A new circular business model typology for creating value from agro-waste

From Waste to Value: Solubility and Dissolution Enhancement of Bioactive Extracts from Olive Leaves Using Poloxamers

The European Union, producing over 2.5 billion tons of waste annually, has prompted the European Parliament to implement legal measures and encourage the shift towards a circular economy. Millions of tons of biowaste from olive plant leaves are generated annually, resulting in environmental and economic challenges. To address this, the biowaste of olive leaves was valorized, resulting in the extraction of valuable components, triterpenes and polyphenols, which hold potential pharmaceutical, food, or cosmetic applications. Our research involved the formulation of a triterpene extract (TTP70, 70% triterpenes) as a solid dispersion using Poloxamer-188 (P188) and Poloxamer-407 (P407). The solid dispersions were prepared using a kneading method and various extract-to-polymer weight ratios, including 1:1, 1:2, and 1:5. The influence of hydrophilic carriers on the solubility, dissolution profile, and in vitro passive permeability of TTP70 was evaluated. Both carriers and all considered weight ratios significantly improved the solubility of hydrophobic extract and the dissolution of triterpenes. PAMPA experiments demonstrated the efficacy of the formulation in improving the passive permeation of triterpenes. Subsequently, the solid dispersions were physically mixed with a polyphenol-enriched extract (OPA40, 49% of polyphenols) also obtained from olive leaves, and they were used to fill hard gelatin capsules and produce an oral dosage form. The composite formulations improved the dissolution of both classes of constituents.

Project management and circular economy in agribusiness: A systematic literature review

This article aims to identify how project management can enable the introduction of circular economy (CE) in agribusiness. The methodological strategy used was the systematic literature review. The research corpus consisted of 70 articles selected from the Web of Science and Scopus databases. For screening, the Rayyan platform was used, and the analysis process was carried out by categorization and grouping of terms and concepts with the help of Excel software. The evidence shown the efforts to reduce agro-waste and how to transform them into by-products. Barriers, challenges, benefits and opportunities for making the CE viable in agribusiness are presented. Three ways of projecting the CE in agribusiness are identified: (1) project management processes in the integration of the CE in agribusiness, (2) innovative projects and new business models as drivers of the CE in agribusiness and (3) 4.0 technologies integrating the CE in agribusiness based on project management methodologies. Results are limited to terms used in search mechanisms. This research contributes towards identifying project management processes that can enable the CE in agribusiness, particularly by identifying the impacts of the CE in different business areas. The research also contributes in a practical way by providing insights on ways to make the CE viable in agribusiness through project management.

Effective decontamination of DR-81 dye from aqueous solutions using eco-friendly graphene oxide nanoparticles

Effective management of industrial and agricultural wastes requires a multifaceted approach that considers environmental, economic, and social factors. Our ability to recover resources and create a circular bioeconomy from agricultural waste can be enhanced by implementing sustainable methods such as reducing, reusing, and recycling it. Active graphene oxide (GO) was prepared through the gasification of agricultural waste and further mixed with FeAlOx catalyst for three hours at 800 °C as an efficient adsorbent. The synthesized material was comprehensively characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area analysis, and thermal gravimetrical analysis. In order to remove direct red 81 (DR-81) dye from wastewater, the synthesized nanomaterial was implemented as an effective adsorbent. Several processing variables, including pH, contact time, and dosage, were studied to examine the optimum conditions that directly influence the DR-81 decontamination of onto the fabricated GO. The optimal dosage from the synthesized GO for DR-81 decontamination was 0.5 g/L at pH = 7 after 30 min. At pH 7.0 and 25 °C, the produced GO had the highest sorption capacity of 132.14 mg/g towards the DR-81. In addition, equilibrium and kinetic studies were capably fitted via the Freundlich and pseudo-second-order models, respectively. As a result of its particular properties, which include a high surface area, adsorption capacity, structural robustness, variation tolerance, and thermal stability. These promising findings supported the usage of synthesized GO as a superior adsorbent material for DR-81 decontamination from wastewater.

Innovative Strategies for Upcycling Agricultural Residues and Their Various Pharmaceutical Applications

This review investigates innovative strategies for upcycling agricultural residues into valuable pharmaceutical compounds. The improper disposal of agricultural residues contributes to significant environmental issues, including increased greenhouse gas emissions and ecosystem degradation. Upcycling offers a sustainable solution, transforming these residues into high-value bioproducts (antioxidants, antitumor agents, antidiabetic compounds, anti-inflammatory agents, and antiviral drugs). Nanotechnology and microbial biotechnology have a crucial role in enhancing bioavailability and targeted delivery of bioactive compounds. Advanced techniques like enzymatic hydrolysis, green solvents, microwave processing, pyrolysis, ultrasonic processing, acid and alkaline hydrolysis, ozonolysis, and organosolv processes are explored for their effectiveness in breaking down agricultural waste and extracting valuable compounds. Despite the promising potential, challenges such as variability in residue composition, scalability, and high costs persist. The review emphasizes the need for future research on cost-effective extraction techniques and robust regulatory frameworks to ensure the safety, efficacy, and quality of bioproducts. The upcycling of agricultural residues represents a viable path towards sustainable waste management and production of pharmaceutical compounds, contributing to environmental conservation and public health improvements. This review provides an analysis of the current literature and identifies knowledge gaps, offering recommendations for future studies to optimize the use of agricultural residues in the drug industry.

Circular economy in the valorisation of food and other biowaste: case studies in small and medium-sized enterprises in the Belgian construction sector

The construction sector has significant impacts on the environment due to the consumption of resources and the production of waste. The implementation of circular economy strategies can improve the environmental performance of the sector, optimising the current production and consumption patterns, slowing and closing material loops, and using waste as a source of raw materials. Biowaste represents a key waste flow at the European scale. However, research on its application in the construction sector is still limited and product-oriented, with little insights into the processes of valorisation undertaken at the company's level. This study presents eleven case studies of Belgian small and medium-sized enterprises involved in biowaste valorisation in the construction sector in order to tackle this research gap in the Belgian context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to identify the enterprise's business profile and its current marketing practices, as well as to analyse opportunities and barriers for market expansion and highlight current research interests. Results show that the overall picture is extremely heterogeneous in terms of sourcing, production methods, and products, while the barriers and success factors that have been identified are recurrent. This study contributes to the circular economy research in the construction sector by providing insights into innovative waste-based materials and business models.

