Documents recycling of materials 111 results

"Finding ways to manage the waste from the expected high number of wind turbine blades in need of disposal is crucial to harvest wind energy in a truly sustainable manner. Landfilling is the most cost-effective disposal method in the United States, but it imposes significant environmental impacts. Thermal, mechanical, and chemical processes allow for some energy and/or material recovery, but they also carry potential negative externalities. This article explores the main economic and environmental issues with various wind turbine blade disposal methods. We argue for the necessity of policy intervention that encourages industry to develop better technologies to make wind turbine blade disposal sustainable, both environmentally and economically. We present some of the technological initiatives being researched, such as the use of bio-derived resins and thermoplastic composites in the manufacturing process of the blades."

"The circular economy is a key objective of the European Green Deal. In order to keep materials and products in the economy for as long as possible, circular business models need to be implemented and scaled up. This report presents an analytical framework to study the successful implementation of circular business models, identifying the needs in terms of business model innovation, technological innovation and social innovation, and the enabling conditions of policy and behavioural change. The framework is applied to textiles system as a test case, distinguishing four business model types supporting the shift towards a circular textiles system: (1) ensuring products' longevity and durability; (2) access-based models (renting and leasing); (3) textile collection and resale; and (4) recycling and reusing materials."

"The chemicals strategy for sustainability towards a toxic-free environment (CSS) embraces two overarching goals of the chemicals legislation: preventing harm to people and the planet from hazardous chemicals and their toxic effects and supporting EU industry in the production of safe and sustainable chemicals. As one of the CSS actions, the European Environment Agency (EEA), the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) and the European Commission (EC) have developed an indicator framework on chemicals to support these goals. The aims of the framework are to monitor the drivers and impacts of chemical pollution and measure the effectiveness of chemicals legislation. The framework has an online dashboard (available here: https://www.eea.europa.eu/ en/european-zero-pollution-dashboards/chemicals-strategy-for-sustainability) and is accompanied by this synthesis report jointly drafted by the EEA and ECHA. Existing data streams, indicators and other information were assessed for their potential effectiveness in monitoring trends in chemicals production, use, emission, and impact. The proposed framework consists of existing and newly developed indicators and signals. The latter are more limited in terms of spatial and time coverage. Some existing indicators are also part of other related monitoring frameworks such as the zero pollution action plan. While individual indicators may not be able to measure progress on reducing the risks/unwanted impacts of chemicals directly, they should, as a whole, provide a fact-based picture to support the assessment of the effectiveness of the legislative framework for chemicals and the identification of the need for future action. However, since the impact of the current chemicals policy actions will only become apparent over time, the current dashboard and this report should be seen as a baseline."

"Purpose
Emerging technologies are addressing current challenges to shift from a linear to a circular economy. However, the consideration of social aspects in this context is limited, and the prioritization of indicators appears arbitrary in the absence of clear and robust selection criteria. Following social life cycle assessment (S-LCA) principles, the aim of this paper is to guide the selection and inventory of social indicators based on a case study on evolving flexible packaging within the European circular economy.
Methods
To achieve the objective, the study involves several steps, including conducting a systematic literature review to identify key stakeholders, impact subcategories, indicators, and inventories for circular flexible plastic packaging. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is applied to preselect a set of indicators, followed by stakeholder engagement in prioritizing impact indicators through participatory methods. Subsequently, a data collection procedure was established.
Results and discussion
This paper presents a materiality ranking for 19 social indicators tailored to the emerging circular flexible packaging. The result is a prioritization of nine of these indicators, including Existence of record of proof of age, Percentage of workers who are paid a living wage or above, and Existence of certified environmental management system. These nine indicators form the basis for the collection of respective inventory data for an entry-level assessment. Furthermore, guidelines on 11 procedural steps were formulated based on these findings. Moreover, challenges of synonymity and inconsistency in S-LCA terminology, besides inaccessible inventory data especially in the context of evolving recycling technologies, are identified as substantial barriers in the effort to streamline and perform S-LCA.
Conclusions
The paper concludes that prioritizing indicators is essential for entry-level and prospective assessments, especially when time and data are limited. Additionally, using primary inventory data to evaluate the foreground system and its direct impacts on stakeholders promotes accountability and corporate social responsibility. Furthermore, a set of procedural steps, from defining the system boundary to preparing the data questionnaire, serves as a valuable resource for practitioners across diverse industries."

"New composite materials (suitable for automotive bumpers), composed of recycled high-density polyethylene (rHDPE) and leather buffing dust waste (BF) ranging from 20 to 50 wt%, were produced and investigated for mechanical properties. Optimal mechanical performance was achieved with composites containing 30 % wt BF. The environmental performance of automotive bumper production from both virgin and recycled HDPE reinforced with 30 % wt BF (HDPE-BF, rHDPE-BF) composites was compared to that of conventional polypropylene (PP) by performing a cradle to gate life cycle assessment.
A component-based approach, instead of a comprehensive LCA assessment for the entire car was adopted using various functional units (FU) such as mass (FU1), volume (FU2), and volume of raw material fulfilling a specific impact strength requirement (FU3), thus enriching the paper with methodological discussions.
The rHDPE-BF system provided better environmental performance compared to the virgin PP system, when considering both mass and volume-related functional units, mainly due to the avoidance of virgin polymer production. Even with the inclusion of the use phase in FU2 and a slightly higher density (+1.7 %) of composites than PP-based bumpers, the rHDPE system still provides better environmental performance (10 % less impact). The sensitivity analysis highlighted the significance of car type and final density of the bumper on the impact results. Finally, when using FU3, due to its higher impact strength, HDPE-BF system is clearly the best environmental alternative (50 % less impact) followed by rHDPE-BF system. In all cases, rising the content of recycled materials in the bumpers increases its circularity.
The paper illustrates the importance of selecting a suitable functional unit, based on a specific application (i.e., automotive bumpers), to evaluate the environmental impact of new composite materials in comparison to traditional options. Expanding the assessment to encompass multiple functions provides a more accurate portrayal of reality but also introduces greater result uncertainty."

