and analyzed using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) technique. Results revealed that resource consumption for primary Pt was 8.25E+01 kg Sb-eq./kg, significantly more than the 5.45E+00 kg Sb-eq./kg for recycled Pt. This represents an environmental reduction effect of approximately 93%. In the case of greenhouse gas emissions, primary Pt emitted 1.35E+04 kg CO2-eq./kg, while recycled Pt emitted 6.94E+02 kg CO2-eq./kg, resulting in an environmental reduction effect of approximately 95%. In conclusion, recycling Pt, compared to primary extraction, offers substantial environmental and resource reduction benefits. This study underscores the significance of recycling and highlights the potential environmental improvements achievable through sustainable practices.

In this article we investigate the impact of “Renewable Electricity Output” on green economy in the context of circular economy for 193 countries in the period 2011-2020. We use data from World Bank ESG framework. We perform Panel Data with Fixed Effects, Panel Data with Random Effects, WLS, and Pooled OLS. Our results show that Renewable Electricity Output is positively associated, among others, to “Adjusted Savings-Net Forest Depletion” and “Renewable Energy Consumption” and negatively associated, among others, to “CO2 Emission” and “Cooling Degree Days”. Furthermore, we perform a cluster analysis implementing the k-Means algorithm optimized with the Elbow Method and we find the presence of 4 clusters. Finally, we confront seven different machine learning algorithms to predict the future level of “Renewable Electricity Output”. Our results show that Linear Regression is the best algorithm and that the future value of renewable electricity output is predicted to growth on average at a rate of 0.83% for the selected countries.

Calcium (Ca) is an essential element constituting sedimentary carbonate in subducting sediments. Ca isotopic characteristics of subduction-related rocks could provide insight into the behavior and budget of carbonate and carbon cycles in subduction zones, due to the distinctive δ^44/40Ca ranges of sedimentary carbonate with respect to the mantle. Here, we studied the Ca isotopic compositions of arc magmas from the Northern Luzon arc (NLA), which are evolved from a depleted mantle metasomatized by slab-derived fluids and sediment melts. The δ^44/40Ca values range from 0.76 ± 0.04‰ to 1.01 ± 0.03‰ and cover the typical ranges for bulk silica earth (BSE, ~ 0.94‰) and fresh mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB, ~ 0.83‰). The Ca isotopes of NLA volcanics are not dominantly determined by the effects of mantle partial melting or fractional crystallization, nor significantly modified by secondary alteration. Instead, the δ^44/40Ca values of NLA volcanics are controlled by the subduction-related metasomatism. The metasomatism by slab-derived fluids (mainly expelled from altered oceanic crust, AOC) dramatically elevated the contents of fluid-mobile elements (e.g., Ba and Pb) with respect to fluid-immobile elements (e.g., Ce). This process, however, rarely modified the Ca isotopes, possibly ascribed to the δ^44/40Ca similarity between AOC and the depleted mantle. The δ^44/40Ca values significantly correlated with subduction indicators (e.g., Sr-Nd isotopes, Ba/Nb, Ce/Pb, and Nb/La), demonstrating the Ca isotopes of NLA volcanics are mainly controlled by the metasomatism of sediment melts subducting from the South China Sea (SCS). Based on the thermal structures and chemical compositions of sediments subducting into global trenches, we propose that carbonate Ca isotopic signals can only be observed in the arcs with high sedimentary Ca fluxes and temperature-pressure conditions well beyond the solidus of H₂O-saturated sediment melting, e.g., NLA, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru, South Chile, North Vanuatu, New Zealand, and Kermadec. The absence of such signals in other arcs suggests either limited sedimentary fluxes or much of the subducting sedimentary carbonate has been survived during plate subduction to enter the deep mantle.

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) absorption spectroscopy of cold molecules and clusters in supersonic slit jet expansions complements and extends more sensitive action spectroscopy techniques and provides important reference data for the latter. We describe how its major drawback, large substance and carrier gas consumption, can be alleviated by one to two orders of magnitude via direct and continuous recycling of the gas mixture. This is achieved by a combination of dry rotary lobe and screw pump compression. The signal-to-noise ratio is boosted by the established buffered giant gas pulse technique with full interferogram synchronization. The buildup of water impurities typically limits the recycling gain, but is turned into a feature for the study of hydrate complexes of volatile molecules. Continuous operation with a single gas filling over several days becomes practical and useful. Decadic absorbances in the low ppm range are detectable and the mid infrared range can be recorded simultaneously with the near infrared. The less straightforward hydration number assignment of spectral features in direct absorption spectroscopy is supported by a gradual water buildup at a rate of less than 0.5 mg/h. A recent reassignment proposal for the water dimer OH stretching spectrum is refuted and vibrational spectra of vacuum-isolated 18O-water clusters are presented for the first time. Methanol docking on asymmetric ketones is used to illustrate the advantages and limitations of the recycling concept. Previous assignments of the hydrate complex of 1-phenylethanol are confirmed. Additional features of the setup await testing and refinement, but the recycling technique already substantially widens the applicability of direct absorption spectroscopy of neutral molecular clusters. It may be attractive for other high-throughput jet spectrometers.

Sharing the same raw material, recycling and composting are in direct conflict with incineration of municipal solid waste in combined heath and power plants. Indeed, waste-to-energy plants in regions with high recycling rates import urban waste from other countries to use otherwise unused capacity, and raise revenues. Using the case of Italy’s second largest and economically most developed region, I discuss the economic viability of municipal solid waste incineration to produce electricity and heath in the context of the increasing role of electricity production from renewable energy sources as well as of the emerging mass-scale uptake of bioplastics. Four lessons and three guidelines aimed to local authorities and policy makers emerge from the present study.

The efficiency of cold steel rolling depends mainly on the quality of the metal-working coolant (MWC) and its cost. In this connection, it is actual to search for new compositions of lubricants and emulsions, which provide the lowest values of the friction coefficients in deformation zone and are obtained by waste recycling in other industries. In this study we have developed new compositions of the MWC on basis of mono- and diglycerides and their esters of boric acid synthesized from the wastes of sunflower oil production. The new compositions of MWC were tested in DSEA on laboratory rolling mill 100x100 with a roll diameter of 100 mm. The efficiency of new MWC during cold rolling of brass L63 samples was determined by factor of metal stretch forming λ. We found the new metal-working coolants to show the most efficiency under higher cobbing that provides the highest metal stretch forming. The composition with 30 % of mono- and diglycerides is the most effective because it provides the minimum coefficient of friction that leads to increase of factor of metal stretch forming. Thereby the metal-working coolants on basis of mono- and diglycerides obtained from the wastes of sunflower oil production can be recommended for use in strip rolling of copper-zinc alloys because of a low cost, availability and high efficiency.

