Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy最新文献

{"title":"Inclusive pathways to a sustainable bioeconomy: Balancing inclusion and economic feasibility in new bio-based value chains","authors":"Susan van der Veen ,&nbsp;Lotte Asveld ,&nbsp;Patricia Osseweijer","doi":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100200","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100200","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The transition to a circular bioeconomy, where biological resources replace inputs from fossil fuels, offers a promising pathway to address climate change and sustainability challenges. However, establishing new bio-based value chains (BBVCs) presents substantial challenges, particularly concerning stakeholder inclusion, distributive justice, and context-sensitive implementation. While inclusive strategies have been extensively studied in agri-food systems, their practical application in the bioeconomy remains underexplored. This paper investigates how inclusive business, inclusive value chain, and inclusive development strategies can be applied to BBVCs. Drawing on a comparative analysis of three empirical case studies, olive oil residues in Spain, coffee and cocoa residues in Colombia, and encroacher bush in Namibia, we examine the practical and contextual barriers to inclusion and identify what different stakeholders require to meaningfully engage to create positive social impact and a just transition towards a sustainable bioeconomy.</div><div>Our findings underscore the importance of a pluralistic, stepwise approach to inclusion, acknowledging that full inclusion may not be feasible initially in all contexts, particularly where enabling environments are weak. Instead, more modest strategies such as inclusive business can serve as an entry point, providing tangible benefits while laying the groundwork for more ambitious inclusion over time. We argue that inclusive learning and adaptive strategies are essential to balance ideal goals with practical constraints, and that inclusive BBVCs must evolve in response to local realities, stakeholder capacities, and institutional conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100250,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100200"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does farming oil palm provide more benefits to local communities than preserving forests in Africa?: A case study in Cameroon","authors":"Lacour M. Ayompe ,&nbsp;Raymond N. Nkongho ,&nbsp;Ada N. Acobta ,&nbsp;Kyle Manley ,&nbsp;Wesner N. Epie ,&nbsp;Elizabeth D. Crook ,&nbsp;Thomas O. Ojongakpa ,&nbsp;Martina M. Baiye ,&nbsp;Cargele. Masso ,&nbsp;Benis N. Egoh","doi":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100201","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100201","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Increasing global demand for palm oil (PO) has driven the expansion of oil palm (OP) plantations at the expense of tropical forests, despite the fact that forests are crucial sources of medicine, food, drinking water, and biodiversity. This study investigates the fundamental ecosystem services (ES) trade-offs resulting from forest-to-OP conversion in Cameroon to determine if the benefits provided by farming OP outweigh those of preserving forests for local communities. We utilized a mixed-methods approach, including social valuation and stakeholder analysis. 250 semi-structured questionnaires were administered to OP and non-OP farmers to compare the perceived provision of 14 key ES across both land-use types. Our findings reveal a stark polarization of ES provision. Forests offer a multi-functional bundle of ES, particularly non-marketed provisioning (e.g., wild meat, medicinal plants) and regulating services, that are highly valued and essential for local community subsistence and resilience. In sharp contrast, OP plantations provide a specialized, high-yield service focused almost exclusively on crude palm oil production, which translates into significant and measurable monetary benefits for OP farmers, enabling investments in human capital like education and transportation. However, this economic gain comes at the cost of a catastrophic decline in nearly all non-marketed services, including biodiversity habitat and air/water quality. The resulting ES trade-off is fundamentally inequitable: it concentrates financial benefits among commercial actors and OP farmers while externalizing the ecological and social costs, specifically the loss of non-monetary livelihood support onto the most vulnerable, forest-dependent communities. We conclude that the current model of OP expansion fosters environmental injustice. For OP to genuinely provide a net benefit to local communities, policy frameworks must urgently be implemented to mandate the internalization of ecological costs, such as through Payments for Ecosystem Services schemes, to compensate for lost non-market ES and safeguard the remaining high-value forest fragments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100250,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100201"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fabrication and characterisation of sustainable biofilm derived from starch and waste African tulip flower extract for food packaging applications","authors":"Deepraj Sarkar,&nbsp;Ranjeet Kumar Mishra,&nbsp;Nagaraj Kamath,&nbsp;Srinivas Kini","doi":"10.1016/j.clcb.2026.100208","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clcb.2026.100208","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Petroleum-based plastics possess persistent environmental and human health