Article
Engineering, Environmental
Michael Martin, Elin Bengtsson, Laura Carotti, Kristin Orrestig, Francesco Orsini
Summary: This study aims to assess the environmental performance of a horticultural greenhouse in Sweden producing herbs. Different scenarios are analyzed using life cycle assessment, showing that past measures reduced GHG emissions by 32% per kg edible portion, and future measures such as increasing biofueled logistics, switching to LEDs, and densifying production can further reduce emissions and other environmental impacts.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Xiang Zhao, Jiri Jaromir Klemes, Michael Saxon, Fengqi You
Summary: The study examines the environmental and social performances of biodegradable gowns compared to conventional ones through life cycle assessments. Results show higher ecotoxicity in biodegradable gown production, but integrating landfill gas capture and utilization can reduce land use and greenhouse gas emissions. However, integrating this process in sanitary landfills increases technical complexity and safety risks. Industrial composting reduces particulate matter formation. Fossil-based gowns have advantages over biodegradable counterparts in environmental and social aspects.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Atul Kumar, Sukha Ranjan Samadder
Summary: Effective waste management, including energy recovery, is not successful in many cities in India. This study evaluates the energy recovery potential and environmental impacts of different waste to energy options in Dhanbad city, India. By comparing six scenarios, it is found that mass incineration and landfilling have the highest energy recovery potential and environmental savings. The sensitivity analysis shows that the collection efficiency of landfill gas significantly affects global warming and photochemical ozone creation potential.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Anna Mazzi, Michela Sciarrone, Roberto Raga
Summary: The potential impacts and environmental performance of semi-aerobic landfill technology were evaluated using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. The study found that the filling and aftercare phases had the greatest overall environmental impacts, although the construction and closure phases also contributed significantly. The research provides important insights to practitioners and scientists for optimizing the design and management of semi-aerobic landfills.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Ville Uusitalo, Ladan Abrari, Mari Hupponen, Jouni Havukainen, Jarkko Levanen
Summary: This study assessed the climate impacts of biowaste collection and utilization, comparing different collection methods in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. The results showed that source separation of biowaste and directing it to biogas production can lead to lower overall greenhouse gas emissions. Encouraging people to source separate their biowaste should be made as easy and encouraging as possible to further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Kotaro Kawajiri, Kaito Sakamoto
Summary: This study compares the GHG emissions of conventional CF production process and an improved CF production process using LCA method. The results show that the improved process can reduce 20% of GHG emissions, mainly due to the use of liquid-phase stabilization in fiber preparation stage with the advanced CF technology.
SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Stefan Cristian Galusnyak, Letitia Petrescu, Calin-Cristian Cormos
Summary: Decarbonizing the cement manufacturing sector is crucial due to its significant energy consumption and carbon emissions. This study evaluates the technical and environmental aspects of decarbonization through process modeling, thermal integration analysis, and LCA. The integration of carbon capture and storage (CCS) methods in cement production leads to a substantial reduction in global warming potential (GWP), with CaL technology outperforming others both in terms of performance and environmental impact.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Friederike Ziegler, Peter H. Tyedmers, Robert W. R. Parker
Summary: Making food systems more sustainable is a major challenge for humanity. Life cycle assessment research has provided valuable insights for addressing this challenge. However, comparing the environmental impacts of different food products based on existing literature is challenging and requires more transparent and consistent methods. Through examples, we suggest best practices to enhance the aggregation of life cycle assessment studies in order to guide sustainable food systems.
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Sanna Hietala, Hannele Heusala, Juha-Matti Katajajuuri, Kirsi Jarvenranta, Perttu Virkajarvi, Arto Huuskonen, Jouni Nousiainen
Summary: This study aimed to define current typical Finnish beef production systems and estimate their environmental impacts using a life cycle assessment approach. The results showed that dairy breed beef had significantly lower environmental impacts in all three impact categories compared to beef breed beef, with specified methods providing more accurate results compared to NIR methods.
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Alessandro Scuderi, Giuseppe Timpanaro, Ferdinando Branca, Mariarita Cammarata
Summary: Organic farming is often seen as sustainable, but the reduced yields compared to conventional farming can pose economic challenges for farmers. This study evaluates the sustainability of an innovative organic model proposed by the Bresov project, using a Life Cycle Assessment methodology and economic evaluation. The findings show a 60-100% reduction in environmental impact for the innovative organic approach compared to conventional farming. However, the organic approach leads to a 61% decrease in gross income due to increased production costs, which can be offset by premium prices and subsidies from the Common Agricultural Policy.
