{"title":"Attitudes and preferences of the Chinese public towards products made from recycled materials: A text mining approach","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200234","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200234","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Products made from recycled materials, as an environmentally friendly option, have attracted public attention. Understanding public attitudes and preferences towards such products is crucial for their market development. In order to explore the Chinese residents’ attitude and emotional tendency, we analyzed public discussions and topics on products made from recycled materials from Sina Weibo. Meanwhile, LDA and BERT deep learning models were employed to assess the level of public attention, hot topics, and sentiment tendencies in China. Results show a significant upward trend in public interest in products made from recycled materials. Although the fact that most people have a positive attitude towards the environmental concept of products made from recycled materials and support such products, there is not a significant demand for products made from recycled materials, i.e., there is a green attitude-behaviour gap. Results further reveal that factors such as the price of products made from recycled materials, branding, and public skepticism about the sustainability of the products are the main reasons for the gap between environmental awareness and consumer behaviour. By analyzing the public's cognitive structure and psychological characteristics regarding products made from recycled materials through social media data, this paper can help recycling manufacturers understand consumers' needs and expectations, as well as assist policymakers in formulating better circular economy policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74689,"journal":{"name":"Resources, conservation & recycling advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142540362","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":"Decoding sustainable consumption behavior: A systematic review of theories and models and provision of a guidance framework","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200232","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200232","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sustainable consumption behavior (SCB) has gained increasing importance in addressing global challenges such as climate change and resource depletion. This paper presents a systematic review of theories and models applied to understanding SCB. A total of 64 studies, published between 2012 and 2022, were analyzed, utilizing 14 theories, models and subjects to identify key drivers of SCB. Among the theories, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was the most frequently employed, with 29 studies, highlighting the influence of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on sustainable consumption. Other prominent frameworks include Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), used in 5 studies, and the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) Theory, applied in 4 studies. The review identified a trend toward expanding TPB to include factors such as altruism and environmental concern to better capture SCB's complexity. Moreover, models like the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (used in 4 studies) emphasize the role of innovation adoption in promoting sustainability. Key findings also suggest that while internal motivations (e.g., personal values, attitudes) strongly influence SCB, external factors like social norms and policy interventions also play a crucial role. A notable challenge is the gap between intention and actual behavior, with several studies emphasizing the need for multi-dimensional approaches that integrate psychological, social, and contextual factors. This review consolidates diverse approaches into a guiding framework for future SCB studies, emphasizing the importance of contextual nuances and interdisciplinary collaboration to foster sustainable consumer behaviors across various domains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74689,"journal":{"name":"Resources, conservation & recycling advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142441732","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 two-step approach to recycling hydroponics waste nutrient solutions using fertiliser drawn forward osmosis and chemical precipitation","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200233","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200233","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hydroponic waste nutrient solutions (HWNS) present significant environmental and economic challenges due to their high phosphorus content and potential for eutrophication. Addressing these issues requires innovative approaches that mitigate environmental impacts and recover valuable resources. This study introduces a novel two-step approach that combines Fertiliser Drawn Forward Osmosis (FDFO) and chemical precipitation to recycle HWNS effectively.</div><div>In the first phase, FDFO was employed to concentrate HWNS using a commercial hydroponic fertiliser as the draw solution. This process resulted in a diluted fertiliser solution (potentially suitable for reuse in hydroponics irrigation) and a concentrated HWNS rich in phosphorus. The concentrated HWNS was then subjected to chemical precipitation in the second phase, where phosphorus was recovered as calcium phosphate by adding sodium hydroxide at an optimised pH of 9.5.</div><div>Bench-scale experiments demonstrated a 93% water recovery rate using FDFO and an impressive 99.5% phosphorus removal efficiency through chemical precipitation. These results indicate that the combined FDFO and chemical precipitation processes effectively recover water and phosphorus from HWNS and reduce reliance on synthetic fertilisers and freshwater in hydroponic systems.</div><div>The findings of this study demonstrate that the two-step approach not only enhances water and phosphorus recovery but also improves the efficiency of the chemical precipitation process by achieving higher recovery rates resulting in more sustainable hydroponic systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74689,"journal":{"name":"Resources, conservation & recycling advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-10-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142433458","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":"Electrolysis and waste heat utilisation in the sustainable transition of Germany's energy system","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200231","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200231","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The article examines the use of the by-product waste heat in hydrogen projects in Germany. It identifies several conditions for the use of waste heat. These relate to infrastructure, electrolysis operating modes and sector coupling. It uses a set-theoretic method to attribute causality between these conditions and the outcome, in order to arrive at a robust comparison of the heterogeneous cases. Counter-intuitively, our analysis suggests that the absence of gas infrastructure, along with existing district heating systems, is the strongest explanatory condition for waste heat recovery, with industrial participation supporting this.