{"title":"The use of efficiency metrics for cross-jurisdictional assessment of household hazardous waste collection and recycling","authors":"Sharmin Jahan Mim, Amy Richter, Arash Gitifar, Rumpa Chowdhury, Kelvin Tsun Wai Ng","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145420","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145420","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Household hazardous waste (HHW) has proliferated with the growing consumption of household products, highlighting the importance of an effective management program. Although industrialized nations have employed collection programs for HHW, their efficiencies are not appropriately assessed. North America currently lacks comprehensive studies on the efficiency of HHW programs. This study introduces two metrics: Collection Ratio (CollectRat) and Recycling Ratio (RecylRat), to analyze the efficacy of HHW collection and recycling. The study develops predictive models for these metrics to identify key household characteristics influencing HHW management practices. Management practices are shifting towards recycling, although reuse remains low, peaking at 20.9 % in California and 10.8 % in Texas. By examining the metrics using American and Canadian datasets, results show that collection rates are higher in highly populated regions, unlike recycling rates. Most Canadian HHW programs have adopted the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework, while California has recently introduced EPR for certain household products, leading to increased public awareness and improved waste management practices. Findings suggest HHW collection ratio alone does not represent waste recycling well. The rate of collection and recycling depends on household characteristics such as family size, educational attainment, and other factors. The use of efficiency metrics in forecasting models helps to understand trends in HHW management in North America and can be applied to other jurisdictions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"503 ","pages":"Article 145420"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143745386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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 sustainability orientation on performance in higher education. An empirical longitudinal investigation","authors":"Federico Rotondo , Nicoletta Fadda , Alberto Ezza , Lucia Giovanelli","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145429","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145429","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Beyond the indisputable ethical value of integrating sustainability principles into the strategy and operations of organizations, their positive effect on financial and competitive performance represents a primary driver of sustainable innovation. Previous studies on the sustainability orientation-performance relationship have shown inconclusive findings and have never been conducted in higher education. This paper aims to examine whether different degrees of strategic orientation toward sustainability impact the financial and competitive performance of higher education institutions. The sustainable business model framework and the product and organizational architecture approach are used to assess sustainability integration in the strategies of all 61 Italian state universities, whereas panel regression analyses are utilized to investigate the sustainability orientation-performance relationship over the period 2017–2021. The findings reveal that, in general, sustainability orientation has a negative effect on financial performance and contradictory ones on competitive performance, but the impacts vary according to geographical location, type, and size of universities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"504 ","pages":"Article 145429"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143737252","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}
Weishi Zhang , Ying Xu , Han Bu , David G. Streets , Can Wang
{"title":"How does clean heating policy affect employment in local and neighbouring cities: Spatial quasi-experimental evidence from China","authors":"Weishi Zhang , Ying Xu , Han Bu , David G. Streets , Can Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145399","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145399","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Clean energy development and employment promotion are two essential Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations. However, limited evidence exists on how industrial energy transition policies impact employment at the city level. This research uses exogenous changes in clean heating intensity resulting from the implementation of a clean heating policy, as a quasi-natural experiment. Using a Continuous Spatial Difference-in-Difference (CSDID) model, it examines the direct and spillover effects of the clean heating transition on employment in 130 cities across northern China. The results show that the clean heating transition can significantly increase the total employment in both the local city and nearby cities. Direct effects are most pronounced in the tertiary industry, while spillover effects are concentrated in the secondary industry. These effects are driven through three key channels: air quality control, capital substitution, and technology innovation. Notably, the impacts of clean heating transformation on employment have shown significant heterogeneity based on a city's geographic location (eastern vs. central), marketization level, foreign investment levels, and the extent of clean energy use in the heating sector. It is estimated that for every 1 % marginal increase in a city's clean heating intensity can promote approximately 667–937 new employment positions. These findings provide policy implications for achieving sustainable development goals in the context of industrial energy transitions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"503 ","pages":"Article 145399"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143737190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}