The increasing adoption of distributed recycling via additive manufacturing (DRAM) has facilitated the revalorization of materials derived from waste streams for additive manufacturing. Recycled materials frequently contain impurities and mixed polymers, which can degrade their properties over multiple cycles. This degradation, particularly in rheological properties, limits their applicability in 3D printing. Consequently, there is a critical need for a tool that enables rapid assessment of the flowability of these recycled materials. This study presents the design, development, and manufacturing of an open-source melt flow index (MFI) apparatus. The proposed MFI tool offers a user-friendly and cost-effective solution for evaluating the flow properties of materials from waste streams, thereby enhancing their viability for additive manufacturing applications.

Mixed plastic packaging waste sorting residues (MPO323) were treated by thermal pyrolysis to utilize pyrolysis oil and char. The pyrolysis oil was found to contain aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons. Chlorine and bromine contents were up to 40,000 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg, respectively. Additionally, other elements like sulfur, phosphorous, iron, aluminum, and lead were detected, which can be interpreted as impurities regarding the utilization of the oils by means of chemical recycling. The pyrolysis char showed high contents of potentially active species like silicon, calcium, aluminum, iron, and others. To enhance the content of aromatic hydrocarbons and to reduce the level of contaminants, the pyrolysis oil was reformed with the corresponding pyrolysis char to act as an active material in a fixed bed. The temperature of the reactor and the flow rate of the pyrolysis oil feed were varied to gain insights on cracking and reforming reactions as well as on the performance with regard to decontamination.

A major problem of the technological production process of the metallurgical-grade silicon is formation of a large amount of microsilica. However, this material can be a significant source of raw materials for its own production. Hence, this study is aimed to solve the problem of micro-silica utilization, i.e. the technogenic dust-like waste generated during the melting of the technical-grade silicon. Within this study, the technology of the joint briquetting of microsilica was investigated with the carbonaceous reducing agents, i.e. by obtaining of mono-charge and by melting of the technical-grade silicon from the obtained mono-charge in the 200kVA ore-thermal furnace. Results of the study show that the briquettes in the melting process of the technical-grade silicon can be used in the range from 0 to 50%. The using of briquettes may significantly improve the technological parameters. When briquetted charge is applied only, the technological parameters will deteriorate significantly. The material balance of silicon melting showed the recovery rates of the main elements (Si, Al, Ca and Fe). It recorded a decrease in content of aluminum from 1.9-2.1% to 0.5-0.7%, calcium from 0.2-0.3% to 0.07-0.1% and titanium from 0.2-0.23% to 0.11-0.13% during the transition to briquetted monocharge. Phosphorus content increased from 0.004-0.005 to 0.011-0.013%.

ATP is an essential molecule in many biocatalytic processes. The industrial implementation of these processes is hampered by the fact that they require stoichiometric quantities of this expen-sive co-factor. To avoid this problem, recycling systems are needed. This study characterizes a putative polyphosphate kinase enzyme from Burkholderia cenocepacia that can regenerate ATP from AMP. Sequence analysis shows that BcPPK2-III exhibits the characteristic structural motifs of known PPK2 enzymes, including conserved motifs Walker A and B, and the subclass-specific res-idue E137. Molecular docking simulations showed ADP had the highest binding affinity (-7.340 kcal/mol), followed by AMP (-7.284 kcal/mol), with ATP having the lowest affinity (-6.464 kcal/mol). The enzyme was overexpressed in E. coli. Protein expression and purification were monitored by SDS-PAGE and quantified by densitometric analysis. Enzymatic activity assays re-vealed that BcPPK2-III converts 70% ATP with a TTN of 334,000 after 24 hours and remains sta-ble over a pH range of 6-9 and temperatures up to 70°C. BcPPK2-III shows significant potential for industrial ATP regeneration and offers high conversion rates and stability. The enzyme's high conversion rate and stability make BcPPK2-III a promising candidate for the improvement of bio-catalytic processes that rely on ATP at industrial level.

There are various approaches to managing polyethylene terephthalate waste, including methods for recycling PET. However, at present, only the cleanest wastes that can already be efficiently recycled using known methods are considered in the scientific literature. The study aims to look at other forms of polyethylene terephthalate waste that pose a challenge: low quality PET flakes, polyester tire cord, PET dust and prepolymer waste. The waste was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, viscosimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, laser diffraction and sieve analysis. The findings describe the composition and properties of various forms of polyethylene terephthalate waste. Low quality PET flake waste and polyethylene terephthalate dust have been shown to be suitable for all chemical recycling methods. When recycling waste polyester tire cord, it is difficult to completely separate the rubber, so its presence in the final product must be taken into account. The most promising way to process a prepolymer is its depolymerization by hydrolysis, alcoholysis or glycolysis to produce monomers for the synthesis of PET, similar in properties to the primary one.

Geopolymer concrete (GPC) represents an innovative green and low-carbon construction material, offering a viable alternative to ordinary Portland cement concrete in building applications. However, existing studies tend to overlook the recyclability aspect of GPC for future use. Various structural applications necessitate the use of concrete with distinct strength characteristics. The recyclability of the parent concrete is influenced by these varying strengths. This study examined the recycling potential of GPC across a spectrum of strength grades (40, 60, 80 and 100 MPa, marked as C40, C60, C80 and C100) when subjected to freeze-thaw conditions. The cementitious material comprised 60% metakaolin and 40% slag, with natural gravel serving as the coarse aggregate, and the alkali activator consisting of sodium hydroxide solution and sodium silicate solution. The strength of the GPC was modulated by altering the Na/Al ratio. After 350 freeze-thaw cycles, the GPC specimens underwent crushing, washing, and sieving to produce recycled geopolymer aggregates (RGAs). Subsequently, their physical properties and microstructure were thoroughly examined. The findings indicated that GPC with strength grades of C100, C80, and C60 were capable of enduring 350 freeze-thaw cycles, in contrast to C40, which did not withstand these conditions. RGAs derived from GPC of strength grades C100 and C80 complied with the criteria for Class II recycled aggregates, whereas RGAs produced from GPC of strength grade C60 aligned with the Class III level. A higher strength grade in the parent concrete correlated with enhanced performance characteristics in the resulting recycled aggregates.

