Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Daniela Gavrilescu, Ani s oara Enache, Dumitria Ibanescu, Carmen Teodosiu, Silvia Fiore
Summary: The evaluation of WEEE management systems focuses on recycling and environmental, economic, and social impacts, requiring a methodology that addresses the entire WEEE lifecycle and sustainable development. A study successfully tested a methodology dedicated to the WEEE stream in Romania, revealing mixed performance with low collection rates and nonexistent reuse rates being main issues.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mohammad Mahdi Torabian, Milad Jafari, Alireza Bazargan
Summary: This study investigates the electrochemical discharge of spent lithium-ion batteries using salt solutions, with experiments showing that the efficacy of discharge is dependent on the molarity of the solution rather than the ionic strength. The use of ultrasonic waves was found to significantly improve the discharge process and reduce the required time to under 100 minutes.
WASTE MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Abid Farooq, Jechan Lee, Hocheol Song, Chang Hyun Ko, Im-Hack Lee, Young-Min Kim, Gwang Hoon Rhee, Sumin Pyo, Young-Kwon Park
Summary: This study introduces a method to valorize hazardous waste like used COVID-19 face masks through catalytic gasification using Ni-loaded ZSM-5 type zeolites. The research found that 25% Ni loading on ZSM-5 is optimal for H-2 production. Using steam as gasifying agent can reduce the content of N-containing species in the gasification product, potentially hazardous air pollutants.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Mehmet Erdem
Summary: This paper proposes a sustainable network design for hazardous medical waste collection services, addressing environmental and public health concerns. By introducing an electric vehicle routing problem, an effective heuristic algorithm is designed, and experimental and sensitivity analysis validate the algorithm's performance and the impact of different charger types.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Honglei Li, Yi Lu
Summary: This paper designed a business model for the Chinese WEEE recycling system based on the current regulations issued by the government and proposed a bilevel programming-based model to help disposal factories establish an efficient and economical recycling network. Through experiments and comparisons, the proposed model showed stable convergence and optimization performance, proving its usefulness as a tool for planning the Chinese regional WEEE recycling network. Future improvements of the model were also discussed for further development.
MATHEMATICAL PROBLEMS IN ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Seok Woo Yang, Hyun Joon Park, Jin Sob Kim, Wonhee Choi, Jihwan Park, Sung Won Han
Summary: With the increasing use of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), the need for real-time sorting and detaching of batteries from EEE has become crucial. This study explores real-time object detection for sorting EEE with batteries among various EEEs. By applying data augmentation and transfer learning, the limitations of real-world data are addressed. The results show that this approach can provide practical and accurate information, promoting the use of deep learning in the pre-sorting stage of the battery-powered EEE recycling industry.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hui -Yuan Kong, You Tao, Xuesong Ding, Bao-Hang Han
Summary: Recycling gold from e-waste not only helps alleviate resource and environmental pressure, but also has high economic value. Constructing adsorbents with high capacity, selectivity, and low cost is important for gold recovery from waste electronic and electric equipment (WEEE). Aminofunctionalized covalent triazine frameworks (NH2-CTFs) were synthesized and showed excellent gold recovery performance, with the ability to reduce gold ions into nanoparticles during the adsorption process. NH2-CTF-1 demonstrated high gold adsorption capacity (909 mg g-1) and outstanding recovery profit, indicating its potential for gold recovery from WEEE.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Ellen Bracquene, Jef Peeters, Felice Alfieri, Javier Sanfelix, Joost Duflou, Wim Dewulf, Mauro Cordella
Summary: Increasing the durability of electrical and electronics products is crucial for reducing global material consumption and environmental footprint. Two different assessment methods, AsMeR and RSS, were applied to seven washing machine models in this study to investigate their ability to capture product diversity and the coherence of the results obtained. Results showed a good coherence between the applied repairability assessment methods, with cheaper machines generally scoring lower in terms of repairability.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ville Lahtela, Haruna Hamod, Timo Karki
Summary: Excessive waste, such as electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), is accumulating due to increased consumption. This study explores the polymer composition of WEEE and identifies acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) as the main polymer present. However, there is a significant proportion of unidentified polymers, and the presence of bromine is positively correlated with the unidentified WEEE polymer.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Gratien Twagirayezu, Abias Uwimana, Huang Kui, Christian Sekomo Birame, Olivier Irumva, Jean Claude Nizeyimana, Hongguang Cheng
Summary: The consumption of electric and electronic equipment (EEE) in developing countries has reached alarming levels, leading to the generation of massive amounts of electronic waste (e-waste). A diagnosis of e-waste proliferation in Rwanda is necessary to establish a sustainable management plan. The Rwandan national plans prioritize the use of information communication and technology (ICT) tools, considering ICT as an essential driver for a knowledge-based economy and development. However, outdated EEE is being dumped as e-waste in large quantities and at an increasing rate in Rwanda, often disposed together with other household waste. Consequently, proper e-waste management strategies including sorting/separation, repairs, reuse, recycling, remanufacturing, and disposal have been proposed to address this growing threat and safeguard the environment and human health.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Evangelia C. Vouvoudi, Aristea T. Rousi, Dimitris S. Achilias
Summary: The aim of this study is to investigate the distribution of products obtained after the addition of certain catalysts in the pyrolysis process of polymer blends found in waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE). The results indicate that Fe2O3 is the best choice for the decomposition of ABS, while Al-MCM41 is the best choice for HIPS. The presence of catalysts does not significantly change the degradation temperatures, but does affect the types of products obtained.
SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Rupshikha Patowary, Kaustuvmani Patowary, Mohan Chandra Kalita, Suresh J. Deka, Jayanta Madhab Borah, Sanket J. Joshi, Ming Zhang, Wanxi Peng, Gaurav Sharma, Joerg Rinklebe, Hemen Sarma
Summary: Toxic and hazardous waste poses a serious threat to human health and the environment. Green remediation technologies are required to manage such waste materials. This study explored the role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa SR17 in alleviating naphthalene via catabolism and simultaneously producing biosurfactant. The results showed significant naphthalene degradation and biosurfactant production, which can have potential applications in environmental cleanup and as valuable microbial metabolites.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Duc Huy Dang, Zhirou Zhang
Summary: The proper management of e-waste poses significant economic and environmental challenges due to the vast quantity of e-waste, potential for extracting precious metals, and risks of environmental contamination. This study focused on the leaching potential of elements from computer mainboards across different time periods, highlighting shifting metal contamination patterns and the release of specific elements as potential geochemical tracers for improper recycling activities. Further assessments and ecotoxicological studies are needed to fully understand the leaching potential of pollutants from improperly recycled e-waste.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Wenjie Tan, Qinyuan Duan, Linpeng Yao, Jia Li
Summary: This work investigates the sensor-based sorting of waste washing machine parts to solve the difficulties encountered in E-wastes disposal automation. Object recognition algorithm and near-infrared spectroscopy were applied for classification and sorting, achieving high precision. A sorting platform based on the device and algorithm was designed.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Giuseppe Bonifazi, Ludovica Fiore, Riccardo Gasbarrone, Roberta Palmieri, Silvia Serranti
Summary: This study explores the possibility of using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technique in the SWIR spectral range to characterize polymeric parts from WEEE. Through different case studies, successful identification and differentiation of mixed waste, mixed plastic waste, electrical cables, and brominated plastics were achieved. The application of chemometric techniques to hyperspectral data showed the potential of this approach for material characterization, quality control, and sorting purposes. The experimental results highlight the method's user-friendly nature and quick detection response. Recycling-oriented characterization and/or quality control of processed products are fundamental for increasing and optimizing WEEE valorization.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Masahiro Oguchi, Masaaki Fuse
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2015)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Yuichi Miyake, Masahiro Tokumura, Yuta Iwazaki, Qi Wang, Takashi Amagai, Yuichi Horii, Hideyuki Otsuka, Noboru Tanikawa, Takeshi Kobayashi, Masahiro Oguchi
JOURNAL OF CHROMATOGRAPHY A
(2017)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shunsuke Kuzuhara, Yuta Akimoto, Kazu Shibata, Masahiro Oguchi, Atsushi Terazono
JOURNAL OF MATERIAL CYCLES AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
(2018)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Daisuke Nishijima, Shigemi Kagawa, Keisuke Nansai, Masahiro Oguchi
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2019)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Xue Chu, Yasuro Fuse, Takato Sasaki, Ichiro Aizawa, Masahiro Oguchi, Yuichi Miyake
ANALYTICAL SCIENCES
(2019)
Editorial Material
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
C. A. Bakker, R. Mugge, C. Boks, M. Oguchi
Summary: This special issue focuses on the understanding and management of product lifetime extension in a circular economy. Despite the importance of extending product lifetimes through various means, there is still a lack of empirical research and critical evaluation in this field. The collection of 24 papers presented in this issue addresses topics such as product design, circular business models, and environmental & economic impact assessment, highlighting the need for more empirical research to validate approaches and tools in product lifetime extension.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Hiroki Tanikawa, Tomer Fishman, Seiji Hashimoto, Ichiro Daigo, Masahiro Oguchi, Alessio Miatto, Shigesada Takagi, Naho Yamashita, Heinz Schandl
