Cleaner Environmental Systems最新文献

{"title":"The role of data when implementing circular strategies in the built environment: A literature review","authors":"Alessia Bellini ,&nbsp;Allen Tadayon ,&nbsp;Bjørn Andersen ,&nbsp;Nora Johanne Klungseth","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100183","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100183","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Adopting a circular economy (CE) in the built environment contributes to lower the consumption of natural resources, limiting waste generation, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Effective data management is critical during the implementation of circular strategies; however, the academic literature does not explicitly address the subject, and a shared approach to data governance is still lacking. This study contributes to filling this gap by providing a holistic perspective to the state-of-the-art literature to identify the role of data in the implementation of CE strategies. The findings were obtained through the review of 40 articles. It was found that the literature can be classified into four interrelated thematic groups: the need for information and data, information and data management, the digitalisation of data and information, and digital tools and technologies. The study identifies the highlights for each thematic group and suggests opportunities to improve circularity through the effective use of data. It is important to recognize that accessible, open, and standardised information about construction products can accelerate the implementation of circular strategies in a project, but it is critical to ensure effective data management and interoperability throughout the asset life cycle. Therefore, data management tools and data templates need to be further investigated and adopted in the industry. Digital technologies can support data management and interoperability and, consequently, increase the possibility of successful CE implementation. Finally, future research should investigate a strategic approach to data exploitation that can enhance circularity in the built environment.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100183"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000217/pdfft?md5=adcb4db51d6daf64d5b9466fb50944e2&pid=1-s2.0-S2666789424000217-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140607322","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":"Comparative environmental analysis of sugar beet production using a solar-driven robot and conventional systems from a sustainability perspective","authors":"Indrė Bručienė,&nbsp;Dainius Savickas,&nbsp;Egidijus Šarauskis","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100186","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100186","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In the context of rapid global population growth and climate change, balancing agricultural productivity with environmental sustainability has never been more important. Precision farming technologies, including robotics, are touted as having huge potential to increase farm productivity, reduce energy and resource use and compact soil, while reducing the overall environmental impact of on-farm production. This comprehensive study presents, for the first time, a detailed analysis and environmental benchmarking of two organic sugar beet production (SBP) systems, conventional (CONV) and robotic (RBT), based on field experiments in Lithuanian conditions where a solar-powered robot is integrated into the production system to carry out sowing and weeding operations. In order to reduce the potential environmental impact and to understand the consequences of using the robot in agriculture, a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the entire SBP process up to the factory gate was carried out. The results of the analysis show that the conventional system has higher total GHG emissions than the robotic system, 36.98 and 27.18 kg CO_2eq t⁻¹, respectively, with poultry manure being the largest contributor. The higher beet yield in the RBT system, mainly due to effective weed control, resulted in a higher GHG emissions ratio (14.72) and a higher sustainability index (13.72). The LCA results showed that the CONV system had a higher negative environmental impact than the RBT in all eleven environmental impact categories assessed, with the most pronounced difference in the Ozone Depletion (OD) category. Diesel fuel was identified as the most important environmental factor for organically growing sugar beet in all considered impact categories, with the most notable environmental impact (about 94%) in the terrestrial ecotoxicity category in both systems. Normalization of the results showed that marine aquatic ecotoxicity (ME) had the greatest (78%) influence of all exposure categories for both cultivation systems, CONV – 22079.82, and RBT 18121.61 kg 1.4-DB_eq per ton of produced sugar beet. The study found that increasing yields and reducing fossil fuel use in organic farming are the two most promising strategies for achieving sustainability and efficiency in food production.