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Efficient Use and Recovery of Resources for the Purpose of Circular Economy and Sustainability

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Sustainability and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (24 February 2024) | Viewed by 16134

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Saulius Vasarevičius

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Guest Editor

Department of Environmental Protection and Water Engineering, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, LT-10223 Vilnius, Lithuania
Interests: waste management; circular economy; soil remediation; sustainability

Dr. Maksim Antonov

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Guest Editor

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Tallinn University of Technology, Ehitajate tee 5, 19086 Tallinn, Estonia
Interests: tribology performance in aggressive environments; elevated and high temperature properties; design of equipment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Gintaras Denafas

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Guest Editor

Department of Environmental Technology, Kaunas University of Technology, LT-50254 Kaunas, Lithuania
Interests: waste management and treatment; resources recovering; environmental impact assessment

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Natural resources on this planet are limited, and thus, it is important for humans to make good use of what resources they have. In the past, waste usually ended up in landfill or the incinerator, which caused many environmental problems that continue to this day. Today, we have many technologies that can help to turn waste into something useful for humans again. Those technologies allow us to recycle and reuse waste and contribute to a circular economy. Importantly, the more we reuse the waste we produce, the fewer natural resources we need.

The concept of a circular economy has been receiving increasing attention in recent years. At present, with the rapid development of society, problems around the waste materials, energy sources, and pollution of the environment are worsening. We need to call for the more rational use and recovery of the resources we have, as this will facilitate the march toward environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

We invite original research articles and critical reviews on topics related (but not limited) to:

Sustainable waste management and treatment;
Soil remediation;
Environmental impact assessment, life cycle assessment;
Sustainability, circular economy;
Tribological (wear, friction, lubrication) solutions enabling efficient use of resources;
Design for environment, design for circularity, etc.;
Educational programs about resource recovery, circular economy, and sustainability.

Prof. Dr. Saulius Vasarevičius
Dr. Maksim Antonov
Prof. Dr. Gintaras Denafas
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

waste management
resources recovery
environmental impact assessment

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 5148 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Louvered Noise Barrier with Changeable Sound Insulation from Waste Tire Rubber and Investigation of Acoustic Properties

by Edgaras Strazdas and Tomas Januševičius

Sustainability 2024, 16(6), 2567; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su16062567 - 21 Mar 2024

Viewed by 472

Abstract

In line with circular economy principles, the recycling and reuse of tire rubber waste are considered highly advanced and environmentally friendly waste disposal methods. Through the repurposing of tire rubber waste, the goal is to minimize environmental impact while creating a louvered noise barrier with sound attenuation capabilities. The acoustic properties of the structure made of used tire rubber granulate are investigated in this research. Firstly, nine rubber granulate plates of different fractions, thickness, and density were produced. Two plates with the best results were selected after an impedance tube analysis of their sound absorption (α) and sound transmission loss (D_TL). These plates were used as a filler in the structure of the louvers. The efficiency of the structure and its dependence on the tilting angle of the louvers and the number of plates were investigated in a semi-anechoic sound-absorbing chamber. The maximum sound level reduction observed was 17.3 dB (in the 8000 Hz frequency band), and the maximum equivalent sound level loss (LA_eq) was 7.3 dBA. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Efficient Use and Recovery of Resources for the Purpose of Circular Economy and Sustainability)

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16 pages, 3930 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of the Seasonal Potential of Macroalgae and Grass in the Sea of Azov for Methanogenesis and Optimization of the Digestate’s Carbon/Nitrogen Ratio

by Vadim Burko, Alvydas Zagorskis, Nelli Elistratova, Olha Khliestova, Jaunius Urbonavičius and Vladimir Monin

Sustainability 2024, 16(3), 1134; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16031134 - 29 Jan 2024