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) make up 3 to 5% of all electronic waste. The metal content of spent PCBs can reach 40%. They usually contain valuable metals - Ag, Au, Pd, as well as other metals such as Cu, Sn, Pb, Cd, Cr, Zn, Ni and Mn. However metallic part of whole PCB is 40-60% including Cu layers between the fiberglass-polymer layers. The paper describes economics of the the valuable metals (Ag, Au, Pd) containing concentrate preparation from raw PCB. Considered the influence of pre-treatment method of PCB before the extraction of valuable metals on the extraction self-cost change. The disintegration method is based on the high-energy impact of the particles of the material to be ground, thus causing the separation of the metallic components of the PCB. In the course of the work, single and double direct grinding by the method of disintegration was studied. For the calculation the test batch 10’000 kg of two types of PCB were taken for estimation of the self costs and potential profit in case of complete valuable metals (Ag, Au, Pd) plus Cu extraction. Is shown that from 10’000 kg of studied PCB is possible to obtain 1144 and 1644 kg of metal-rich concentrate, which further should be subjected to electro-hydrochlorination for metals leaching. The main findings shows, that despite of high content of Cu in studied PCB, the commercial value is insignificant in total income from the Ag, Au and Pd sale. Was established correlation of the self-cost decrease after separative disintegration of PCB by metal content increase (by specific metals such as Au, Ag, Pd and also Cu) with the metal potential yield after extraction.

Nowadays the preservation and restoration of historical building needs to be faced in accordance with a novel sensibility regarding environment to preserve the future generations. In this context, the scientific community is focusing on novel and sustainable materials and techniques allowing durability and mechanical performances and at the same time compatibility with the existing heritage. Alkali activated materials represent a great challenge to produce new materials starting from the existing ones with reducing consumption, emission of greenhouse gases and environmental impact. This study deals with the valorization of waste materials coming from demolition and construction activities in the manufacture of geocomposites suitable for restoration and conservation of historical heritage. In particular, waste from tuff sawing and brick grinding were used as raw materials, then the geopolymeric samples produced were characterized from physical-chemical and mechanical point of view in order to investigate their performance and evaluate their suitability as materials for historical buildings recovery. Brick waste based geocomposites resulted to be more compact than the tuff-based ones as showed by the higher density values and the lower values of open porosity and water absorption and as further confirmed by the trend of the mechanical performance. Moreover, experimental data showed that physical and mechanical properties of both bricks and tuff waste-based geocomposites, even with different waste content, are compatible with existing building materials and to all the traditional repairing products.

In contrast to some low molar-mass per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs), well-established to be toxic, persistent, bioaccumulative and mobile, fluoropolymers (FPs) are water insoluble, safe, bio-inert, durable niche high performance polymers which fulfil the 13 polymer of low concern (PLC) criteria in their recommended conditions of use. In addition, more recent innovations (e.g., the use of non-fluorinated surfactants in aqueous radical (co)polymerization of fluoroalkenes) from industrial manufacturers of FPs are highlighted. This review also aims at showing how these specialty polymers endowed with outstanding properties are essential (even irreplaceable since hydrocarbon polymer alternatives used in similar conditions fail) for our daily life (electronics, Energy, optics, internet of things, transportation, etc) and constitute a special family a part from other “conventional” C1-C10 PFASs found everywhere on the Earth and Oceans. Furthermore, some information reports the recycling (e.g. the unzipping depolymerization of polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE, into TFE), end of life of FPs, their risk assessment, circular economy and regulations. Various researches are devoted to Environment involving FPs, though they represent a niche volume (with a yearly production of 330,300 tonnes) compared to all plastics (with 460 million tonnes). Complementary to other reviews on PFASs, which lack of such above data, this review presents both fundamental and applied strategies as evidenced by major FP producers.

The production of photovoltaic modules is increasing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, this results in a significant amount of waste at the end of their lifespan. Therefore, recycling these solar panels is important for environmental and economic reasons. However, collecting and separating Crystalline silicon, Cadmium Telluride, and Copper indium gallium selenide panels can be challenging, especially in underdeveloped countries. The innovation of this work is to develop a process to recycle all solar panel waste. The dissolution of all metals is studied through the leaching process as the main step of the flowchart. In the first step of leaching, silver can be recovered 98% by 0.5 nitric acid. Then, the second and third step involves the use of glycine for base metals dissolution, followed by the leaching of valuable metals with hydrochloric acid. The effect of parameters such as initial pH, acid concentration, solid/liquid ratio, and Hydrogen peroxide concentration are studied. The results show that Cu, Pb, Sn, Zn, Cd, In, Ga, and Se can be recovered until about 100% under optimal conditions. The optimal conditions for the dissolution of Cu, Zn, and Cd were the glycine concentration of 0.5 M, Temperature of 25 ˚C, the solid/liquid ratio of 10 gr/l, and 1% of Hydrogen peroxide. The optimized glycine concentration for the leaching of lead and tin was 1.5M. Indium and gallium were recovered to 100% by the use of 5M Hydrochloric acid, S/L=10gr/l, and T=45 ˚C. Separation of selenium and tellurium occurred by 0.5 M HCl at a temperature of 60 ˚C. Additionally, for the first time, a general outlook for the recycling of various end-of-life solar panels is suggested.

In this article we investigate the role of “Renewable Energy Consumption” in the context of Circular Economy. We use data from the World Bank for 193 countries in the period 2011-2020. We perform several econometric techniques i.e., Panel Data with Fixed Effects, Panel Data with Random Effects, Pooled OLS, WLS. Our results show that “Renewable Energy Consumption” is positively associated among others to “Cooling Degree Days” and “Adjusted savings: net forest depletion” and negatively associated among others to “GHG net emissions/removals by LUCF” and “Mean Drought Index”. Furthermore, we perform a cluster analysis with the application of the k-Means algorithm optimized with the Silhouette Coefficient and we find the presence of two clusters. Finally, we compare eight different machine learning algorithms to predict the value of Renewable Energy Consumption. Our results show that the Polynomial Regression is the best algorithm in the sense of prediction and that on average the renewable energy consumption is expected to growth of 2.61%.

There is an intense need to optimize agrivoltaic systems. This article describes the invention of a new testing system: the parametric open source cold-frame agrivoltaic system (POSCAS). POSCAS is an adapted gardening cold-frame used in cold climates as it acts as a small greenhouse for agricultural production. POSCAS is designed to test partially transparent solar photovoltaic (PV) modules targeting the agrivoltaic market. It can both function as a traditional cold frame, but it can also be automated to function as a full-service greenhouse. The integrated PV module roof can be used to power the controls or it can be attached to a microinverter to produce power. POSCAS can be placed in an experimental array for testing, agricultural and power production. It can be easily adapted for any type of partially transparent PV module. An array of POSCAS systems al-lows for testing agrivoltaic impacts from the percent transparency of the modules by varying the thickness of a thin film PV material or the density of silicon-based cells, and various forms of optical enhancement, anti-reflection coatings and solar light spectral shifting materials in the back sheet. All agrivoltaic variables can be customized to identify ideal PV designs for a given agricultural crop.

