Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub 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":"2026-03-15","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 : 2026-03-15Epub 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":"2026-03-15","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 : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108817
Loïs Miraux, Tanguy Manescau, Vincent Bos
The deployment of lithium-ion battery production and recycling capacities is central to the EU’s ambitions for strategic autonomy and climate neutrality, yet announced projects face high uncertainty. Using a new database of project announcements, a probabilistic framework and a system dynamics model of battery demand, aging, and second-life use, this study estimates effective capacities for European Gigafactories, Spokes and Hubs over 2020-2035. Results indicate that cell production could reach 750-855 GWh/yr by 2035 (45-51% of announcements), far below projected demand exceeding 1,500 GWh/yr. With unconstrained international waste imports supplying them, recycling capacities could reach 0.72 Mt batteries/yr (Spokes) and 0.28 Mt black mass/yr (Hubs), yielding closed-loop recycling rates of 9-10% for key metals. However, without imports, domestic feedstock scarcity causes 30-50% attrition of recycling capacities, especially if electric vehicle batteries enter second-life, worsening circularity. Overall, meeting EU circularity and strategic autonomy goals will require faster deployment and reliable feedstock access.
{"title":"Probabilistic modeling of European Li-ion battery production and recycling","authors":"Loïs Miraux, Tanguy Manescau, Vincent Bos","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108817","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108817","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The deployment of lithium-ion battery production and recycling capacities is central to the EU’s ambitions for strategic autonomy and climate neutrality, yet announced projects face high uncertainty. Using a new database of project announcements, a probabilistic framework and a system dynamics model of battery demand, aging, and second-life use, this study estimates effective capacities for European Gigafactories, Spokes and Hubs over 2020-2035. Results indicate that cell production could reach 750-855 GWh/yr by 2035 (45-51% of announcements), far below projected demand exceeding 1,500 GWh/yr. With unconstrained international waste imports supplying them, recycling capacities could reach 0.72 Mt batteries/yr (Spokes) and 0.28 Mt black mass/yr (Hubs), yielding closed-loop recycling rates of 9-10% for key metals. However, without imports, domestic feedstock scarcity causes 30-50% attrition of recycling capacities, especially if electric vehicle batteries enter second-life, worsening circularity. Overall, meeting EU circularity and strategic autonomy goals will require faster deployment and reliable feedstock access.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108817"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110278","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 : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108819
Spyros Foteinis
{"title":"Falling forests, rising emissions: Does the road to economic development pass through protected rainforests?","authors":"Spyros Foteinis","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108819","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108819","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108819"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146110279","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 : 2026-03-15Epub 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":"2026-03-15","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}
Pub Date : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-10DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108774
Yiming Su , Guangjin Zhou , Mingyuan Wang , Xiaoyun Li , Tao Liang , Lingqing Wang , Jian Hu , Jixi Gao , Wenwu Zhao , Siyuan Tao , Peter E. Holm , Jörg Rinklebe , Riqi Zhang , Cong-Qiang Liu , Rong Gong , Yizhong Huan
Strong interactions among six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—food (2), water (6), energy (7), economy (8), climate (13), and ecology (15) (FWEECE)—reflect the core nexus of the human-nature relationship under global change. However, research on their causal interactions is limited, and priorities for global transformation remain elusive. Here, we developed an integrated index to assess global progress in SDG coordination-evenness, and applied Gated Recurrent Unit, Panel Vector Autoregression, and link prediction models to capture the SDG causal network among 33 targets in FWEECE. Using machine learning and network analysis, we then prioritized SDG targets. We further simulated network perturbations to identify priority actions that enhance network resilience. The results indicated limited global progress in both the coordination and evenness of these SDGs since 2000, with target 2.4 (sustainable agriculture) identified as the key priority for future progress. Mitigating high-weight trade-offs, especially from targets 15.2 (sustainable forest management) to 8.2 (economic productivity), while strengthening 84% of synergies, led by 6.6 (water-related ecosystem) to 2.c (food price stability), presents an effective strategy for advancing FWEECE. Our study provides new insights into human-earth coupling, contributing global governance transformations for the 2030 Agenda.
