Socio-economic sustainability with circular economy - An alternative approach

Keratinous and corneous-based products towards circular bioeconomy: A research review

Keratins and corneous proteins are key components of biomaterials used in a wide range of applications and are potential substitutes for petrochemical-based products. Horns, hooves, feathers, claws, and similar animal tissues are abundant sources of α-keratin and corneous β-proteins, which are by-products of the food industry. Their close association with the meat industry raises environmental and ethical concerns regarding their disposal. To promote an eco-friendly and circular use of these materials in novel applications, efforts have focused on recovering these residues to develop sustainable, non-animal-related, affordable, and scalable procedures. Here, we review and examine biotechnological methods for extracting and expressing α-keratins and corneous β-proteins in microorganisms. This review highlights consolidated research trends in biomaterials, medical devices, food supplements, and packaging, demonstrating the keratin industry's potential to create innovative value-added products. Additionally, it analyzes the state of the art of related intellectual property and market size to underscore the potential within a circular bioeconomic model.

Digitalization's contribution towards sustainable development and climate change mitigation: An empirical evidence from EU economies

The current study aims to test the usage of econometric and machine learning approaches to study the relationship between methane (CH4), a hydrocarbon component of natural gas, as a proxy of carbon emission, GDP as economic growth, financial development (FIN), and medium and high technologies as a proxy of information technology (ICT) and human development (HDI). This study observes two extended moderating effect models of human development index and financial development via medium and high technologies on carbon emissions over the 15-year periods from 2007 to 2021 for the 27 EU economies. Results indicate that when considered solely, ICT, economic growth, and HDI improve environmental quality and contribute to climate change mitigation, reducing methane emissions, whereas financial development seems to damage environmental quality. However, the crossed effects of ICT with HDI, and that of ICT with FIN, were considered in estimations, with results pointing out that those favorably affect climate change mitigation. Jointly considering ICT, HDI, and financial development proves to have a synergistic effect in promoting environmental health than each element on its own. Green and yellow countries were also identified revealing the countries for which a reduction and increase, respectively, in the value of methane emissions is predicted after three years. In the case of the entire panel, the STR (linear regression tree) algorithm predicts an average growth in methane emissions of around 3.64 %. Important policy directions are drawn considering the results obtained.

Exploring the environmental and economic impact of fruits and vegetable loss quantification in the food industry

Population growth has stimulated rising demand for agro-food products and economic activity for many years, negatively impacting the ecosystem and non-renewable resource consumption. Algeria confronts the monumental challenge of effectively choosing how to nourish everyone on a more congested globe. However, food loss is a significant issue that worsens as Algerians' population expands and food consumption increases. In Algeria, food production and processing of food items, which include fruits, vegetables, and cereals, generate a considerable amount of by-products, with no commercial exploitation and a negative environmental impact, generating enormous socioeconomic problems. These by-products are essential sources of products with high levels of added value that can be applied in different sectors. They have no studies to measure the scope of food loss in the Algerian food industry. In this background, our research aims to quantify the loss in the Algerian food industry generated by the transformation of various agricultural products, directly affecting the economy and food availability for the population. The research utilizes a mixed methods approach, including coefficients, production statistics transformed, and data analysis; the findings reveal that a significant portion of fruits and vegetables are lost in the Algerian food industry, suggesting that minimizing food loss can help companies minimize costs and mitigate the adverse environmental effects of food production. Finally, the study proposes practical options to minimize food loss to create a long-term food system in Algeria.