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Green Design: A Nexus between Waste and Materials

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 21127

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Rui Zhao

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China
Interests: environmental systems engineering; environmental management; waste management and treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Tianxue Yang

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Guest Editor

Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
Interests: waste treatment and disposal

Dr. Sebastiano Patti

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Guest Editor

University of Catania
Interests: waste management; environmental economics and policy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, “green” and “low-carbon” technology has been gradually entering into product lifecycle management, both as a measure against “climate change” and for sustainability. From the perspective of the “Hierarchy of Waste”, the most preferable strategy for encompassing sustainable development is to prevent or eliminate waste. Waste prevention has been demonstrated as the best model for pollution prevention, especially in the disposal phase, the best way to promote economic benefits, and the most effective way to implement sustainable development. For products, the strategy focuses on reduction of the entire lifecycle impact. However, many industries still primarily focus on profit as the main criterion of business success and generally do not consider the environmental impact of the full product lifecycle, especially when products enter the post-consuming stage.

In such a context, ‘green design’ or ‘environmental conscious design’ incorporates environmental objectives into traditional product attributes, such as cost, performance, manufacturability, safety, consumer appeal, etc. In addition, green design not only serves for waste prevention, but also better materials management, which coordinates product design with waste management.

This Special Issue (SI) welcomes high-quality papers that address the nexus between waste and materials by taking green design into account, to facilitate waste prevention and thus to enhance product’s sustainability. Papers can be related to fundamental and theoretical studies and/or applications. Papers that put emphasis on the environmental impact of waste materials, waste treatment and disposal, lifecycle assessment, and materials flow analysis are welcomed.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

Green design using lifecycle assessment;
Materials selection in context of green design;
Transformation between waste and materials;
Novel applications of waste materials;
Waste materials reuse or recycling;
Materials flow analysis or substance flow analysis;
Solid waste management;
Waste treatment and disposal;
Environmental impact assessment of waste materials.

Prof. Rui Zhao
Dr. Tianxue Yang
Dr. Sebastiano Patti
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

green design
environmental impact
waste management
waste materials
materials flow
lifecycle
waste treatment and disposal

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 9282 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Hazardous Waste Management Elements in Oil and Gas Enterprises Based on the Life-Cycle Management Concept

by Rui Wang, Qing Xu, Chenyu He, Xinyi Liu, Zhenyu Feng, Luxiaohe Zhang and Jun Gao

Sustainability 2023, 15(6), 5504; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15065504 - 21 Mar 2023

Viewed by 1818

Abstract

By analyzing the China’s hazardous waste management policy and the existing problems in hazardous waste management, the elements of hazardous waste management in oil and gas exploration enterprises were identified. Based on the theory of life-cycle management under the concept of sustainable development, combined with literature research, a three-level comprehensive index system was constructed by using the AHP–entropy weight method to evaluate the hazardous waste management capability of oil and gas enterprises. It was proposed that oil and gas enterprises should further strengthen the life-cycle management of hazardous waste, strengthen the assessment of hazardous waste management capacity, continuously establish a sound hazardous waste supervision system, and actively build a hazardous waste information control platform to realize the whole-process tracking management, as well as other suggestions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Design: A Nexus between Waste and Materials)

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18 pages, 2130 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Model Study of Mechanicochemical Degradation in a Planetary Ball Mill

by Xiaohui Zhang, Xitao Liu, Jianguo Zhao, Wenjun Sun, Yuanna Zhang, Jun Qiao, Guoqiang Xing and Xiaoshu Wang

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1353; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15021353 - 11 Jan 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1757

Abstract

The process of ball milling and the materials that compose planetary ball mills are highly complex, and the existing research on the change in ball-milling energy is not mature. The theoretical model of a ball mill was established for the first time to simulate the motion, collision process, energy transfer, and temperature change of small balls during the ball-milling process. Furthermore, by comparing the information with the experimental data for a ball mill, the motion trajectory of the grinding ball, and the energy transfer between the balls and materials were studied, and the micro process during milling was discussed. This study provides a certain theoretical basis for the follow-up engineering application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Design: A Nexus between Waste and Materials)