Viewed by 568

Abstract

Large amounts of macroalgae and grass are dumped on the shores of the Sea of Azov in different seasons. Aquatic plant biomass management could contribute to sustainable development. By mixing them with co-substrates in an anaerobic bioreactor, not only can biogas be extracted, but suitable fertilizers can also be obtained. This study discusses the possibility of using methanogenesis waste from Azov Sea algae and sea grass as a fertilizer for agriculture. The main criterion is the presence of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in the waste products of methanogenesis. The influence of climatic and seasonal factors in the Azov region on the quality and quantity of storm emissions, on the productivity of methanogenesis, and changes in the ratio of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) during methanogenesis and in the fermented substrate has been established. The influence of the ratio of the components of the mixture in various proportions, before methanogenesis, on the productivity of methanogenesis and the change in the ratio of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) during the process of methanogenesis, and in the fermented substrate were studied. The biomass of the Sea of Azov, cattle manure and wastewater waste in various proportions, were used as components of the mixture. Recommendations are given for the selection of mixture components for methanogenesis, with predicted indicators of the ratio of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in the fermented substrate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Efficient Use and Recovery of Resources for the Purpose of Circular Economy and Sustainability)

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17 pages, 3856 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quality Assessment of Biogas-Producing Macroalgae from Azov Sea and Šventoji River

by Alvydas Zagorskis, Akvilė Gotovskienė and Vladimir Monin

Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14542; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151914542 - 07 Oct 2023

Viewed by 731

Abstract

The decline of fossil fuels, the increase in greenhouse gases, and the global demand for energy are driving the search for alternative energy sources. Anaerobic digestion is a promising technology because it can convert organic biomass into biogas. As the climate warms, there is an increase in the biomass of plant origin in water bodies, and ecosystems are unable to clean themselves. The novelty of the work is that it determines the energetic values of macroalgae growing in the Sea of Azov and freshwater bodies using theoretical and experimental methods. This work aims to show that macroalgae and aquatic plants can be an excellent raw material for biogas production. By mixing them with co-substrates such as cattle manure, higher biogas and methane yields can be obtained. When Cladophora glomerata and Enteromorpha intestinalis macroalgae are mixed with cattle manure, the biogas yield is up to 458.8 mL/gVS and 397.9 mL/gVS, respectively. Methane concentration remained high and reached 62.4–64.1%. The obtained research results show the high energy value of biogas and the energy potential of biomass. Macroalgae increased the energy potential of biogas to 22.9 MJ/m³, and the energy potential of biomass reached 2.40 MJ/Kg. Due to its high energy value, biogas produced from the considered substrates can be an excellent alternative to fossil fuels. Integrating aquatic macroalgae into anaerobic digestion is a promising approach for a waste-free marine and freshwater system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Efficient Use and Recovery of Resources for the Purpose of Circular Economy and Sustainability)

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21 pages, 6932 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Experimental Research and Transfer Matrix Method for Analysis of Transmission Loss in Multilayer Constructions with Devulcanized Waste Rubber

by Tomas Vilniškis and Tomas Januševičius

Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 12774; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151712774 - 23 Aug 2023

Viewed by 752

Abstract

According to circular economy principles, the recycling and reuse of tyre rubber waste are among the most advanced and ecological waste disposal technologies. Each year, about 19 million tons of tyres are produced, and this number increases every year. One of the most innovative ways to recycle rubber waste is devulcanization. There are many methods of rubber devulcanization, but the most popular is chemical devulcanization. Also, pre-process treatment is important before devulcanization. In this article, devulcanized rubber granules were used for the preparation of rubber samples. Two of the samples were obtained via the grinding method and one via chemical devulcanization. In total, 15 different rubber samples were produced for experimental measurements. Multilayer constructions, with two solid layers of plasterboard on both sides (GKB (a standard gypsum board) and GKFI (an enhanced-strength and surface-hardness gypsum board)) and the porous acoustic material of the rubber sample inside, were produced. Measurements were made in an impedance tube and compared with the results of a transfer matrix method (TMM) analysis. The same trends of resonant frequencies were determined. According to the results, the resonant frequencies depended on the thickness of the material, since transmission loss (TL) values depended on the mass of the construction. According to the test results of transmission loss, constructions with 50 mm thick rubber samples had results that were, on average, 3 dB better than those of structures with 25 mm thick samples and 5 dB better than those of structures with 12 mm thick rubber samples. In addition, it was found that higher-density plasterboards (GKFI) increased the overall transmission loss value of the structure by 5 dB. The same trends were determined using the TMM method. The test results showed that multilayered constructions with devulcanized waste rubber had high transmission loss results and could be used for sound-insulating structures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Efficient Use and Recovery of Resources for the Purpose of Circular Economy and Sustainability)

