Pub Date : 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108818
Xue Bai , Yi Gong , Wei Wei , Wen Wang , Minghao Zhuang , Yi Yang
Upcycling biowaste into insect and microbial proteins can enhance food system circularity; however, their global production potential and environmental benefits remain uncertain. In 2020, global biowaste could generate 58 Mt of insect protein or 146 Mt of microbial protein—exceeding global meat protein or meeting 53%–100% of soybean meal protein demand. Using Life Cycle Assessment combined with global scenario analysis, substituting soybean meal with alternative proteins yields moderate GHG reductions (-13 to -25 kg CO2e kg⁻¹ protein). Substituting meat protein yields larger GHG reductions (-107 to -1230 kg CO2e kg⁻¹ protein), alongside decreases in terrestrial acidification (-0.003 to -1.2 kg SO2e), eutrophication (-0.2 to -1.2 kg PO4e) and fine particulate matter (-0.03 to -0.24 kg PM2.5e). Globally replacing soybean meal first and then progressively meat could mitigate 0.9–12.2 Gt CO2e yr⁻¹ by 2050. However, achieving higher mitigation levels require greater technological innovation, institutional support, and cultural shifts.
{"title":"Global production potential and environmental benefits of alternative proteins from biowaste","authors":"Xue Bai , Yi Gong , Wei Wei , Wen Wang , Minghao Zhuang , Yi Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108818","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108818","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Upcycling biowaste into insect and microbial proteins can enhance food system circularity; however, their global production potential and environmental benefits remain uncertain. In 2020, global biowaste could generate 58 Mt of insect protein or 146 Mt of microbial protein—exceeding global meat protein or meeting 53%–100% of soybean meal protein demand. Using Life Cycle Assessment combined with global scenario analysis, substituting soybean meal with alternative proteins yields moderate GHG reductions (-13 to -25 kg CO<sub>2</sub>e kg⁻¹ protein). Substituting meat protein yields larger GHG reductions (-107 to -1230 kg CO<sub>2</sub>e kg⁻¹ protein), alongside decreases in terrestrial acidification (-0.003 to -1.2 kg SO<sub>2</sub>e), eutrophication (-0.2 to -1.2 kg PO<sub>4</sub>e) and fine particulate matter (-0.03 to -0.24 kg PM<sub>2.5</sub>e). Globally replacing soybean meal first and then progressively meat could mitigate 0.9–12.2 Gt CO<sub>2</sub>e yr⁻¹ by 2050. However, achieving higher mitigation levels require greater technological innovation, institutional support, and cultural shifts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108818"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146071739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study introduces mechanochemical activation–instantaneous carbon thermal shock (CTS) as a synergistic strategy for the high-value utilization of all components in retired crystalline-Si photovoltaic (PV) modules, addressing recycling bottlenecks such as limited metal recovery, high chemical consumption, and low-value treatment of Si. Mechanochemical ball milling effectively disrupts the Ag–Si interface and glassy interlayers, increasing the specific surface area and inducing lattice distortions. This lowers the reaction activation energy, enabling high leaching efficiencies for Ag (99.5%) and Al (94%) while markedly reducing the required nitric acid dosage. Subsequent CTS, with its ultrafast heating, overcomes the kinetic limitations of silica reduction, rapidly converting the acid-leached Si residue into high-purity, highly crystalline SiC. The synthesized SiC is well suited for high-temperature electronic devices and thermal management applications due to its excellent thermal stability, high thermal conductivity, and semiconducting properties. Life cycle and economic analyses indicate that, compared with conventional hydrometallurgical methods, the proposed process reduces the environmental footprint by 88.19% and lowers material treatment costs, offering an economically viable pathway for green, closed-loop recycling of PV waste.