{"title":"Priorities for enhancing resilience of SDG causal network from a human-nature perspective","authors":"Yiming Su , Guangjin Zhou , Mingyuan Wang , Xiaoyun Li , Tao Liang , Lingqing Wang , Jian Hu , Jixi Gao , Wenwu Zhao , Siyuan Tao , Peter E. Holm , Jörg Rinklebe , Riqi Zhang , Cong-Qiang Liu , Rong Gong , Yizhong Huan","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108774","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108774","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Strong interactions among six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—food (2), water (6), energy (7), economy (8), climate (13), and ecology (15) (FWEECE)—reflect the core nexus of the human-nature relationship under global change. However, research on their causal interactions is limited, and priorities for global transformation remain elusive. Here, we developed an integrated index to assess global progress in SDG coordination-evenness, and applied Gated Recurrent Unit, Panel Vector Autoregression, and link prediction models to capture the SDG causal network among 33 targets in FWEECE. Using machine learning and network analysis, we then prioritized SDG targets. We further simulated network perturbations to identify priority actions that enhance network resilience. The results indicated limited global progress in both the coordination and evenness of these SDGs since 2000, with target 2.4 (sustainable agriculture) identified as the key priority for future progress. Mitigating high-weight trade-offs, especially from targets 15.2 (sustainable forest management) to 8.2 (economic productivity), while strengthening 84% of synergies, led by 6.6 (water-related ecosystem) to 2.c (food price stability), presents an effective strategy for advancing FWEECE. Our study provides new insights into human-earth coupling, contributing global governance transformations for the 2030 Agenda.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108774"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145929112","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 : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-13DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108784
Peize Wang , Tingting Liu , Gangqi Cheng , Yufeng Wu , Shengnan Wang , Kun Zhu
With the rapid growth of China’s new energy vehicles (NEVs) and wind power sectors, demand for neodymium and dysprosium is surging, while their supply is constrained by limited reserves, mining policies, and carbon-intensive production. Yet existing studies have rarely examined resource constraints and emission reduction targets within a unified framework, and have not fully integrated demand, supply, and the mitigation effects of recycling. To address this gap, this study develops an integrated material flow and carbon emission assessment framework for neodymium and dysprosium under the renewable energy transition and projects their supply-demand dynamics. The results show that by 2060, cumulative demand from NEVs is projected to reach 535.2-985.6 kilotonnes (kt) of neodymium and dysprosium combined, while wind power is expected to require a further 182.4-455.4 kt in total. Supply forecasts indicate that neodymium demand can be met under policy liberalization, but gaps emerge under quota-controlled and worsen when accounting for production losses. In contrast, dysprosium faces long term shortages across all scenarios. Recycling plays a critical role: neodymium recycling can largely meet renewable demand and reduce dependence on mining, while dysprosium recycling remains limited due to scarcity. A carbon emission assessment framework is also developed for neodymium and dysprosium production. Power mix optimization could reduce emissions by 7.1-16.5 million tonnes CO₂-equivalent (Mt CO₂-eq) for neodymium and 3.6-8.5 Mt CO₂-eq for dysprosium, while recycling contributes 3.3-5 and 1-1.4 Mt CO₂-eq reductions, respectively. Combining recycling with a cleaner power mix is essential to securing rare earth supply and reducing lifecycle emissions.