risks due to their non-biodegradability and accumulation in ecosystems. The present study develops biodegradable starch-based biofilms incorporating waste African tulip flower extract (ATFE). Three formulation matrices (AT1, AT2, AT3) and a standard (S) were prepared using the solvent casting method with a constant dose of starch and Maida (5 g), and varying proportions of AFTE, citric acid, vinegar, and formaldehyde. The prepared biofilms were characterised according to their physical, chemical, and mechanical properties. The results revealed that AT1 exhibited the lowest moisture content (7.08 %) and high transparency, whereas AT2 showed the highest tensile strength (11.667 MPa) and moderate hydrophobicity (39°). Furthermore, AT3 displayed the highest WCA (49°) but a lower TS (6.03 MPa) due to an excess extract content. The results suggest that the ATFE polyphenols, combined with citric/formaldehyde crosslinking, reinforce the polymer matrix, enhancing film strength and restricting moisture uptake in AT1/AT2. In contrast, the excess hydrophilic content in AT3 increases water affinity. Finally, in 30-day biodegradation tests, the mass loss in soil/sand reached 40–66 % (highest in S), while AT1/AT2 showed a loss of 27–60 %. AT1/AT2 lost up to 15–28 % of their mass, whereas in S, it was 5–11 % in aqueous and photodegradation conditions. The addition of ATFE enhanced mechanical and barrier properties, offering a promising alternative to petroleum plastics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100250,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100208"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147396921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Towards a harmonized framework of social life cycle assessment for bio-based value chains: A systematic review and stakeholder mapping","authors":"Julia Lessa Feitosa Virgolino ,&nbsp;Nicholas M. Holden","doi":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100202","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100202","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The bioeconomy is promoted as a pathway to sustainability, yet its social performance remains insufficiently understood, particularly given persistent concerns about inequality, labour exploitation and uneven institutional capacity across global value chains. Social Life Cycle Assessment (S-LCA) offers a framework for assessing these issues, but methodological fragmentation undermines its usefulness for decision-making in bio-based systems. This study investigates whether a standardized approach to S-LCA is emerging in the bioeconomy literature and how stakeholders are represented across value chains. A systematic review of 44 peer-reviewed S-LCA case studies, conducted using the STARR-LCA protocol, was combined with Principal Component Analysis of stakeholder data to map patterns and gaps in stakeholder inclusion. The results show partial convergence around certain elements, such as the notably widespread use of UNEP/SETAC impact subcategories and consistent assessment of farmers and agricultural workers in upstream stages. Yet reveal substantial heterogeneity in functional units, system boundaries, impact subcategory selection and impact assessment methods. Stakeholder coverage is strongly biased towards upstream workers, with researchers, consumers and waste workers largely overlooked, and multifunctional circular systems rarely addressed. These inconsistencies limit the reliability of cross-study comparisons and the capacity of S-LCA to guide evidence-based policy. The study advances a mixed-methods approach for diagnosing fragmentation and argues for broadening stakeholder inclusion, extending system boundaries beyond cradle-to-gate, and establishing clearer methodological conventions to create a more coherent and policy-relevant tool for governing the bioeconomy transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100250,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100202"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147396964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Circular economy as a tool for the valorization of agro-industrial residues and the development of biodegradable and sustainable packaging: a bibliometric review from 2015 to 2024","authors":"Jéssica Santos de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Jocilane Pereira de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Cristiane Patrícia de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Cristiane Martins Veloso","doi":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100188","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100188","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a bibliometric analysis of scientific publications on the valorization of agro-industrial residues through circular economy strategies, aiming to develop biodegradable and sustainable packaging. Documents published in the period 2015–2018 were excluded during the screening phase because they did not meet the representativeness required by the inclusion criteria. As a result, a total of 104 articles published between 2019 and 2024 were identified across 67 journals, with an average annual growth rate of 63.68%. The highest number of publications occurred in 2024 (25 articles), establishing this topic as an emerging research trend. Italy, Spain, Brazil, India, China, and the United States were the leading contributors to scientific output, with notable researchers such as Patrizia Cinelli, Sergio Torres-Giner, and Andrea Lazzeri recognized for their international collaborations. Keyword analysis revealed dominant