Search results for " Circular economy"
showing 10 items of 54 documents
Energy and environmental assessment of residual bio-wastes management strategies
2021
Abstract This paper assesses the potential energy and environmental impacts of an anaerobic digester coupled with a combined heat and power plant powered with bio-wastes from the agri-food sector. The analysis is carried out through the Life Cycle Assessment methodology following a “cradle-to-grave” approach and is based mostly on primary data. The anaerobic digester - combined heat and power plant is analysed considering a twofold perspective: one more energy – oriented where the main function of the system is to generate renewable electricity and a waste – oriented one in which the main function is treating bio-wastes. In addition, the environmental indirect effects related to potential c…
A Different Role of Taxation. From a One-Sided Taxation To a Circular Taxation
2020
The essay explores a possible different use of tax revenue, that is a perspective in which taxation is linked to a public choice in a circular way, thus determining a shift from the traditional “one-side taxation” process to a “circular taxation” process. Starting from the widely studied juridical phenomenon, known in Italy as regeneration of common spaces and goods or simply “regeneration”, and addressing the case of the regeneration of a brownfield, the Author argues that this phenomenon shows some common points with the so-called “circular economy”, since they are both inspired by the same principle of making resources usable in a circular context, exploiting already existing goods and r…
An exploratory study for analyzing the energy savings obtainable by reshaping processes of sheet metal based components
2017
Abstract Producing materials causes about 25% of all anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Reshaping could be one of the most efficient strategy to foster material reuse and lower the environmental impact due to material production. Sheet metal forming processes can be applied to reshape sheet metal based component. This research field is still almost unexplored and the actual environmental impact saving potential has not been quantified. The present paper aims at starting to cover this research gap, a modeling effort to quantify the environmental impact saving of reshaping is proposed. Primary energy demand for conventional recycling and reshaping are quantified and compared. Primary energy savings…
Challenges and opportunities for citrus wastewater management and valorisation: A review.
2022
Citrus wastewaters (CWWs) are by-products of the citrus fruit transformation process. Currently, more than 700 million of m³ of CWWs per year are produced worldwide. Until nowadays, the management of CWWs is based on a take-make-use-dispose model. Indeed, after being produced within a citrus processing industry, CWWs are subjected to treatment and then discharged into the environment. Now, the European Union is pushing towards a take-make-use-reuse management model, which suggests to provide for the minimization of residual pollutants simultaneously with their exploitation through a biorefinery concept. Indeed, the recovery of energy nutrients and other value-added products held by CWWs may…
Architectural technologies for life environment: spent coffee ground reuse, a novel way to intend architectural and engineering products?
2021
Green architecture is the novel trend in construction that considers innovative materials and solutions to architectural design and engineering build. Then the use of advanced organic materials and renewable energy resources are the new path followed by “bio-designers”. In this context, particularly important are the novel economic and social criteria, often related to ethical issues, whose aim is generating a low environmental impact. In fact, bio-architectural construction contemplates the reuse of industrial bio-wastes to manufacture novel green materials with enhanced performances. The main approach behind a green building is that the whole construction life cycle must be eco-sustainabl…
Hemp flour, from waste to nutritional and nutraceuticals reuse
2023
One of the main objectives of recent years is to characterize and valorize by-products of agri-food industries, as new sources of bioactive components, from the perspective of a circular economy and a biorefinery approach both for environmental and economic reasons. Hemp flour, obtained from Cannabis sativa seeds, is an example of promising bio-sustainability raw material with a high nutritional value that can be obtained from industrial by-products. From C. sativa seeds is obtained an oil rich in fatty acids, mainly linoleic and α-linolenic acids [1]. After oil extraction, seeds can be ground to obtain edible flour. Foods fortified with these “non-wheat flours” would have an additional sup…
Investigating the Multi-Recyclability of Recycled Plastic-Modified Asphalt Mixtures
2023
Although the benefits of asphalt recycling have been scientifically proven and several best practices are being implemented, further research is required in specific and specialized areas. One of these circumstances is the recycling of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavements (RAPs) that contain asphalt modifiers such as elastomers and/or plastomers. Following the principles of the circular economy and considering the sustainability implications of asphalt mixtures, this paper deals with the multi-recyclability of asphalt mixtures containing 50% RAP with and without a recycled plastic asphalt modifier and rejuvenating agent. The recycled plastic asphalt modifier was made of hard recycled plastics and wa…
Città, economia circolare e pianificazione urbanistica
2019
Il progressivo sviluppo delle interdipendenze economiche a scala globale ha influenzato anche la rapida crescita della produzione d’inquinanti e rifiuti di ogni sorta, richiamando l’attenzione della comunità europea e delle nazioni unite sulle politiche urbane, la loro efficacia e la loro integrazione. Le città e le regioni urbane costituiscono le maggiori aree di criticità dove si concentra la maggiore produzione di rifiuti urbani con impatti negativi sulla salute umana e sull’ambiente. Per lungo tempo l’aumento dei rifiuti urbani è stato considerato, come altri inquinanti, un problema alla coda di ogni processo produttivo e di consumo ed è stato affrontato con strumenti settoriali, come d…
Dual removal and selective recovery of phosphate and an organophosphorus pesticide from water by a Zr-based metal-organic framework
2021
The authors express their thanks for the financial support provided by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (H2020-MSCA-IF-2019-EF-ST-888972-PSustMOF, F.J.C.; H2020-MSCA-IF-2016-GF-749359-EnanSET, N.M.P.) within the European Union H2020 programme and EU FEDER. MINECO (CTQ2017-84692-R, PID2020-113608RB-I00, PEJ2018-004022-A), Universidad de Granada (Plan Propio de Investigacion and Programa Operativo FEDER Andalucia 2014-2020: B-FQM-364-UGR18), Junta de Andalucia (P18-RT-612) and 2020 Post-doctoral Junior Leadere-Retaining Fellowship, la Caixa Foundation (ID 100010434 and fellowship code LCF/BQ/PR20/11770014, N.M.P.) are also acknowledged for funding. Funding for open access cha…
Design e ficodindia : per uno sviluppo locale sostenibile
2017
L’articolo descrive il rapporto tra il design e un prodotto dell’agroalimentare siciliano, il ficodindia di Roccapalumba, per uno sviluppo economico e territoriale nel rispetto dell’ambiente. A tal fine il ficodindia è considerato risorsa in grado di avviare delle innovazioni, come la valorizzazione degli scarti e la relazione tra gli attori locali. Nell’articolo, per generare una seconda vita agli scarti, si è studiato il ciclo di vita del ficodindia e tra i vari output si è considerato la potatura dei cladodi da cui si è ricavato una fibra, utilizzata in modo innovativo e secondo una visione locale, puntando sul patrimonio culturale e sulle tradizioni. The article describes the relationsh…