{"title":"Securing low-carbon rare earth supply for the renewable energy sector: Demand, circularity, and carbon mitigation of neodymium and dysprosium","authors":"Peize Wang , Tingting Liu , Gangqi Cheng , Yufeng Wu , Shengnan Wang , Kun Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108784","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108784","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With the rapid growth of China’s new energy vehicles (NEVs) and wind power sectors, demand for neodymium and dysprosium is surging, while their supply is constrained by limited reserves, mining policies, and carbon-intensive production. Yet existing studies have rarely examined resource constraints and emission reduction targets within a unified framework, and have not fully integrated demand, supply, and the mitigation effects of recycling. To address this gap, this study develops an integrated material flow and carbon emission assessment framework for neodymium and dysprosium under the renewable energy transition and projects their supply-demand dynamics. The results show that by 2060, cumulative demand from NEVs is projected to reach 535.2-985.6 kilotonnes (kt) of neodymium and dysprosium combined, while wind power is expected to require a further 182.4-455.4 kt in total. Supply forecasts indicate that neodymium demand can be met under policy liberalization, but gaps emerge under quota-controlled and worsen when accounting for production losses. In contrast, dysprosium faces long term shortages across all scenarios. Recycling plays a critical role: neodymium recycling can largely meet renewable demand and reduce dependence on mining, while dysprosium recycling remains limited due to scarcity. A carbon emission assessment framework is also developed for neodymium and dysprosium production. Power mix optimization could reduce emissions by 7.1-16.5 million tonnes CO₂-equivalent (Mt CO₂-eq) for neodymium and 3.6-8.5 Mt CO₂-eq for dysprosium, while recycling contributes 3.3-5 and 1-1.4 Mt CO₂-eq reductions, respectively. Combining recycling with a cleaner power mix is essential to securing rare earth supply and reducing lifecycle emissions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108784"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145962622","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 : 2026-03-15Epub Date: 2026-01-17DOI: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108791
Juudit Ottelin, Julia Sborz, Meng Jiang, Konstantin Stadler
The efficiency of public versus private sectors has interested policymakers and researchers for decades. Management research has highlighted that private ownership can improve the efficiency of production. However, regarding environmental efficiency, the public sector often outperforms the private sector. Furthermore, the so-called synergy hypothesis suggests that countries with a strong public sector might be better positioned to address environmental problems than other countries, because of their already existing governance related to welfare. Yet, empirical evidence so far has mostly suggested otherwise. Here, we contribute to these debates by 1) providing an analysis of the consumption-based environmental intensities of government versus household consumption and 2) testing the synergy hypothesis using the environmental intensities as the measure of environmental performance. Our results show that government consumption has lower carbon, material, and land use intensities compared to household consumption – particularly in services, and in most countries, also in energy. Yet, in several countries, households have lower intensities for tangible goods and food, potentially pointing to shortcomings in public procurement policies. We also find support for the synergy hypothesis: countries with higher public social expenditure (% of GDP) tend to have lower environmental intensities, even when controlling for final demand per capita.
{"title":"Environmental intensities of consumption reveal synergy between welfare and environmental policies beyond income effect","authors":"Juudit Ottelin, Julia Sborz, Meng Jiang, Konstantin Stadler","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108791","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108791","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The efficiency of public versus private sectors has interested policymakers and researchers for decades. Management research has highlighted that private ownership can improve the efficiency of production. However, regarding environmental efficiency, the public sector often outperforms the private sector. Furthermore, the so-called <em>synergy hypothesis</em> suggests that countries with a strong public sector might be better positioned to address environmental problems than other countries, because of their already existing governance related to welfare. Yet, empirical evidence so far has mostly suggested otherwise. Here, we contribute to these debates by 1) providing an analysis of the consumption-based environmental intensities of government versus household consumption and 2) testing the <em>synergy hypothesis</em> using the environmental intensities as the measure of environmental performance. Our results show that government consumption has lower carbon, material, and land use intensities compared to household consumption – particularly in services, and in most countries, also in energy. Yet, in several countries, households have lower intensities for tangible goods and food, potentially pointing to shortcomings in public procurement policies. We also find support for the <em>synergy hypothesis</em>: countries with higher public social expenditure (% of GDP) tend to have lower environmental intensities, even when controlling for final demand per capita.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":"228 ","pages":"Article 108791"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995613","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 : 2026-03-15Epub 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":"2026-03-15","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}
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