Recently, significant events took place that added immensely to the sociotechnical pressure for developing sustainable composite recycling solutions, namely (1) a ban on composite landfilling in Germany in 2009, (2) the first major wave of composite wind turbines reaching their End-of-Life (EoL) and being decommissioned in 2019-2020, (3) the acceleration of aircraft decommissioning due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (4) the increase of composites in mass production cars, thanks to the development of high volume technologies based on thermoplastic composites. Such sociotechnical pressure will only grow in the upcoming decade of 2020s as other countries are to follow Germany by limiting and banning landfill options, and by the ever-growing number of expired composites EoL waste. The recycling of composite materials will therefore play an important role in the future, in particular for the wind energy, but also for aerospace, automotive, construction and marine sectors to reduce environmental impacts and to meet the demand. The scope of this manuscript is a clear and condensed yet full state-of-the-art overview of the available composite recycling technologies of both low and high Technology Readiness Levels (TRL). TRL is a framework that has been used in many variations across industries to provide a measurement of technology maturity from idea generation (basic principles) to commercialization. In other words, this work should be treated as a technology review providing guidelines for the sustainable development of the industry that will benefit the society. The authors propose that one of the key aspects for the development of sustainable recycling technology is to identify the optimal recycling methods for different types of composites. Why is that the case can be answered with a simple price comparison of E-glass fibers (~2 $/kg) versus a typical carbon fiber on the market (~20 $/kg) – which of the two is more valuable to recover? However, the answer is more complicated than that – the glass fiber constitutes about 90% of the modern reinforcement market, and it is clear that different technologies are needed. Therefore, this work aims to provide clear guidelines for economically and environmentally sustainable End-of-Life (EoL) solutions and development of the composite material recycling.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) are microbial biopolyesters utilized as “green plastics”. Their production under controlled conditions resorts to bioreactors operated in different modes. Because PHA biosynthesis constitutes a multiphase process, both feeding strategy and bioreactor operation mode need smart adaptation. Traditional PHA production setups based on batch, repeated batch, fed-batch or cyclic fed-batch processes are often limited in productivity, or display insufficient controllability of polyester composition. For highly diluted substrate streams like it is the case for (agro)industrial waste streams, fed-batch enhanced by cell recycling were recently reported as a viable tool to increase volumetric productivity. As emerging trend, continuous fermentation processes in single-, two-, and multi-stage setups are reported, which bring the kinetics of both microbial growth and PHA accumulation into agreement with process engineering, and allow tailoring PHA´s molecular structure. Moreover, we currently witness an increasing number of CO2-based PHA production processes using cyanobacteria; these light-driven processes resort to photobioreactors similar to those used for microalgae cultivation, and can be operated both discontinuously and continuously. This development goes in parallel to the emerging use of methane and syngas as an abundantly available gaseous substrates, which also calls for bioreactor systems with optimized gas transfer. The review sheds light on the challenges of diverse PHA production processes in different bioreactor types and operational regimes using miscellaneous microbial production strains such as extremophilic Archaea, chemoheterotrophic eubacteria and phototrophic cyanobacteria. Particular emphasize is dedicated to the limitations and promises of different bioreactor-strain combinations, and to efforts devoted to upscaling these processes to industrially relevant scales.

The “Pay-as-you-throw” scheme, PAYT, is an economic instrument of waste management that implements the “polluter pays” principle by charging inhabitants of municipalities according to the amount of residual, organic and bulky waste they send for third-party waste management. When combined with well-developed infrastructure to collect the different waste fractions (residual waste, paper and cardboard, plastics, bio waste, green cuttings, many recyclables) as well as with a good level of citizen’s awareness, its performance has frequently been linked to high collection rates of recyclables. However, the establishment and operation of PAYT systems can require significant resource inputs from municipalities. In this paper, PAYT is analysed through a case study from the German County of Aschaffenburg, covering nearly 20 years of implementation across 173,000 inhabitants. Key performance indicators applied include temporal trends in the county’s recyclables collection rate, waste treatment fees for residents and municipal waste management costs, benchmarked against German municipalities not implementing PAYT.

Waste management is a critical issue globally, and Bangladesh is no exception, facing significant challenges due to rapid urbanization, population growth, and inadequate infrastructure. This article explores comprehensive waste management strategies, including waste segregation, recycling, composting, and waste-to-energy technologies, emphasizing their environmental and health benefits. It examines the past and present waste management conditions in Bangladesh, highlighting the progress made and the persistent challenges. The article also compares waste management practices in neighboring countries like India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal, offering insights into potential improvements for Bangladesh. Emphasizing the need for public awareness, community involvement, and modern infrastructure, it calls for collaborative efforts to achieve sustainable waste management and environmental preservation in Bangladesh. This article examines the critical issue of waste management, emphasizing its importance in mitigating environmental pollution, conserving resources, and protecting public health. It provides a detailed analysis of various waste management strategies, including waste segregation, recycling, composting, and waste-to-energy technologies, highlighting their benefits and implementation challenges. Focusing on Bangladesh, the article traces the evolution of the country's waste management system, from past inadequacies to recent improvements, while acknowledging persistent issues such as rapid urbanization and insufficient infrastructure. Comparisons with waste management practices in neighboring countries like India, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Nepal offer valuable insights and potential strategies for Bangladesh to adopt. The article underscores the necessity of public awareness, community involvement, and robust infrastructure to achieve effective waste management. It calls for a collaborative approach involving government, private sector, NGOs, and local communities to develop sustainable solutions. By investing in modern waste management technologies and fostering responsible consumption and disposal habits, Bangladesh can address its waste management challenges, ensuring environmental preservation, public health, and overall national well-being.

