Membrane bioreactor (MBR)technology has been employed in sewage sludge treatment within polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production systems to tackle challenges like sustainable recovery of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and achieving high-quality effluent. Typically, MBRs utilize pressure-driven membranes, mainly ultrafiltration (UF) membranes. Despite its advantages, membrane fouling remains a significant hurdle, particularly when scaling up from laboratory-scale to… Continue reading Improving Recovery of Valuable Bio-Products from Sewage Sludge Using Innovative Membrane Technologies
The fashion industry stands as a significant contributor to environmental degradation due to its massive production volumes and subsequent waste generation. In response to this pressing concern, this review was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) protocol, aiming to comprehensively address the environmental challenges inherent in the fashion sector.… Continue reading Fashioning the Future: Green chemistry and engineering innovations in biofashion
The challenges of balancing environmental sustainability with economic and social growth are intensifying, with unsustainable consumption and production patterns posing significant risks on a global scale (i.e., resource scarcity, raw material consumption, waste production etc.). Projections indicate a sharp increase in municipal solid waste and associated costs by 2050 while combating all implications of this… Continue reading Sustainable production and consumption
Biologically-derived volatile fatty acids (VFAs) are gaining attention as a sustainable alternative to petroleum-based VFAs. The anaerobic digestion (AD) process can effectively recover VFAs from organic-rich waste and wastewater, aligning with the principles of the circular bio-economy and sustainability. However, this approach currently faces several challenges. The AD effluent containsmixed VFAs, in relatively lowconcentrations, solubilized… Continue reading Enhancing Volatile Fatty Acids Recovery Through Nanofiltration: A Sustainable and Efficient Solution Within the Circular Economy
Wastewater treatment plants play a crucial role in water security and sanitation, ensuring ecosystems balance and avoiding significant negative effects on humans and environment. However, they determine also negative pressures, including greenhouse gas and odourous emissions, which should be minimized to mitigate climate changes besides avoiding complaints. The research has been focused on the validation… Continue reading Carbon neutrality in wastewater treatment plants: An integrated biotechnological-based solution for nutrients recovery, odour abatement and CO2 conversion in alternative energy drivers
The disposal of used vehicle tires at the end of their life time, is a significant environmental concern. There is need for specific legislative framework, regulating their disposal, after these are replaced, however, there are several options for further processing. In the framework of circular economy, recovery methods and new applications for the material are… Continue reading Life cycle assessment of electricity generation by tire pyrolysis oil
Food loss (FL) and food waste (FW) have become severe global problems, contributing to resource inefficiency and environmental degradation. Approximately 6% of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) are derived from FW, which is usually discarded in landfills, emitting methane, a gas that is 28 times more harmful than CO2. Diverting the path of FW towards the… Continue reading Turning Food Loss and Food Waste into Watts: A Review of Food Waste as an Energy Source
Environmental obligations of scientists, engineers and members of the research community have evolved further than the quantifiable control of emissions and waste of production. The environmental consciousness of communities as well as individual responsibility for the development of sustainable waste management strategies increased in demand, from urban planners and stakeholders to industries and business model developers. Despite… Continue reading Factors affecting social attitude and behavior for the transition towards a circular economy
The adverse effects of the accumulation of plastic on our planet are no longer sustainable; plastic is a major threat to all forms of life in all environments in addition to contributing to global warming. The academic world has been focusing on registering the damages caused by plastic pollution and finding solutions to refrain from… Continue reading Plastic Pollution: Are Bioplastics the Right Solution?
Aquaponic systems synergistically combine the processes for the breeding of aquatic fauna with the cultivation of plants in the absence of soil, i.e. aquaculture and hydroponics. Although aquaculture and hydroponics separately are well-known worldwide and consolidated systems, there is still limited diffusion of the technology that involves their advanced combination as hybrid technology. Their combination… Continue reading Technological Development of Aquaponic Systems to Improve the Circular Bioeconomy in Urban Agriculture: A Perspective