research themes including biodegradable materials, circular economy, food packaging, waste valorization, agro-industrial by-products, and food waste recovery. The studies emphasized circular strategies focused on waste reuse and closed-loop production systems, aiming to reduce environmental impacts and support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Notable initiatives involved marine by-products, cereal residues, citrus and dairy waste, and lignocellulosic materials rich in bioactive compounds. These materials were employed in the production of beverages, nanofibers, nanocomposites, biogas, and antioxidant or antibacterial compounds, as well as in the development of rigid and flexible packaging and functional coatings with active, intelligent, and biodegradable properties. Despite growing progress, challenges remain, particularly in consolidating circular practices in packaging production. Advancing this field will require collaborative efforts from the scientific community to generate impactful knowledge and from industry to invest in and adopt circular technologies that create high-value products from waste.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100250,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100188"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145265775","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring social acceptance in the bioeconomy: A scoping review and future research directions","authors":"Mina Sadeghzadeh ,&nbsp;Maeve Henchion ,&nbsp;Eoin O'Neill","doi":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100157","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100157","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The bioeconomy has gained importance over the last decade and is presented as a solution to multiple societal challenges. However, its success relies on broad social acceptance, making it essential to understand stakeholders’ perspectives to develop innovations that address societal needs. This scoping review synthesises existing literature regarding social acceptance of the bioeconomy, including associated technologies, infrastructure and applications to provide insights into stakeholders’ decision-making process and influencing factors. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) methodological framework, this scoping review identified, selected, organised, and summarised 105 academic articles on bioeconomy acceptance across stakeholders. The findings indicate a strong geographical bias, with a concentration of studies in countries, such as the USA, Germany, and China, with countries in Eastern Europe underrepresented. The review also reveals the limited inclusion of some perspectives in the discourse. While a considerable body of research has been conducted on farmers, consumers, and the public, research on policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers themselves is less prevalent. Interestingly, studies on farmers mainly focus on their views on certain applications, i.e. as passive recipients of (potential) applications, rather than how they can actively participate in shaping the bioeconomy. Noting a reliance on survey methods, shifting to more participatory research methods could enhance stakeholder engagement. Furthermore, the conceptualisation of acceptance in the literature is predominantly passive to date, focusing on attitudes and perceptions, often in relation to concepts rather than tangible or real objects. As bioeconomy innovations become more common, research will need to shift towards understanding active acceptance, how people engage with and adopt these innovations in their everyday lives. This shift will be critical for building a bioeconomy that is sustainable, just and inclusive.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100250,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100157"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144124436","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Erratum on Previously Published Articles","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100185","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100185","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":100250,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100185"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A review of circular economy definitions and measurement frameworks for an agrifood system: A South African wine perspective","authors":"Frederik J. Wolfaardt ,&nbsp;Adriano Q.P. Chikande ,&nbsp;Anscha J.J. Zietsman ,&nbsp;Melané A. Vivier ,&nbsp;Annie F.A. Chimphango","doi":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100169","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100169","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The circular economy (CE) can help agrifood industries, such as the wine industry, address their economic, environmental and social sustainability challenges. However, a relevant CE definition considering the industry and socio-economic context is required to direct the transition. This work reviewed academic literature for trends and developments in CE definitions, highlighting the remaining points of contention: the necessity for considering social sustainability impacts, the required scale and complexity of a CE approach, and the activities that can constitute a CE. Targeting a South African context, CE-related South African policies, guidelines and national initiatives were evaluated to capture the local socio-economic context. Consequently, a relevant CE definition was formulated for the South African agrifood industry, prioritising social sustainability contributions and activities targeting natural system regeneration. Literature related to existing CE measurement frameworks and their applicability to agrifood systems was reviewed, considering the wine industry as an example agrifood system. It highlighted the insufficient consideration of energy efficiencies, circularity of biological components and nutrients, and social sustainability impacts as current shortcomings. Future research should address these gaps to allow for the comprehensive evaluation of circularity in agrifood systems. Additionally, developing a standardised methodology for selecting, scaling, weighting and compositing indicators is recommended.