Search Results (2,357)

Globally, tons of agricultural and food waste are inevitably produced daily due to increasing population demands. As fertilizer prices surge and environmental degradation worsens, sustainable farming practices are gaining attention, especially with circular economic principles. This study explores how food waste can be repurposed into biofertilizers and bioenergy using advanced technologies like anaerobic digestion, composting, pyrolysis, and heat treatment. These methods are evaluated for their effectiveness in recovering essential nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) and generating energy, alongside their sustainability and cost-effectiveness. Data trends reveal a significant rise in studies focused on “circular economy” and “food waste valorization.” Early findings highlight anaerobic digestion and composting as the most practical approaches, offering efficient nutrient recovery and minimal greenhouse gas emissions. Overall, the integration of food waste recycling with sustainable agricultural practices presents a powerful path toward mitigating environmental impact, lowering fertilizer costs, and supporting global food security through circular economic solutions. Full article

The apparel industry is changing dynamically and quickly to manufacturing sustainable fashion products and the development of sustainable design strategies that minimize material consumption at the source. This study addresses a critical research gap by quantitatively evaluating the impact of fusing traditional South Asian garment construction (the kameez) with varied, Western-inspired sleeve geometries on key manufacturing metrics. Thirty-three distinct women’s garment styles, comprising three kameez types (simple, princess-cut, open-front) each paired with eleven different sleeve designs, were developed in the apparel industry to study the effect of fabric efficiency, wastage, and cost-effectiveness. The virtual patterns and markers were drafted and accomplished through Garment Gerber Technology (GGT) software to analyze fabric consumption, fabric efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. The results revealed that paneled kameez styles, such as the princess-cut and open-front, are significantly more material-efficient, achieving average fabric efficiencies of up to 83.95%, compared to the monolithic simple kameez, which averaged only 75.68%. Among sleeve types, multi-constructions like the slit sleeve and cuff sleeve proved most efficient (achieving up to 86.91% efficiency), while voluminous, single-piece designs like the umbrella sleeve consumed the most fabric and were the least efficient. Open-front kameez slit sleeves (OFSL3), simple kameez slit sleeves (SSL3), and princess-cut kameez slit sleeves (PCSL3), were better and more sustainable selections since they were most efficient in fabric efficiency (i.e., 86.91%, 86.17%, and 86.09%). Furthermore, the simple kameez style has the highest fabric wastage (above 22%), while the princess kameez style has the least (below 19%). The simple kameez slit sleeves design (SSL3) has the minimum wastage, while the simple kameez umbrella sleeves design (SSL4) has the maximum wastage. From a cost perspective, the open-front kameez slit sleeve (OFSL1) was identified as the most economical design, whereas the simple kameez with an umbrella sleeve (SSL4) was the most expensive. Statistical analysis confirmed that the differences between kameez styles were significant (p < 0.05). Thus, adoption of specific, sustainable, deliberate design choices and incorporating paneling into the garment body and utilizing multi-piece sleeve constructions offer a quantifiable and strategic approach for manufacturers to reduce material waste, optimize fabric utilization, and improve production cost-effectiveness. Full article

Effective recovery of materials from construction and demolition waste (CDW) remains a major problem and a real challenge in terms of implementing the circular economy. In many countries, this waste is landfilled due to the lack of modern technological lines for its recovery and recycling, including the sorting of materials suitable for reuse. Understanding the environmental impact of the CDW treatment process is important as it constitutes the final stage of building life cycle assessment and the basis for eco-design of construction processes. In addition, the recovered materials can be used as raw materials for construction, thereby closing the waste loop and aligning with the circular economy concept. The purpose of this study is to compare the environmental impact of three different CDW recovery technologies in order to identify the optimal option. The analysis was performed using the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology, SimaPro 8.1 software, and the Ecoinvent v3.8 database. 1 Mg of processed CDW was adopted as the functional unit. It was found that the process of recovering materials from CDW allows for sorting over 13% of materials for recycling and approx. 40% of raw materials for reuse (stone aggregates). The conducted analyses showed that all three installations exert a negative impact on the environment. Solution No. 2 had the lowest total environmental impact (15.96 Pt) under the assumptions and datasets used in this study, presenting average electricity and fuel consumption and average weight of sorted materials for recycling. Installation No. 3, which sorts the largest volume of materials for recycling, also used the most electricity; therefore, it could not be considered as the solution with the minimal overall environmental impact. The research revealed that the treatment of CDW in a crusher, applied at all installations, is the process stage resulting in the greatest environmental pressure (16.92 Pt). The high level of sorted recyclable waste enabled a relatively low carbon footprint for processes No. 2 and No. 3, 18.7 and 17.6 kg CO₂ eq, respectively (more than four times lower than for installation No. 1). Future analyses should focus on optimizing the CDW recovery process by avoiding the use of impact crushers, as adding more waste sorting equipment does not significantly enhance environmental benefits. Full article

