Cleaner Environmental Systems最新文献

{"title":"Waste management and greenhouse gas emission reduction in Nakhon Si Thammarat municipality through a circular economy municipal solid waste management model","authors":"Siriuma Jawjit ,&nbsp;Narisara Kaewchutima ,&nbsp;Apirak Bumyut","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100313","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100313","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change is driven by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by human activities, of which, improper waste management is a significant source. Thailand aims to reduce its emissions by 30 %–40 % by 2030, identifying the waste sector as crucial for these reductions. Nakhon Si Thammarat (NST) is pivotal in Thailand's waste management efforts due to its major contribution to municipal solid waste (MSW) and its status as the region with the highest amount of improper waste management in the south. This research employed a method for sorting waste composition to analyze waste composition and utilized a community-based participatory research approach, involving community members, researchers, and stakeholders to develop and implement a circular economy MSW management model in five communities within the NST municipality, which is located in the NST province. The results revealed that the majority of waste in the study area consisted of organic and plastic materials. After implementing the model, organic and plastic waste composition were reduced by 6.09 %–11.29 % and 4.18 %–11.11 %, respectively, which also mitigated GHG emissions by 4,234 kgCO₂eq/year. In addition, the model could generate an income of 19,537 Baht per year. Despite the model's flexibility and effectiveness, improvements in infrastructure and collaboration with various organizations are needed to support its operation. In conclusion, the study emphasizes that policy support and comprehensive waste management initiatives involving all relevant stakeholders such as government, local authorities, the private sector, and the public are essential for sustainable MSW management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100313"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144867447","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":"Evaluation of the life cycle sustainability of a wastewater treatment plant using the eco-efficiency index for optimizing the energy-economy-environment nexus","authors":"Sadegh Alizadeh ,&nbsp;Michael Carbajales-Dale","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100309","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100309","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite significant progress in the sustainability of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), key challenges remain. This paper assesses the sustainability of a WWTP under various scenarios in Iran, considering different electricity-generating technologies powering the WWTP and sludge management systems. The eco-efficiency (EE) index, combining life cycle assessment (LCA) and economic assessment, is used to assess the energy-economy-environment nexus. The scenarios are based on the electricity sources and sludge management systems of the WWTP. Furthermore, an optimization model is proposed to determine optimal energy tariffs and assess the feasibility of transitioning towards energy self-sufficiency. The results indicate that scenarios utilizing the landfill for sludge management and energy generation have the highest environmental impacts, while the scenario employing wind power and anaerobic digestion (AD) system has the least impact. From an economic perspective, scenarios utilizing AD and selling biogas yield lower profits than the alternatives. Also, the scenario utilizing wind power and compost production from the sludge has the highest sustainability, with an EE index equal to 60.68 $/Pt. Furthermore, the results show that when the tariffs for electricity and heat are 0.86 $/kWh and 0.052 $/MJ, energy production will be economically and environmentally justified. The feasibility assessment suggests that when only the grid electricity option is available, it is preferable for the WWTP to utilize combined heat and power (CHP) systems, enabling it to meet its needs independently and create a benefit. This study provides critical insights for WWTP sustainability, guiding efficient wastewater management practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100309"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144885773","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":"Overcoming barriers to renewable energy adoption: A decision-making framework for strategy evaluation and implementation prioritization","authors":"Mohammad Ali Beheshtinia ,&nbsp;Seyedeh Nadia Yaghobian ,&nbsp;Masood Fathi ,&nbsp;Morteza Ghobakhloo ,&nbsp;Behzad Foroughi","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100314","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100314","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy is essential for sustainable development. However, a wide range of economic, technical, regulatory, and social barriers hinder this transition. This study aims to identify these barriers and propose prioritized strategies to overcome them. A novel decision-making framework is developed, combining an adapted Quality Function Deployment (QFD) model with a new hybrid fuzzy Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) method, named the Fuzzy ARASKOR (F-ARASKOR) method. Data collection involved one in-depth expert interview