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100250,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100169"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144780350","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimizing growth, yield, and antioxidant properties of Pleurotus ostreatus M2191 and Pleurotus sajor-caju M2345 using industrial and agricultural waste substrates","authors":"Kalkidan Bereket ,&nbsp;Belayhun Tesfaye ,&nbsp;Bezuayehu Tadesse ,&nbsp;Asmamaw Tesfaw","doi":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100187","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100187","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Edible mushrooms are gaining attention as a sustainable and nutritious food source with health benefits besides waste removal when cultivated on waste-based substrates. This study investigated the effects of various industrial and agricultural waste materials on the growth, yield, and antioxidant properties of two mushroom species: <em>Pleurotus ostreatus</em> M2191 and <em>Pleurotus sajor-caju</em> M2345. Substrates were formulated using industrial wastes (barley, malt, potato, and potato peel) and agricultural residues (cottonseed, wheat straw, and stinging nettle straw) with 8 % wheat bran and 2 % gypsum added. Growth trials were conducted in two seasons (first season January to March and second season May to July). From January to March, 75 % potato peel and 25 % stinging nettle straw substrate achieved the quickest colonization (18 days). The yield of <em>P. ostreatus</em> increased by nearly 100 % in the second season, reaching 728.6 g compared to &lt;400 g in the first season, while <em>P. sajor-caju</em> exhibited a 70 – 90 % yield improvement. Biological efficiency varied significantly, with <em>P. sajor-caju</em> showing a range of 20.3 – 98.7 % and <em>P. ostreatus</em> ranging from 22.8 – 97.7 %, reflecting strain-specific and seasonal differences. Antioxidant activity was also season and strain-dependent, increasing by approximately 30 – 50 % in the second season for most substrates, particularly in <em>P. ostreatus</em>. Substrate composition was a key determinant, where cottonseed enhanced yield and biological efficiency by &gt;80 % compared to stinging nettle straw, which completely inhibited growth. The substrate composition significantly affected yield, biological efficiency, and antioxidant activity in both species and growing seasons.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100250,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100187"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145265648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of plastic-char on soil functions and crop productivity","authors":"Winfred R. Athembo ,&nbsp;John Redshaw ,&nbsp;Simon Jeffery","doi":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100189","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.clcb.2025.100189","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A significant quantity of plastic waste cannot be recycled. One way of processing this plastic is through pyrolysis, which produces feedstocks for polyolefin synthesis. This process produces a biochar like product called “plastic-char”. This study aimed to investigate the impact of plastic-char produced from mixed non-recyclable plastic waste on pore water elemental concentrations, plant growth and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions using a series of pot experiments applied at 1 t ha^-1 and 10 t ha^-1 eq. Plastic-char was found to increase plant growth of <em>Lolium perene</em> by a cumulative total of approx. 60% over four harvests, with no significant impact on germination. Increases in pore water concentrations of approximately 200% were observed for Ca, K and Mg at 10 t ha^-1. Significant increases were observed in pore water concentrations for Sb (371%) Na (519%), and Ti (724%) at 10 t ha^-1, compared to the control, with no significant changes in Al, Cd, Co or Cr. The plastic-char significantly increased the production of CO₂ from the soil by approximately 330% over the 10 days compared to the control, when applied at 10 t ha^-1 eq. While we do not suggest that soil application of plastic-char from mixed plastic waste should be used as a means of waste disposal, evidence presented here suggests that there may be value in plastic-char in terms of plant nutrients from the ash fraction and potential GHG reduction from the carbon rich fraction if it can be shown to be sufficiently depleted in contaminants. As such, this represents a potential means of adding value to the mixed plastic waste management stream.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100250,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner and Circular Bioeconomy","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100189"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145265772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}