Integrating the latest biological advances in the key steps of a food packaging life cycle

This literature review provides a focus on the potential of integrating the latest scientific and technological advances in the biological field to improve the status of the key steps of a food packaging life cycle: production, usage, post-usage, and long-term fate. A case study of such multi-biological food packaging is demonstrated based on the use of PHAs (polyhydroxyalkanoates) polymer, a microbiologically produced polymer from non-food renewable resources, activated by the use of bioactive components to enhance its usage benefits by reducing food loss and waste, displaying potential for reusability, compostability as post-usage, and finally, being ultimately biodegradable in most common natural conditions to considerably reduce the negative impact that persistent plastics have on the environment. We discuss how designing safe and efficient multi "bio" food packaging implies finding a compromise between sometimes contradictory functional properties. For example, active antimicrobials help preserve food but can hamper the ultimate biodegradation rate of the polymer. This review presents such antagonisms as well as techniques (e.g., coatings, nanoencapsulation) and tools (e.g., release kinetic) that can help design optimized, safe, and efficient active food packaging.

Developing a biogas centralised circular bioeconomy using agricultural residues - Challenges and opportunities

Anaerobic digestion (AD) can be used as a stand-alone process or integrated as part of a larger biorefining process to produce biofuels, biochemicals and fertiliser, and has the potential to play a central role in the emerging circular bioeconomy (CBE). Agricultural residues, such as animal slurry, straw, and grass silage, represent an important resource and have a huge potential to boost biogas and methane yields. Under the CBE concept, there is a need to assess the long-term impact and investigate the potential accumulation of specific unwanted substances. Thus, a comprehensive literature review to summarise the benefits and environmental impacts of using agricultural residues for AD is needed. This review analyses the benefits and potential adverse effects related to developing biogas-centred CBE. The identified potential risks/challenges for developing biogas CBE include GHG emission, nutrient management, pollutants, etc. In general, the environmental risks are highly dependent on the input feedstocks and resulting digestate. Integrated treatment processes should be developed as these could both minimise risks and improve the economic perspective.

Circularity measurement of external resource flows in companies: The circular flow tool

Unlike the linear model "take-make-use-dispose", the circular economy model "grow-make-use-restore" intends to potentiate material and energy flows within a system with the premise of increasing environmental gains. Moreover, circular economy practices can be alternatives for closing loops in companies from different sectors, with material-, waste-, and energy-related initiatives towards promoting greater internal value-adding. However, the lack of consistent tools for measuring circularity of processes and companies is a gap yet to be covered. To tackle this gap, this paper's aims are: (i) to build a new tool, called Circular Flow, for generating greater internal value and competitive advantage in organizations and identify potential circular economy-related opportunities for closing loops based on external flows, (ii) to apply the tool in a case study, an organization that presents material and energy (electricity) flows and exchanges with other organizations, and (iii) to discuss the integration and potential opportunities for the tool in organizations. The novel, Circular Flow, tool is based on a set of circular graph visualizations, and quantitative circularity indicators. For the graphical visualization, the software tool R (using the Circlize package) was used. The graphs aid the visualization of several interconnected pieces of information, allowing to show all quantitative flows of inputs and outputs, intuitively showing the paths (origin and destination of each flow) within the boundaries of the system under study. The quantitative indicators, e.g. Circularity of the organization (Circ p) and Circularity of each process (Circ o), show a circularity index ranging from 0% to 100%, which can be assessed at different levels. The criteria to select these indicators are based on quantities of inputs and outputs regarding mass and electricity. The tool has been applied in a case study of a rural property in southern Brazil, which region holds a tradition for milk and pig farming. The use of the tool showed the involvement of the rural property with its neighbors and with an agroindustrial cooperative. Keeping these flows within the system may increase environmental gains by reducing transportation, using renewable sources of energy, reducing costs, and boosting the generation of jobs and income in the region due to new market opportunities and business models.

Transformation of Agro-Waste into Value-Added Bioproducts and Bioactive Compounds: Micro/Nano Formulations and Application in the Agri-Food-Pharma Sector

The agricultural sector generates a significant amount of waste, the majority of which is not productively used and is becoming a danger to both world health and the environment. Because of the promising relevance of agro-residues in the agri-food-pharma sectors, various bioproducts and novel biologically active molecules are produced through valorization techniques. Valorization of agro-wastes involves physical, chemical, and biological, including green, pretreatment methods. Bioactives and bioproducts development from agro-wastes has been widely researched in recent years. Nanocapsules are now used to increase the efficacy of bioactive molecules in food applications. This review addresses various agri-waste valorization methods, value-added bioproducts, the recovery of bioactive compounds, and their uses. Moreover, it also covers the present status of bioactive micro- and nanoencapsulation strategies and their applications.

Closing the Nutrient Loop-The New Approaches to Recovering Biomass Minerals during the Biorefinery Processes

The recovery of plant mineral nutrients from the bio-based value chains is essential for a sustainable, circular bioeconomy, wherein resources are (re)used sustainably. The widest used approach is to recover plant nutrients on the last stage of biomass utilization processes-e.g., from ash, wastewater, or anaerobic digestate. The best approach is to recover mineral nutrients from the initial stages of biomass biorefinery, especially during biomass pre-treatments. Our paper aims to evaluate the nutrient recovery solutions from a trans-sectorial perspective, including biomass processing and the agricultural use of recovered nutrients. Several solutions integrated with the biomass pre-treatment stage, such as leaching/bioleaching, recovery from pre-treatment neoteric solvents, ionic liquids (ILs), and deep eutectic solvents (DESs) or integrated with hydrothermal treatments are discussed. Reducing mineral contents on silicon, phosphorus, and nitrogen biomass before the core biorefinery processes improves processability and yield and reduces corrosion and fouling effects. The recovered minerals are used as bio-based fertilizers or as silica-based plant biostimulants, with economic and environmental benefits.