The rising demand for sustainable agriculture and circular resource management has intensified interest in converting wastewater sludge into value-added products. This review explores the transformation of sewage sludge into slow- and controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs), with a focus on biochar production and encapsulation technologies. Sewage sludge is rich in essential macronutrients (N, P, K), micronutrients, and organic matter, making it a promising feedstock for agricultural applications. However, its use is constrained by challenges including compositional variability, presence of heavy metals, pathogens, and emerging contaminants such as microplastics and PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances). The manuscript discusses a range of stabilization and conversion techniques, such as composting, anaerobic digestion, pyrolysis, hydrothermal carbonization, and nutrient recovery from incinerated sludge ash. Special emphasis is placed on coating and encapsulation technologies that regulate nutrient release, improve fertilizer efficiency, and reduce environmental losses. The role of natural, synthetic, and biodegradable polymers in enhancing release mechanisms is analyzed in the context of agricultural performance and soil health. While these technologies offer environmental and agronomic benefits, large-scale adoption is hindered by technical, economic, and regulatory barriers. The review highlights key challenges and outlines future perspectives, including the need for advanced coating materials, improved contaminant mitigation strategies, harmonized regulations, and field-scale validation of CRFs. Overall, the valorisation of sewage sludge into CRFs presents a viable strategy for nutrient recovery, waste minimization, and sustainable food production. With continued innovation and policy support, sludge-based fertilizers can become a critical component of the green transition in agriculture. Full article

Skeletal muscle pathologies, including sarcopenia, inflammatory myopathies, and various muscular dystrophies, are strongly influenced by chronic low-grade inflammation and impaired proteostasis. Immunoproteasomes (IMPs), inducible proteolytic complexes activated by pro-inflammatory cytokines, are emerging as regulators linking immune signaling to protein quality control. Evidence suggests that IMPs have paradoxical, context-dependent roles in skeletal muscle. On one hand, they can support proteostasis and muscle regeneration under stress; on the other, persistent activation may sustain cytokine production, antigen presentation, and maladaptive immune–muscle interactions, promoting chronic inflammation and muscle wasting. Selective IMP inhibitors, such as ONX 0914 and KZR-616, display potent anti-inflammatory effects in preclinical models of autoimmune myositis and muscle atrophy. Yet, their use in skeletal muscle pathologies is controversial; while inhibition may dampen harmful immune activation, it could also impair muscle repair and proteostasis. This review summarizes current findings, highlights key contradictions, and explores unresolved questions about the role of IMPs in skeletal muscle pathologies. We emphasize the need for a deeper understanding of IMP-mediated mechanisms in skeletal muscle pathology and strategies combining selective inhibitors to enhance therapeutic efficacy while minimizing adverse effects. IMPs thus represent both a promising and potentially risky therapeutic target, with outcomes highly dependent on disease context. Full article

Inkjet printing enables contactless deposition onto fragile substrates for printed energy-storage devices and supports flexible batteries and supercapacitors with reduced material use. This review examines multilayer and interdigital architectures and analyzes how ink rheology, droplet formation, colloidal interactions, and the printability window govern performance. For batteries, reported inkjet-printed electrodes commonly deliver capacities of ~110–150 mAh g⁻¹ for oxide cathodes at C/2–1 C, with coulombic efficiency ≥98% and stability over 10²–10³ cycles; silicon anodes reach ~1.0–2.0 Ah g⁻¹ with efficiency approaching 99% under stepwise formation. Typical current densities are ~0.5–5 mA cm⁻² depending on areal loading, and multilayer designs with optimized drying and parameter tuning can yield rate and discharge behavior comparable to cast films. For supercapacitors, inkjet-printed microdevices report volumetric capacitances in the mid-hundreds of F cm⁻³, translating to ~9–34 mWh cm⁻³ and ~0.25–0.41 W cm⁻³, with 80–95% retention after 10,000 cycles and coulombic efficiency near 99%. In solid-state configurations, stability is enhanced, although often accompanied by reduced areal capacitance. Although solids loading is lower than in screen printing, precise material placement together with thermal or photonic sintering enables competitive capacity, rate capability, and cycle life while minimizing waste. The review consolidates practical guidance on ink formulation, printability, and defect control and outlines opportunities in greener chemistries, oxidation-resistant metallic systems, and scalable high-throughput printing. Full article