{"title":"Synergistic mechanochemical activation and carbon-thermal shock for full-component upcycling of retired photovoltaic modules","authors":"Lanbin Wang, Zishuo Wang, Jing Wu, Beikai Zhang, Jiadong Yu, Jinhui Li","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108822","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108822","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study introduces mechanochemical activation–instantaneous carbon thermal shock (CTS) as a synergistic strategy for the high-value utilization of all components in retired crystalline-Si photovoltaic (PV) modules, addressing recycling bottlenecks such as limited metal recovery, high chemical consumption, and low-value treatment of Si. Mechanochemical ball milling effectively disrupts the Ag–Si interface and glassy interlayers, increasing the specific surface area and inducing lattice distortions. This lowers the reaction activation energy, enabling high leaching efficiencies for Ag (99.5%) and Al (94%) while markedly reducing the required nitric acid dosage. Subsequent CTS, with its ultrafast heating, overcomes the kinetic limitations of silica reduction, rapidly converting the acid-leached Si residue into high-purity, highly crystalline SiC. The synthesized SiC is well suited for high-temperature electronic devices and thermal management applications due to its excellent thermal stability, high thermal conductivity, and semiconducting properties. Life cycle and economic analyses indicate that, compared with conventional hydrometallurgical methods, the proposed process reduces the environmental footprint by 88.19% and lowers material treatment costs, offering an economically viable pathway for green, closed-loop recycling of PV waste.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108822"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108814
Selene Paz Adaglio , Romina Ingrassia , Gisela Tubio , Ariel Di Loreto , María Julia Boggione
This work presents a machine learning-driven methodology for bioplastic formulation design, valorizing eggshell waste as reinforcement. Two bioplastic formulations were developed: bioplastic from Droguería Industrial San Juan starch (BADSJ) and bioplastic from Biopack starch (BAS), reinforced with eggshell powder (ESP). PCA was performed on thickness, moisture, solubility, puncture strength (Ps), deformation at break point (Pd), biodegradability and opacity. Six machine learning algorithms were evaluated. Random Forest ntree = 200 and Linear Support Vector Machine (SVM) achieved the best performance, achieving 83.3% accuracy and 0.81 Kappa. These models estimated concentration ranges associated with improved Ps and Pd. The SVM exhibited higher predictive consistency, with R² of 0.9724 and lower error metrics (RMSE: 0.1422; MAE: 0.1043) compared to Random Forest. SVM predicted broader range of eggshell concentrations (0.47–1.47%) associated with improved Ps and Pd values, indicating better differentiation between formulations. These models provide a data-driven framework for optimizing bioplastic formulations and reducing experimental iterations.
这项工作提出了一种机器学习驱动的生物塑料配方设计方法，将蛋壳废料作为强化物。开发了两种生物塑料配方：Droguería Industrial San Juan淀粉（BADSJ）生物塑料和Biopack淀粉（BAS）生物塑料，蛋壳粉（ESP）增强。对厚度、水分、溶解度、穿刺强度（Ps）、断裂点变形（Pd）、生物降解性和不透明度进行主成分分析。评估了六种机器学习算法。随机森林ntree = 200和线性支持向量机（SVM）表现最好，准确率达到83.3%，Kappa为0.81。这些模型估计了与Ps和Pd改善相关的浓度范围。与随机森林相比，SVM的预测一致性更高，R²为0.9724，误差指标更低（RMSE: 0.1422; MAE: 0.1043）。支持向量机预测的蛋壳浓度范围（0.47-1.47%）与Ps和Pd值的提高相关，表明配方之间的差异更大。这些模型为优化生物塑料配方和减少实验迭代提供了数据驱动的框架。
{"title":"Sustainable innovation: Artificial Intelligence-assisted design of bio-based plastics","authors":"Selene Paz Adaglio , Romina Ingrassia , Gisela Tubio , Ariel Di Loreto , María Julia Boggione","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108814","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108814","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work presents a machine learning-driven methodology for bioplastic formulation design, valorizing eggshell waste as reinforcement. Two bioplastic formulations were developed: bioplastic from Droguería Industrial San Juan starch (BADSJ) and bioplastic from Biopack starch (BAS), reinforced with eggshell powder (ESP). PCA was performed on thickness, moisture, solubility, puncture strength (Ps), deformation at break point (Pd), biodegradability and opacity. Six machine learning algorithms were evaluated. Random Forest ntree = 200 and Linear Support Vector Machine (SVM) achieved the best performance, achieving 83.3% accuracy and 0.81 Kappa. These models estimated concentration ranges associated with improved Ps and Pd. The SVM exhibited higher predictive consistency, with R² of 0.9724 and lower error metrics (RMSE: 0.1422; MAE: 0.1043) compared to Random Forest. SVM predicted broader range of eggshell concentrations (0.47–1.47%) associated with improved Ps and Pd values, indicating better differentiation between formulations. These models provide a data-driven framework for optimizing bioplastic formulations and reducing experimental iterations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108814"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108812