A typology of sustainable circular business models with applications in the bioeconomy

As an approach to sustainable development, circular business models are increasingly being developed. However, many circular business models focus on environmental or technological contributions to sustainability rather than considering all dimensions of sustainability simultaneously. Based on existing sustainable business model archetypes, a hierarchical business model typology is developed that allows a stepwise exploration of sustainable business model innovation opportunities incorporating an environmental, social and economic dimension. An analysis of business model components generates a closer look on the six newly defined Sustainable Circular Business Models. Finally, a conceptual application for organic waste valorization technologies, supported by examples from literature, allows a practical view on the implementation of the business models in the bio-economy. The typology offers a guide toward sustainable business model design or innovation opportunities centered around technologies creating value from waste.

Chlorogenic Acids and Caffeine from Coffee By-Products: A Review on Skincare Applications

Upcycling is a modern trend in the cosmetic sector, focusing on by-products reuse and waste reduction. Consumers are more aware of the origin of cosmetic products and their environmental impact, promoting the upcycling phenomenon. Converting these raw materials into products of higher quality or value contributes to the final product’s sustainability. In fact, several agri-food by-products that are typically discarded have generated great interest, due to their value-added compounds with high functionality and/or bioactivity. Coffee is well known as a cosmetic ingredient, particularly due to the presence of phenolic compounds, such as chlorogenic acids, and caffeine. Caffeine is widely used in cosmetic formulations due to its photoprotector and anti-aging properties, as well as lipolytic action in cellulitis, and hair regrowth. Chlorogenic acids are powerful antioxidants and exhibit anti-aging and photoprotector abilities. Coffee by-products, such as coffee beans, possess these bioactive compounds and other chemical characteristics that can provide functional properties in cosmetic formulations. Coffee silverskin and spent coffee grounds are high-volume by-products of the coffee industry. Their use has been explored in different cosmetic formulations demonstrating safety, stability, acceptability as well as skin improvement, thus supporting their valorization as natural and sustainable new ingredients in skincare products.

Circular bioeconomy for olive oil waste and by-product valorisation: Actors' strategies and conditions in the Mediterranean area

The circular economy and bioeconomy can contribute to transitioning towards more sustainable production and consumption in the olive oil sector. This article is the first to analyse multi-actor strategies and multi-level socio-economic conditions for olive oil waste and by-product valorisation in the Mediterranean area using circular bioeconomy principles. Government policies, the strategies of corporations and farmers and consumers' perceptions are discussed, and various methods are applied, such as desk reviews, case studies and quantitative and qualitative surveys. The findings show strong aspirations for improved sustainability in the olive industry. Furthermore, waste and by-product valorisation strategies foster the creation of innovative practices. However, a common regulatory framework, public financial measures, new circular business models using innovative technologies, multi-actor collaboration and increased consumer awareness of the circular economy and new olive oil waste-based products are necessary for more efficient and sustainable use of olive resources. The policy and management recommendations presented in this study may aid in improving and innovating frameworks and practices for better sustainable management of valuable olive resources.

Mechanical, Physical, and Chemical Properties of Mycelium-Based Composites Produced from Various Lignocellulosic Residues and Fungal Species

Mycelium-based composites (MBCs) are characterized as biodegradable materials derived from fungal species. These composites can be employed across a range of industrial applications that involve the manufacturing of packaging materials as well as the manufacturing of buildings, furniture, and various other household items. However, different fungal species and substrates can directly affect the functional properties of MBCs, which ultimately vary their potential to be used in many applications. In this study, the mechanical, physical, and chemical properties of MBCs made from four different fungal species (Ganoderma fornicatum, Ganoderma williamsianum, Lentinus sajor-caju, and Schizophyllum commune) combined with three different types of lignocellulosic residues (sawdust, corn husk, and rice straw) were investigated. The results indicate that differences in both the type of lignocellulosic residues and the fungal species could affect the properties of the obtained MBCs. It was found that the MBCs obtained from sawdust had the highest degree of density. Moreover, MBCs obtained from S. commune with all three types of lignocellulosic residues exhibited the highest shrinkage value. The greatest degree of water absorption was observed in the MBCs obtained from rice straw, followed by those obtained from corn husk and sawdust. Additionally, the thermal degradation ability of the MBCs was observed to be within a range of 200 to 325 °C, which was in accordance with the thermal degradation ability of each type of lignocellulosic residue. The greatest degrees of compressive, flexural, impact, and tensile strength were observed in the MBCs of G. williamsianum and L. sajor-caju. The results indicate that the MBCs made from corn husk, combined with each fungal species, exhibited the highest values of flexural, impact, and tensile strength. Subsequently, an analysis of the chemical properties indicated that the pH value, nitrogen content, and organic matter content of the obtained MBCs were within the following ranges: 4.67−6.12, 1.05−1.37%, and 70.40−86.28%, respectively. The highest degree of electrical conductivity was observed in MBCs obtained from rice straw. Most of the physical and mechanical properties of the obtained MBCs were similar to those of polyimide and polystyrene foam. Therefore, these composites could be used to further develop relevant strategies that may allow manufacturers to effectively replace polyimide and polystyrene foams in the future.

The potential of animal manure management pathways toward a circular economy: a bibliometric analysis

Improper disposal of animal waste is responsible for several environmental problems, causing eutrophication of lakes and rivers, nutrient overload in the soil, and the spread of pathogenic organisms. Despite the potential to cause adverse ecological damage, animal waste can be a valuable source of resources if incorporated into a circular concept. In this sense, new approaches focused on recovery and reuse as substitutes for traditional processes based on removing contaminants in animal manure have gained attention from the scientific community. Based on this, the present work reviewed the literature on the subject, performing a bibliometric and scientometric analysis of articles published in peer-reviewed journals between 1991 and 2021. Of the articles analyzed, the main issues addressed were nitrogen and phosphorus recovery, energy generation, high-value-added products, and water reuse. The energy use of livestock waste stands out since it is characterized as a consolidated solution, unlike other routes still being developed, presenting the economic barrier as the main limiting factor. Analyzing the trend of technological development through the S curve, it was possible to verify that the circular economy in the management of animal waste will enter the maturation phase as of 2036 and decline in 2056, which demonstrates opportunities for the sector's development, where animal waste can be an economic agent, promoting a cleaner and more viable product for a sustainable future.