"The report proposes a systems change to address the causes of plastic pollution, combining reducing problematic and unnecessary plastic use with a market transformation towards circularity in plastics. This can be achieved by accelerating three key shifts – reuse, recycle, and reorient and diversify – and actions to deal with the legacy of plastic pollution.

A systems change results in a range of economic benefits and reduce damage to human health, the environment and the climate.

The proposed pathways forward in this publication will only be possible if we rethink the entire lifecycle of plastics, which means focusing on our fundamental means of production and consumption. The discussion must also take into account the social and economic disparities within and between countries to ensure that such shifts in the consumption and production of plastics is beneficial and equitable to all.

The One Planet Network has already been gathering concrete solutions regarding plastic pollution, and can provide the types of tools, guidance and expertise necessary to foster real market transformation. An initial compendium of solutions has been gathered in Solutions from the One Planet Network to Curb Plastic Pollution."

"The war in Ukraine has brought the challenges stemming from Europe's dependency on natural gas and oil imports into sharp focus. This has also highlighted another dependency – that on raw materials that are critical for the EU's transition to a low-carbon economy. A strategic approach to raw material management can help negate the risks posed by a dependency on imports of critical raw materials. Improving resource efficiency is also necessary to achieve a low-carbon economy and sustain socio-economic progress in the face of finite natural resources. This Forum highlights the progress currently being made in geopolitical, economic and environmental areas and looks at the main constraints to the circular economy agenda where targeted solutions are needed. What is currently being done to decouple material consumption from welfare creation and use resources more efficiently? To what extent can recycling prolong the use of natural resources? Which measures can transform current business models into circular business models? How can technology and digitalisation be used to improve resource efficiency while minimising environmental burdens? Can knowledge transfer be used in addressing the complexity of the transition to a circular economy?"

"Half of all greenhouse gas emissions and 90 per cent of all biodiversity losses are attributable to resource extraction, processing and manufacturing. Our linear economy, in which resources flow relentlessly from factory to incinerator, is a blind alley. Simply producing a little less waste and doing a little more recycling is not going to make any meaningful difference. If we are serious about tackling climate change and resource shortages, we will need a fully circular economy based on the cradle-tocradle principle. That means products, production and business models designed from the outset to ensure that materials and resources are able to circulate more or less endlessly. Digitalisation will be a crucial tool in that transformation. Circular value creation will require sophisticated management of material flows throughout the product lifecycle. Data is key: the more information can be digitally collected, processed, analysed and shared about composition, use, and environmental and health effects, the easier it will be to ensure that materials and products circulate optimally, and to scale up circular business models and ecosystems. The present study presents the findings of the project ‘Digitalisation and Circular Value Creation' conducted jointly by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and the Cradle to Cradle NGO. In a series of five meetings experts analysed the potential of digitalisation for realising a fully circular economy in Germany and Europe, using examples from different branches and product life-cycle phases. The objectives were to understand the (potential) role of data and digital infrastructures in different circular ecosystems, and to identify instruments suited to establishing or expanding a circular economy in different sectors..."

"The EU is already extracting and consuming a dangerous proportion of the world's limited resources, with disastrous impacts on people and nature, while the green transition risk causing a further increase in metals and minerals mining.
This report by the European Environmental Bureau and Friends of the Earth Europe calls on the EU to use the green transition as an opportunity to tackle the root causes of the broader climate and environmental crises – an economic system which drives overconsumption and social inequities in all sectors. As an urgent first step, the EU must set a material footprint reduction target of 65%."

"Transforming the linear economy, which has remained the dominant model since the onset of the Industrial Revolution, into a circular one is by no means an easy task. Such a radical change entails a major transformation of our current production and consumption patterns, which in turn will have a significant impact on the economy, the environment and society. Understanding these impacts is crucial for researchers as well as for policy-makers engaged in designing future policies in the field. This requires developing an in-depth knowledge of the concept of the circular economy, its processes and their expected effects on sectors and value chains. This paper reviews the growing literature on the circular economy with the aim of improving our understanding of the concept as well as its various dimensions and expected impacts. On the basis of this review, it attempts to map the processes involved and their application in different sectors. The paper suggests that research on the circular economy is currently fragmented across various disciplines and there are often different perspectives and interpretations of the concept and the related aspects that need to be assessed. This fragmentation is also evident in the available studies that adopt different approaches in calculating the impacts, which makes efforts at comparing the results from different sources very challenging. Finally, this paper suggests that there is limited information on the indirect effects on the economy (e.g. impacts on the value chain or changes in consumption spending patterns) as well as the social impacts of the circular economy transition."