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11 pages, 3051 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Recycling Various Wastes in Papermaking as Eco-Friendly Slurry

by Teng Yi, Shuenn-Ren Liou and Wen-Yih Kuo

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13536; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142013536 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1357

Abstract

Waste recycling has always been a priority in the paper industry. In this study, the potential of translating various wastes in papermaking into building materials was separately evaluated. For the first time, the improvement of flexibility and sample texture after translating wastes into cementitious materials was analyzed. The results showed that 20% of the waste in alkali-activated slag slurry is the best proportion for papermaking. In addition, paper sludge and wood chips significantly improved the slurry flexibility while lime mud and bottom ash did not have this effect. Considering the effect of adding wood chips on the optimization of the sample texture, the most appropriate proportion of the paper sludge was 5% when the wood chips in the mixture were 15%. The most suitable alkali equivalent was 6%, with a silicate modulus of 0.9. According to the experimental results, wastes in papermaking had great potential for exploitation and application as circular materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Design: A Nexus between Waste and Materials)

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13 pages, 1239 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Selection of Landfill Cover Materials Based on Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA)—A Case Study on Four Typical Covering Materials

by Yibo Zhang, Yan Liu, Xuefeng Min, Qifan Jiang and Weizhou Su

Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10888; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su141710888 - 31 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1425

Abstract

Against the background of sustainable development, landfill covers can consist of a range of materials, from clay to geocomposite and polymer composites. Given engineering and environmental requirements, we analyzed the performance and sustainability of four sanitary landfill cover materials, namely clay, HDPE, PVC, and GCL. Within the principles of environmentally sustainable design, we constructed a material selection index based on the performance as well as the economic and environmental impacts of the materials. In addition, using a data envelopment analysis (DEA) model with an analytic hierarchical process (AHP) preference cone, we developed a C²WH model to evaluate the performance of the selected materials. Through the calculation, we found that the comprehensive indexes of the four covering materials were E₁ = 0.2600, E₂ = 0.5757, E₃ = 0.7815, and E₄ = 1.0000, respectively. Our results indicated that the investigated materials could be ranked according to performance as follows: GCL > PVC > HDPE > clay. Thus, our results showed that GCL, with the highest efficiency value, was the optimal cover of the investigated materials. The multiobjective decision model developed in our study can be used as a technical reference and offers support for the selection of eco-friendly landfill cover materials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Design: A Nexus between Waste and Materials)

15 pages, 3171 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Utilization of Modified Zeolite for the Removal of Cs Ions in an Aqueous Solution: Adsorption Capacity, Isotherms, Kinetics and Microscopic Studies

by Junfang Sun, Ji Chen, Xiang Peng, Yu Zhang, Jialin Mo, Xin Liao and Qiang Tang

Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 2615; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su14052615 - 24 Feb 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1467

Abstract

Nuclear energy is a double-edged technology, which has a significant role in the chemical industry, but may bring about radioactivity and destruction. The 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant accident caused by a tsunami, which flooded and led to tens of millions of disaster debris and tsunami deposits, severely disrupted the electricity supply in Japan and induced USD 211 billion worth of direct economic losses. Cs⁺ was easily dissolved in this accident, had a high chemical activity, and thus required an appropriate adsorption method. Zeolite is an effective removal adsorbent, which is suitable to be investigated. The present study uses natural zeolite and three inorganic modified zeolites. Furthermore, the effects of various factors are investigated. Kinetic models and the isothermal adsorption mechanism are also conducted. For microscale studies for the adsorption mechanism, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were involved in the study. The results indicate that the optimal dosage is 1.1 g and the maximum adsorption rate is around 80%. An alkaline environment is more conducive to the occurrence of adsorption. As for the isotherm and kinetic studies, the data fits better with the Redlich–Peterson isothermal model and intragranular diffusion model. In this small-scale experiment, the highest adsorption capacity was for Mg-zeolite at 6.53 mg/g. Finally, Mg-Zeolite presents the best adsorption capacity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Design: A Nexus between Waste and Materials)