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100186"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000242/pdfft?md5=edc91a007a35496a890e72b0eaf39680&pid=1-s2.0-S2666789424000242-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140558947","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":"Conceptual framework for Information and Communication Technology applications to enhance eco-efficiency","authors":"Tibor Princz- Jakovics ,&nbsp;Márton Szemenyei","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100184","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100184","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The quality of community decisions about the key characteristics of urban services depends on the level of involvement of local stakeholder groups. The identification of the environmental, economic and social impacts of investments to improve urban services is a critical aspect of the decision preparation phase. Assessment of the main stakeholder groups being affected by the impacts of urban services is required to understand what kind of problems they perceive. Based on their demand, different solutions can be provided to create an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) software system to facilitate environmental cooperations. The aim of this research is to propose an <span>ICT</span> system to support citizens’ active involvement in the transformation of the environment with access to essential information, and enable them to make more effective decisions about the investments. Most of the features of the proposed system have the potential to support eco-effective environmental policy implementations and form part of a sustainable policy toolkit. We explore the different interests and what functions should be provided to make access to information easier and more integrated. Our proposed conceptual framework would fulfill the requirements and gives practical examples how to increase eco-efficiency of products, technologies or investments in urban areas.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100184"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000229/pdfft?md5=5a4918ea27f3a837b7e388294d67be55&pid=1-s2.0-S2666789424000229-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140551636","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":"Assessing the circularity of post-consumer HDPE milk bottles through open-loop recycling and their environmental impact","authors":"Aymara Blanco ,&nbsp;Rafael Juan ,&nbsp;Robert Istrate ,&nbsp;Beatriz Paredes ,&nbsp;Mario Martin-Gamboa ,&nbsp;Carlos Domínguez ,&nbsp;Javier Dufour ,&nbsp;Rafael A. García-Muñoz","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100185","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100185","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Plastics are key in the packaging sector, but their widespread use contributes significantly to environmental challenges, such as the short life and high daily production of HDPE milk bottles. This study therefore aims to find a solution to this plastic waste, focusing on mechanical recycling. A comprehensive characterization of this post-consumer recycled HDPE reveals significant PP contamination, which poses a significant barrier due to polyolefin incompatibility, a common challenge in mixed plastics recycling. To mitigate this, blending with virgin HDPE and the use of various compatibilizers were investigated to improve the recyclability of the material. Several extrusion cycles were performed to analyse the thermo-mechanical degradation and to measure the performance and stability of the blends. The environmental impact of incorporating recycled HDPE into new bottles was also evaluated. Comparative evaluations with virgin bottles show that incorporating 25% or 50% recycled HDPE in the bottle yields carbon footprint reductions of 3% and 14%, respectively. These benefits could amplify with a wind-powered supply chain and a 100% recycled content. The findings lay the foundation for future plastic recycling scenarios, including dedicated sorting for this waste stream, providing a pathway to address the environmental impact of HDPE milk bottle disposal through recycling practices.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100185"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000230/pdfft?md5=434651d9155d8767cf49c7699546f270&pid=1-s2.0-S2666789424000230-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140547188","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":"A life cycle assessment of clinker and cement production in Ethiopia","authors":"Micheal G. Wolde ,&nbsp;Dilip Khatiwada ,&nbsp;Getachew Bekele ,&nbsp;Björn Palm","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100180","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100180","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cement production is a major consumer of energy and the largest source of industrial CO₂ emissions. This study aims to perform an environmental life cycle assessment of clinker and cement production in Ethiopia, using ReCiPe impact assessment method. Inventory data (material, energy, and transportation) is collected from seven major Ethiopian cement industries. The midpoint analysis identified nine hotspot environmental concerns: global warming, ozone formation (human health and terrestrial ecosystem), particulate matter formation, terrestrial (acidification and ecotoxicity), freshwater eutrophication, human carcinogenic toxicity, and fossil resource scarcity. Human health emerged as the most significantly affected endpoint damage category by the midpoint impacts. Among the process stages included in clinker system boundary, clinker production phase (kiln emissions) is a significant contributor to the total score of the hotspot impacts, ranging from 60.7% to 91.8%. The clinker system is responsible for over 81.03% of the overall environmental burden of cement. The sensitivity analysis reveals that a 5% change in kiln energy consumption and transportation burden could lead to a reduction in hotspot impacts ranging from 1.8% to 5%. To foster reliability of this study, uncertainty analysis is also conducted. Overall, the findings indicate the need to enhance environmental sustainability in Ethiopian cement production.