Huong Nguyen Thi Thu , Ngoc Trinh Phuong , Thu Pham Anh , Thao Vu Thi Ngoc
{"title":"Unveiling Vietnam's trade dynamics: The perspective of virtual water on agricultural products trade for sustainable water resource management","authors":"Huong Nguyen Thi Thu , Ngoc Trinh Phuong , Thu Pham Anh , Thao Vu Thi Ngoc","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145430","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145430","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Economic globalization influences the trade of agriculture products worldwide, creating complex interdependencies in trade flows and virtual water flows. Virtual water trade is an integral part of global water resource management that offers a framework to address water scarcity and ensure sustainable development. This study aims to unveil global trade dynamics from the perspective of virtual water on agricultural products trade, with the objective of providing policies for sustainable water resource management. Using the water footprint network method, it calculates virtual water flows based on green, blue, and grey water footprints. Additionally, the study assesses virtual water trading partnerships by analyzing two key indicators: net import and water abundance. Through a case study on relationship trade between Vietnam and major partners including the United States, China and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) associated with agricultural products, the findings show a country can role as both a supplier and consumer of virtual water. Between 2010 and 2021, total imports amounted to 90 billion m<sup>3</sup>, while virtual water exports reached 149 billion m<sup>3</sup>. The United States stands as Vietnam's largest virtual water surplus partner with a net import volume of 22.37 billion m<sup>3</sup>, whereas China is the largest virtual water deficit partner with a net import volume of approximately −87.05 billion m<sup>3</sup>. Exports of Vietnam's green water to China are staggeringly high, at 24 times the volume sent to the US. However, a deficit in grey water, primarily with China, constitutes 67.2 % of total grey water exports. Key agriculture food products such as milled rice (29.83 % of virtual water exports) and palm oil (17.37 % of virtual water imports) dominate these trade flows. Based on net virtual water flows imports and water regeneration potential, this research underscores the need for strategic adjustments in trade relations between countries to optimize water use and enhance sustainability in the global food supply chain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"503 ","pages":"Article 145430"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143737253","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}
Yanfei Xiong , Mengba Liu , Lanjiao Wen , Anlu Zhang
{"title":"Does urbanization inevitably exacerbate cropland pressure? The multiscale evidence from China","authors":"Yanfei Xiong , Mengba Liu , Lanjiao Wen , Anlu Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145413","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145413","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the relationship between urbanization and cropland pressure is important for achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The impact of urbanization on cropland pressure lacks a comprehensive analysis within a cropland supply-demand framework, particularly when considering ecological security from multiscale perspectives. In this study, we calculate cropland quantity pressure (CQP) and cropland ecological pressure (CEP) by employing a modified cropland pressure index and ecological footprint model on the basis of cropland's ecosystem service value. Then, based on the metacoupling theory, the spatial self-lagging model (SLX) is applied to test the local and remote impacts of urbanization on cropland pressure. The results show that from 2009 to 2022, China's CQP increased by 6.87 %, while CEP decreased by 7.89 %, both remaining at moderate levels. Excessive ecological pressure was observed in major grain-producing areas, with CEP 20.61 % above the national average. Urbanization exhibits trade-off effects on CQP and CEP; spatial urbanization intensifies both pressures, whereas population and social urbanization mitigate them. Remote urbanization impacts cropland pressure consistently across provincial and city scales, while local effects vary due to uneven regional urbanization development. Major grain producing areas are particularly vulnerable to urbanization's adverse effects, whether local or remote. Overall, China's cropland pressure remains severe, with a trade-off between CQP and CEP, and urbanization is not a single pressure source. This study carefully examines the relationship between urbanization and cropland pressure and provides new insights for sustainable use of cropland worldwide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"504 ","pages":"Article 145413"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143737189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}