Material flow cost accounting (MFCA) to enhance environmental entrepreneurship in the meat sector: Challenges and opportunities

The material flow cost accounting (MFCA) is one of the most broadly standardized tools accepted in environmental, social and economic research, which traces and quantifies material flows and stock in physical and economic units. Although its application has been recently developed in the field of resource and waste management, few academic articles have investigated its value towards food waste management, which represents a topical concern on a global scale. The present research applies the MFCA to investigate the material, energetic and economic costs associated with the Italian beef, pork and poultry production, exploring related challenges and opportunities towards the enhancement of the environmental entrepreneurship in the meat sector. The present countryside analysis is based on literature and empirical data collected during the Covid-19 pandemic. It highlights the need to improve knowledge on food waste issue under the economic perspective and its dual impact: when it is generated, in terms of income losses due to by-products and finished products sales failure, and when it is disposed, in terms of disposal costs sustained by farms, processing plants and distribution and sales centers. It is estimated that more than 0.45-0.50 Mt of fresh meat is wasted along the entire Italian agri-food chain, equal to more than 242-268 million euros, to which additional energy and water losses should be added (435-481 million euros). MFCA results are useful for business decisions, highlighting quantities, qualities and costs otherwise not considered in common financial reports.

A research agenda for scaling up agroecology in European countries

A profound transformation of agricultural production methods has become unavoidable due to the increase in the world's population, and environmental and climatic challenges. Agroecology is now recognized as a challenging model for agricultural systems, promoting their diversification and adaptation to environmental and socio-economic contexts, with consequences for the entire agri-food system and the development of rural and urban areas. Through a prospective exercise performed at a large interdisciplinary institute, INRAE, a research agenda for agroecology was built that filled a gap through its ambition and interdisciplinarity. It concerned six topics. For genetics, there is a need to study genetic aspects of complex systems (e.g., mixtures of genotypes) and to develop breeding methods for them. For landscapes, challenges lie in effects of heterogeneity at multiple scales, in multifunctionality and in the design of agroecological landscapes. Agricultural equipment and digital technologies show high potential for monitoring dynamics of agroecosystems. For modeling, challenges include approaches to complexity, consideration of spatial and temporal dimensions and representation of the cascade from cropping practices to ecosystem services. The agroecological transition of farms calls for modeling and observational approaches as well as for creating new design methods. Integration of agroecology into food systems raises the issues of product specificity, consumer behavior and organization of markets, standards and public policies. In addition, transversal priorities were identified: (i) generating sets of biological data, through research and participatory mechanisms, that are appropriate for designing agroecological systems and (ii) collecting and using coherent sets of data to enable assessment of vulnerability, resilience and risk in order to evaluate the performance of agroecological systems and to contribute to scaling up. The main lessons learned from this collective exercise can be useful for the entire scientific community engaged in research into agroecology.

Evaluating the Transition of the European Union Member States towards a Circular Economy

This paper presents the assessment of the European Union member states in terms of the circular economy (CE) targets, using a combination of the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) method and factor analysis. This approach fills in the existing knowledge gap by providing an innovative methodology of an objectivised comparative evaluation of the degree of implementation of the CE principles by the EU countries. Assessing countries’ performance in achieving the goals of the circular economy is a challenge due to the lack of a generally accepted methodology, the multitude of indicators, and the insufficient data. Countries may be compared in a narrow way, according to single indicators, but a more holistic synthetic assessment of countries is also needed to determine their position against each other. In such cases, DEA may be successfully used. The study resulted in the identification of two clusters of countries with similar profiles of relative efficiency in the CE goals’ implementation. It was concluded that the position of a particular country in achieving the CE aims was strongly correlated its GDP per capita. Moreover, factor analysis showed that many CE indicators are strongly correlated with each other and may be aggregated into five meta-indicators (factors): Recycling rate of general waste, Waste production, Jobs and investments, Recycling rate of special waste, and Circular material use rate. In addition to simple rankings and indication of benchmarks, the article offers a novel concept of technology competitors which was used to group units competing for positions in the ranking.

The incorporated environmental policies and regulations into bioenergy supply chain management: A literature review

Bioenergy, a means to reach a sustainable economy, is being driven by governments by devising incremental regulations and more instrumental policies in parallel. These constant-changing regulations bring uncertainty to bioenergy supply chain optimization problems. An increasing number of recent studies on bioenergy supply chain optimization addressing environmental concerns have highlighted the need for an overview indispensable. The purpose of this paper is to present a review of the incorporated policies and regulations and to examine whether constraints or targets set by governments are fully met in optimizing of bioenergy supply chains. To this end, first, bioenergy policies and regulations enacted in the EU, the global leader in the energy transition, as a benchmark are reviewed based on the bioenergy supply chain steps. Then, the optimization problems employing policies and regulations are classified and discussed. The review reveals visible gaps between what policies demand and what is proposed in the literature, and underpin the regulations which need to be considered in future work. Examination of the literature also suggests that a globally drawn standard may lead to better bioenergy supply chain development considering other green energy developments. Our key finds are.

Biopolymer-based nanocarriers for sustained release of agrochemicals: A review on materials and social science perspectives for a sustainable future of agri- and horticulture

Devastating plant diseases and soil depletion rationalize an extensive use of agrochemicals to secure the food production worldwide. The sustained release of fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture is a promising solution to the eco-toxicological impacts and it might reduce the amount and increase the effectiveness of agrochemicals administration in the field. This review article focusses on carriers with diameters below 1 μm, such as capsules, spheres, tubes and micelles that promote the sustained release of actives. Biopolymer nanocarriers represent a potentially environmentally friendly alternative due to their renewable origin and biodegradability, which prevents the formation of microplastics. The social aspects, economic potential, and success of commercialization of biopolymer based nanocarriers are influenced by the controversial nature of nanotechnology and depend on the use case. Nanotechnology's enormous innovative power is only able to unfold its potential to limit the effects of climate change and to counteract current environmental developments if the perceived risks are understood and mitigated.