and four structured questionnaires, completed by a panel of domain experts. First, a comprehensive list of barriers to renewable energy development was identified from the literature. Their importance weights were assessed using the first questionnaire. Then, strategies to overcome the barriers were derived through expert interviews and analyzed via the second questionnaire using a QFD approach. Next, these strategies were evaluated against seven criteria: impact on barriers, implementation cost, duration, capability, risk, complexity, and acceptability. Criterion weights were obtained through the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) using the third questionnaire, and strategy performance was assessed through the fourth. Final prioritization was conducted using the F-ARASKOR method. The results identified 75 barriers and 38 strategies. Among them, “Policy Stability and Long-Term Commitment,” “Promote Renewable Energy as a Climate Solution,” and “Develop Training and Certification Programs” emerged as top-priority strategies. This study offers practical guidance for governments and industries to formulate stable, targeted policies, make effective investments, and address the key barriers hindering renewable energy development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100314"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144896175","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":"Life cycle assessment of an Australian higher education institution – The case study of the Queensland university of technology","authors":"Kristina Schmidt ,&nbsp;Meret Jürgens ,&nbsp;Hans-Josef Endres ,&nbsp;Sebastian Spierling ,&nbsp;Leonie Barner","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The environmental impact of the operation of an Australian University, i.e. the Queensland University of Technology (QUT), in 2022 has been assessed by applying the recently published life cycle assessment guidelines for Higher Education Institutions. Overall, 16 environmental impact categories were considered based on ISO 14072. QUT's energy supply was identified as the most substantial impact overall, accounting for over 48 % in each of eight impact categories. Airconditioning (with the use of the refrigerant R134a) has the highest impact on the <em>ozone depletion</em> category. Transport exhibits the second most significant impact in eight of the 16 impact categories, mostly due to international air travel by international students and staff. Infrastructure has the most significant impact in six categories but is probably underestimated due to lack of data. In addition, suggestions how to reduce QUT's environmental impact are discussed. Subsequently, recommendations to develop the LCA guidelines for HEIs further are presented.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100312"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144867448","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":"Innovation ability of China's new energy industry from the perspective of new quality productivity","authors":"Qingli Tan,&nbsp;Yihua Gan","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100306","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100306","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To quantitatively analyze the innovation capability of China's new energy industry from the perspective of new-quality productive forces, explore issues related to innovation efficiency, and provide references for enhancing industrial innovation capability and developing new-quality productive forces.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Based on the data of 23 new energy A-share listed enterprises in China from 2020 to 2023, this study constructs an innovation efficiency evaluation index system under the context of new productive forces. It applies the CCR-DEA and BCC-DEA models to analyze the static efficiency in 2023, and combines the Malmquist-DEA index to examine the dynamic efficiency from 2020 to 2023. Additionally, projection analysis is employed to identify issues of input redundancy and output deficiency, while the stochastic frontier approach is utilized to supplement the DEA analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The overall innovation efficiency of China's new energy enterprises was approximately effective but varied significantly. More than 60 % of enterprises needed to optimize resource allocation efficiency. About half of the enterprises faced decreasing returns to scale, with prominent issues of output shortages such as patent quantity and R&amp;D expenditure. From 2020 to 2023, total factor productivity showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, with technological regression being the main cause of declining innovation efficiency.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>It is necessary to construct a resource utilization system, policy guidance mechanism, collaborative ecosystem, and talent supply system adapted to new-quality productive forces, so as to optimize the allocation of innovation resources, break through technological bottlenecks, and promote the high-quality development of the new energy industry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100306"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144757619","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":"From agricultural by-products to building materials: A spatial modelling approach to foster green construction sector","authors":"Monica C.M. Parlato ,&nbsp;Francesca Valenti ,&nbsp;Lorenzo Guerrini ,&nbsp;Anna Perbellini ,&nbsp;Andrea Pezzuolo","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100307","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100307","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Around 1 billion tons of agricultural by-products (ABP) are generated globally each year, posing environmental challenges, particularly in rural areas. Efficient management can transform ABP into valuable resources for energy, construction, and food packaging, aligning with circular economy principles.