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Life Cycle Assessment: Methodological Advances and Practical Pathways for Sustainable...
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Life Cycle Assessment: Methodological Advances and Practical Pathways for Sustainable Systems

A special issue of Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Analyses (ISSN 2813-4648).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1093

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Claudia Letizia Bianchi

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
Interests: process intensification; photocatalysis; ultrasound; advanced materials synthesis; environmental remediation; LCA; eco-design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Serena Biella

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Chemistry, University of Milan, Via Golgi 19, 20133 Milano, Italy
2. Golgi19 srl, Via Marostica 34, 20146 Milano, Italy
Interests: process intensification; process circularity; sustainable processes; LCA; EPD; carbon footprint; water footprint; eco-design

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has emerged as a critical tool for evaluating the environmental impacts of products, processes, and services across their entire life cycle, from the extraction of raw materials to their disposal. As global challenges such as climate change, resource depletion, and environmental degradation continue to intensify, the need for robust and comprehensive LCA methodologies has never been greater. This Special Issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research that advances the field of LCA, addressing both methodological innovations and practical applications.

We invite contributions that explore the latest developments in LCA, including but not limited to the following areas: the integration of LCA with other sustainability assessment tools, advancements in data quality and uncertainty analysis; the application of LCA in emerging sectors such as the circular economy and renewable energy sectors; and the role of LCA in policy-making and decision support. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, this Special Issue seeks to provide a platform for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to share insights and drive forward the sustainable transformation of industries and societies.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews that contribute to the ongoing evolution of LCA as a cornerstone of environmental sustainability.

Prof. Dr. Claudia Letizia Bianchi
Dr. Serena Biella
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Analyses is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • life cycle assessment (LCA)
  • environmental impact
  • sustainability
  • circular economy
  • resource efficiency
  • climate change
  • decision support
  • policy-making
  • uncertainty analysis
  • renewable energy

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 2621 KB  
Article
Sustainability Assessment in Recombinant Human Insulin Production—Evaluating the Environmental Impacts of Microbial Growth Medium Components and Formulations
by Konstantina-Roxani Chatzipanagiotou, Athanasios Pappas, Foteini Petrakli, George Antonaropoulos and Elias P. Koumoulos
J. Exp. Theor. Anal. 2025, 3(3), 28; https://doi.org/10.3390/jeta3030028 - 15 Sep 2025
Viewed by 363
Abstract
According to the International Diabetes Federation, approximately 537 million adults suffered from diabetes in 2021, a number that is projected to rise to 783 million by 2045. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood glucose levels; for people suffering [...] Read more.
According to the International Diabetes Federation, approximately 537 million adults suffered from diabetes in 2021, a number that is projected to rise to 783 million by 2045. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood glucose levels; for people suffering from diabetes, insulin activity may be reduced or absent, and therefore, administration of insulin may be necessary to maintain healthy blood glucose levels. Recombinant human insulin is commercially produced using a variety of host microorganisms, such as bacteria and yeast. Nevertheless, few studies have assessed the environmental impacts associated with different upstream medium formulations and their contribution to the overall environmental footprint of recombinant insulin production. Here, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is conducted on various upstream media used in insulin production—including pre-cultivation, growth, feed, and induction media—capturing the impacts associated with both their supply chains and their on-site preparation. Hotspots of environmental impacts are identified, and different alternatives for input materials and process conditions are compared in terms of impacts. The findings reported here can serve to guide process and sustainability optimization of the upstream production process from an operational process perspective. Finally, the identification of hotspots enables the implementation of impact reduction measures in bioprocess design, which have the potential to significantly improve the sustainability of insulin production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Life Cycle Assessment: Methodological Advances and Practical Pathways for Sustainable Systems)
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19 pages, 1707 KB  
Article
Life Cycle Assessment of Swimming Goggles: Evaluating Environmental Impact and Consumer Awareness
by Vasilissa Nikonova, Veronica Bortolotto, Costanza Bebber, Irene Presti, Gabriele Angelo Valtorta, Serena Biella and Claudia Letizia Bianchi
J. Exp. Theor. Anal. 2025, 3(3), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/jeta3030027 - 11 Sep 2025
Viewed by 258
Abstract
This study evaluates the environmental impact of swimming goggles through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), comparing virgin and recycled polycarbonate models. It identifies key hotspots, assesses circular economy benefits, and examines barriers to sustainable disposal, aligning with European Union’s (EU) 2050 sustainability objectives. [...] Read more.
This study evaluates the environmental impact of swimming goggles through a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), comparing virgin and recycled polycarbonate models. It identifies key hotspots, assesses circular economy benefits, and examines barriers to sustainable disposal, aligning with European Union’s (EU) 2050 sustainability objectives. The LCA was modeled using SimaPro, with the Environmental Footprint (EF) 3.1 method to analyze 16 impact categories (e.g., climate change, human toxicity, resource depletion). Two scenarios were assessed: (1) virgin polycarbonate production and (2) a closed-loop system (80% recycled content, 30% reintegration). Primary data from a survey of 150 competitive swimmers quantified disposal behaviors. The lens production phase (bisphenol A processing) dominated impacts, contributing to 62% of climate change and 75% of human toxicity. The recycling scenario reduced total impact by 23.1% (119 → 91.5 mPt), with significant declines in freshwater ecotoxicity (−28.6%) and marine eutrophication (−25.1%). Survey data highlighted critical gaps: low consumer participation in recycling due to lack of awareness and inadequate disposal infrastructure. Recycled polycarbonate can substantially mitigate environmental impacts, but systemic barriers (consumer behavior, collection gaps) limit progress. Future work should explore bio-based polymers and policy incentives to accelerate circularity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Life Cycle Assessment: Methodological Advances and Practical Pathways for Sustainable Systems)
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