Dump or recycle? Consumer's environmental awareness and express package disposal based on an evolutionary game model

Along with the rapid development of the express industry and the inevitable trend of sustainable development, the disposal of express packaging is an urgent problem that needs to be solved. With the objective to the effective disposal mode for express packaging, this paper introduces the consumers' environmental awareness into the framework and establishes an evolutionary game model to explore the governing measures of the express packaging recycling industry. It is found that without considering consumers' environmental awareness, the government's reward and punishment mechanism alone cannot restrain the recycler's decision-making effectively, while the participation of the consumers with environmental awareness could drive the strategy of the recycler to converge to the ideal state effectively, which is recycling the express packaging actively. The sensitivity analysis shows that the participation of consumers with environmental awareness significantly weakens the recycling difficulty and reduces the recycling cost of the recycler, which is helpful to improve the willingness of the recycler to recycle the express packaging continually. Thereby, the express packaging recycling industry can be improved better when the consumer's awareness of environmental protection is enhanced.

Mechanical and microstructural performance of concrete containing high-volume of bagasse ash and silica fume

In this study, researchers examined the effect of replacing a high-volume of cement with sugarcane bagasse ash (BA) and silica fume (SF). In addition to the control, three binary and three ternary blends of concrete containing different percentages of cement/BA and cement/BA/SF were tested to determine the various mechanical and microstructural properties of concrete. For each mix, eighteen cylindrical concrete specimens were cast followed by standard curing (moist at 20 °C) to test the compressive and tensile strengths of three identical specimens at 7, 28, and 91 days. The test results indicated that the binary mix with 20% BA and ternary mix with 33% BA and 7% SF exhibited higher strengths than all the other mixes, including the control. The higher strengths of these mixes are also validated by their lower water absorption and apparent porosity than the other mixes. Following mechanical testing, the micro and pore structures of all mixes were investigated by performing scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and nitrogen (N₂) adsorption isotherm analysis. In SEM–EDS analysis, a dense and compact microstructure was observed for the BA20 and BA33SF7 mixtures due to the formation of high-density C–S–H and C–H phases. The formation of a large amount of C–S–H phases was observed through FTIR, where a prominent shift in peaks from 955 to 970 cm⁻¹ was observed in the spectra of these mixes. Moreover, in N₂ adsorption isotherm analysis, a decrease in the intruded pore volume and an increase in the BET surface area of the paste matrix indicate the densification of the pore structure of these mixes. As observed through TGA, a reduction in the amount of the portlandite phase in these mixes leads to the formation of their more densified micro and pore structures. The current findings indicate that BA (20%) and its blend with SF (40%) represents a potential revenue stream for the development of sustainable and high-performance concretes in the future.

Superheated Steam Torrefaction of Biomass Residues with Valorisation of Platform Chemicals Part—2: Economic Assessment and Commercialisation Opportunities

Up to now biorefinery concepts can hardly compete with the conventional production of fossil-based chemicals. On one hand, conventional chemical production has been optimised over many decades in terms of energy, yield and costs. Biorefineries, on the other hand, do not have the benefit of long-term experience and therefore have a huge potential for optimisation. This study deals with the economic evaluation of a newly developed biorefinery concept based on superheated steam (SHS) torrefaction of biomass residues with recovery of valuable platform chemicals. Two variants of the biorefinery were economically investigated. One variant supplies various platform chemicals and torrefied biomass. The second variant supplies thermal energy for external consumers in addition to platform chemicals. The results show that both variants can be operated profitably if the focus of the platform chemicals produced is on high quality and thus on the higher-priced segment. The economic analysis gives clear indications of the most important financial influencing parameters. The economic impact of integration into existing industrial structures is positive. With the analysis, a viable business model can be developed. Based on the results of the present study, an open-innovation platform is recommended for the further development and commercialisation of the novel biorefinery.

White Grape Pomace Valorization for Remediating Purposes

The present investigation focuses on a possible alternative to reduce grape pomace’s negative impact on the environment by exploiting its capacities for wastewater remediation. Therefore, three directions are followed: (1) the characterization of white grape byproducts’ antioxidant and antiradical properties; (2) the determination of organophosphorus compound concentration that might be present in the samples; and (3) the evaluation of the possible use for wastewater remediation. The grape pomace was used for obtaining different extracts considering different extraction conditions. The hydroalcoholic extracts have an increased amount of total phenolic content. The lyophilized hydroalcoholic extract showed high total phenolic content (159.52 mg/100 g) and low organophosphorus content (0.257 ± 0.015 nmol). The lowest DPPH antiradical-scavenging activities were obtained for the extracts in ethanol obtained from refrigerated pomace (0.055) and for dried pomace (0.045).

Superheated Steam Torrefaction of Biomass Residues with Valorisation of Platform Chemicals—Part 1: Ecological Assessment

Within the last decade, research on torrefaction has gained increasing attention due to its ability to improve the physical properties and chemical composition of biomass residues for further energetic utilisation. While most of the research works focused on improving the energy density of the solid fraction to offer an ecological alternative to coal for energy applications, little attention was paid to the valorisation of the condensable gases as platform chemicals and its ecological relevance when compared to conventional production processes. Therefore, the present study focuses on the ecological evaluation of an innovative biorefinery concept that includes superheated steam drying and the torrefaction of biomass residues at ambient pressure, the recovery of volatiles and the valorisation/separation of several valuable platform chemicals. For a reference case and an alternative system design scenario, the ecological footprint was assessed, considering the use of different biomass residues. The results show that the newly developed process can compete with established bio-based and conventional production processes for furfural, 5-HMF and acetic acid in terms of the assessed environmental performance indicators. The requirements for further research on the synthesis of other promising platform chemicals and the necessary economic evaluation of the process were elaborated.

New silica based adsorbent material from rice straw and its in-flow application to nitrate reduction in waters: Process sustainability and scale-up possibilities

This paper shows a particular example to move to a sustainable circular economical process from valorization of rice straw ashes by developing a green synthesis for obtaining a useful sub-product. This strategy can palliate negative effects of the agriculture waste practices on the environment and also the obtained silica reduced nitrate content in waters. It is demonstrated that the silica synthesis developed at lab was scalable more than a hundred times with good results. Adsorption studies of nitrate in standards and real well waters at lab scale and scaling-up provided similar results. Adsorption values near to 15 mg/g for nitrate standards and 8.5 mg/g for well water were obtained until achieving the initial nitrate concentration. Experimental breakthrough curves fitted to Thomas model, which gave similar results for adsorption capacities. The adsorption capacity was checked with that obtained by a commercial resin, providing improved results. The method at large scale was compared with industrial traditional methods and green adsorbents.