Review
Engineering, Chemical
Kyungsun Lee, Wendy Jepson
Summary: The article discusses the global challenge of water insecurity and the increasing desalination capacity in response to this challenge. It highlights the importance of Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) in evaluating the environmental impact of desalination. The review of 38 studies with 295 LCA scenarios reveals maintenance and operation, treatment process, and the energy sector as major contributors to negative environmental impacts, with potential need for future technological interventions for sustainable desalination.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Dimitrios Mathioudakis, Panagiotis Karageorgis, Konstantina Papadopoulou, Thomas Fruergaard Astrup, Gerasimos Lyberatos
Summary: The aim of this paper is to examine the environmental and economic performance of alternative household fermentable waste (HFW) management scenarios. The current waste management system in Greece involves disposing HFW in landfills, while this study proposes a series of alternative approaches based on source separation. The results indicate that these alternatives outperform the existing scenario in terms of both economic and environmental performance.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Javier Letamendi, Eva Sevigne-Itoiz, Onesmus Mwabonje
Summary: The purpose of this study was to explore the impacts of organic vitiviniculture in Chile using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. The study found that viticulture, bottling, and distribution were the main lifecycle phases contributing to the environmental impacts. Fertilisation, the glass bottle, and long-distance freights were identified as the variables responsible for most of the impacts. Energy consumption, especially in the viticulture and vinification phases, was also recognized as an impactful factor. Replacing the glass bottle resulted in significant benefits in reducing environmental impacts.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Treavor H. Boyer, Anderson Ellis, Yida Fang, Charles E. Schaefer, Christopher P. Higgins, Timothy J. Strathmann
Summary: This research compared the environmental impacts of different AER regeneration scenarios, highlighting the importance of recycling the organic cosolvent and brine fractions of the waste regeneration solution to reduce the impact of waste incineration. Replacing NaCl in the brine with alternative salts was found to increase environmental impacts.
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Luhas Jukka, Marttila Miika, Leppakoski Lauri, Mikkila Mirja, Uusitalo Ville, Linnanen Lassi
Summary: Circular bioeconomy offers business opportunities to alleviate socio-economic challenges and conserve natural resources in rural areas. This study examines the financial and environmental sustainability of three operational models in southern Finland, revealing potential win-win situations and proposing a circular bioeconomy model for improved supply security and raw material flexibility.
BIOMASS & BIOENERGY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Hiroko Yoshida, Martin P. Nielsen, Charlotte Scheutz, Lars S. Jensen, Thomas H. Christensen, Steen Nielsen, Sander Bruun
ACTA AGRICULTURAE SCANDINAVICA SECTION B-SOIL AND PLANT SCIENCE
(2015)
Article
Environmental Sciences
H. Yoshida, T. H. Christensen, T. Guildal, C. Scheutz
Article
Environmental Sciences
Hiroko Yoshida, Martin P. Nielsen, Charlotte Scheutz, Lars S. Jensen, Sander Bruun, Thomas H. Christensen
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELING & ASSESSMENT
(2016)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Stefania Butera, Stefan Trapp, Thomas F. Astrup, Thomas H. Christensen
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2015)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Stefania Butera, Jiri Hyks, Thomas H. Christensen, Thomas F. Astrup
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Stefania Butera, Thomas H. Christensen, Thomas F. Astrup
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Line K. Brogaard, Per H. Petersen, Peter D. Nielsen, Thomas H. Christensen
WASTE MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH
(2015)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Valentina Bisinella, Knut Conradsen, Thomas Hojlund Christensen, Thomas Fruergaard Astrup
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2016)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sander Bruun, Hiroko Yoshida, Martin P. Nielsen, Lars S. Jensen, Thomas H. Christensen, Charlotte Scheutz
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2016)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Line K. Brogaard, Thomas H. Christensen
Correction
Engineering, Environmental
Valentina Bisinella, Knut Conradsen, Thomas Hojlund Christensen, Thomas Fruergaard Astrup
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
(2017)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
V. Bisinella, R. Gotze, K. Conradsen, A. Damgaard, T. H. Christensen, T. F. Astrup
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2017)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
M. Bigum, A. Damgaard, C. Scheutz, T. H. Christensen
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2017)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Stefania Butera, Thomas H. Christensen, Thomas F. Astrup
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2014)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Line K. Brogaard, Anders Damgaard, Morten B. Jensen, Morton Barlaz, Thomas H. Christensen
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2014)
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.