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100180"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000187/pdfft?md5=9ecdf107dd3a88d66b3a78176fe2da1d&pid=1-s2.0-S2666789424000187-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140328646","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":"Innovation in crop rotations for sustainable integrated crop-livestock systems: The case of a typical semi-arid Mediterranean area","authors":"Paolo Guarnaccia,&nbsp;Giuseppe Timpanaro,&nbsp;Salvatore Incardona,&nbsp;Vera Teresa Foti,&nbsp;Mariarita Cammarata","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100182","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100182","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Integrated organic crop-livestock systems represent a sustainability model on which many environmental, economic and social expectations have been placed, especially in some areas with limited availability of natural resources. In recent years, among the fodder crops in rotation on organic livestock farms, conditions have been created for the emergence of soya (<em>Glycine hispida</em>, M.), also due to the coupled aid granted by the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). A generalised spread of soybean, however, may generate unsustainable production patterns, especially in Mediterranean areas characterised by limited irrigation and weed management issues. With respect to the above, the research assessed the holistic sustainability of using field beans (<em>Vicia faba</em>, L.) in rotation for fodder purposes. To this end, a technical-economic and environmental analysis was carried out with economic balances and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), through which a number of synthetic efficiency indices were developed. The results demonstrate the validity of the agronomic choice in achieving environmental efficiency, but also the importance of soil management and reducing the livestock load per unit area in order to simultaneously maintain economic and social efficiency levels.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100182"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000205/pdfft?md5=3cb64fdeef0c8f3d3ddfcd266f92cd66&pid=1-s2.0-S2666789424000205-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140290522","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":"Are starch-based materials more eco-friendly than fossil-based? A critical assessment","authors":"Naycari Forfora ,&nbsp;Ivana Azuaje ,&nbsp;Taylor Kanipe ,&nbsp;Jose A. Gonzalez ,&nbsp;Mariana Lendewig ,&nbsp;Isabel Urdaneta ,&nbsp;Richard Venditti ,&nbsp;Ronalds Gonzalez ,&nbsp;Dimitris Argyropoulos","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100177","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100177","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This review conducts a comprehensive quantitative analysis of the life cycle assessments (LCA) of starch-based products from production inception (biomass and starch production) to final manufacture. More specifically, this analysis synthesizes published LCA data for starch-based films, foams, polylactic acid (PLA), and filaments against typical fossil-based counterparts (polyethylene and polystyrene), revealing PLA’s carbon emissions range from 0.62 to 5.3 kg CO₂eq/kg, films at 3.2–5.8 kg CO₂eq/kg, and foams at 1.3–3.2 kg CO₂eq/kg, contrasted with fossil-based products emitting 0.7–6.7 kg CO₂eq/kg. Despite lower carbon dioxide emissions for starch-based products, the broader environmental impact, including eutrophication and acidification, often exceeds that of fossil-based counterparts, attributed to agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides.</p><p>This review delineates the environmental merits of starch-based products, outlines their optimal applications, and underscores the imperative for future research to address identified knowledge gaps and methodological limitations, particularly in the comprehensive environmental assessment of agricultural inputs and their mitigation strategies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"13 ","pages":"Article 100177"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000151/pdfft?md5=4d020636bcfd99bebc147ac2aa2e0db7&pid=1-s2.0-S2666789424000151-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140089579","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":"Decarbonization of academic laboratories: On the trade-offs between CO2 emissions, spending, and research output","authors":"Xavier Capet ,&nbsp;Olivier Aumont","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100168","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100168","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>University laboratories and research institutes are progressively