Maidu Silm , Qixiang Jiang , Anu Kisand , Alexander Bismarck , Mitchell P. Jones
Textile waste from ‘fast fashion’ has considerable environmental impact and is an EU priority area. Colonising textiles with fungi provides a unique solution, with options to bond them together to create composite materials, fruit them to provide mushrooms (source of chitin-glucan complex), or both. We produced mycelium-textile composites in analogy to traditional prepreg-based composite manufacturing, consolidating multiple textile stacks colonised with Ganoderma lucidum into a single material of customisable thickness and free-form geometry. An oxygen gradient existed through the cross-section of textile stacks, resulting in more growth on surface than core plies. Consolidated composites comprising only surface layers achieved tensile strengths up to ∼14 MPa. Their flexural and shear strengths (7 MPa and 0.5 MPa, respectively) indicated suitability for semi-structural construction applications. Waste textile substrate could also be fruited (5.7% w/w yield). These advances expand the stalled application of mycelium composites and provide a nature-based solution to textile upcycling.
{"title":"Transforming textile waste into materials using fungi","authors":"Maidu Silm , Qixiang Jiang , Anu Kisand , Alexander Bismarck , Mitchell P. Jones","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108812","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108812","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Textile waste from ‘fast fashion’ has considerable environmental impact and is an EU priority area. Colonising textiles with fungi provides a unique solution, with options to bond them together to create composite materials, fruit them to provide mushrooms (source of chitin-glucan complex), or both. We produced mycelium-textile composites in analogy to traditional prepreg-based composite manufacturing, consolidating multiple textile stacks colonised with <em>Ganoderma lucidum</em> into a single material of customisable thickness and free-form geometry. An oxygen gradient existed through the cross-section of textile stacks, resulting in more growth on surface than core plies. Consolidated composites comprising only surface layers achieved tensile strengths up to ∼14 MPa. Their flexural and shear strengths (7 MPa and 0.5 MPa, respectively) indicated suitability for semi-structural construction applications. Waste textile substrate could also be fruited (5.7% w/w yield). These advances expand the stalled application of mycelium composites and provide a nature-based solution to textile upcycling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108812"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108807
Sehun Kim , Won Jo , Seungwon Ihm , Abdallatif Abdalrhman , Jinuk Heo , Myoung-Jin Kim
The rapid growth of global desalination raises concerns over high-salinity brine disposal. Vaterite, a valuable but unstable polymorph of CaCO₃, is difficult to mass-produce. This study reports the first pilot-scale production of high-purity vaterite using actual desalination brine and cement kiln dust. A 1-ton system was built and operated at the SWA-WTIIRA desalination complex in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Through calcium elution and carbonation, conditions were optimized to achieve ≥95 % vaterite content and sub-3 µm particle size. Controlling carbonation temperature and drying prevented transformation to calcite. The process yielded porous, spherical vaterite particles (>20 m²/g surface area, >98.5 % purity). Techno-economic analysis estimated production costs at $2.5/kg, significantly below commercial pharmaceutical-grade vaterite. These findings demonstrate a scalable, low-cost strategy for valorizing desalination brine and industrial by-products, offering both environmental and economic benefits.