Municipal solid waste incineration promotes sustainable development by reducing waste, recovering resources, and minimizing environmental impact, with furnace temperature control playing a key role in maximizing efficiency. Accurate real-time temperature prediction is crucial in developing countries to optimize incineration, re-duce emissions, and enhance energy recovery for global sustainability. To address this, we propose a method integrating an improved whale optimization algorithm (IWOA) with a self-attention gated recurrent unit (SAGRU). Using the maximal information coefficient (MIC) to identify key factors, we optimize SAGRU parameters with IWOA, enhancing prediction accuracy by capturing temporal dependencies. Experimental validation from an MSWI plant in China demonstrates that the proposed model significantly enhances prediction accuracy under complex conditions. When compared with the Elman and LSTM models, the error is reduced by 0.7146 and 0.4689, respectively, highlighting its strong potential for practical applications in waste incineration temperature control. Full article

This study examines the chemical recycling of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) dental waste in semi-batch fixed-bed reactors via pyrolysis, aiming to convert this waste into the valuable monomer methyl methacrylate (MMA). First, the effect of temperature is analyzed in a laboratory-scale (30 g) semi-batch reactor at 350, 400 and 450 °C. In order to visualize the combined effect of temperature and increase in bed volume, experiments conducted at 350 °C in the laboratory (30 g) and on a pilot scale (20 kg) are compared. Experiments conducted at 475°C on technical and pilot scales are also compared to elucidate this behavior. A detailed process analysis is presented, considering different experiments conducted in a semi-batch technical-scale reactor. Experiments were conducted in a 2 L reactor at temperatures of 425 °C, 450 °C and 475 °C to understand the effects of heating rate and temperature on product yield and composition. The results show that at 425 °C, MMA was the primary liquid component, with minimal by-products, suggesting that lower temperatures enhance monomer recovery. Higher temperatures, however, increased gas yields and reduced MMA yield due to intensified thermal cracking. This study also highlights that char formation and non-condensable gases increase with the reactor scale, indicating that heat transfer limitations can influence MMA purity and yield. These findings emphasize that for effective MMA recovery, lower temperatures and controlled heating rates are optimal, especially in larger reactors where heat transfer issues are more prominent. This research study contributes to scaling up PMMA recycling processes, supporting industrial applications to achieve efficient monomer recovery from waste. Full article

Modern research laboratories are constantly evolving to meet the growing demands for precision, quality, and flexibility in scientific work. The modernization of existing experimental test benches plays a crucial role in improving efficiency, optimizing processes, and ensuring operational safety. This requires updates to their design, experimental methods, data collection, and results recording—all of which provide the foundation for developing new research concepts. An increasing number of innovations are now guided by the principle of minimizing environmental impact. In line with this approach, an innovative modernization of a tube furnace research station was carried out, based on the concepts of sustainable development and the zero-waste philosophy. To enable thermogravimetric analyses of coffee waste, a previously incomplete tube furnace was refurbished using recycled components. The primary objective was to expand the research capabilities of the existing workstation. As part of the modernization, three indicators of reuse efficiency were calculated: the quantitative indicator W_re-use, the mass indicator $W_{re\text{-}use}^{mass}$, and the cost indicator $W_{re\text{-}use}^{value}$. A quantitative index of 78% and a mass index of approximately 76% were achieved, while the economic value of the recovered components accounted for 11% of the total value of the revitalized research station. This strategy significantly reduced waste generation, carbon dioxide emissions, and the consumption of primary raw materials. Full article

Steel reinforcement is one of the most important materials used in the construction industry. This research optimizes reinforcement bar fabrication by integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM) with visual programming in Dynamo. On-site rebar cutting and bending generate significant material waste, increasing costs and environmental impact. To address this, an intelligent Dynamo script was developed to extract detailed 3D rebar and 4D scheduling data from BIM models. The script optimizes material usage by specifying cut-off lengths to improve reuse and minimize waste. Validation through two real-world case studies demonstrated the method’s significant potential. Effectiveness was assessed using benchmarks comparing the number of bars saved, waste reduced, and overall cost savings. The study confirms that optimized fabrication significantly cuts waste and cost. Its effectiveness, however, varies with rebar type and structural component, with the most significant gains observed in medium-length bars and pile caps. By offering a novel tool for sustainable construction, this research advances BIM-enabled reinforcement design and material optimization. Full article