engaging in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from their operations. It can be difficult to target all sources of GHG emissions at once, given the diversity of problems posed by each source individually. However, targeting only one or a subset of emissions sources can lead to reallocation of expenditures and thus transfers between emissions items when the financial budget is constant. A simple toy model with 2 or 3 expenditure items and 2 classes of laboratory personnel allows us to explore the communicating vessels effects associated with the partial decarbonization of research entities in different scenarios. More generally, the model highlights the trade-offs between CO2 emissions, expenditures, and output/research production. Decarbonization measures must be carefully planned based on thorough identification and quantification of direct emissions sources inside and outside the laboratory. Examples pertaining to air travel and use of labware are discussed in detail. Redefining expectations in terms of research production could allow for a greater emphasis on environmental constraints but this requires institutional as well as ethical transformations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100168"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000060/pdfft?md5=05a1f9cdcfc12524b69a105722c58bf0&pid=1-s2.0-S2666789424000060-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140103548","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":"Early transition to cleaner bus fleets: Benefits, costs, and policy evaluation of alternatives from a life cycle perspective","authors":"Eyal Razy-Yanuv ,&nbsp;Noa Meron","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100172","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100172","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Older urban buses are significant contributors to environmental effects. This study assesses the economic and environmental feasibility of transitioning to cleaner bus fleets by following the <u>concept of early replacement of older buses that are still operational</u> while examining several propulsion alternatives and policy approaches in Israel. Relying on assessments of environmental costs (EC) and the total cost of ownership (TCO), <u>the proposed concept is feasible</u> for all the propulsion systems examined. This feasibility is then reflected in the propulsion systems' marginal social costs (MSC), which are all lower than the MSC of continued reliance on diesel Euro 5 buses that are still operational, as well as in their incremental benefit-cost ratio (IBCR) that is greater than 1.5. Early replacement is an effective measure, reflected primarily in a substantial reduction of air pollution and noise. Electric bus was found to be the best in EC (0.17 USD/vkm) but worst in TCO (1.65 USD/vkm). It was followed by diesel-electric hybrid (EC 0.27 USD/vkm; TCO 1.6 USD/vkm), compressed natural gas (CNG) bus (EC 0.32 USD/vkm; TCO 1.4), and diesel Euro 6 bus (EC 0.33 USD/vkm; TCO 1.61 USD/vkm). Determining which alternative is preferable relies on additional considerations.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100172"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000102/pdfft?md5=8fd01a89016a578686d45c623c6a72f1&pid=1-s2.0-S2666789424000102-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140062800","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":"Can technology mitigate the environmental impact of dairy farms?","authors":"Maria Cecilia Bianchi,&nbsp;Giulia Gislon,&nbsp;Sara Mondini,&nbsp;Luciana Bava,&nbsp;Alberto Tamburini,&nbsp;Anna Sandrucci,&nbsp;Maddalena Zucali","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100178","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100178","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of the adoption of precision technologies in dairy cattle farms on environmental impact of milk production, estimated using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology. Primary data were collected from five dairy farms. Based on this information, scenarios were created to evaluate the effect of introducing an Automated Milking System (AMS) and adopting technologies for udder health monitoring and heat detection. Comparisons among scenarios showed that the application of these technologies helps to reduce the environmental impact of milk production at the farm level. The introduction of the AMS resulted in a mitigation of 1.2–5.8% of Global Warming Potential (GWP) per kg Fat and Protein Corrected Milk (FPCM). The implementation of technological systems for udder health monitoring led to a decrease in GWP per kg FPCM of 0.06–0.04% for every 5% increase in the detection of infected cows. The use of automatic systems for heat detection reduced GWP of 1 kg of FPCM by 9.4%, Acidification by more than 10% and Land use 5.65–7.69%. The effectiveness of precision technologies on environmental impact mitigation depends not only on their implementation and reliability but also on how the information provided is used by farmer.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"12 ","pages":"Article 100178"},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666789424000163/pdfft?md5=d25b1b3835ec1d8a84aec03230483a23&pid=1-s2.0-S2666789424000163-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140138460","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}