{"title":"Pilot-scale production of high-purity vaterite-type calcium carbonate from desalination brine using industrial by-products","authors":"Sehun Kim , Won Jo , Seungwon Ihm , Abdallatif Abdalrhman , Jinuk Heo , Myoung-Jin Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108807","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108807","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rapid growth of global desalination raises concerns over high-salinity brine disposal. Vaterite, a valuable but unstable polymorph of CaCO₃, is difficult to mass-produce. This study reports the first pilot-scale production of high-purity vaterite using actual desalination brine and cement kiln dust. A 1-ton system was built and operated at the SWA-WTIIRA desalination complex in Jubail, Saudi Arabia. Through calcium elution and carbonation, conditions were optimized to achieve ≥95 % vaterite content and sub-3 µm particle size. Controlling carbonation temperature and drying prevented transformation to calcite. The process yielded porous, spherical vaterite particles (>20 m²/g surface area, >98.5 % purity). Techno-economic analysis estimated production costs at $2.5/kg, significantly below commercial pharmaceutical-grade vaterite. These findings demonstrate a scalable, low-cost strategy for valorizing desalination brine and industrial by-products, offering both environmental and economic benefits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108807"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108811
Wang Li , Alexandra Schmuck , Louis Van Caelenberg , Virginie Decottignies , Hy Boui Chang , Adeline Dupas , Peter Ragaert , Shreyash Anil Gujar , Marcel C P van Eijk , Steven De Meester
Currently, bio-based and compostable plastic packaging is generally not sorted at material recovery facilities (MRFs) due to its limited market penetration. Instead, such bioplastics are criticised for contaminating other target streams, such as PET bottles at MRFs, yet there is limited evidence to support these claims. This work aims to fill this knowledge gap with a focus on polylactic acid (PLA) packaging waste, by applying a mathematical model to predict the material flow of PLA within MRFs and evaluates the economic viability of bioplastic sorting under different market penetration grades. Our model shows that under current market penetration, the predicted presence of PLA in the PET bottle stream is 7.8 ppm, which is below the suggested threshold concentration without degrading PET recycling (1000 ppm). This still holds true even under high market penetration conditions (200 ppm), assuming that the sorting sequence is adapted to accommodate variations in input waste composition at MRF. The sorting cost of PLA decreases from 906 EUR/t at current market penetration to 170 EUR/t when 1% of post-consumer PLA packaging material is reached at MRF input streams, with an expected break-even point at 2.4%. Moreover, the required PLA volume decreases with increasing near-infrared spectroscopy NIR sorting efficiency alongside the expansion of PLA packaging applications. Furthermore, labour cost, market demand for recovered PLA, and landfill/incineration gate fees are key parameters that substantially affect the cost model result. Overall, the findings from this work suggest that PLA present at MRFs pose no significant issue in current sorting practices, whereas investing in PLA sorting only makes economic sense under strong market growth scenarios of PLA, to achieve circular bioeconomy goals and recycled content targets.
{"title":"Modelling material flows and cost-benefit of sorting PLA packaging waste in material recovery facilities under different market penetration scenarios","authors":"Wang Li , Alexandra Schmuck , Louis Van Caelenberg , Virginie Decottignies , Hy Boui Chang , Adeline Dupas , Peter Ragaert , Shreyash Anil Gujar , Marcel C P van Eijk , Steven De Meester","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108811","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108811","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Currently, bio-based and compostable plastic packaging is generally not sorted at material recovery facilities (MRFs) due to its limited market penetration. Instead, such bioplastics are criticised for contaminating other target streams, such as PET bottles at MRFs, yet there is limited evidence to support these claims. This work aims to fill this knowledge gap with a focus on polylactic acid (PLA) packaging waste, by applying a mathematical model to predict the material flow of PLA within MRFs and evaluates the economic viability of bioplastic sorting under different market penetration grades. Our model shows that under current market penetration, the predicted presence of PLA in the PET bottle stream is 7.8 ppm, which is below the suggested threshold concentration without degrading PET recycling (1000 ppm). This still holds true even under high market penetration conditions (200 ppm), assuming that the sorting sequence is adapted to accommodate variations in input waste