The growing requirements regarding the safety of using polymers and their composites are related to the emergence of more effective, sustainable, and hazardous-limited fire retardants (FR). Significant amounts of FR are usually required to effectively affect the polymer burning behavior, while the knowledge of their recycling potential is still insufficient. At the same time, concerns are related not only to the reduced effectiveness of flame retardancy but, above all, to the potential deterioration of mechanical properties caused by the degradation of temperature-affected additives under processing conditions. This study describes the impact of four-time reprocessing of bio-based polyamide 11 (PA11) modified with an intumescent flame retardant (IFR) system composed of ammonium polyphosphate (APP), melamine cyanurate (MC) and pentaerythritol (PER) and its composites containing additionally short basalt fibers (BF). Composites manufactured by twin-screw extrusion were subjected to four reprocessing cycles by injection molding, comprehensively analyzing structural, mechanical, and fire behavior changes in each cycle. The obtained results confirmed the safety of using the proposed flame-retardant system for polyamide, processed under the recommended process parameters, without the risk of significant changes in the structure despite the partial increase in flammability caused mainly by the degradation of the polymer.

Recent development for synthesis of bio-based long chain aliphatic polyesters by acyclic diene metathesis (ADMET) polymerization of α,ω-dienes, derived from plant oils and bio-based chemicals, like bis(10-undecenoate) with isosorbide, using ruthenium-carbene catalysts have been reviewed. Development of subsequent (one-pot) tandem hydrogenation afforded saturated polyesters under mild conditions. The polymerizations under bulk (without solvent, 80-90 ºC) or in ionic liquids (50 ºC) under vacuum conditions enabled synthesis of high molar mass polymers (Mn &gt;30,000 g/mol). The polymerization by molybdenum-alkylidene catalyst afforded the highest molecular weight polyesters (44000‒49400 g/mol, in toluene at 25 ºC) exhibiting promising tensile properties (strength and elongation at break) beyond polyethylene, polypropylene. Depolymerizations of these polyesters including closed loop chemical recycling were also demonstrated. Catalyst developments (more active, under mild conditions) play a key role for the efficient synthesis.

The article provides an overview of nanocomposites and microelectronic elements used in space electronics and radiation control systems of nuclear reactors. Only those nanocomposites and microelectronic elements are taken into account that improve their characteristics in radiation fields or remain indifferent when exposed to ionizing radiation. Considering the chemical composition of the materials of these nanocomposites and microelectronic elements, it is analyzed from which radioactive materials (RM) obtained by recycling radioactive waste (RW) such composites and microelectronic parts can be made. Thus, an alternative way of radioactive waste disposal is proposed, when these wastes are used in the form of microelectronic elements designed to operate under conditions of cosmic radiation.

For every three people on the planet there is approximately two Tonne (Te) of available plastic waste. We show that carbon recovery from polystyrene (PS) plastic is enhanced by the co-addition to solvents to grow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by liquid injection chemical vapour deposition. Polystyrene was loaded up to 4 wt% in toluene and heated to 780 °C in the presence of a ferrocene catalyst and a hydrogen/argon carrier gas in a 1:19 ratio. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Raman spectroscopy were used to identify multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The PS addition in the range from 0 to 4 wt% showed improved quality and CNT homogeneity; Raman “Graphitic/Defective” (G/D) values increased from 1.9 to 2.3; mean CNT diameters increased from 43.0 to 49.2 nm; and maximum CNT yield increased from 11.3% to 14.2%. Since both the CNT diameters and the percentage yield increased with respect to polystyrene addition, we conclude that carbon from the PS contributes to the carbon within the MWCNTs. The electrical contact resistance of acid washed Bucky papers produced from each loading, ranged from 2.2 to 4.4 Ohm, with no direct correlation to PS loading. Due to this narrow range, the materials with different loading were mixed to create six wires of an Ethernet cable and tested using iPerf to give uplink and downlink speeds of ~99.5 Mbps, comparable to Cu wire of identical dimension (~99.5 Mbps). The lifecycle assessment (LCA) of CNT wire production was compared to copper wire production for the use case in a Boeing 747-400 over the lifespan of the craft. Due to their lightweight nature the CNT wires decreased the CO2 footprint by 21 kTonne (kTe) over the aircraft lifespan.

With the proliferation of electric vehicles (EVs) and the consequential increase in EV battery circulation, the need for accurate assessment of battery health and remaining useful life (RUL) is paramount, driven by environmentally friendly and sustainability goals. This study addresses this pressing concern by employing data-driven methods, specifically harnessing deep learning techniques to enhance RUL estimation for lithium-ion batteries (LIB). Leveraging the Toyota Research Institute Dataset, consisting of 124 lithium-ion batteries cycled to failure and encompassing key metrics such as capacity, temperature, resistance, and discharge time, our analysis substantially improves RUL prediction accuracy. Notably, the Convolutional-LSTM-Deep Neural Network (CLDNN) model and the Transformer-LSTM (Temporal-Transformer) model have emerged as standout Remaining Useful Life (RUL) predictors. The CLDNN model, in particular, achieved a remarkable Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 84.012 and a Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) of 25.676. Similarly, the Temporal-Transformer model exhibited notable performance with an MAE of 85.134 and a MAPE of 28.7932. These impressive results were achieved through the application of Bayesian hyperparameter optimization, further enhancing the accuracy of predictive methods. These models were benchmarked against existing approaches, demonstrating superior results with an improvement in MAPE ranging from 4.01% to 7.12%.

Industries are required to utilize treatment technologies to reduce contaminants in wastewater prior discharge and valorize by-products to increase sustainability and competitiveness. Most acid leaching gypsum purification studies have obviated the treatment of the highly acidic wastewater produced. In this work, acidic wastewater from acid leaching purification of post-consumer gypsum was treated to recover a valuable solid product and reusable water. The main aims of this work were to determine the impact of recirculating acidic and treated wastewaters on the efficiency of the acid leaching purification process and to valorize the impurities in the wastewater. Samples were characterized through X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction. SimaPro 9.5 and ReCiPe 2016 midpoint method were used for the life cycle assessment of three wastewater management approaches. The reuse of the acidic wastewater did not improve the chemical purity of gypsum. Soluble impurities were precipitated at pH 10.5 as a magnesium-rich gypsum that could be commercialized as fertilizer or soil ameliorant. The alkaline treated water was reused for 6 acid leaching purification cycles without impacting the efficiency of the purification process. An acid leaching-neutralization-filtration-precipitation approach demonstrated superior overall environmental performance. Barriers and enabling measures for the implementation of an in-house wastewater treatment were identified.