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74689,"journal":{"name":"Resources, conservation & recycling advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142425553","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":"Cost factors affecting the utilisation of secondary materials in the construction sector: A systematic literature review","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200230","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The building and construction sector accounts for a substantial portion of the consumption of natural resources and the generation of waste. The use of secondary materials in this sector offers a promising avenue to reduce reliance on primary materials and curb waste generation. However, the utilisation of these materials is heavily influenced by cost considerations and a comprehensive understanding of the associated costs is lacking. Therefore, this study systematically reviewed key literature to identify cost categories and factors that influence the cost of utilising secondary materials in construction projects. The PRISMA method was employed for asystematic review of the literature from 2013 to 2023. Furthermore, the study explored strategies for enhancing cost performance. The results delineated 13 distinct cost categories within five phases of materials' extended service life (i.e. end-of-life, secondary production, design and planning, installation in existing/new site and operation) and 53 factors influencing the cost performance of secondary materials. Additionally, 22 diverse strategies were identified to enhance this performance. The paper recommends two approaches to implement these strategies: establishing government-led platforms to promote these strategies and enhancing waste education. The findings hold significance for practitioners and policymakers aiming to enhance resource efficiency in construction projects towards a Circular Economy (CE).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":74689,"journal":{"name":"Resources, conservation & recycling advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142425557","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":"Enhancing Solid Waste Management in Fiji: A Comprehensive Approach with LCA, GIS, and Waste Treatment Strategies","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200228","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200228","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Small island developing states (SIDS) face persistent challenges in managing household solid waste due to inadequate waste management infrastructure. This study investigates the existing solid waste management practices in Nasinu Town Council, Fiji, through waste characterization survey (WACS) and life cycle assessment (LCA), accompanied by geographic information system (GIS) analysis to evaluate potential waste treatment facilities. Various strategies are explored, including recycling inorganic waste and converting organic waste into energy. Landfill gas recovery is identified as a significant contributor to reducing toxic gases like carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and methane (CH₄) emissions. Furthermore, treating organic waste reduces landfill volume and minimizes the release of pollutants. The study emphasizes the importance of supportive policies for effective solid waste management and highlights how organic waste treatment can improve waste management in Nasinu Town. This research, unique among SIDS studies, provides valuable insights and replicable technologies applicable to the study area and the broader Pacific Region, with the potential to significantly improve solid waste management practices.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":74689,"journal":{"name":"Resources, conservation & recycling advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667378924000270/pdfft?md5=c6219481bc1716f8d1b0a44df922f38e&pid=1-s2.0-S2667378924000270-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142171981","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 classification of food products to enhance circular economy and reduce waste: A systematic literature review","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200229","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200229","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Along food supply chains, one-third of global food production is wasted annually: circular economy can be applied to prevent and recover food waste. The literature has explored food waste from many perspectives; however, no attention has been devoted to understanding how the intrinsic characteristics of food products influence food waste generation and valorization. This study proposes a classification of food products based on circular economy principles derived from a systematic literature review. The classification sheds light on how the intrinsic variability of food products influences food waste generation and recovery along the supply chain. The characteristics that drive differences in terms of food waste are identified by defining two product groups for each step of the chain (primary production: plant origin and animal origin; manufacturing: minimally processed and processed; distribution: ambient temperature and controlled temperature; retail: short shelf life and long shelf life). This stresses the intertwining of food waste with supply chain operations. Moreover, within the same supply chain stage, food waste causes and circular economy actions vary greatly depending on the product characteristics. The review also reveals how the most relevant causes within each product category correspond to a high relevance of practices addressing these causes. The adopted perspective represents a novel contribution to knowledge, providing a clear discussion of the variability of food waste along the supply chain and unveiling aspects requiring further research. From a practical standpoint, the classification can empower food industry actors to develop circular economy actions through an appropriate understanding of product characteristics.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":74689,"journal":{"name":"Resources, conservation & recycling advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667378924000282/pdfft?md5=4d4d827882391e426f59b4ccae899a40&pid=1-s2.0-S2667378924000282-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142148505","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":"Recycling devulcanized EPDM to improve engineering properties of SBR rubber compounds","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200227","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200227","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ethylene propylene diene rubbers (EPDM) have gained substantial attention in automotive and industrial applications owing to their exceptional resistance against weathering and heat. Despite their advantages, the elastomeric nature of EPDM poses challenges in its recycling due to the presence of crosslinks in their chemical structure, preventing them from melting. To overcome this issue, devulcanized EPDM (EPDMd) has been developed, characterized by the effective breaking of these crosslinks. Our study focuses on common composites that include Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR), EPDM and silica, but with the incorporation of devulcanized EPDM (EPDMd).