Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) dominate the industry of rechargeable batteries in recent years due to their advantages, including high energy and power density and relatively long lifespan. Despite these advantages, the disposal of spent LIBs into the ground is harmful to the environment, which needs to be addressed by recycling spent LIBs. The available recycling methods for spent LIBs such as pyrometallurgy

Population growth and dietary needs changes have exerted pressure on phosphorus (P) reserves, and the future availability of P fertilisers is uncertain. Most Malawian soils have low P and farmers apply P fertilisers to harvest enough food. Scarcity of chemical P fertilisers and rising prices will affect Malawi's food security. To avert the impact of P future uncertainty a P flow analysis (PFA) was

Plastics are extremely useful, but their mismanagement has affected the environment and our health. Rethinking the development and use of plastics is central to the circular economy paradigm, to provide less harmful options for the environment. Thus, more types of plastic packaging are available, but each reflects diverse circular economy strategies (we refer to these as potentially circular packaging

The development of the carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) supply chain will require the establishment of a regulatory and legal regime, both at the international and domestic level, to manage risks at various parts of the supply chain and to support technology investment. Within this regulatory and legal framework, the regional and domestic regime has been identified as a crucial factor

The Circular Economy (CE) concept has recently gained momentum as a perspective to tackle global challenges such as resource scarcity and waste management. Multiple types of interventions have been proposed to support the transition towards a CE. This paper aims to (i) categorize CE interventions; (ii) analyze to what extent these intervention categories are considered when assessing CE interventions

The ratio and quantity of residential electricity consumption in China are increasing steadily with the country's economic development; conservation of electricity consumption has special significance for reduction of carbon emissions. Based on data from 635 questionnaire surveys in four typical Chinese megacities (Beijing, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, and Guiyang), this study analysed the determinants of

The preservation and renewal of our transport system come at a significant cost to governmental agencies and contribute significantly towards global greenhouse gas emissions. Across fourteen “average” contexts classified by the U.S. Department of Transportation, this study probabilistically evaluates the life-cycle cost and global warming impact of alternative abatement strategies available to transportation

The development of new sustainable routes towards better environmental footprint of composites for marine boatbuilding is motivated by the absence of eco-friendly and economically viable recycling techniques to deal with growing end-of-life thermoset boats waste and increasing restrictive legislation. Thermoplastic composites may offer the possibility to recover raw materials from retired parts, which

Microplastics are being widely discussed as an emerging global environmental contaminant. Microplastic pollution usually originates from land-based sources, which are then mainly transported through hydrological and atmospheric pathways and accumulated in terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems. Urban environments represent a condensed area of human activities (including the production and use

The construction industry is associated with low productivity growth rates and environmental harm and, has a crucial role to play to reach the SDGs adopted by the UN in 2015. Construction logistics offer useful solutions to improve both the productivity and sustainability of the industry. The purpose of this paper is to investigate, in detail, the environmental impact of construction transport and

Recent years have seen a steep rise in the interest in nutrient circularity. In the context of food systems and waste management, nutrient circularity seems to generally encompass the reduction of nutrient losses and increased recovery of nutrients from various organic residual streams for reuse in agricultural production. Many studies that aim to contribute to improving nutrient circularity in food

Cleaner heating plays a significant role in reducing air pollution. Studies show that residential coal-fired heating in some countries has led to considerable air pollution. In China, coal consumption and air pollutants increase dramatically especially during the winter heating period when centralized systems provide heating for select cities. Using a Difference-In-Differences (DID), we examined the

With the burgeoning transition towards electrified vehicle fleets, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have come into focus for different stakeholders due to high costs, supply risks, production-related resource and energy demands and environmental concerns. Circular business models (CBMs) and Circular Economy (CE) strategies to slow and close resource loops are discussed as potential solutions. With a focus

The Coffee industry faces a range of sustainability issues including energy demand, waste management and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This study develops and analyses an experimental WTE proposal using an independent Coffee Company's integrated energy-waste management strategy, to achieve a circular economy (CE) system: treatment and reuse of spent coffee grounds (SCG) to fuel the roasting-phase

As one of the largest energy consumers and greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters, the mining industry is switching to renewable energy to help reduce its energy and environmental impacts. There are already renewable energy systems (RES) in operation at large-scale mines. However, for off-grid small-scale mining operations, conventional diesel generators are still preferred given their mobility and modularity

The use of renewable resources is becoming increasingly important if we are to address the negative impacts of petroleum-based polymers. Utilising renewable resources, such as agri-food wastes (AFWs), for biopolymer production offers the advantages of lower dependence on fossil fuels, resource recovery (generating added value), and waste management. AFWs are generated as by-products or residues at

Ecosystem services (ES) are essential for sustaining human wellbeing (HWB), but empirical studies have shown that the ES-HWB relationship can be positive, negative, or nonexistent. Reconciling these seemingly conflicting results requires better understanding how the ES-HWB relationship varies with scales and indicators. Here we systematically analyzed the ES-HWB relationship between six ES and ten

Crop production with intensive water use is burdening global water resources system. From the perspective of production, this study focuses on investigating world's water challenge from crop cultivation based on a 26-yr multi-scale analysis. Blue water footprint (BWF) dynamics covering 146 crops over 180 countries are examined during 1992–2017, applying a fast-track based BWF assessment and a modified

The cost of repair and maintenance of medical devices can be fairly burdensome to the healthcare industry. Healthcare providers often consider plans such as increasing in-house repairs, using multiple repair service providers, or timely replacement of devices to overcome this issue. This study aims to develop a data-driven Markov Decision Process (MDP) framework based on Discrete-Time Markov Chain

Social value in the built environment refers to the social impact any organisation, project or program in that industry makes to the lives of the stakeholders affected by its activities. Social value is a national/ organisation level practical vehicle for realising the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is particularly relevant in the context of the continued increase in the global

Using recycled aggregate s from construction and demolition waste can preserve natural aggregate resources, reduce demand of landfill, and contribute to sustainable built environment. This study provides a comprehensive review on recycled aggregate (RA) and recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) regarding their history, recycling, reuse and manufacture process, inherent defects (e.g. existing of additional

The most important raw materials for the building industry are natural quarried rocks. Preservation of this non-renewable resource needs valorizing products, the vast majority of which is currently considered as waste. Among these, dredged sediments have gained much attention and should play a key role in non-renewable natural resource preservation. The aim of this paper is to achieve a resource-efficient