</div><div>This research addresses a critical gap in current spatial modelling approaches for agricultural by-product (ABP) valorization by developing an integrated GIS-based framework that combines high-resolution spatial analysis with uncertainty quantification for sustainable construction material planning. A GIS-based model was applied to estimate and map the ABP in the Veneto region (Italy). Key crops—wheat, barley, sugar beet, grape, maize, and soy—were analyzed in terms of yield, spatial distribution, and biomass availability at regional, provincial, and municipal scales. Heatmaps were produced to highlight ABP hotspots and support the strategic placement of collection centers for effective by-product valorization. To estimate the potential output of ABP-based construction materials, a literature review was conducted, followed by a sensitivity analysis. Results indicate that production estimates are mainly affected by spatial and temporal variability, particularly annual yield averages per municipality and year-to-year fluctuations. The total amount of ABP estimated was around 550,000 tons per year. The annual potential production resulted in 45 million Composite Panels, and over 195 million adobe bricks. If fully utilized, ABP could satisfy 5.5 % of Veneto's adobe brick demand, contribute 14.6 % to national EPS panel production, and cover over 1 % of the green concrete region's yearly needs. These data serve as preliminary information for the sustainable placement of transformation centers and provide insights into the environmental impact of logistics and the supply phase.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100307"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144757620","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":"Impacts assessment of open field burning of agricultural residues in Mexico","authors":"Luis Armando Becerra-Pérez ,&nbsp;Luis E. Rincón ,&nbsp;Benjamín García-Páez ,&nbsp;John A. Posada-Duque","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100303","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100303","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This research estimates the number of agricultural residues burned in open field, their pollutant emissions and the energy lost in the 2,476 municipalities that make up Mexico. The emissions of Particulate Matter 10 (PM10) and 2.5 (PM2.5), Black Carbon (BC), Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Methane Gas (CH4) at the municipal level were estimated. The bioenergy loss was also estimated, in terms of anhydrous ethanol. In addition, the economic value lost was estimated, as well as the amount of gasoline that could have been oxygenated at 6 % volume and the percentage of participation in the national gasoline demand. The results, aggregated at the national level, show that Mexico annually incinerates 4.1 million tons of corn stover which emits 13,662 tons of PM10, 11,178 tons of PM2.5, 787 tons of BC, 7.2 million tons of CO2 and 8,653 tons of CH4 to the atmosphere. If this amount of biomass were used to produce anhydrous ethanol, a volume of 1,106 million liters, worth US$840 million, could be produced, which might also be used to oxygenate 18,425 million liters of gasoline, covering approximately 100 % of the national demand for this biofuel. The results provide empirical evidence on open burning of agricultural residues in Mexico and can be used to design public policies to reduce the country's share of global pollutant emissions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100303"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144750613","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":"Sustainable pathways for CO2 mitigation: A comparative energy, exergy, and economic analysis of optimized post-combustion capture and microalgae-based sequestration","authors":"Farzin Hosseinifard ,&nbsp;Mohammad Ebadollahi ,&nbsp;Majid Amidpour","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100304","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100304","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global warming has become one of the most pressing global challenges in recent years. In response, a range of technologies has been developed to mitigate its effects. One such approach involves burning biogas, which primarily produces carbon dioxide. The goal is to capture this CO₂ to support a sustainable system. One such technology is carbon capture, particularly post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) at the industrial scale. However, conventional PCC configurations are associated with high energy consumption and inefficiencies, such as the lack of integration between the hot and cold sections. In this study, Aspen HYSYS V11 was employed to simulate and analyze three distinct PCC configurations: Lean Vapor Compression (LVC), Solvent Split Flow (SSF), and Rich Solvent Recycle (RSR). These configurations were rigorously evaluated for their energy efficiency and CO₂ capture performance. Additionally, a comparative assessment was conducted between conventional