This study investigates sustainability-oriented design and production practices in Slovenia, focusing on brand-led approaches grounded in local innovation, cultural heritage and community engagement. Through mapping of Slovenian fashion enterprises, the research identifies and analyzes core sustainability and circularity strategies including zero- and low-waste design, recycling, upcycling and the development of adaptable, long-lasting garments. Further attention is given to participatory design methods involving consumers, the strategic social media use for community building and service-based circular economy models such as lifetime garment repair. Technological and production innovations, localized supply chains and small-scale production models are assessed for their role in reducing environmental impact and advancing sustainable supply chain management. The study also analyzes initiatives to shorten the fashion loop, including dematerialization and production minimization, as pathways to reduce resource consumption. Methodologically, the study combines empirical fieldwork, participant observation and literature review to deliver a comprehensive analysis of Slovenia’s sustainable fashion sector. The findings contribute to the global discourse on regional and place-based sustainability in fashion demonstrating how design-driven, small- and medium-sized enterprises can integrate circular economy principles, cultural continuity and collaborative innovation to foster environmentally responsible and socially embedded fashion. Full article

This study focuses on optimizing the composting process through advanced multiobjective optimization techniques, aiming to minimize both operational costs and CO₂ emissions by efficiently allocating tasks to specialized machinery. It introduces three novel multiobjective models that uniquely integrate cost minimization, CO₂ emission reduction, and maximized waste processing, addressing a critical gap in sustainable composting. The first model prioritizes cost reduction, providing a foundational framework for optimizing resource allocation. Building on this, the second model integrates environmental considerations, balancing cost minimization with the reduction of CO₂ emissions to achieve a sustainable trade-off. The third model takes a broader approach by maximizing the volume of organic waste processed within a workday while simultaneously minimizing emissions. These models incorporate real-world constraints, such as machinery capacity, operational work hours, and required rest periods for compost piles. The findings underscore the potential of multiobjective optimization to tackle complex industrial challenges. This research offers a practical and sustainable solution that harmonizes economic efficiency with environmental stewardship, demonstrating its applicability to processes as intricate as composting. Full article

This research investigates the optimization of operational efficiency and cost reduction through the enhancement of material flow management within production line stations. Departing from conventional static analyses, the study employs advanced simulation tools to pinpoint performance bottlenecks and inefficiencies via dynamic modelling techniques. The Ishikawa diagram serves as the primary tool for conducting root-cause analysis. Simultaneously, the 5S methodology is implemented to foster workplace organization, standardization, and hygiene practices. In contrast to traditional optimization frameworks, the proposed strategy integrates real-time performance tracking systems, complemented by adaptive feedback mechanisms. This integration permits ongoing assessment of the production process, facilitating iterative improvement cycles. Empirical data gathered from monitored cycle times, equipment utilization rates, and defect frequencies substantiate the validation of implemented changes. The resulting optimized system significantly minimizes downtime and waste, thereby advancing sustainable and scalable operations. Ultimately, this research demonstrates that the fusion of simulation-based insights with lean management principles leads to considerable improvements in manufacturing productivity and overall product quality. Full article

The Mediterranean Diet (MD) has emerged as a comprehensive model for promoting human health and environmental sustainability. This review proposes reconceptualization of the traditional MD pyramid, highlighting its functional food components and their relevance to modern health challenges. Rooted in a rich cultural and gastronomic heritage, the MD extends beyond nutritional adequacy. It offers substantial nutraceutical benefits due to its high content of bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, carotenoids, omega-3 fatty acids, and phytosterols. These compounds contribute to the prevention and management of chronic non-communicable diseases through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Simultaneously, the MD aligns with sustainable food system principles: it is predominantly plant-based; it promotes seasonal and local food sourcing; and it supports minimal food waste. In addition, this dietary pattern has been associated with a significantly lower ecological footprint compared to Western diets, thus supporting broader environmental goals. Ultimately, the MD stands as a scientifically grounded, culturally embedded, and ecologically viable approach to foster both individual and planetary wellbeing (One Health concept). Full article

Food waste is a global challenge, with nearly 40% of food discarded annually, leading to economic losses, food insecurity, and environmental harm. Major factors driving spoilage include microbial contamination, enzymatic activity, oxidation, and excessive ethylene production. Active packaging offers a promising solution by extending shelf life through the selective absorption or release of specific substances. In this study, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films incorporating metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were prepared via solvent casting to enhance their mechanical and barrier properties. Five MOFs (HKUST-1, MIL-88A, BASF-A520, UiO-66, and MOF-801) were embedded in the PVA matrix and analyzed for their physical, mechanical, and optical characteristics. The incorporation of TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibers (CNF) improved MOF dispersion, significantly strengthening film performance. Among the formulations, PVA-CNF-MOF-801 exhibited the best performance, with a 130% increase in tensile strength, a 50% reduction in water vapor permeability, and a 168% improvement in UV protection compared with neat PVA films. Ethylene adsorption tests with climacteric fruits confirmed that CNF-containing films retained ethylene more effectively than those without CNFs, although the differences among the MOFs were minimal. These results highlight the potential of PVA-CNF-MOF composite films as sustainable active packaging materials, providing an effective strategy to reduce food waste and its environmental impact. Full article