composition at MRF. The sorting cost of PLA decreases from 906 EUR/t at current market penetration to 170 EUR/t when 1% of post-consumer PLA packaging material is reached at MRF input streams, with an expected break-even point at 2.4%. Moreover, the required PLA volume decreases with increasing near-infrared spectroscopy NIR sorting efficiency alongside the expansion of PLA packaging applications. Furthermore, labour cost, market demand for recovered PLA, and landfill/incineration gate fees are key parameters that substantially affect the cost model result. Overall, the findings from this work suggest that PLA present at MRFs pose no significant issue in current sorting practices, whereas investing in PLA sorting only makes economic sense under strong market growth scenarios of PLA, to achieve circular bioeconomy goals and recycled content targets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108811"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108809
Na Gong, David C. Dunand
We present a sustainable pyrometallurgical strategy for recycling spent LiNi₀.₆Co₀.₂Mn₀.₂O₂ (LNCMO) and LNCMO + 10% LiFePO₄ (LFP) through direct hydrogen reduction to Ni-Co-Mn(-Fe) master alloys for steelmaking. In LNCMO, Ni and Co oxides reduce concurrently at ∼480 °C, while Mn oxide reduces more gradually via a MnO intermediate before dissolving into the Ni-Co matrix to form a face-centered-cubic (FCC) Ni-Co-Mn alloy, with ∼2–4 wt.% of Mn lost by volatilization. Li₂O forms at ∼600 °C then volatilizes by 900 °C. With 10% LFP, decomposition begins at lower temperature (∼310 °C), and Fe enters the FCC alloy near 400 °C. Li₂O forms at ∼560 °C and either volatilizes or forms Li₃PO₄ inclusions. Metallography confirms a nearly fully reduced, interconnected FCC metallic network facilitating H2/H2O transport. Reduced Ni-Co-Mn(-Fe) is remelted with Fe and Fe-Cr to produce a Fe-(18–19)Cr-(8–9)Ni-3Co-(2–3)Mn alloy matching 304-grade stainless steel, with Co expected to enhance mechanical and corrosion resistance. This hydrogen-based route offers a scalable, low-CO₂ alternative to carbothermic recycling.
{"title":"Recycling lithium-ion-battery cathode oxides into master alloys for stainless steel via hydrogen reduction","authors":"Na Gong, David C. Dunand","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108809","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108809","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We present a sustainable pyrometallurgical strategy for recycling spent LiNi₀<sub>.</sub>₆Co₀<sub>.</sub>₂Mn₀<sub>.</sub>₂O₂ (LNCMO) and LNCMO + 10% LiFePO₄ (LFP) through direct hydrogen reduction to Ni-Co-Mn(-Fe) master alloys for steelmaking. In LNCMO, Ni and Co oxides reduce concurrently at ∼480 °C, while Mn oxide reduces more gradually via a MnO intermediate before dissolving into the Ni-Co matrix to form a face-centered-cubic (FCC) Ni-Co-Mn alloy, with ∼2–4 wt.% of Mn lost by volatilization. Li₂O forms at ∼600 °C then volatilizes by 900 °C. With 10% LFP, decomposition begins at lower temperature (∼310 °C), and Fe enters the FCC alloy near 400 °C. Li₂O forms at ∼560 °C and either volatilizes or forms Li₃PO₄ inclusions. Metallography confirms a nearly fully reduced, interconnected FCC metallic network facilitating H<sub>2</sub>/H<sub>2</sub>O transport. Reduced Ni-Co-Mn(-Fe) is remelted with Fe and Fe-Cr to produce a Fe-(18–19)Cr-(8–9)Ni-3Co-(2–3)Mn alloy matching 304-grade stainless steel, with Co expected to enhance mechanical and corrosion resistance. This hydrogen-based route offers a scalable, low-CO₂ alternative to carbothermic recycling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108809"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146072567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108810
Jinglin Li , Endian Hu , Kailun Chen , Li Lin , Jingwen Chang , Ke Liu , Yukun Zhao , Jianguo Jiang
Escalating plastic consumption and inadequate waste management intensify global environmental pressures. This study developed multivariate nanometallic catalysts without precious metals for real-world plastic waste conversion into hydrogen via microwave catalysis. The process achieved abundant gas yields and high-purity solid carbon nanotubes with negligible liquid byproducts. The hydrogen yields were 52.59 mmol/g, which significantly exceeding that of conventional pyrolysis, accompanied by 9-fold improved energy efficiency and a low carbon footprint of 0.046 kg CO₂-eq/kg plastic (GWP₁₀₀). The enhancement arises from multi-level reaction mechanism. At the molecular level, microwave-driven activation of methyl groups within polymer chains and preferential symmetric-bond alignment. This resulted in hydrogen radical generation and bond configuration evolution at atomic level. Concurrently, microwave-induced modulation of catalyst interplanar spacing mitigates lattice distortion and enhances ion transport at surface level. These synergistic effects showed the fundamental advantages of microwave, offering a sustainable route for plastic waste management coupled with clean energy production.