PCC technologies and a bioremediation-based alternative: microalgae cultivation systems, in which CO₂ is absorbed through photosynthetic microalgae growth. This comparative analysis was designed to benchmark the viability of biological carbon sequestration against solvent-driven PCC processes, providing insights into their respective technical and environmental tradeoffs. Furthermore, a comparative analysis based on energy, exergy, and economic performance was presented. In the PCC sector, the results showed that the RSR configuration could increase efficiency by approximately 3 % compared to the conventional configuration, while reducing the overall cost by about 1.30 $/h, bringing the total cost to around 23.28 $/h. When compared with the microalgae plant, the findings were even more significant. The microalgae system demonstrated a high exergy efficiency of about 72.64 % and a substantially lower total cost of approximately 7.17 $/h. These results indicate that the microalgae approach offers considerable advantages over even the optimized PCC configurations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100304"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144723533","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":"Energy poverty from a life cycle sustainability assessment perspective","authors":"T.D. Gates ,&nbsp;M. Hannouf ,&nbsp;D. Gebremedhin ,&nbsp;T.D. Beyene ,&nbsp;G. Assefa ,&nbsp;I.D. Gates","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100305","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100305","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Energy poverty (EP) and energy security (ES) are complex, multi-dimensional challenges with profound environmental, economic, and social implications that persist in both developed and developing nations. Addressing EP requires a holistic, life-cycle perspective to prevent unintended consequences, consider problem-shifting and sub-optimization, while managing trade-offs for sustainable ES. However, despite numerous proposed solutions, a comprehensive triple-bottom-line framework that integrates a life-cycle perspective remains absent in EP decision-making. Life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) offers a powerful methodology for addressing EP by encompassing all sustainability dimensions needed to eradicate it. This study conducts a comprehensive review of EP determinants and establishes a novel mapping between LCSA impact categories and EP drivers. Findings reveal that affordability, accessibility, and emissions are fundamental to EP/ES, with demographics and regional disparities influencing vulnerability. The mapping highlights primary determinants of EP/ES, including fair salary, poverty alleviation, public commitment to sustainability issues, climate change, and land use. To enhance the applicability of the LCSA framework to EP/ES, new categories related to energy and consumption are introduced, such as ‘education provided online’, ‘policy development and implementation’, and ‘subsidization’, which capture critical nuances of EP solutions. Additionally, identified gaps in LCSA methodology offer new insights for mitigating EP, strengthening ES, and refining LCSA itself for broader sustainability applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100305"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144750612","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":"Customer-centric circular economy as-a-service decision-making: Machine learning-driven open innovation in food service","authors":"Tutur Wicaksono ,&nbsp;Marhadi Marhadi ,&nbsp;Agustinus Fritz Wijaya ,&nbsp;Velly Anatasia ,&nbsp;Krisztina Taralik","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100302","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100302","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study addresses a key research gap by developing a machine learning-driven open innovation framework for prioritizing Circular Economy as a Service (CEaaS) measures in the food service sector. Conventional sustainability strategies often fail to integrate dynamic customer preferences with scalable circular economy practices. To bridge this gap, this research employs Random Forest classification and feature selection to assess the impact of sixteen CEaaS measures on customer satisfaction across Indonesian and Hungarian food service markets. The framework is grounded in PRISMA-guided literature review, customer surveys, and machine learning-based decision analytics. Sustainable sourcing, reusable packaging systems, and circular loyalty programs emerge as the most critical CEaaS measures, reflecting global consumer priorities for ethical procurement, waste minimization, and behavior-based engagement. Notably, surplus food redistribution and food waste upcycling services rank consistently high, underscoring growing expectations for visible circularity and social value. The cross-country model validation confirms the framework's robustness and generalizability. By integrating circular economy principles, customer insights, and machine learning, the study advances open innovation theory and provides actionable guidance for sustainable transformation in the food service sector. The findings support Sustainable Development Goals related to responsible consumption, climate action, industry innovation, and global partnerships.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"18 ","pages":"Article 100302"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144757617","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}