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21 pages, 2283 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Renewable-Derived Plastics in the Analysis of Waste Management Schemes: A Time-Dependent Carbon Cycle Assessment

by Cristina Aracil, Ángel L. Villanueva Perales, Jacopo Giuntoli, Jorge Cristóbal and Pedro Haro

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9292; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15129292 - 08 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1166

Abstract

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an essential greenhouse gas removal (GGR) technology used to achieve negative emissions in bioenergy plants using biomass feedstock (Bio-CCS). In this study, the climate mitigation potential of a novel GGR technology consisting in the production of renewable-derived plastics from municipal solid waste (MSW) refuse has been evaluated. This novel GGR technology allows for carbon storage, for variable periods, in stable materials (plastics), and thus overcomes the technical limitations of CCS. A time-dependent carbon cycle assessment has been conducted based on the Absolute Global surface Temperature change Potential (AGTP) metric. This new method to assess carbon emissions is presented against a traditional life cycle assessment (LCA). The production of renewable-derived plastics proves to be an effective GGR technology for both landfill- and incineration-dominant countries in Europe. The results obtained encourage the implementation of renewable-derived plastics in Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) to assess their global potential in forecasting scenarios to achieve the ambitious climate change targets set in the European Union. Thanks to this study, a novel approach toward a green and sustainable economy has been established. This study will help to fill the gaps between bioenergy and renewable materials production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Efficient Use and Recovery of Resources for the Purpose of Circular Economy and Sustainability)

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13 pages, 2738 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sound Absorption Properties of Charcoal Made from Wood Waste

by Olga Khrystoslavenko, Tomas Astrauskas and Raimondas Grubliauskas

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8196; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15108196 - 18 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1227

Abstract

Wood is a sustainable renewable material that is widely used in the building sector. Due to recent trends in green initiatives in European and other countries, wood waste is becoming more popular for sound absorption and insulation because of its renewability. Recycled wood material granulated charcoal is an effective acoustic treatment. In this study, we investigated the sound absorption coefficients of raw wood and granulated charcoal species: birch (Betula pendula), pine (Pinus sylvestris), and oak (Quercus robur). The impedance tube method was used to characterize the sound absorption properties of the granulated charcoal. The maximum bulk densities of the materials investigated were 567 kg/m³ for birch (B. pendula) wood and 247 kg/m³ for granulated charcoal. The airflow resistivity of wood and granulated charcoal was found using the static airflow method according to the standard. The grain size distribution of charcoal was also determined, with the highest percentage (25–29%) of the birch and pine grain distribution of charcoal species having a size of 400 µm and 30.7% of the oak a size of 1 mm. All species had the lowest grain size value, i.e., 900 µm (1–4%). The sound absorption of granulated charcoal does not depend on the carbonization temperature at 400, 500, or 600 °C. Granular charcoal of 25 mm has a better sound absorption thickness coefficient for birch at 600 °C (0.57 at 315 Hz) compared to wood of the same thickness. The effectiveness of absorption for wood and granular charcoal depends on the type of wood (birch > pine > oak), grain size, airflow resistivity, and bulk density. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Efficient Use and Recovery of Resources for the Purpose of Circular Economy and Sustainability)

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12 pages, 1981 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microplastics in Landfill Bodies: Abundance, Spatial Distribution and Effect of Landfill Age

by Anastasiia Sholokhova, Gintaras Denafas, Justinas Ceponkus and Tetiana Omelianenko