Summary: More countries are reporting national accounts for material stocks and flows to promote sustainable use of natural resources. The research proposes a framework linking material stocks and flows to societal benefit and natural capital, with six indicators quantitatively relating material consumption and societal benefits. Japan's material flow productivity doubled from 1.6 US$/kg to 3.2 US$/kg, mainly due to improvements in stock retention rates and circular material use.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Daisuke Nishijima, Keisuke Nansai, Shigemi Kagawa, Masahiro Oguchi
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2020)
Article
Economics
Daisuke Nishijima, Shigemi Kagawa, Keisuke Nansai, Masahiro Oguchi
Proceedings Paper
Business
M. Oguchi, I Daigo
PRODUCT LIFETIMES AND THE ENVIRONMENT (PLATE)
(2017)
Proceedings Paper
Business
A. Gnanapragasam, T. Cooper, C. Cole, M. Oguchi
PRODUCT LIFETIMES AND THE ENVIRONMENT (PLATE)
(2017)
Proceedings Paper
Business
A. Gnanapragasam, M. Oguchi, C. Cole, T. Cooper
PRODUCT LIFETIMES AND THE ENVIRONMENT (PLATE)
(2017)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Industrial
Eiji Yamasue, Jordi Cravioto, Duc Quang Nguyen, Masahiro Oguchi, Ichiro Daigo
24TH CIRP CONFERENCE ON LIFE CYCLE ENGINEERING
(2017)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Industrial
Shinsuke Murakami, Haruhisa Yamamoto, Masahiro Oguchi
24TH CIRP CONFERENCE ON LIFE CYCLE ENGINEERING
(2017)
Proceedings Paper
Engineering, Industrial
Ichiro Daigo, Kohei Iwata, Masahiro Oguchi, Yoshikazu Goto
24TH CIRP CONFERENCE ON LIFE CYCLE ENGINEERING
(2017)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaojian Liu, Bei Wang, Yayun Ma, Xiangyang Zhou, Juan Yang, Yuehui He, Jingjing Tang, Fanyun Su, Wan Yang
Summary: This study proposes a combined process of reduction roasting of herb-medicine residue and oxalic acid leaching to improve the recovery efficiency of lithium from spent lithium-ion batteries. By utilizing the reducing gas produced from the pyrolysis of herb-medicine residue, the layered structure of the cathode powder is destroyed and converted into Li2CO3, Ni, Co, and MnO. Additionally, selective extraction of lithium is achieved using oxalic acid, and the efficiency and kinetics of lithium extraction are improved under the combined action of herb-medicine residue and oxalic acid.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Muxina Konarova, Nuno Batalha, Gabriel Fraga, Mohamed H. M. Ahmed, Steven Pratt, Bronwyn Laycock
Summary: This study presents a proof of concept for a technology that integrates PET recovery from mixed plastic waste and plastic pyrolysis. By depolymerizing PET into TPA using a low volatility oil as medium, it achieves low-pressure operation and a selective separation and recovery of TPA from the product mix. Full PET conversion and high TPA recovery were achieved, making it an effective solution for processing mixed waste streams and improving the yield and quality of liquid product from thermal pyrolysis compared to untreated feedstock.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhenhua Sun, Jing Li, Xuejiang Wang, Siqing Xia, Jianfu Zhao
Summary: This study investigated the influence of in-situ formed MgFe2O4 on the hydrothermal treatment of swine manure. The results showed that the in-situ formation of MgFe2O4 improved the dehydration and decarboxylation of organic components in swine manure, thereby improving its carbonization degree. Furthermore, it enhanced the stabilization of heavy metals and the retention of phosphorus. MgFe2O4 modified hydrochars exhibited remarkable adsorption capacity for Pb(II) and Cu(II) without any leaching of heavy metals.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yijing Jiang, Boyang Leng, Jingxin Xi
Summary: The increased generation of municipal solid waste has had a significant impact on the economy, environment, and public health. The current waste treatment process has limitations. By developing a comprehensive social costing model, this study assesses the impacts of municipal solid waste management throughout its life cycle and provides policymakers with best practices and feasibility information.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Marina Hernandes de Paula e Silva, Ricardo Coser Mergulha, Jose Geraldo Vidal Vieira, Andrea Brasco Pampanelli, Rodrigo Salvador, Diogo Aparecido Lopes Silva