During the MoDeCo2000 scientific and research project on mortars used in the territory of the Roman Danube Limes in Serbia, the biggest challenge was the quest for the provenance of used raw materials. The area where the largest city in the province of Moesia Superior developed, with millennial continuity of land use and settlement, was selected as a case study for deeper research. The material and immaterial values of Roman Viminacium have survived in the later life of the landscape, through the preserved building remains and artifacts, secondary use of building materials, but also toponyms, customs, and stories. Recycling of materials is commonly recognised in the modern age as the industrial processing of existing products in order to obtain raw materials and later prepare new products, representing one of the basic elements of sustainability. However, people throughout history have always used what they had at hand and the building remains were reused, but also recycled for new constructions. In this study we follow the presence of the specific material we call natural brick in the historical Viminacium landscape, focusing on Roman construction and specifically its potential use in lime mortars, connecting humanistic and natural sciences.

The vulcanization of rubber compounds is an exothermal process. A carbon black-filled and natural rubber-based (NR) formulation was mixed with different levels of sulfur (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0 and 6.0 phr) and studied with Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) for the determination of the vulcanization enthalpy. It was found that the vulcanization enthalpy is dependent from the amount of sulfur present in the compound and the vulcanization heat released was -18.4 kJ/mol S if referred to the entire rubber compound formulation or -46.0 kJ/mol S if the heat released is referred only to the NR present in the compound. The activation energy for the vulcanization of the rubber compounds was also determined by a DSC study at 49 kJ/mol and found quite independent from the sulfur content of the compounds under study. A simplified thermochemical model is proposed to explain the main reactions occurring during the vulcanization. The model correctly predicts that the vulcanization is an exothermal process although it gives an overestimation of the vulcanization enthalpy which is larger for the EV vulcanization package and smaller for the conventional vulcanization system. If the devulcanization is conducted mechanochemically in order to break selectively the sulfur-based crosslinks, then the natural rubber compounds recovered from used tires can be re-vulcanized again and the exothermicity of such process can be measured satisfactorily with DSC analysis. This paper not only proposes a simplified mechanism of vulcanization and devulcanization but also proposes an analytical method to check the devulcanization status of the recycled rubber compound in order to distinguish truly devulcanized rubber from reclaimed rubber.

The complexity of plastic polymers and even more so of additives has increased enormously in recent years. This makes the high-quality recycling of mixed plastic waste considerably more difficult. Some additives have now been strictly regulated or even completely banned for good reasons ('legacy additives'). Material or mechanical recycling generally utilises old plastics that still contain these substances. Consequently, products that are manufactured using such recyclates are contaminated with these harmful substances. We therefore recommend avoiding the use of these recyclates for products with intensive contact with consumers until further notice. We also show that the climate policy challenges for the plastics (and chemical) industry necessitate a defossilisation ('feedstock change'). This turnaround can only succeed if solely high-quality recycling takes place in future; recyclates should primarily replace virgin plastics. This can only work if used plastics with a high degree of homogeneity and known formulation are collected separately, as is already the case today with PET bottles. In this context, we would like to point out inconsistencies in the current legislation on the European emissions trading system.

One of the most widely available and extensively produced varieties of industrial hemp, which generates a substantial amount of consumer-increasing waste in the form of hemp cellulose. In this study, recycling with a compressed and high-speed method that combines crushing and alkali treatment effectively converts leftover hemp fiber into ultrafine powder. SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), AFM (Atomic Force Microscope), FTIR (Fourier-transform Infrared Spectroscopy), and XRD (X-ray Diffraction) examined the original morphology of hemp fiber treated with alkali, fiber heated to 200 ℃, and crushed powder. Particle size, crystallinity, fiber surface, and strength increased and decreased. It became apparent that fiber strength decreased and fiber roughness significantly increased after alkali treatment. Fiber increased significantly, and crystallinity decreased after crushing. It was simple and effective for converting the leftover hemp fiber into micron-sized powder. In about 3 to 5 minutes, approximately 1 kg of dry ultrafine powder with a particle size of 10.44 μm was produced. This production method will significantly enhance future industrial applications of waste hemp fiber.

As novel materials for carbon capture, phase change solvents can separate into two immiscible phases during the CO2 capturing procedure under a certain temperature. The solvent systems can significantly decrease the energy consumption since the solvents can be regenerated by only heating the rich-CO2 phase. In this work, amino acid ionic liquids (AAILs) were synthesized using quaternary ammonium salts and amino acids as raw materials, and the aqueous solutions were prepared as novel liquid-solid phase change solvents. The results showed that the solvents had excellent CO2 absorption capacity, and the AAILs functionalized by glycine and tryptophan exhibited significant phase change properties. The mechanism of phase-change of the solvent were mainly due to the lower solubility of the product after reaction between AAILs and CO2. The solvent with tryptophan as anion could be regenerated by only heating the CO2-riched solid phase, which might significantly decrease energy consumption of regeneration. And the absorbent could be reused with the regenerated absorption ratio up to 79%. The solvent system has great potential in industrial application due to the easy operation process and efficient recycling ability.

Although distributed additive manufacturing can provide high returns on investment the current markup on commercial filament over base polymers limits deployment. These cost barriers can be surmounted by eliminating the entire process of fusing filament by 3-D printing products directly from polymer granules. Fused granular fabrication (FGF) (or fused particle fabrication (FPF)) is being held back in part by the accessibility of low-cost pelletizers and choppers. An open-source 3-D printable invention disclosed here provides for precise controlled pelletizing of both single thermopolymers as well as composites for 3-D printing. The system is designed, built and tested for its ability to provide high tolerance thermopolymer pellets from a number of sizes capable of being used in a FGF printer. In addition, the chopping pelletizer is tested for its ability to chop multi-materials simultaneously for color mixing and composite fabrication as well as precise fractional measuring back to filament. The US$185 open-source 3-D printable pelletizer chopper system was successfully fabricated and has a 0.5 kg/hr throughput with one motor, and 1.0 kg/hr throughput with two motors using only 0.24 kWh/kg during the chopping process. Pellets were successfully printed directly via FGF and indirectly after being converted into high-tolerance filament in a recyclebot.

Hong Kong is the biggest consumer of eggs in the world and ranks on the top with an average consumption of 24.52kg/capita/year. The egg consumption trend in Hong Kong has been increasing specifically; a drastic increase of about 100% has been observed from 2008 to 2020. One of the reasons behind this significant increase is the increase in the gross national income of Hong Kong in addition to the population growth rate. However, there was a slight decline in egg consumption trend in the year 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been estimated that there was a bulk of 17,100 tons of recoverable waste eggshells in 2019 (pre-COVID-19 situation), having a daily yield of 47 tons per day. Based on the linear regression, it may be expected that if the pre-COVID-19 trend of egg consumption remains sustained, there will be a big bulk of more than 45,000 tons per year and up to 125 tons per day of waste eggshells till 2050. In addition, a public survey was conducted across the city targeting individuals, families, and restaurants majorly on egg consumption and reuse. The survey outcomes revealed that Chinese eggs have an extensive market in Hong Kong, and people have a positive attitude towards eggshell recycling. Also, a massive population disposes of the waste eggshells while only a trace population reuses them. Therefore, Hong Kong has a very high potential to improve the circular economy by reusing waste eggshells on a commercial level in cementitious products.