Hairu Cao , Qi Wang , Jianing Zhang , Juezhi Yu , Kaifeng Yu , Feifei Zhang
{"title":"Enhanced lithium extraction from spent LiFePO4 via high-throughput electrochemical flow cell technology","authors":"Hairu Cao , Qi Wang , Jianing Zhang , Juezhi Yu , Kaifeng Yu , Feifei Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145423","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145423","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, the strong demand for electronic products and new energy vehicles has stimulated the large-scale production of lithium-ion batteries. As these batteries reach the end of their service life, the imperative for industrial-scale recycling has garnered global attention. At present, prevailing recycling methods, predominantly rooted in hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy, entail intricate procedures and substantial chemical consumption. Here, we present an innovative and economical approach for the recycling of spent LiFePO<sub>4</sub> materials. By virtue of a novel high-throughput electrochemical flow cell, spent LiFePO<sub>4</sub> battery materials are continuously decomposed into valuable chemicals. FeCl<sub>3</sub> and its complexes with glycine, malonic acid, malic acid, and xylitol (the ratio of FeCl<sub>3</sub> to ligand is 1:4) were selected as redox mediators. The redox mediators involved in the reaction are instantly regenerated on the anode for subsequent rounds of reactions, while Li <sup>+</sup> ions are extracted from the LiFePO<sub>4</sub> and concentrated in the cathode side, conjunction with H<sub>2</sub> generation. Through comprehensive analysis of chemical reactions within the reaction tank and the electrochemical reaction rates on the electrode, we demonstrate the superior extraction performance of malonic acid-Fe<sup>3+</sup>. Furthermore, the hydrogen evolution reaction kinetics is boosted by a platinum carbon electrocatalyst. This electrolyzer can operate at a high current density of 200 mA cm<sup>−2</sup>, significantly reducing the reaction time for recycling 1 g of LiFePO<sub>4</sub> material to a mere 0.17 h. This substantial enhancement in recycling efficiency not only streamlines the process but also conserves valuable chemical resources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"503 ","pages":"Article 145423"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143737254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Exploring spatiotemporal heterogeneity and driving factors of water supply and demand in the Jialing River Basin from the perspective of service flows","authors":"Hongxiang Wang, Yajuan Ma, Weiqi Yuan, Handong Ye, Chaohui Sun, Xiaohan Zhang, Jiaqi Lan, Wenxian Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145391","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145391","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With ongoing population growth and continuous urbanization, the mismatch between the supply and demand of water ecosystem services is becoming increasingly severe. Building connections between humans and nature through service flows can clarify the pathways of water resource supply and demand. Therefore, this study employs the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model to quantitatively analyze the supply and demand of water in the Jialing River Basin (JLRB) from 2000 to 2020. It constructs a spatial flow model of watershed water ecosystem services and evaluates the watershed water security index (WSI). The results indicate that the total water resources in JLRB generally showed a surplus over the three years analyzed. The static WSI were 0.2204, 0.2134, and 0.2116, with notably higher values in the eastern region compared to other areas. Considering water resource flow, 5 %–15 % of sub-basins met their water demand after receiving upstream supplies, significantly improving water security. However, the annual WSI shows a declining trend, decreasing from 0.7582 to 0.7468. The primary driver of the WSI decline is evapotranspiration (ET), though its explanatory power has weakened, with anthropogenic factors having an increasing impact. It is recommended that local governments strengthen the management and oversight of human water use. This study comprehensively and accurately represents the flow pathways of water resources and the supply-demand mismatch. This not only provides decision-making information for formulating appropriate policies in different regions but also lays the foundation for promoting the healthy development of ecological security patterns in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"502 ","pages":"Article 145391"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143735178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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":"Alkalinity Factory Can Achieve Positive Climate Benefits Within Decades","authors":"Qinglin Yan, Liwen Zheng, Wen Zhuang, Jihua Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145406","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145406","url":null,"abstract":"Ocean alkalinity enhancement is a thriving pathway for mitigating climate change. The alkalinity factory promises controllable environmental impacts and cost-effective monitoring, reporting, and verification. However, research gaps remain in the identification of the climate benefits of the alkalinity factory, and filling these gaps is essential