Journal of Industrial Ecology最新文献

{"title":"Ex–ante LCA for circular resource management of liquid digestate, by predictive modeling of algae–bacterial processes","authors":"Diego Penaranda,&nbsp;Francesca Casagli,&nbsp;Marjorie Morales,&nbsp;Fabrice Beline,&nbsp;Olivier Bernard","doi":"10.1111/jiec.70050","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.70050","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The simplest method for treating liquid digestate, which involves directly spreading it over local agricultural land, is facing scrutiny due to the challenges of transporting large volumes and the environmental risks posed by nitrogen and phosphorus pollutants. Improvements in liquid digestate treatment are necessary to mitigate these threats and support a growing circular economy. This study evaluates an advanced digestate treatment method that decouples hydraulic retention time (HRT) and solid retention time (SRT) in high-rate algal/bacterial ponds (HRABPs). By combining life cycle assessment (LCA) with high-fidelity modeling for HRABPs, this study simulates productivity and removal efficiencies under realistic climatological conditions, providing life cycle inventories for numerous large-scale scenarios. To minimize environmental impacts while maximizing algal productivity and nitrogen intake in the algal biomass, 36 scenarios were simulated, considering different HRT, SRT, alkalinity addition, winter storage, and biomass post-treatment hypotheses. The results demonstrate that microalgae treatment makes sense for valorizing liquid digestate, proving to be less impactful than direct land application. However, the LCA results also highlight the complexity of the issue. Low HRT (HRT = 5 days &lt; SRT = 10 days), including winter storage, requires the smallest production area, resulting in high productivity and low environmental impacts. Conversely, high HRT (HRT = 90 days &gt; &gt; SRT = 15 days) achieves the highest efficiency in nitrogen and phosphorus recycling but necessitates large production areas, leading to high environmental impacts. Mathematical modeling, coupled with LCA, can resolve these trade-offs and guide the optimization and scaling-up of climatology-dependent systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":16050,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Industrial Ecology","volume":"29 5","pages":"1568-1582"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jiec.70050","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145230628","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Life cycle sustainability assessment of substituting fossil based with biogenic materials: A German case study on drinking cups and insulation boxes","authors":"Felix Assies,&nbsp;Lukas Messmann,&nbsp;Andrea Thorenz,&nbsp;Axel Tuma","doi":"10.1111/jiec.70067","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.70067","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Bioeconomy is often cited as one pathway toward sustainable materials and a circular economy in an urban–rural context. This study conducts a life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA)—life cycle assessment, social life cycle assessment, and life cycle costing (LCC)—to assess the benefits and impacts of substituting fossil polymer-based products with biogenic alternatives through two product systems: drinking cups and insulation boxes. In detail, we assess the environmental impacts, social hotspots, and societal costs subject to various product characteristics. The latter comprises, among others, different materials (fossil-based polymers, first-generation and second-generation biomass), allocation scenarios, electricity mixes, use cycles, and end-of-life (EoL) quotas. The LCSA is conducted with primary data provided by industry partners and secondary data from ecoinvent, the social hotspots database, and the literature. The results show that the drinking cup from second-generation bio-polyethylene (bio-PE) performs best in most environmental impact categories, followed by the fossil-based polypropylene (PP) cup. When substituting PP cups with bio-PE cups, 32% of CO₂ eq. emissions and 37% of water can be saved, while land use and particulate matter emissions increase by 37% and 7%, respectively. Due to low recycling rates in the status quo, cups made of polylactide acid—a first-generation bio-based polymer—often have higher environmental impacts than fossil-based ones. Governance and health and safety are the most prominent social categories and are especially linked with raw materials transportation. Similar trends are observed for the insulation box product system. The study identifies improvements in EoL practices, using biomass as-is, and regional sourcing as essential for enhancing bio-based materials' sustainability.</p>","PeriodicalId":16050,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Industrial Ecology","volume":"29 5","pages":"1551-1567"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jiec.70067","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145230825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Is circular economy a failing sustainability paradigm? Not necessarily","authors":"Julian Kirchherr,&nbsp;Kris Hartley","doi":"10.1111/jiec.70055","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.70055","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Sluggish progress on circular economy (CE) implementation is raising some concern that this allegedly new paradigm for sustainability is failing. While initial optimism had anticipated faster progress, actors across the private sector, government, consumer markets, and academia are embracing CE with varying speed and commitment. Circular principles are included in policy documents and corporate reports, and the circular start-up and scale-up realms are growing. Consumer awareness also appears to be rising, and a vibrant academic literature has emerged. We examine the roles of stakeholders in CE transition and pathways to acceleration and argue that the incrementalism often cited as a failure of CE is a fundamental characteristic of the paradigm; this notion forecloses the possibility of transformational change but supports an optimistic narrative. The characteristic of incrementalism makes CE progress metrics easier to measure and communicate, and we argue that, from this perspective, CE is making more progress than many critics suggest. This article elaborates on these points and argues for a more critical and provocative discourse around CE.