Enzymatic pre-treatment of grape seeds for an oil with higher antioxidant activity

The paper investigates the effect of the enzymatic pre-treatment of grape seeds from six Romanian cultivars on the oil extracted. The grape seeds of some white and red Romanian grape varieties were separated from winery waste, washed, dried and ground, with the oil then obtained by extraction with petroleum ether. The extraction was performed directly or after a preliminary treatment with a commercial pectin lyase. The enzymatic procedure applied was more cost effective compared to other treatments previously described in which a cocktail of enzymes was used. The quantity of the extracted oil was measured in both types of processing, with an increase being observed for pre-treated samples. The fatty acid profiles (FAPs) of the oils resulted for the treated and untreated seeds were determined. No change in the composition was noticed. The reductive power of these oils was also investigated. Compared to the untreated samples for the same variety, the enzyme pre-treatment resulted in a superior antioxidant capacity.

Sustainable Technologies Supported by Project-Based Learning in the Education of Engineers: A Case Study from Poland

The aim of the article is to examine technological innovations developed by engineers as part of Project-Based Learning at one of the Polish technical universities. We examined whether the innovations being developed meet the goals of sustainable development and whether they provide the basis for the introduction of sustainable business models. We analyzed reports from 49 projects implemented in the years 2018–2020 in which 146 scientists, 282 students of the Silesian University of Technology, and 126 experts from the university’s business environment were involved. We performed the analysis using content analysis and visualization techniques. The results show that the studied innovations implement the goals of sustainable development and most of them may become the basis of sustainable business models. The most frequently pursued goals are Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure and Good Health and Well-Being. Most of the studied innovations can become the basis of the archetype of a sustainable business model called “maximize material and energy efficacy”. We also provide the characteristics of projects that implement the diagnosed goals of sustainable development.

Analysis of approaches to waste management of pig farms

This paper aims to analyze effective approaches to waste management in agro-industrial cluster. It considers the studies confirming the relevance and importance of the development of technologies for processing and recycling of waste from the agro-industrial cluster, and, in particular, waste from pig farms. The methods of system analysis, information synthesis, statistical data analysis were used to identify the existing problems. The period from 2000 to 2020 was considered. The most popular directions and production branches have been identified. Quantitative analysis of scientific works on recycling and disposal of waste of agro-industrial cluster was carried out. Based on the data obtained, graphs were built, comparisons were made, conclusions were drawn about the demand for the development of resource-saving technologies, and waste recycling. Based on the analysis of the existing approaches, the authors proposed a cluster form of organization and waste management.

Circularity of Brazilian silk: Promoting a circular bioeconomy in the production of silk cocoons

The bioeconomy is considered one of the three main sectors with the greatest opportunities for the development of the circular economy in Brazil, who is one of the largest silk producers in the world; and sericulture is an agribusiness that contributes greatly to the bioeconomy in Brazil. Therefore, this research aimed to identify opportunities for creating value by internalizing flows in the production of silk cocoons by promoting a circular bioeconomy. To that end, a tool was used to assess the circularity of the referred system. The current circularity of the production of silk cocoons, at the farm level, is 74.19 % for material, and 0 % for energy. A range of measures are proposed, based on (i) engaging with reverse logistics practices, (ii) establishing a local agroindustrial cooperative, and (iii) building community biodigesters, which aid a potential circularity of 85.51 % (material), and 100 % (energy) at the farm level, and 98.42 % (material) and 100 % (energy), at the cooperative level. On top of increasing circular value, the proposed measures might bring environmental benefits, such as lessening environmental impacts of logistics (by valuing local resources) and replacing non-renewable energy, and social impacts, through increased quality of life for sericulturists. Economic implications need further investigation and are suggested to be addressed in future research endeavors, along with policy implications for the development of a circular bioeconomy. Furthermore, an increased circularity can also contribute to a few of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) proposed by the United Nations, such as SDGs 2, 7, 9, 11, 12 and 13.

Marine Bioactive Peptides in Supplements and Functional Foods - A Commercial Perspective

Many bioactive peptides have been described from marine sources and much marine biomass is still not explored or utilized in products. Marine peptides can be developed into a variety of products, and there is a significant interest in the use of bioactive peptides from marine sources for nutraceuticals or functional foods. We present here a mini-review collecting the knowledge about the value chain of bioactive peptides from marine sources used in nutraceuticals and functional foods. Many reports describe bioactive peptides from marine sources, but in order to make these available to the consumers in commercial products, it is important to connect the bioactivities associated with these peptides to commercial opportunities and possibilities. In this mini-review, we present challenges and opportunities for the commercial use of bioactive peptides in nutraceuticals and functional food products. We start the paper by introducing approaches for isolation and identification of bioactive peptides and candidates for functional foods. We further discuss market-driven innovation targeted to ensure that isolated peptides and suggested products are marketable and acceptable by targeted consumers. To increase the commercial potential and ensure the sustainability of the identified bioactive peptides and products, we discuss scalability, regulatory frameworks, production possibilities and the shift towards greener technologies. Finally, we discuss some commercial products from marine peptides within the functional food market. We discuss the placement of these products in the larger picture of the commercial sphere of functional food products from bioactive peptides.

Interrelationship among CE Adoption Obstacles of Supply Chain in the Textile Sector: Based on the DEMATEL-ISM Approach

Globally, in the innovative and distributional circular textiles, the textile sector of Taiwan has a prominent place. Within the textile industry, the circular economy (CE) obstacles adopted have been studied by several scholars. However, the interrelationships among these obstacles are easily ignored. The present study aimed to identify CE adoption obstacles from the supply chain (SC) perspective in Taiwan’s textile sector by analyzing the interrelationships among the CE adoption obstacles and establishing a hierarchical network and the causal inter relationships of the identified obstacles. Furthermore, the CE adoption obstacles and interrelationships were analyzed using interpretative structural modeling and the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (ISM-DEMATEL). The common results of the two methods demonstrated that two obstacles, consumers not having sufficient knowledge and awareness of reuse/recycling (B1) and a lack of successful business models and frameworks for CE implementation (B3), were the significant obstacles influencing adopting CE in the textile supply chain, while the obstacle making the most efficient way (B12) of the right decision to implement CE was minor. Thus, the government should formulate friendly laws and regulations that encourage CE adoption, while textile firms should monitor and control recycling and efficiency approaches handling the CE adoption problems. Our results could offer first-hand knowledge to textile firms or managers to effetely achieve CE implementation objectives.