不断增加的塑料消费和不适当的废物管理加剧了全球环境压力。本研究开发了不含贵金属的多元纳米金属催化剂，用于现实世界中塑料垃圾的微波催化制氢。该工艺获得了丰富的气体产量和高纯度的固体碳纳米管，而液体副产物可以忽略不计。氢气产率为52.59 mmol/g，显著超过常规热解，能源效率提高9倍，碳足迹低至0.046 kg CO₂-eq/kg塑料（GWP₁₀）。这种增强是由多层反应机制引起的。在分子水平上，微波驱动的聚合物链中的甲基活化和优先的对称键排列。这导致了氢自由基的产生和键构型在原子水平上的演化。同时，微波诱导的催化剂面间距调制减轻了晶格畸变，增强了离子在表面水平的输运。这些协同效应显示了微波的根本优势，为塑料废物管理和清洁能源生产提供了一条可持续的途径。
{"title":"Microwave-driven molecular activation enables efficient hydrogen recovery via low-carbon plastic recycling","authors":"Jinglin Li , Endian Hu , Kailun Chen , Li Lin , Jingwen Chang , Ke Liu , Yukun Zhao , Jianguo Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108810","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108810","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Escalating plastic consumption and inadequate waste management intensify global environmental pressures. This study developed multivariate nanometallic catalysts without precious metals for real-world plastic waste conversion into hydrogen via microwave catalysis. The process achieved abundant gas yields and high-purity solid carbon nanotubes with negligible liquid byproducts. The hydrogen yields were 52.59 mmol/g, which significantly exceeding that of conventional pyrolysis, accompanied by 9-fold improved energy efficiency and a low carbon footprint of 0.046 kg CO₂-eq/kg plastic (GWP₁₀₀). The enhancement arises from multi-level reaction mechanism. At the molecular level, microwave-driven activation of methyl groups within polymer chains and preferential symmetric-bond alignment. This resulted in hydrogen radical generation and bond configuration evolution at atomic level. Concurrently, microwave-induced modulation of catalyst interplanar spacing mitigates lattice distortion and enhances ion transport at surface level. These synergistic effects showed the fundamental advantages of microwave, offering a sustainable route for plastic waste management coupled with clean energy production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108810"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146023956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108806
Dong–Ying Lan , Pin–Jing He , Hui–Huang Zou , Rong–Rong Kan , Yi Wang , Fan Lü , Hua Zhang
To improve intelligent solid waste identification, this study developed semi-supervised learning (SSL) models utilizing pseudo-labeling and consistency regularization techniques. Based on 10,261 image patches covering multiple categories of recyclable solid waste, we evaluated four SSL models (FixMatch, FlexMatch, FreeMatch, and SoftMatch models) across varying labeled data ratio (10%–90%) against a supervised learning (SL) baseline. Results demonstrated that the classification accuracy for the test dataset significantly improved (p < 0.05) as the proportion of labeled data increased in the training dataset, rising from 0.843 ± 0.012 to 0.954 ± 0.004. In the external validation, SSL models exhibited notably stronger robustness and generalizability compared to the SL model which achieved an accuracy of only 0.653 ± 0.122. The FixMatch model, in particular, attained an accuracy of 0.810 ± 0.013. These findings underscore the potential of SSL-based approaches in solid waste recycling systems.