</p>","PeriodicalId":16050,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Industrial Ecology","volume":"29 4","pages":"1051-1059"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jiec.70055","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144782877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing company sustainability impact: Status quo and way ahead","authors":"Timo Busch,&nbsp;Brigitte Bernard-Rau,&nbsp;Hendrik Brosche","doi":"10.1111/jiec.70065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.70065","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The transition to a sustainable economy requires investments in companies capable of driving real-world transformations. Impact assessments are central to this, yet existing company impact assessment tools for impact investing lack the necessary methods and data to determine the significance of environmental and social impacts. This paper addresses this gap by first exploring the life cycle assessment (LCA) literature on LCA logics and their application in company impact assessment tools. Second, we examine the conceptual and practical availability of absolute sustainability indicators for investment purposes. Our findings show that while LCA logics provide a valuable foundation for assessing the significance of company impacts, important gaps remain in allocating macro-level thresholds to the company level. Moreover, while environmental absolute sustainability indicators are conceptually advanced, their practical application is hindered by data limitations, restricting their usability for investors. Social absolute sustainability indicators lack clear impact pathways for translating macro-level issues into actionable company-level indicators, which is further constrained by data gaps. In light of these findings, we emphasize the distinct requirements of the environmental and social dimensions in advancing the assessment of the significance of company impacts. To effectively address these needs and enhance impact investment practices, we highlight the importance of interdisciplinary research, the regulatory and practical adoption of absolute sustainability approaches, and improved data integration.</p>","PeriodicalId":16050,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Industrial Ecology","volume":"29 4","pages":"1426-1442"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jiec.70065","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144782881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recycling potential of secondary resources in built environment stocks: Evidence from Hong Kong public rental housing","authors":"Xiaoyi Liu,&nbsp;Zhongnan Ye,&nbsp;Shu-Chien Hsu,&nbsp;Chi-Sun Poon","doi":"10.1111/jiec.70063","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.70063","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In urban environments, region-specific knowledge of building material intensities and stocks is vital for efficient resource recovery in the construction sector, especially for city regeneration and redevelopment. Previous studies often relied on generalized data, leading to inaccuracies due to local variations in construction practices, materials, and urban density. This study addresses these limitations by developing a locally refined inventory through a GIS-based, bottom-up material stock analysis that integrates archetype-specific building design data, demonstrated with evidence from Hong Kong's public rental housing (PRH). The results show that material intensities for Hong Kong PRH buildings range from 1567 to 2386 kg/m², with a total stock of 60.85 megatons as of 2022. Up to 46.95 megatons may have recycling potential over the next three decades, offering significant opportunities for sustainable resource management. Spatiotemporal and hotspot identification reveals a shift in material stock distribution toward the northern territories, reflecting urban development trends. This research enhances the accuracy of material stock assessments and supports strategic planning for achieving a circular economy, particularly in densely populated areas like Hong Kong. By promoting circular and generative city concepts and establishing benchmark archives for key construction materials, the study advances practical applications for sustainable urban resource management, aiding policy development for efficient spatial planning and urban mining strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":16050,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Industrial Ecology","volume":"29 4","pages":"1382-1396"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jiec.70063","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144782878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatiotemporal mapping of Swiss exterior wall material stock using a large language model and architectural history","authors":"Carlo Schmid,&nbsp;Fabian Kastner,&nbsp;Dachuan Zhang,&nbsp;Silke Langenberg,&nbsp;Stefanie Hellweg","doi":"10.1111/jiec.70058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.70058","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Building material stock studies are essential for advancing the circular economy in construction. However, existing models often lack both accuracy and scalability. While machine learning has demonstrated significant potential to enhance predictive accuracy, its adoption has been hindered by a shortage of high-quality training data. In this study, we introduce a novel methodology leveraging a large language model to extract previously untapped building material data from building energy performance certificates with a focus on exterior walls. This approach enabled us to create a dataset of over 20,000 buildings—significantly larger than those used in previous studies. Leveraging this dataset, we developed a machine learning model to predict material composition based on building characteristics such as construction year, use, and location. Furthermore, we integrated knowledge of construction history to estimate the material stock of walls in terms of volume, mass, and associated CO₂ emissions for each building in the dataset. Our analysis revealed significant regional variations in material use patterns, emphasizing the critical role of location—a parameter often overlooked in existing building material stock models. These findings provide valuable insights for improving building stock modeling and highlight the importance of regionally tailored policies in advancing the circular economy in the construction sector.</p>","PeriodicalId":16050,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Industrial Ecology","volume":"29 4","pages":"1350-1363"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jiec.70058","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144782937","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Winners of the 2023 Graedel Prizes","authors":"Clinton J. Andrews,&nbsp;Richard Wood","doi":"10.1111/jiec.70069","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.70069","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16050,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Industrial Ecology","volume":"29 4","pages":"1048-1050"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144782931","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Assessing environmental impacts of digitalization: A special issue","authors":"Göran Finnveden,&nbsp;George Kamiya,&nbsp;Vlad C. Coroamă,&nbsp;Pernilla Bergmark,&nbsp;Reid Lifset","doi":"10.1111/jiec.70052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.70052","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Digital technologies have been transforming societies for decades (Lange et al., <span>2023</span>), with published studies on their environmental impacts dating back to the early 2000s (e.g., Berkhout &amp; Hertin, <span>2001</span>; Fichter, <span>2002</span>; Koomey, <span>2000</span>). The public launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 and the subsequent rise of generative AI has sparked widespread interest in the environmental impacts of AI and wider information and communications technology (ICT) sector (Luers et al., <span>2024</span>). For example, half of all assessments of data center energy use over the past decade have been published since January 2024 (Kamiya &amp; Coroamă, <span>2025</span>).