Use of sugar mill wastewater for Agaricus bisporus cultivation: prediction models for trace metal uptake and health risk assessment

This study explored the sustainable use of treated sugar mill wastewater (SMW) to cultivate the White button (Agaricus bisporus J.E. Lange) mushroom and the attendant risk of trace metals accumulated in the fruiting bodies. The wheat straw substrate was loaded with a normal water supply and different doses of SMW to enhance its moisture and nutrient contents. The impact of the SMW amendment on A. bisporus yield, biological efficiency, and spawn-running time was assessed. Furthermore, the substrate properties (pH, organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, etc.) based prediction models for trace metal uptake by A. bisporus fruiting bodies were developed using multiple linear regression (MLR) and artificial neural network (ANN) approaches. The results showed that maximum A. bisporus yield (158.42 ± 8.74 g/kg fresh substrate), biological efficiency (105.61 ± 3.97%), and minimum time of spawn-running (15 days) were observed in 75% SMW enrichment. For the prediction of Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, and Zn trace metal uptake, the ANN models showed better performance in terms of R² (> 0.995), root means square error (RMSE < 0.075), model efficiency (ME > 0.99), and model normalized bias (MNB < 0.009), as compared with those of MLR models with R² (0.972), RMSE (< 0.441), ME (> 0.96), and MNB (< 0.034), respectively. On the other hand, the target hazard quotient (THQ) showed no significant health risk associated with the consumption of trace metal-contaminated A. bisporus in both adult and child groups. Thus, the findings of this study present a novel, safe, and sustainable method of A. bisporus cultivation along with treated agro-based wastewater management.

Investigating Circular Business Model Innovation through Keywords Analysis

Ongoing economic, social and environmental developments have forced the production system to undertake a profound transformation, shifting from a linear to a circular model. The transformation towards a circular economy poses significant challenges for established companies, in many cases requiring a strong modification of their current business models, start-ups and new ventures. Firms need to completely rethink their value proposition, modifying how the product or service is produced, delivered to the customers and disposed of. As a result, interest in business model innovation with a view to a circular system has increased significantly over the last five years, leading to a flourishing literature production. Although several literature reviews have been published on the topic of the circular business model, few of them include the innovation dimension. Moreover, the time horizon covered by the previous reviews extends to 2019 and in one case to 2020. Since 2020 saw a 135% increase in scientific production compared to the previous year, it is necessary to update the prior works, taking into account the new contributions. Our paper aims to bridge this gap by proposing a literature review based on keywords analysis. In this way, it is possible to analyze the issues addressed in the circular business model innovation (CMBI) by categorizing them as core, emerging/phantom, trendy or intermittent. This analysis is particularly suitable for identifying future research directions as signaled by the emerging themes.

A New Conceptual 'Cylinder' Framework for Sustainable Bioeconomy Systems and Their Actors

Concepts for sustainable bioeconomy systems are gradually replacing the ones on linear product chains. The reason is that continuously expanding linear chain activities are considered to contribute to climate change, reduced biodiversity, over-exploitation of resources, food insecurity, and the double burden of disease. Are sustainable bioeconomy systems a guarantee for a healthy planet? If yes, why, when, and how? In literature, different sustainability indicators have been presented to shed light on this complicated question. Due to high degrees of complexity and interactions of actors in bioeconomy systems, trade-offs and non-linear outcomes became apparent. This fueled the debates about the normative dimensions of the bioeconomy. In particular, the behavior of actors and the utilization of products do not seem to be harmonized according to the environmental, social, and economic pillars of sustainability. Potential conflicts require a new conceptual framework that is here introduced. It consists of a 'sustainability' cylinder captured between an inner-cylinder, representing order, and an outer-cylinder for chaos, based on the laws of physics and complex adaptive systems. Such a framework permits (bioeconomy) systems to propagate in the sustainability zone only if they follow helical pathways serving as the new norms. Helices are a combination of two sinusoidal patterns. The first represents here the sustainable behavior of interacting actors and the second the balanced usage of resources and products. The latter counteracts current growth discourses. The applicability of the conceptual cylinder framework is positively verified via 9 cases in Europe, which encompass social-organizational and product-technological innovations.

Circular Economy Models in Agro-Food Systems: A Review

Around the world, interest is growing in the circular economy in response to the current unsustainable model of production and consumption based on increased use and depletion of resources. This paper provides a review of the academic literature on the circular economy in agri-food systems, with the aims of understanding its main characteristics and perspectives, and summarizing and discussing the literature in this field. This review provides a deeper understanding of the opportunities provided by the circular economy as a solution to the current need to reduce the environmental impacts of business-as-usual economic systems and the state of the art of the circular economy in the academic debate. The results are discussed based on the chosen topic-core investigated in this review: business model and organization management, food loss and waste along the supply chain, analytical tools for the circular economy, stakeholder acceptance of the circular economy, and mitigation strategies and political approach. The findings show the need for the implementation of cleaner production models and consequent increases in stakeholder responsibilities and awareness, from both producers and consumers, as well as the need for the implementation of suitable policies and tools.

