Nurul Ainina Nadhirah Tajurahim , Salwa Mahmood , Nor Hasrul Akhmal Ngadiman , Swee Leong Sing
{"title":"Biomaterials for tissue engineering scaffolds: Balancing efficiency and eco-friendliness through life cycle assessment","authors":"Nurul Ainina Nadhirah Tajurahim , Salwa Mahmood , Nor Hasrul Akhmal Ngadiman , Swee Leong Sing","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100253","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100253","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tissue engineering has emerged as a promising field for regenerative medicine, aiming to develop biomimetic scaffolds that can have significant implications for reducing environmental impact across various aspects of medical research. This research presents a life cycle assessment (LCA) of the synthesis and characterization of biomaterials of Polyethylene Glycol Diacrylate (PEGDA) filled with Aramid Nanofiber (ANFs) for tissue engineering scaffolds using Digital Light Processing (DLP). The present research introduces a novel approach by integrating LCA principles to evaluate the environmental impact of the developed biomaterials. It was conducted using Life Cycle Assessment For Experts (LCA FE) software following the ISO 14040 and 14044 requirements. The research systematically analyzes the eco-friendliness of the PEGDA/ANFs scaffolds, considering the system boundary from cradle to gate, materials extraction, and fabrication processes. Besides, this research also aims to contribute to the development of sustainable biomaterials for tissue engineering applications by achieving a careful balance between scaffold performance and ecological considerations. The findings present the environmental impact categories that are considered in LCA, among which are global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), and human toxicity potential (HTP). The highest contribution to the fabrication of PEGDA/ANFs for 3D tissue engineering scaffolds comes from GWP. The research also provides insights into optimizing biomaterial design by considering both efficiencies in tissue regeneration and environmental impact, promoting the development of greener practices in regenerative medicine.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100253"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143093902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Venla Kyttä, Hafiz Usman Ghani, Kim Lindfors, Jaakko Heikkinen, Taru Palosuo
{"title":"Integrating policy targets into product environmental impact assessments: A case study with Finnish agricultural products","authors":"Venla Kyttä, Hafiz Usman Ghani, Kim Lindfors, Jaakko Heikkinen, Taru Palosuo","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100252","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100252","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Political objectives aimed at reducing environmental impacts currently face challenges in effectively assessing achievement at product level. Applying the principles of Absolute Environmental Sustainability Assessment (AESA, or Planetary Boundaries-based Life Cycle Assessment, PB-LCA) to these targets could be a way forward to evaluate a product's performance against political targets. Here, we explore the possibilities of assigning emission budgets for agricultural products based on political and scientific targets utilising the principles of PB-LCA. We tested these principles by assessing a few Finnish agricultural products; wheat, peas, milk, and beef. First, we identified national and EU-level political targets relevant to agricultural products produced in Finland. Then these targets alongside scientific planetary boundary targets were translated to emission budgets for products by first sharing the targets equal per capita and then using two different sharing principles; calorie-based and nutrition-based. In the last step, the environmental impacts of the products were compared with the emission budget assigned to each product. The results demonstrated that the method used to assign the emission budgets affects the results, nutrition-based sharing leading to better performance compared to calorie-based sharing. Beef exceeded its budget in almost all impact categories, while the results for milk and peas depended on the sharing principle used. Wheat's impacts were within the budget across all categories. The results show that both political and scientific targets can evaluate a product's sustainability performance, and comparing environmental impacts against political targets can provide new insights for decision-makers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100252"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143093903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Annas Vijaya , Johanne Paula Sophia Meisterknecht , Linda Salma Angreani , Hendro Wicaksono
{"title":"Advancing sustainability in the automotive sector: A critical analysis of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance indicators","authors":"Annas Vijaya , Johanne Paula Sophia Meisterknecht , Linda Salma Angreani , Hendro Wicaksono","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100248","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100248","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) is becoming increasingly important as sustainability concerns in the industry increase. The automotive industry is one that receives significant attention and pressure on sustainability, with the ever-growing regulations pushing it towards sustainability. However, ESG improvement could be more effective due to the many factors. Although previous studies have revealed the evaluation and prioritization of ESG key performance indicators (KPIs) in the automotive sector, there is still a need for other approaches to identify the priorities and interdependencies between critical factors that enhance organizational strategic improvement measures. The study aims to address the gaps by identifying critical indicators in ESG reporting standards and utilizing Fuzzy DEMATEL and Fuzzy TOPSIS methodologies to explore the priorities and causal relationships of ESG KPIs in the automotive industry. The findings indicate that the top three of 17 identified factors are the top priorities that influence others in improving ESG performance, including corporate governance, air emissions, and sustainable product development. The importance of addressing social sustainability issues in strengthening stakeholder relationships is also highlighted in the research findings, such as human rights and labor practices. Businesses in the automotive sector can use the study's insights to enhance their sustainability strategies, determine critical opportunities for improvement, and rank their priorities to achieve sustainability objectives. Policymakers can use it to promote industry-wide efforts for sustainable development and create regulatory frameworks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100248"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143093896","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Stelian Alexandru Borz , Salvatore Papandrea , Michele Zoli , Jacopo Bacenetti , Andrea Rosario Proto