In order to meet the needs of an increasingly complex research landscape, researchers engage in “collaborative prosumption” through open data sharing and reuse. Although significant gains have been achieved in this regards because of growing requirements from funding agencies, governments and journals, the question of how reuse of openly available data for new research contribute to sustainability is yet to be appropriately addressed in the literature. Therefore, relying on a three stage stratified clustered random sampling of the Journal of Applied Econometrics data archive (JAEDA), the present research provides a case study of the value of research data recycling for sustainable research and economic development. More specifically our analysis show that reformatting from wide to long format, openly shared equity price index data on eleven European countries’ extracted from JAEDA, and augmented with country level geospatial Meta data, provides a new basis for interesting descriptive analytics and spatio-temporal econometric modeling and inference. Given the ever-increasing volume of openly available research data, our study provides a first-hand insight on open data reuse, which should benefit all stakeholders in the research community, as they seek sustainable solutions for scientific productivity and progress.

As the additive manufacturing industry grows, it is compounding the global plastic waste problem. Distributed recycling and additive manufacturing (DRAM) offers an economic solution to this challenge, but it has been relegated to either small-volume 3D printers (limiting waste recycling throughput) or expensive industrial machines (limiting accessibility and lateral scaling). To overcome these challenges, this paper provides proof-of-concept for a novel open-source hybrid 3D printer that combines a low-cost hanging printer design with a compression screw-based end-effector that allows direct extrusion of recycled plastic waste in large expandable printing volumes. Mechanical testing of the resultant prints from 100% waste plastic, however, showed that combining challenges of non-uniform feedstocks and a heavy printhead for a hangprinter reduced the strength of the parts compared to fused filament fabrication. The preliminary results are technologically promising, however, and provide opportunities to improve on the open source design to help process the volumes of waste plastic needed for DRAM to address the negative environmental impacts of global plastic use.

Red mud is a hazardous waste of alumina industry that contains high amounts of iron, aluminum, titanium and REEs. One of the promising methods for the extraction of iron from red mud is car-bothermic reduction with the addition of sodium salts. This research focuses on the process of hy-drochloric high-pressure acid leaching using 10–20% HCl of two samples of non-magnetic tailings obtained by 60-minute carbothermic roasting of red mud at 1300 °C and the mixture of 84.6 wt. % of red mud and 15.4 wt. % Na2SO4 at 1150 °C, respectively, with subsequent magnetic separation of metallic iron. An influence of temperature, leaching duration, solid-to-liquid-ratio and acid con-centration on dissolution behavior of Al, Ti, Mg, Ca, Si, Fe, Na, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sc, Zr were studied. Based on the investigation of the obtained residues, mechanism of passing of valuable elements into the solution was proposed. It has shown that 90% Al, 91% Sc and above 80% of other REEs can be dissolved under optimal conditions; Ti can be extracted into the solution or the residue depending on the leaching temperature and acid concentration. Based on the research results, novel flowsheets for red mud treatment were developed.

Although a slightly radioactive element, thorium is considered very toxic because its various species, which reach the environment, can constitute an important problem for the health of the population. The present paper aims to expand the possibilities of using membrane processes in the removal, recovery and recycling of thorium from industrial residues reaching the municipal waste processing platforms. The paper includes a short introduction on the interest shown for this element, a weak radioactive metal, followed by highlighting of some common (domestic) uses. In a distinct but concise part, the bio-medical impact of thorium is presented. The classic technologies for obtaining thorium are concentrated in a single schema, and then the speciation of thorium is presented with an emphasis on the formation of hydroxo-complexes and complexes with common organic reagents. The determination of thorium has been highlighted both on the basis of its radioactivity, but especially through methods that call for extraction followed by an established electrochemical, spectral or chromatographic method. Membrane processes are presented based on the electrochemical potential difference, rapidly presenting barro-membrane processes, electrodialysis, liquid membranes and hybrid processes. A separate sub-chapter is devoted to proposals and recommendations for the use of membranes in order to achieve some progress in urban mining for the valorization of thorium.

Post-industrial recycling (PIR) and post-consumer recycling (PCR) are measures to sustain re-sources by improving materials’ circularity and sustainability. Currently, circularity is mostly measured as the degree of reutilization of a material from 0 to 100 % at product or company lev-el. This lacks in assessing the resources’ usage over multiple product life cycles. Therefore, we propose to assess circularity as (i) the frequency resources are used in products (effective circu-larity eC) and (ii) a vehicle to reduce virgin resource use and environmental impacts (environ-mentally efficient circularity eeC). Besides, to compare the environmental impacts of using recy-cled materials from PIR or PCR, we analyse their impact reduction potential (IRP) indicating the environmental benefits of recycling in relation to virgin material put onto the market. We demonstrate the suggested indicators for a case study material: polypropylene. For this polymer type, the eC ranges between 0.93 and 9.08 uses of the resource on average depending on collec-tion, sorting, and recycling rates. Likewise, the eeC ranges between 0.31 and 1.50 uses per kg of CO2 equivalents emitted. PCR has a higher IRP regarding climate change impacts than PIR in all analysed scenarios. The results reveal the relevance of PCR and PIR beyond the product life cycle.

In many developing countries, plastic waste management is left to citizens. This usually results in hazardous landfilling or open-air burning, leading to emissions that are harmful to human health and the environment. An easy, profitable, and clean method of processing and transforming the waste into value is required. In this context, this study provides an open-source methodology to transform low-density polyethylene drinking water sachets, into pavement blocks by using a streamlined do-it-yourself approach that requires only modest capital. Two different materials, sand, and ashes are evaluated as additives in plastic composites and the mechanical strength of the resulting blocks are tested for different proportion mix of plastic, sand, and ash. The best composite had an elastic modulus of 169MPa, a compressive strength of 29MPa, and a water absorptivity of 2.2%. The composite pavers can be sold at 100% profit while employing workers at 1.5X the minimum wage. In the West African region, this technology has the potential to produce 19 million pavement tiles from 28,000 tons of plastic water sachets annually in Ghana, Nigeria, and Liberia. This can contribute to waste management in the region while generating a gross revenue of 2.85 billion XOF (4.33 million USD).