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5017; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15065017 - 12 Mar 2023

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1895

Abstract

Almost a quarter of the plastic produced in Europe still ends up in landfills. In addition to the loss of valuable resources, this leads to the generation and accumulation of microplastics in landfills. The microplastics abundance in the refuse and their spatial distribution in the landfill body have not been practically studied. In the current work, changes in the abundance and characteristics of microplastics in landfill refuse from 3 age sections of the Lapės regional landfill, Lithuania, to a depth of 10–20 m were studied. A microplastics abundance of up to 55 particles/g or 52.8 g/kg was found. The lowest microplastics abundance was found in the old section, while the highest in the young (numerical) and the middle-aged (mass) sections. Moreover, microplastics abundance increased with the age of landfilled waste and depth, which may reflect the fragmentation of microplastics and their transport. Polyethylene and polypropylene were the dominant polymer types in all sections, while films were the dominant shape. The carbonyl index of PE microplastics was calculated to monitor microplastics oxidation. The analysis showed an increase of carbonyl index with landfill depth and landfill age, proving the intensive degradation of microplastics. Thus, landfills are large reservoirs of microplastics and their potential sources. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Efficient Use and Recovery of Resources for the Purpose of Circular Economy and Sustainability)

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19 pages, 8421 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Composite Acoustic Panels of Waste Tyre Textile Fibres and Paper Sludge

by Robert Ružickij, Olga Kizinievič, Raimondas Grubliauskas and Tomas Astrauskas

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2799; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15032799 - 03 Feb 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1553

Abstract

Since society is moving towards sustainable development, interest in secondary use of waste has recently become significant. This paper investigates a process to develop an acoustic material, using two types of waste. Composite acoustic panels were developed using waste tyre textile fibres (WTTF) and paper sludge (PS), and polyvinyl acetate (PVA) were used as a binder. Non-acoustic (bulk density, airflow resistivity) and acoustic (sound absorption coefficient, sound transmission loss) parameters were studied. Composite acoustic panels with different proportions of WTTF/PS/PVA (sixteen samples) were subjected to testing for the sound absorption coefficient according to ISO 10534-2 and sound transmission loss according to ASTM E2611. The density of all samples varied between 155.2 and 709.9 kg/m³, the thickness between 14.4 and 20.5 mm, and the airflow resistivity between 29.5 and 101.5 kPa∙s/m². The results reveal that the proportion of various waste materials in mixtures can improve the acoustic performance of panels. The combination that gives the highest α_avg. with a value of 0.50 was experimentally found to be 70% WTTF mixed with 15% PVA and 15% H₂O. The average sound absorption coefficient with a value of 0.46 was also found to be 25% WTTF mixed with 25% PS and 25% PVA and 25% H₂O. In sound transmission loss, the most effective was 50% PS and the 50% PVA composite, the TL_eq was 28.3 dB, while the composites together with 30% WTTF, 20% PS and 25% PVA, and 25% H₂O showed 18.9 dB loss. The results obtained using WTTF and/or PS wastes are attractive and show great and promising development potential. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Efficient Use and Recovery of Resources for the Purpose of Circular Economy and Sustainability)

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11 pages, 1843 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microplastics Release from Conventional Plastics during Real Open Windrow Composting

by Anastasiia Sholokhova, Gintaras Denafas, Justinas Ceponkus and Rita Kriukiene

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 758; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15010758 - 31 Dec 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1955