{"title":"Willow short rotation coppice. Energy and environmental assessment","authors":"Stelian Alexandru Borz , Salvatore Papandrea , Michele Zoli , Jacopo Bacenetti , Andrea Rosario Proto","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100249","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100249","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Wood chip production from short-rotation coppice (SRC) can be an interesting opportunity for farmers and for the environment. SRC cultivation in fertile arable land, with full mechanisation of the operations, results in higher yields. However, the establishment of SRC is more rational in marginal areas where the conventional crops cannot provide suitable results. In this context, the mechanisation of SRC plays a relevant role, and the availability of small machinery is a key element.</div><div>In this study, two different willow SRC management regimes, characterised by the adoption of small mechanisation solutions for crop management and harvesting, were compared. The life cycle assessment (LCA) was applied considering 1 cubic metre of wood chips as the functional unit (FU) and a ‘from cradle to gate’ perspective regarding the system boundary. Primary data were directly collected via field trials and interviews with the farmers.</div><div>The results highlighted how the mechanisation of different field operations is the main cause of environmental impact, which is primarily due to the felling and chipping of stems. The 3-year SRC harvesting regime, despite lower productivity, presents better environmental performance compared to the 2-year one for all the evaluated impact categories, owing to a reduction of the environmental impact related to harvesting.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100249"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143093901","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Valeria Mezzanotte , Sara Venturelli , Riccardo Paoli , Elena Collina , Francesco Romagnoli
{"title":"Life Cycle Assessment of an industrial laundry: A case study in the Italian context","authors":"Valeria Mezzanotte , Sara Venturelli , Riccardo Paoli , Elena Collina , Francesco Romagnoli","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100246","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100246","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Industrial laundries need large amounts of energy and water and, thus, generate large amounts of wastewater, due to the core washing, drying and ironing processes and to the transport of linen and chemicals. The presented Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) concerns an Italian industrial laundry, and is based on primary data collected from the facility, complemented by information from literature, supporting databases (Ecoinvent 3.8), and technical datasheets. The analysis covers the entire cycle of linen processing (material extraction and manufacturing, transport, logistics, laundry processes, wastewater treatment and reuse, packaging, and solid waste management). The defined Functional Unit (FU) is 1 kg of linen. The LCA, carried out by SimaPro 9.2 and ReCiPe 2016 H, indicates a total impact of 12.77 mPt/FU, chiefly deriving from washing (4.62 mPt), ironing (4.29 mPt), and drying (1.56 mPt). Detergents and washing agents contribute significantly to the impact of the washing phase. 'Fine particulate formation' is the most affected impact category (5.18 mPt). The initial results suggested that generating renewable energy on-site could reduce the environmental impact by 19.7%. Solar photovoltaic panels were installed in 2023, and the actual energy production exceeded expectations, indicating an even greater reduction in the laundry environmental footprint.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"16 ","pages":"Article 100246"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143093900","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Susana Lopez-Aparicio, Henrik Grythe, Miha Markelj, Nikolaos Evangeliou, Sam-Erik Walker
{"title":"Exploring the connection between COVID19, the energy crisis and PM2.5 emissions from residential heating","authors":"Susana Lopez-Aparicio, Henrik Grythe, Miha Markelj, Nikolaos Evangeliou, Sam-Erik Walker","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100244","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100244","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Geopolitical events have shown to threaten European energy security in 2022. In Norway, accustomed to low energy prices, the southern part saw 4 times higher electricity prices in 2022 than long term average, whereas in the north, energy prices remained stable. This offers an opportunity to examine the effect of price on household energy consumption and PM<sub>2.5</sub> emissions from the residential sector. In the south, electricity consumption went down by 10% while in the north it remained unchanged relative to expected values. While the documented correlation between increased electricity prices and reduced consumption is well-established, our study uniquely captures a substantial shift towards wood as an alternative energy source. In the south, wood for heating increased by approximately 40%, effectively replacing half of the electricity saved. This increase happened despite prices being curbed by strong government subsidies on electricity. Faced with higher energy costs in Europe, we simulate a scenario where consumers across Europe look for affordable energy. With gas and electricity prices predicted to remain well above long-term averages until 2030, biomass will be an attractive option. Our study shows how a shift can endanger Europe's Zero-Pollution strategy, and the need for initiatives targeting the reduction of residential biomass heating.