Since the early 1980s, a large number of research works on enzymes from the red king crab hepatopancreas have been conducted. These studies have been relevant both from a fundamental point of view for studying the enzymes of marine organisms and in terms of the rational management of nature to obtain new and valuable products from the processing of crab fishing waste. Most of these works were performed by Russian scientists due to the area and amount of waste of red king crab processing in Russia (or the Soviet Union). However, the close phylogenetic kinship and the similar ecological niches of commercial crab species and the production scale of the catch provide the bases for the successful transfer of experience in the processing of red king crab hepatopancreas to other commercial crab species mined worldwide. This review describes the value of recycled commercial crab species, discusses processing problems, and suggests possible solutions to these problems. The main emphasis is placed on the enzymes of the hepatopancreas as the most highly salubrious product of waste processed from red king crab fishing.

Aerogel-based adsorbents present extraordinary sorption capacity for hexavalent uranium that can be as high as 8.8 mol kg–1 (2088 g kg–1). The adsorption data follow generally the Langmuir isotherm model and the kinetic data are better described by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, which is associated with chemisorption. Evaluation of the thermodynamic data reveals that the adsorption is generally an endothermic, entropy-driven process (ΔHo, ΔSo > 0). Spectroscopic studies (e.g., FTIR, XPS) indicate that the adsorption is based on the formation of in-ner-sphere complexes between surface active moieties and the uranyl cation. Regeneration and uranium recovery by acidification and complexation using carbonate or chelating ligands (e.g., EDTA) have been found to be successful. The application of aerogel-based adsorbents to uranium removal from industrial processes and uranium-contaminated waste waters was also successful, assuming that these materials could be very attractive as adsorbents in water treatment and uranium recovery technologies. However, the selectivity of the studied materials towards hexavalent uranium is limited suggesting further development of aerogel materials which could be modified by surface derivatization with chelating agents (e.g., salophen, iminodiacetate) presenting high selectivity for uranyl moieties.

To substitute of conventional manure and peat with alternatives sourcing from environmental conservation concerns, several promising alternatives has been attracting scientific parties’ interest, recently. However, among them compost perform the best, mostly and support carbon sequestration and mitigation against climate change. The article describes the made locally produced 70% in volume olive pruning branches compost (COMP) performance in two trials as an organic amendment in pepper production and an olive sapling substrate during 2019-2021 organic management in Turkey. The application of COMP to pepper trial conducted using factorial randomised block design with 4 replications and 6 treatments increased total organic matter and soil organic carbon, significantly (p<0.05) as compared to non-used plots in two locations. The olive sapling trial was conducted using a randomised plot design with 4 replications and 4 treatments. After the 12 months of growth, compost had the largest architecture rooted plants significantly different (p<0.05). Fresh volume (cm³) of COMP used saplings were obtained 35% less than 40% peat treatment, significantly (p<0.05) while 6^th month measurement was found as 40%. It is concluded that to enhance circular economy recycling and composting olive pruning branches is lucrative for the country to reduce external input usage in organic horticultural production.

Whereas waste management research has focused on mostly urban municipalities in South Africa, not much is known about the current performance of waste management services from the perspective of community residents in rural municipalities. This study reports on the status and effectiveness of waste management practices from the perspective of community residents in the Umkhanyakude and Zululand Districts in the rural areas of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Making use of structured questionnaires, primary data was obtained by interviewing 333 respondents representing households in the study area. Results have revealed several shortfalls in the provision of municipal waste management services, except for solid waste removal from households (66%), and management of landfill sites (41%). The degree of dissatisfaction for waste management services rendered was very high (97.3%). Furthermore, the majority (61.4%) of respondents were not willing to participate in waste segregation due to lack of appropriate knowledge and infrastructure. The study also pinpointed some benefits associated with waste minimization, as well as barriers constraining effective waste recycling. Based on these findings, there is a dire need for transforming current waste management practices toward increased recycling rates by creating more environmental awareness and a supporting infrastructure.

The growing emphasis on sustainability and environmental stewardship in the pharmaceutical industry necessitates innovative solutions to manage pharmaceutical waste, particularly medication bottles. This research paper explores the potential of integrating Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and blockchain technology to enhance the traceability, accountability, and efficiency of recycling empty medication bottles. By utilizing RFID for real-time tracking and blockchain for secure, immutable data storage, this proposed system improves transparency across the supply chain and incentivizes consumer participation in recycling programs. The solution provides benefits to pharmaceutical manufacturers, regulators, and consumers, contributing to sustainability, regulatory compliance, and environmental protection.

The introduction of any new disruptive technology in a traditionally well-established industry, such as the road construction industry, is usually associated with considerable resistance. This is especially relevant when the new technology is based on the use of granular materials traditionally considered to be of an unacceptable quality in combination with relatively new concepts such as New-age (Nano) Modified Emulsions (NME). In such cases, the fact that the material design methods are based on fundamental scientific principles and have been proven in laboratories and through Accelerated Pavement Testing (APT), may be of little influence. However, the general acceptance of new disruptive technologies, e.g. telecommunications and Information Technologies (IT), have been based on the considerable advantages it presented. The same principles are applicable to the general acceptance and use of NME stabilisation/enhancement of materials in the road construction industry. This article is aimed at the practical demonstration of the advantages of the use of nanotechnologies in the construction of the highest order roads (i.e. inter-city multi-lane highways) to lower order access roads (i.e. Low-Volume-Roads (LVR) and even local accesses to farms and in villages/townships). The implementation of NME technologies is directly associated with ease of use, time and cost savings and the addressing and reduction of risks.

This article seeks to strengthen efforts in technological developments based on the classification of PET plastic that positively impacts sustainable development and contributes to suitable solutions in collection centers in Mexico. Three experiment designs and machine learning tools for data processing were developed. For the experimentation, three factors were considered: the bottle's size, the amount of liquids inside the bottle, and the label on the bottle. The first experiment was to identify the distance of the sensor from post-consumer PET bottles. The second experiment was to determine the detection ability of the sensor with different levels of liquids inside the bottles, and the third was to determine the detection ability on the bottle labels. A digital lux meter on a microcontroller was developed to monitor illuminance on post-consumer PET plastic when it contains liquid as it passes through a conveyor belt for processing at an average rate of three bottles per second. With the implemented methodology, liquids were satisfactorily detected inside the transparent PET bottles when they had beverages between 25% and 100% of their capacity. Finally, this paper highlights that it is possible to implement an affordable design to identify bottles with liquids for collection centers.