{"title":"Applying semi-supervised learning algorithms in real-environment solid waste classification","authors":"Dong–Ying Lan , Pin–Jing He , Hui–Huang Zou , Rong–Rong Kan , Yi Wang , Fan Lü , Hua Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108806","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108806","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To improve intelligent solid waste identification, this study developed semi-supervised learning (SSL) models utilizing pseudo-labeling and consistency regularization techniques. Based on 10,261 image patches covering multiple categories of recyclable solid waste, we evaluated four SSL models (FixMatch, FlexMatch, FreeMatch, and SoftMatch models) across varying labeled data ratio (10%–90%) against a supervised learning (SL) baseline. Results demonstrated that the classification accuracy for the test dataset significantly improved (<em>p</em> < 0.05) as the proportion of labeled data increased in the training dataset, rising from 0.843 ± 0.012 to 0.954 ± 0.004. In the external validation, SSL models exhibited notably stronger robustness and generalizability compared to the SL model which achieved an accuracy of only 0.653 ± 0.122. The FixMatch model, in particular, attained an accuracy of 0.810 ± 0.013. These findings underscore the potential of SSL-based approaches in solid waste recycling systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108806"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146023955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108803
Ella Lausberg , Joël Brugger , Rahul Ram , John R. Owen , Deanna Kemp , Micheal S. Moats , Jonathan Hamisi , Vanessa N.L. Wong
Many critical raw materials (CRM) necessary in the transition to carbon-neutral energy reside in the waste streams of mining projects, as they are by-products and often not recovered alongside the primary metal. This work aims to document (i) the loss and potential recovery of by-product metals during the host commodity processing and (ii) the consequences of non-recovery, via a multi-scale risk–reward analysis. The information on the deportment of by-product metals through processing circuits is crucial for treating them as a resource, without which they risk near-permanent loss when treated as ‘waste’. We review the deportment of tellurium and selenium as by-products of copper processing; and gallium, scandium and rare earth elements in aluminium processing, as these CRMs are representative of different geological settings, mining methods, processing circuits, and waste types. We classify the scale of the effects of their non-recovery using three risk categories: comprehensive differentiation covers individual risks (environmental, social, governance and economic); complex differentiation covers the interactions of compounding factors that alter the magnitude and timeframe of their impact; and ecological/systems diffraction comprises systematic, long-term effects that disproportionally affect vulnerable communities and locations globally. We offer a new perspective on by-product elements that rely on the production chain of primary commodities but are rarely recovered economically because of the lack of refinery infrastructure and technologies. We suggest that incentives to promote waste management strategies that preserve CRM resources for concurrent recovery or future reprocessing could substantially mitigate supply risks, while reducing social and environmental risk and impact.
{"title":"Wasting the Risk, or Risking the Waste? Understanding the trends of critical raw material loss into waste streams during copper and aluminium processing","authors":"Ella Lausberg , Joël Brugger , Rahul Ram , John R. Owen , Deanna Kemp , Micheal S. Moats , Jonathan Hamisi , Vanessa N.L. Wong","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108803","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108803","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many critical raw materials (CRM) necessary in the transition to carbon-neutral energy reside in the waste streams of mining projects, as they are by-products and often not recovered alongside the primary metal. This work aims to document (i) the loss and potential recovery of by-product metals during the host commodity processing and (ii) the consequences of non-recovery, via a multi-scale risk–reward analysis. The information on the deportment of by-product metals through processing circuits is crucial for treating them as a resource, without which they risk near-permanent loss when treated as ‘waste’. We review the deportment of tellurium and selenium as by-products of copper processing; and gallium, scandium and rare earth elements in aluminium processing, as these CRMs are representative of different geological settings, mining methods, processing circuits, and waste types. We classify the scale of the effects of their non-recovery using three risk categories: comprehensive differentiation covers individual risks (environmental, social, governance and economic); complex differentiation covers the interactions of compounding factors that alter the magnitude and timeframe of their impact; and ecological/systems diffraction comprises systematic, long-term effects that disproportionally affect vulnerable communities and locations globally. We offer a new perspective on by-product elements that rely on the production chain of primary commodities but are rarely recovered economically because of the lack of refinery infrastructure and technologies. We suggest that incentives to promote waste management strategies that preserve CRM resources for concurrent recovery or future reprocessing could substantially mitigate supply risks, while reducing social and environmental risk and impact.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108803"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146023954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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