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100244"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133411","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Life cycle assessment of emerging mass timber product: Cross-laminated bamboo","authors":"Yinqiao Wang, Kai Lan","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100243","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100243","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cross-laminated bamboo (CLB) is a new type of mass timber product that can be a substitute for traditional non-renewable construction materials. This study conducted a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the environmental impacts of CLB panels over 100 years. The LCA was integrated with process model simulation to explore the effects of varied fuel options (combusting bamboo residues or converting bamboo residues into biochar and combusting natural gas) and end-of-life cases on the results, and coupled with Monte Carlo simulation to investigate the uncertainties and variabilities associated with the CLB life cycle stages. Our results show that, on the 1 m<sup>3</sup> CLB basis, the average life-cycle global warming potential (GWP) ranged from −318 to −947 kg CO<sub>2</sub>eq. Combusting the bamboo residues from production processes resulted in lower life-cycle GWP than utilizing bamboo residues to produce biochar and burning natural gas for energy supply. Increasing the recycling rate of CLB panels can further reduce the life-cycle GWP. The landfill decay of bamboo wastes is a significant carbon emission source, highlighting the importance of considering end-of-life cases for CLB panels. Trade-offs emerge among varied environmental impact categories when the scenarios are compared.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100243"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Life cycle assessment to support public procurement of food: A review","authors":"Cecilia Casonato , Esther Sanyé-Mengual , Matteo Vittuari , Serenella Sala","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100239","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100239","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Current food production and consumption patterns in the European Union are exerting significant pressure on the environment and limited natural resources. The ongoing triple planetary crisis is jeopardizing future sustainability and requires appropriate actions to halt its progress. Public food procurement is often indicated by scholars and policymakers as a potentially transformative policy to shift demand towards sustainable consumption, as well as creating a demand for more sustainably produced food. However, quantitative evidence of the environmental performance of food procurement is lacking. This paper critically reviews existing literature quantifying and evaluating the impacts related to food procurement, specifically focusing on the use of Life Cycle Thinking approaches and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The results collected show heterogeneous methodological approaches when it comes to LCA, but a consistent narrative in recommending a well-planned dietary shift, decreasing the consumption of animal products. Combining environmental impact indicators with nutritional assessments emerges as key in supporting food procurement. The results of this review can support the reflection on future food procurement policy including criteria to be employed by public authorities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100239"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133393","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Horacio A. Aguirre-Villegas , Nicole Rakobitsch , Michel A. Wattiaux , Erin Silva , Rebecca A. Larson
{"title":"Environmental assessment of organic dairy farms in the US: Mideast, northeast, southeast, and mountain regions","authors":"Horacio A. Aguirre-Villegas , Nicole Rakobitsch , Michel A. Wattiaux , Erin Silva , Rebecca A. Larson","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100233","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100233","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>) emissions, eutrophication potential (EP), use of fossil energy, direct land, and blue water of organic dairy farms are evaluated in the Mideast, Northeast, Southeast, and Mountain regions of the US. Eighteen archetypical organic dairy farms are modeled with GHGs per kg fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM) ranging between 0.83 and 1.45 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq with and 0.93 to 1.59 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq without carbon sequestration. Enteric methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) is the major contributor (42–58%) of farm GHGs, followed by CH<sub>4</sub> from manure (15–27%), energy use (8–18%), and material inputs (3–24%). Enteric CH<sub>4</sub> is affected by feed efficiency and milk production, manure CH<sub>4</sub> by the type of manure handled and stored, and GHGs from energy by the content of fossil-fuel sources in the electricity grid mix. Manure is the major source of NH<sub>3</sub> emissions ranging from 8.2 to 24.3 g/kg FPCM. Alternative GHG mitigation strategies show potential reductions of up to 23 and 51% for individual and combined strategies, respectively. While enteric CH<sub>4</sub> is the greatest GHG contributor, manure management has greater GHG mitigation potential. The choice of CH<sub>4</sub> predictive equations, N<sub>2</sub>O emission factors, allocation, and functional units could increase GHGs up to 43% in the evaluated organic dairy farms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"15 ","pages":"Article 100233"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143133410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}