Summary: This study developed and implemented a self-assessment tool to assist companies in decision-making processes for establishing circular flows based on Lean Manufacturing and Circular Economy principles. The tool utilized a maturity model and was applied to nine companies of varying characteristics. The findings revealed that certain companies showed higher maturity in water-waste and chemical-emissions management, with larger enterprises focusing on these strategies. However, many companies lacked sufficient training and employee awareness prior to seeking cleaner alternatives, and comprehensive actions to manage the product lifecycle were lacking. To address these gaps, the tool provided tailored recommendations for each company to improve their processes, products, and value chain.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Gamze Dogdu, Turgay Pekdemir, Sanaz Lakestani, Seyda Karabork, Osman Cavus
Summary: This paper presents data on food waste associated with mini size food packaging services, highlighting the difficulties in emptying the food and consumer wastefulness as the main causes. These findings have significant implications for the sustainability of food and relevant packaging.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Qingxia Li, Xin Kong, Yuxin Chen, Jianan Niu, Jia Jing, Jin Yuan, Yifeng Zhang
Summary: This study investigates how to enhance methane production from food waste after hydrothermal pretreatment. The results demonstrate a significant increase in methane yield when zero-valent iron and magnetite are used together, and high organic loading is favorable for methane production. Microbial diversity analysis further reveals the dominant pathways and metabolic processes involved in methane generation.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
D. H. H. Sim, I. A. W. Tan, L. L. P. Lim, E. T. Lau, B. H. Hameed
Summary: The development of controlled-release fertilizer formulation is important for preventing environmental pollution caused by nutrient leaching and volatilization. This study combined biochar-based fertilizer with encapsulation technology to improve the nutrient release mechanism. Optimal conditions for synthesizing urea-impregnated biochar (UIB) were determined using central composite design, and the release of nitrogen was described by mathematical models. Results showed that encapsulated UIB (EUIB) achieved complete release of nitrogen in water and exhibited improved water retention in sandy-textural soil. Therefore, EUIB derived from peppercorn waste has the potential to be used as a sustainable controlled-release fertilizer for agriculture.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yuchuan Wang, Neslihan Akdeniz
Summary: Incorporating biochar into composting systems can increase compost temperatures. This study developed a heat transfer model for a biochar-amended co-composting system and found that biochar increased thermal conductive losses but also enhanced microbial activity, resulting in an overall increase in total heat unit. When biochar was applied on the surface, it mainly functioned as an insulator.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
George Tsalis, Birger Boutrup Jensen, Jessica Aschemann-Witzel
Summary: This paper empirically explores the relationship between retail price promotions and household food waste. The results show that households with a higher proportion of discount food purchases and environmental awareness tend to waste less food, while larger households and those lacking food handling skills tend to waste more food.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Lukas Friederici, Arne Koch, Patrick Martens, Jana Pantzke, Sebastiano Di Bucchianico, Thorsten Streibel, Christopher P. Rueger, Ralf Zimmermann
Summary: The increasing demand for lightweight materials has led to a rise in fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) production. However, the properties and compositional range of FRPs pose challenges to recycling strategies. Pyrolysis has emerged as a promising method for separating the fibers from the polymer matrix. This study investigated the pyrolysis process using thermal analysis and high-resolution mass spectrometry, and also assessed the toxicity of the recovered fibers using an in vitro model.
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Devika Kannan, Shakiba Khademolqorani, Nassibeh Janatyan, Somaieh Alavi
Summary: This paper introduces Smart Waste Management (SWM) that applies Industry 4.0 technologies in waste management. A framework called SWM4.0 is developed, which highlights the importance of smart people, smart cities, smart enterprises, and smart factories in achieving successful waste management. The paper also suggests future research directions and managerial implications.