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16 pages, 4930 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Manufacturing of Clayey Bricks by Synergistic Use of Waste Brick and Ceramic Powders as Partial Replacement of Clay

by Anwar Khitab, Muhammad Saqib Riaz, Affan Jalil, Raja Bilal Nasar Khan, Waqas Anwar, Riaz Akhtar Khan, Muhammad Tausif Arshad, Mehmet Serkan Kirgiz, Zeesshan Tariq and Seemab Tayyab

Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10214; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su131810214 - 13 Sep 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4101

Abstract

Clay bricks are extensively used as building material worldwide. Natural soil deposits are in constant reduction due to the frequent use of clay to manufacture bricks. About 1600 billion bricks are produced annually by the consumption of millions of tons of natural resources. The prime focus of this study is to assess the feasibility of using a composite mixture of waste brick powder (WBP) and waste ceramic powder (WCP) as a replacement for depleting natural resource “clay” in brick manufacturing. Based upon the previous studies, the replacement levels were kept as (4 + 5)%, (8 + 10)%, and (12 + 15)% of WCP and WBP, respectively. The brick specimens were evaluated in terms of compressive strength, modulus of rupture, density, water absorption, efflorescence, apparent porosity, resistance to chemical attack and sulfate attack, and freeze-thaw resistance. The study reveals that about 27% of clay can be replaced with ceramic waste powder and waste brick powder, which can preserve a massive amount of natural clay without compromising the quality of the bricks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Design: A Nexus between Waste and Materials)

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14 pages, 893 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Material Selection in Green Design: A Method Combining DEA and TOPSIS

by Cheng Peng, Dianzhuang Feng and Sidai Guo

Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5497; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13105497 - 14 May 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 2410

Abstract

In order to rationalize material selection in green design, this study presents an attempt to combine the methods of generalized Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). By establishing a green material index system, the G-CCR model of generalized DEA was first used to select effective materials from the candidate samples, and TOPSIS was then used to sort the effective suppliers. The combined DEA/TOPSIS model helps to rank the materials by quality, and then integrate both the merits ofG-CCR model and the key characteristics of TOPSIS. The results of this study showed that the combined DEA/TOPSIS model can screen and exclude materials with poor performance when selecting wood for the furniture industry. Therefore, the combined model that is presented in this study provides a more rational and evidentiary basis for material selection in green design. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Design: A Nexus between Waste and Materials)

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12 pages, 27314 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Workability and Crack Resistance of Natural and Recycled Aggregate Mortar Based on Expansion Agent through an Environmental Study

by Junfang Sun, Ji Chen, Xin Liao, Angran Tian, Jinxu Hao, Yuchen Wang and Qiang Tang

Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 491; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13020491 - 06 Jan 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1419

Abstract

Greenhouse gas emission has been a serious problem for decades. Due to the high energy consumption of traditional construction and building materials, recycled aggregate and other environmentally-friendly materials or recycled materials have been researched and applied. The treatment and reuse of construction and demolition waste (CDW) is a good way to reasonably distribute the renewable resources in the urban city. The recycled aggregate can be used in road engineering, geotechnical engineering and structural engineering. The combined use of natural aggregate and recycled aggregate may possess better performance in real constructions. This paper investigates the mechanical performance, micro-mechanism and CO₂ footprint assessment of NAM (natural aggregate mortar) and RAM (recycled aggregate mortar). Compressive strength test, flexural strength test, XRD and SEM, and CO₂ emission evaluation were conducted and analyzed. The results indicate that NAM depicts better compressive strength performance and RAM has higher flexural strength. The XRD and SEM patterns illustrate that the ettringite and C-S-H are the most important role in shrinkage-compensating mechanism, which is more obvious in RAM specimens. The proportion of CaO and MgO hydrated into Ca(OH)₂ and Mg(OH)₂ is also a key point of the volume expansion through the curing period. Finally, the CO₂ emission of NA is higher than RA per unit. This indicates that utilizing recycled aggregate over other conventional resources will reduce the energy consumption, and hit the mark to be environmental-friendly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Design: A Nexus between Waste and Materials)