for allocating human efforts toward mitigation. In this study, we employed a life cycle assessment approach to evaluate the climate contributions of several pre-configured alkalinity factories, and milled olivine was taken as a stable alkalinity source, named the marine alkalinity reinforcement system<sup>a</sup> (MARS). The results indicate that the MARS can capture an average of 153.5 tons of CO<sub>2</sub> over its lifespan, and a medium-sized (50 m<sup>3</sup>) MARS filled with 25 μm olivine can minimize carbon and total environmental footprints. In addition, the payback periods for these footprints range from 1.1 to 6.2 years and from 4.1 to 22.5 years, respectively, depending on the olivine-to-seawater ratio. The use of ultra-fine olivine (5 μm) and a high olivine-to-seawater ratio (4:1) significantly increased the carbon sequestration rate but also resulted in a high olivine comminution energy consumption and engineering challenges. Our findings reveal that the alkalinity factory is a viable solution in marine carbon dioxide removal when configurations can ensure positive environmental benefits.","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":11.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143736377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}
Bo Song , Zhenxing Shen , Zitong Wang , Guiling Zhou , Qin Peng , Hao Fan , Jia Liu
{"title":"Resource utilization of red mud with biochar to prepare high-efficiency denitration catalysts","authors":"Bo Song , Zhenxing Shen , Zitong Wang , Guiling Zhou , Qin Peng , Hao Fan , Jia Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145386","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145386","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The preparation of denitration catalyst from red mud is one of the ways to realize high value resource utilization. Currently, the main challenges in preparing denitration catalysts from RM include high calcination temperatures with long durations, complex metal loading processes, and narrow high-efficiency temperature windows. In this study, the denitration catalyst R5B5-450 was prepared using RM and biochar through acidification, grinding, and calcination. This method can effectively improve the above problems. R5B5-450 achieved over 90 % NO conversion within the temperature range of 225–400 °C and demonstrated significant potential for application in treating real coal-fired flue gas. This work provides a reference for the effective utilization and reduction of RM while also contributing to reducing the production cost of denitration catalysts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"502 ","pages":"Article 145386"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143725644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}
Donghao Xu , Gerard H. Ros , Qichao Zhu , Fusuo Zhang , Wim de Vries
{"title":"Spatial optimization of manure and fertilizer application strategies to minimize nutrient surpluses and acidification rates in croplands of a typical Chinese county","authors":"Donghao Xu , Gerard H. Ros , Qichao Zhu , Fusuo Zhang , Wim de Vries","doi":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145401","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jclepro.2025.145401","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Elevated inputs of mineral nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilizer applications increased crop yield but enhanced eutrophication and soil acidification due to nitrate-induced base cation (BC) leaching in China. Increasing inputs of manure counteract soil acidification since it contains BC apart from N and P, but its use may enhance eutrophication by unwanted P accumulation in soils with a high P status. In addition, however, N and P fertilizer inputs can go down by improving management practices, increasing the N and P use efficiency (NUE and PUE). In this study, we assessed spatially explicit optimal manure and N and P fertilizer application rates, by balancing crop N and P demand with their inputs while using attainable NUE values for manure and fertilizer and enhancing PUE values by accounting for the legacy soil P pools, at 151 sites in Qiyang, a typical Chinese agricultural county. We evaluated the impacts on N and P surpluses and soil acidification rates (lime requirements) using the acidification model VSD+ and extrapolated these impacts to county-level. Historical acidification in paddy soils was mainly caused by natural acidification and crop removal, while in upland soils mineral fertilizers dominated the factors controlling acidification. Balancing N and P input with crop demand and recycling all available manure can nearly fulfil the crop P requirements, and reduced N and P fertilizer use by 74 % and 99 %, respectively. The N and P surpluses subsequently declined by 70–90 %, respectively, whereas the organic carbon (C) input increased by 48 % and the soil acidification rates for non-calcareous soils declined by 50 %. Recommendation systems for fertilizer and manure use, combining the flows of C, N, P and base cations are key to counteract soil acidification and substantially reduce environmental impacts while sustaining crop production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":349,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cleaner Production","volume":"503 ","pages":"Article 145401"},"PeriodicalIF":9.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143734202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"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}