</p><p>Digital technologies are used across economies and societies and result in wide-ranging environmental impacts. These impacts are typically classified into three types or “orders”: first order (direct), second order (indirect), and higher order (structural and behavioral) (Berkhout &amp; Hertin, <span>2004</span>; Hilty &amp; Aebischer, <span>2015</span>). Direct impacts describe the (always detrimental) environmental impacts from raw material extraction, production, use, and waste management of ICT devices and equipment. Indirect effects—which can be both detrimental or beneficial—arise from the use and implementation of digital technologies. Higher-order indirect effects can also be both positive and negative, and include changes to production and consumption patterns, various types of rebound effects, as well as learning and induction effects (Börjesson Rivera et al., <span>2014</span>). Assessing each type of effect requires different data and methodologies.</p><p>Digital technologies and their applications are evolving quickly, making it increasingly challenging to conduct robust environmental assessments on their widespread uses and impacts. A major challenge is the lack of data as well as a lack of established methodologies, particularly when assessing indirect effects (Bergmark et al., <span>2020</span>; Bremer et al., <span>2023</span>; Coroama et al., <span>2020</span>; Masanet et al., <span>2024</span>). Digital technologies are deeply integrated and applied across many sectors, raising challenges in defining system boundaries and allocation of environmental impacts to specific technologies or services.</p><p>This special issue invited papers addressing either direct or indirect environmental impacts of specific or aggregated digital technologies as well as the environmental impact of digitalization at the application, network, sectoral, or macro level. The call for papers specifically welcomed studies addressing methodological challenges and advances in the assessment of environmental impact of the digital economy.</p><p>Table 1 provides an overview of the nine articles included in this special issue, which include methodological papers, case studies, a bibliometric analysis, and a book review. The articles consider both direct and i","PeriodicalId":16050,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Industrial Ecology","volume":"29 4","pages":"1042-1047"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jiec.70052","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144782938","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Circular ecosystems: Past, present, and future research directions","authors":"Raphael Aryee,&nbsp;Wisdom Kanda,&nbsp;Martin Geissdoerfer,&nbsp;Julian Kirchherr","doi":"10.1111/jiec.70061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.70061","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Circular ecosystems have become a buzz concept in the circular economy, but differing meanings and theoretical foundations limit knowledge consolidation. To address this gap, we undertook a systematic literature review of the circular ecosystems literature published from 2004 to 2025. We analyzed the state-of-the-art using content analysis and science mapping techniques based on articles from Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. Prominent research trends include: (i) conceptualization of circular ecosystems, (ii) circular ecosystems and sustainability, (iii) roles and agency of actors, (iv) alignment in circular ecosystems, (v) value co-creation in ecosystems, (vi) governance of ecosystems, (vii) theoretical roots, and (viii) enablers of circular ecosystems. Furthermore, we present the etymology and evolution of circular ecosystems and present a comprehensive definition of the concept. Finally, we propose future research directions on circular ecosystems.</p>","PeriodicalId":16050,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Industrial Ecology","volume":"29 4","pages":"1364-1381"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jiec.70061","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144782939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The impact of uncertainty in repair service attributes on consumer preferences: Insights from a dual-response choice experiment","authors":"Paul Bengart,&nbsp;Bodo Vogt","doi":"10.1111/jiec.70064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.70064","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Extending the lifespan of electronic devices through repair can significantly reduce negative environmental impacts. However, despite consumers reporting a strong preference for repair, actual repair rates remain relatively low. Qualitative research has indicated that uncertainty surrounding various aspects of repair service offers, such as repair costs and outcomes, discourages consumers from choosing repair. However, no studies have yet quantified the effects of varying degrees of uncertainty in repair service attributes on consumers' preferences for repair and repair services. This study addresses this gap using a dual-response choice-based conjoint analysis with 237 German consumers, manipulating the degree of uncertainty in the attributes repair success rate and total repair cost of hypothetical repair offers. Other attributes examined included repair service provider, repair time, and warranty. Results show that even vague information substantially increases preferences for repair compared to offering no information at all, nearly doubling the choice share of a repair offer. However, consumers may tolerate or even prefer some pricing uncertainty if it offers the possibility of a more favorable outcome. The study further reveals that consumers with prior repair experience tend to show higher willingness to choose repair services compared to those without such experience. Overall, the findings suggest that the lack of transparency about potential repair outcomes and costs, which is common in real-world repair offers, acts as a major barrier discouraging many consumers from choosing repair.</p>","PeriodicalId":16050,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Industrial Ecology","volume":"29 4","pages":"1414-1425"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jiec.70064","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144782880","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}