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17 pages, 2759 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Modeling of Waste Flow in Industrial Symbiosis System at City-Region Level: A Case Study of Jinchang, China

by Chengpeng Lu, Xiaoli Pan, Xingpeng Chen, Jinhuang Mao, Jiaxing Pang and Bing Xue

Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 466; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13020466 - 06 Jan 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2507

Abstract

Waste is increasingly used as a renewable resource. Industrial symbiosis is an innovative concept for more efficient use of waste streams within industrial complexes, with the aim of reducing the overall environmental impact of the complex. Industrial symbiosis plays a more important role in promoting green economic growth and building low-carbon cities. Based on the ecological theoretical framework, combined with Waste Flow Analysis (WFA), the material flow analysis (MFA) and production matrix methods were used as the core to construct the Industrial Symbiosis System Waste Flow Metabolism Analysis (ISSWFMA) model. In addition, taking the “Jinchang Model” as an example, a typical case selected by the National Development and Reform Commission of China’s regional circular economy development model, we conducted a refined quantitative study on the flow and metabolism of waste flow in the regional industrial symbiosis system at the City-Region level using the circulation degree index. The following conclusions were obtained from the study: The ISSWFMA model can better describe the flow and metabolism of waste streams in the industrial symbiosis system at the City-Region Level and can provide data and methods for storage management. As the internal industrial chain and the correlation between various departments continuously improved, the Circulation Index (CI) of solid waste, wastewater, and exhaust gas in the industrial symbiosis system of Jinchang City showed an overall increasing trend, the degree of recycling was continuously increasing, the industrial symbiosis ability was continuously enhanced, and the system structure was more complete. At the same time, based on the analysis of different wastes, the industrial symbiosis is developed at different stages; based on the analysis of solid wastes, the industrial symbiosis ability of Jinchang’s Industrial Symbiosis System has strengthened and accelerated the fastest from 2005 to 2010; based on the analysis of wastewater, the industrial symbiosis ability of the system strengthened slowly during the whole study period; and based on the analysis of exhaust gas, the industrial symbiosis ability of the system continued to strengthen rapidly during the whole study period. Finally, on the basis of further discussion on the selection of waste recycling paths, we proposed to give full play to the role of market mechanisms, and to build recycling areas and ecological areas by strengthening industrial symbiosis and its derived urban symbiosis to achieve the goals of natural resource conservation, ecological environment protection, and harmonious coexistence between human and nature. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Design: A Nexus between Waste and Materials)

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13 pages, 3125 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Zero-Valent Iron for Pb(II) Contaminated Soil Remediation: From the Analysis of Experimental Mechanism Hybird with Carbon Emission Assessment

by Junfang Sun, Angran Tian, Zheyuan Feng, Yu Zhang, Feiyang Jiang and Qiang Tang

Sustainability 2021, 13(2), 452; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13020452 - 06 Jan 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1563

Abstract

Carbon emission is one of the main causes of global climate change, thus it is necessary to choose a low-carbon method in the contaminated soil remediation. This paper studies the adsorption ability of ZVI on Pb(II) contaminated soils under different working conditions. The removal efficiency of Pb(II) was 98% because of the suitable ZVI dosage, log reaction time and low initial solution concentration. The whole balancing process was much fast according to the pseudo-second-order kinetic and Freundlich isothermal model. Moreover, sequential extraction procedure (SEP) showed Pb(II) was transformed from Fe/Mn oxides-bound form to residual form in Pb(II) contaminated soils. From scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method (BET) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results, it was confirmed that zero-valent iron (ZVI) stabilizes Pb(II) pollutants mostly through the combination of chemical adsorption and physical adsorption. The economic and carbon emission assessments were used to compare the cost and carbon emissions of different methods. The results show that ZVI adsorption has excellent economic benefits and low carbon emission. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Green Design: A Nexus between Waste and Materials)

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