Abstract

The recycling of bio-waste plays an important role in a circular economy as it transforms bio-waste into a valuable resource (organic fertilizer). However, even separately collected bio-waste can contain some plastic waste, which is usually separated after composting and not before it. Primary studies have confirmed the degradation of plastic during composting, but the release of microplastics from them has not been studied. This article presents a quantification and comparison of the release of microplastics from commonly used plastics during green waste composting. Microplastics were identified by Nile red staining and examination under a fluorescent microscope. Plastic degradation was assessed by weight loss calculation, scanning electron microscope (SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. On average, 17 to 52 microplastics’ are released from 5-by-5 cm pieces of conventional plastics during composting. The control polylactic acid sample showed the smallest amount of released microplastics: four particles on average. The number of released microplastics depended on the polymer type and thickness of the samples. The results of the current article can be further used for the prediction of microplastic generation and setting a limit on the plastic content in bio-waste Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Efficient Use and Recovery of Resources for the Purpose of Circular Economy and Sustainability)

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30 pages, 28236 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Coal Discards and Sewage Sludge Derived-Hydrochar for HIV Antiretroviral Pollutant Removal from Wastewater and Spent Adsorption Residue Evaluation for Sustainable Carbon Management

by Gentil Mwengula Kahilu, Samson Bada and Jean Mulopo

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15113; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142215113 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1360

Abstract

The effects of various parameter interactions on the textural structure of hydrochars produced via hydrothermal (HTC) and co-hydrothermal (Co-HTC) treatments of coal discards and sewage sludge (wastes), as well as the subsequent use of the hydrochars (HCs) synthesized for HIV drug (nevirapine and lamivudine) removal from wastewater, were investigated in this study. The HTC and Co-HTC process improved the carbon content of the raw material by 13.47%, 7.08%, and 30.65% for hydrochar coal tailing (HCT), hydrochar coal slurry (HCS), and hydrochar from coal–sewage blend (HCB), respectively. The Co-HTC-derived HCB had a high S_BET of 20.35 m²/g and pore volume of 0.38 cm³/g, leading to significant adsorptive reductions of nevirapine (NEV) and lamivudine (LAM) (97.19% and 93.32%, respectively). HCT and HCS displayed high NEV and LAM adsorption capacities (50 mg g⁻¹, 42 mg g⁻¹ and 52 mg g⁻¹, 41 mg g⁻¹), respectively, despite being less effective than HCB (53.8 mg g⁻¹, 42.8 mg g⁻¹). In addition, the use of spent adsorption residues for energy storage applications was investigated further. The findings showed that spent adsorption residues are an effective carbonaceous material precursor to produce electrical double-layer capacitors (EDLCs). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Efficient Use and Recovery of Resources for the Purpose of Circular Economy and Sustainability)

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Review

Jump to: Research

35 pages, 12284 KiB

Open AccessReview

Progress in Sustainable Recycling and Circular Economy of Tungsten Carbide Hard Metal Scraps for Industry 5.0 and Onwards

by Rahul Kumar, Arash Kariminejad, Maksim Antonov, Dmitri Goljandin, Piotr Klimczyk and Irina Hussainova

Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12249; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su151612249 - 10 Aug 2023

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3217

Abstract

In spite of the critical environmental impacts of mining and the associated geopolitical supply risk, the strategic importance of rare metal tungsten is escalated by rapid expansions in industrialization, particularly in the ongoing low-carbon/energy era, which requires technologies that allow an economic, social, and ecologically friendly tungsten recovery from primary and secondary resources. The current recycling practices of tungsten carbide (WC)-based scraps have been accepted as economically and partially environmentally beneficial and can promote tungsten closed-loop recycling; however, low functional recycling rates and significant metal losses at varied stages hinder the economic recovery of metals. The current review presents the global situation of tungsten and WC flow with a focus on various sustainable methods to recycle spent tungsten and related metals. A detailed discussion of establishing a highly resilient circular economy with sustainable development goals is highlighted by juxtaposing the philosophy of the circular economy, integrated sustainability, and the metal life cycle approach. The article also discusses Industry 5.0 trends, such as sustainable digitalization and twin transition, to overcome the barriers associated with achieving efficient circular recycling. It is shown that cross-disciplinary methodologies, the integration of diverse technologies (digital/green), and the incorporation of state-of-the-art recycling techniques open up the future potential in the recycling sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Efficient Use and Recovery of Resources for the Purpose of Circular Economy and Sustainability)

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