</p><p>We have studied the mechanical, thermal, structural and dielectric properties of SBR composites containing EPDMd at variable compositions (0, 20, 40, 50, 60 phr). Employing techniques such as Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectropy (FTIR), and Scanning Electronic Microscopy (SEM), we have explored the microstructural changes driving the macroscopic effects on the measured properties.</p><p>The results show that incorporating EPDMd improves the crosslinking degree and, at optimal 40 phr loading, significantly increases the mechanical properties of SBR matrix. The addition of SiO<sub>2</sub>, in general, reduce tensile strength and elongation, while increasing the Young's modulus, except for compositions around 40 phr EPDMd. The dielectric measurements are in concordance with the previous data, showing a moderation of the Maxwell–Wagner–Sillars (MWS) effect due to SiO2 in highly filled EPDMd composites at 40 phr EPDMd.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":74689,"journal":{"name":"Resources, conservation & recycling advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667378924000269/pdfft?md5=4a98704487fad5b2d021b89a09173dd8&pid=1-s2.0-S2667378924000269-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142048163","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":"Towards circular economy of wasted printed circuit boards of mobile phones fuelled by machine learning and robust mathematical optimization framework","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200226","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200226","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Estimating the operating conditions using conventional process analysis techniques for the maximum metal extraction from the wasted printed circuit boards (WPCB) can provide sub-optimal solutions leading to the low yield of the process. In this paper, we present a closed-loop methodological framework built on machine learning and robust mathematical optimization technique, that offers the mathematical rigour, to determine the optimum operating conditions for the maximum Cu and Ni recovery from the WPCB. Alkali leaching based novel metals recovery process from the WPCB is designed, and the experiments are conducted to collect the data on the percentage recovery of Cu and Ni against the operating levels of the process input variables (ammonia concentration (NH<sub>3</sub> conc. (g/L)), ammonium sulfate concentration ((NH<sub>4</sub>)<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> conc. (g/L)), H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> concentration (H<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> conc. (M)), time (h), liquid to solid ratio (L/S ratio, (mL/g)), temperature (Temp. (°C)), and stirring speed (rpm)). The experimental data is deployed to construct the functional mapping between the nonlinear output variables of metals recovery process with the hyperdimensional input space through artificial neural network (ANN) based modelling algorithm – a powerful universal function approximator. Well-predictive ANN models for Cu and Ni recovery are developed having co-efficient of determination (R<sup>2</sup>) value more than 0.90. Partial derivative-based sensitivity analysis is then carried out to establish the order of the significance of the input variables that is backed by the domain knowledge, thus promotes the interpretability of the trained ANN models. The hybridization of ANN with NLP (nonlinear programming) framework is implemented for the determination of optimized operating conditions to extract maximum Cu and Ni under separate and combined model of metal extraction. The robustness of the determined solutions is verified, the determined optimized solutions for the metal recovery are validated in the lab, and the maximum metal recovery, i.e., 100 % Cu and 90 % Ni is extracted from the WPCB. This research demonstrates the effective utilization of ANN model-based robust optimization approach for the metal recovery from the WPCB that supports the circular economy for the metal extraction industry.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":74689,"journal":{"name":"Resources, conservation & recycling advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667378924000257/pdfft?md5=2f70159b07aafc54cde09c1458e30f45&pid=1-s2.0-S2667378924000257-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142011682","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}
Oleksandr Kovtun , Mykyta Levchenko , Stephan Höntsch , Laura Lohmeier , Marcus Schreiner , Martin Gräbner , Olena Volkova
{"title":"Recycling of iron-rich basic oxygen furnace dust using hydrogen-based direct reduction","authors":"Oleksandr Kovtun , Mykyta Levchenko , Stephan Höntsch , Laura Lohmeier , Marcus Schreiner , Martin Gräbner , Olena Volkova","doi":"10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200225","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200225","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The reduction of iron oxide-bearing ores necessitates the exploration of alternatives. Recycling iron oxide-enriched metallurgical dust could serve as secondary raw material for metallurgical processes. Implementing environmentally friendly technologies utilizing hydrogen has prompted the concept of hydrogen reduction of metallurgical dust to recycle secondary steel production products. The present study investigates the characteristics of hydrogen reduction of briquettes and pellets produced from basic oxygen furnace dust and reduced at the temperature of 850 °C. Experimental results revealed that the reduction degree for pellets was approximately 1.5 times higher compared to briquettes. The reduction swelling index of pellets was noticeable lower compared to literature data of reduction swelling index for iron ore pellets. Scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was carried out to detect changes in the microstructure and chemical composition of the samples. Subsequent melting of the reduced samples unveiled non-metallic inclusions within the iron alloy and the impact of slag on their distribution between the alloy and slag.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":74689,"journal":{"name":"Resources, conservation & recycling advances","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2024-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667378924000245/pdfft?md5=4fe23663a5b2cb5c872174d6ad7e2a02&pid=1-s2.0-S2667378924000245-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141539789","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}