Profiling phenolic compounds in underutilized mango peel by-products from cultivars grown in Spanish subtropical climate over maturation course

Nutraceutical market has undergone an exponential growth worldwide due to its health link-up. With the purpose of evaluating nutraceutical value, the phenolic composition of underutilized mango peel by-products of three cultivars ('Keitt', 'Kent' and 'Osteen') grown in Spanish subtropical climate was monitored at three maturation stages (green, ripe and overripe). Tracking the total phenol content, mango peels were figured out to have until twenty-seven fold higher than edible fraction. Mango peels comprised a wide range of phenolic compounds such as mono- and di-galloyl compounds, gallotannins, phenolic acids, benzophenones and flavonoids. The influence of both factors, cultivar and maturation degree, on the phenolic composition was the main outcome of the research. 'Keitt' mango peel was revealed as the cultivar with the highest phenolic content mainly due to the great quantities of galloyl glucose, 5-galloylquinic acid, digalloylquinic acid, hexagalloyl glucose and macluring galloyl glucoside detected. Regarding to the effect of maturation degree, green mango peels showed the highest amounts of polyphenols, although this behaviour could be dependent on the mango cultivar. Therefore, mango peels resulted to be a promising and low-cost resource of phenolic compounds to be exploited in food industry, but to enhance the nutraceutical value, factors such as cultivar and maturation degree should be taken into account.

Heterogeneous fleet recyclables collection routing optimization in a two-echelon collaborative reverse logistics network from circular economic and environmental perspective

In recent years, production and consumption activities carried out in accordance with the "take-make-dispose" process have caused environmental damage and resource waste. Reverse logistics based on the concept of "sustainable development and circular economy" has gained public attention, including the recycling and reuse of recyclable wastes. In order to explore the impact of recyclable wastes transportation on cost, environment and resources, this paper focuses on a vehicle routing problem considering electric heterogeneous fleet for a two-echelon recycling network, recycling stations and recycling centers. With the goal of minimizing the total cost, a recycling heterogeneous fleet electric vehicle routing model with time windows is established under the consideration of vehicle load constraints, vehicle type constraints on the weight of loaded recyclable wastes and customer's allowable service time constraints. For carbon emissions reduction and environment protection, vehicles used in recycling stations are designated as electric vehicles. Then, a hybrid genetic algorithm with a large-scale neighborhood search algorithm is proposed. Finally, numerical experiments are conducted on vehicle types in recycling stations, and the computational results show the use of heterogeneous fleets could reduce costs. By analyzing the relationship between customer service time and total cost, the best service time rule could be obtained in the case of customer satisfaction. Meanwhile, by analyzing the relationship between the number and the loading capacity of electric vehicles in recycling stations and total cost, the best number and the loading capacity of electric vehicles could be obtained. This heterogeneous fleet recyclables collection routing model can greatly support the construction of recycling centers and the planning of recycling tasks, and provide a basis for recycling companies to deal with the relationship between economy, environment and resources.

Innovative Circular Business Models in the Olive Oil Sector for Sustainable Mediterranean Agrifood Systems

Considering the large amounts of harmful waste produced in the Mediterranean olive sector, entrepreneurial initiatives creating value from olive waste and by-products via circular bio-economy approaches are reviewed. These circular business models aim to enhance the functionality use of olive trees beyond traditional patterns for value creation. The study focuses on business drivers and value creation mechanisms, and specifically on conversion pathways of olive waste towards new value propositions. In total, 41 cases are analyzed mainly according to the Business Model Canvas components with NVivo, based on data gathered from an extensive online search mainly of company websites and reports, online articles, research project reports, professional websites, and newsletters. Results indicate that some innovative businesses have emerged specializing in the domain of olive waste valorization, driven by environmental concerns and mainly focusing on bioenergy production. However, the overall olive biomass potential yet seems to be under-valorized. A more radical and systemic change will be needed for effective implementation of circular business models contributing to sustainable development in the Mediterranean olive sector, with adequate subsidies, common regulations, more collective actions for creating economies of scale, and marketing strategies to increase consumer awareness for bio-based products.

Exergy analysis of a whole-crop safflower biorefinery: A step towards reducing agricultural wastes in a sustainable manner

The huge amount of agro-wastes generated due to expanding agricultural activities can potentially cause serious environmental and human health problems. Using the biorefinery concept, all parts of agricultural plants can be converted into multiple value-added bioproducts while reducing waste generation. This approach can be viewed as an effective strategy in developing and realizing a circular bioeconomy by accomplishing the dual goals of waste mitigation and energy recovery. However, the sustainability issue of biorefineries should still be thoroughly scrutinized using comprehensive resource accounting methods such as exergy-based approaches. In light of that, this study aims to conduct a detailed exergy analysis of whole-crop safflower biorefinery consisting of six units, i.e., straw handling, biomass pretreatment, bioethanol production, wastewater treatment, oil extraction, and biodiesel production. The analysis is carried out to find the major exergy sink in the developed biorefinery and discover the bottlenecks for further performance improvements. Overall, the wastewater treatment unit exhibits to be the major exergy sink, amounting to over 70% of the total thermodynamic irreversibility of the process. The biomass pretreatment and bioethanol production units account for 12.4 and 10.3% of the total thermodynamic inefficiencies of the process, respectively. The exergy rates associated with bioethanol, biodiesel, lignin, biogas, liquid digestate, seed cake, sodium sulfate, and glycerol are determined to be 5918.5, 16516.8, 10778.9, 1741.4, 6271.5, 15755.8, 3.4, and 823.5 kW, respectively. The overall exergetic efficiency of the system stands at 72.7%, demonstrating the adequacy of the developed biorefinery from the thermodynamic perspective.

Circular Business Models and Circular Agriculture: Perceptions and Practices of Dutch Farmers

Although it is not clear yet what a full-grown circular economy (CE) is going to look like, it is clear that the challenges of transitioning to a CE are both impressive and urgent. The Dutch government has expressed the ambition to establish a CE in the Netherlands in 2050. In the wake of this, the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality laid down a vision on circular agriculture (CA). A key question with respect to both CE and CA is if and to what extent this means business as unusual: How distinct is circular business from normal business operations? The ways in which the notions of CE and circular business models (CBMs) are often introduced suggest a big difference. However, closer scrutiny also reveals that in practice the impact of circularity is less obvious. Against the backdrop of such opposite observations, this paper examines how Dutch farmers perceive circularity and what implications this has for their production practices. Interviews (n = 13) with Dutch farmers show that circular business is adapted in normal business management by some and regarded as a genuine alternative to the conventional food system by others. By taking Dutch farmers as an example, this paper aims to contribute to our understanding of how CE is interpreted in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).