The transition towards a circular economy in the built environment requires robust methodologies to evaluate carbon and material flows at the component level. This paper introduces Carbon Flow Analysis (CFA), an innovative approach that integrates Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment to facilitate environmental decision- making for façade renovations. CFA systematically maps embodied carbon and material inputs within façade components, offering a transparent assessment of their circularity potential. The study further refines the selection process through a contextualization framework, which contrasts CFA results against environmental performance ranges derived from Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and environmental databanks. Findings demonstrate the variable role of secondary materials in reducing carbon emissions, due to the large variability of impact across materials and components. While CFA provides actionable insights into material selection for façade components, the study highlights the need for standardized circularity indicators and reliable databanks to enhance decision-making in architectural design. By combining quantitative carbon tracking with performance- based contextualization, this research contributes to the development of practical guidelines for achieving carbon-neutral façade renovations.
{"title":"Carbon flow analysis: A novel approach for circularity evaluation of façade components","authors":"Magdalena Zabek , Jose-Luis Galvez-Martos , Thaleia Konstantinou","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100361","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100361","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The transition towards a circular economy in the built environment requires robust methodologies to evaluate carbon and material flows at the component level. This paper introduces Carbon Flow Analysis (CFA), an innovative approach that integrates Material Flow Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment to facilitate environmental decision- making for façade renovations. CFA systematically maps embodied carbon and material inputs within façade components, offering a transparent assessment of their circularity potential. The study further refines the selection process through a contextualization framework, which contrasts CFA results against environmental performance ranges derived from Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and environmental databanks. Findings demonstrate the variable role of secondary materials in reducing carbon emissions, due to the large variability of impact across materials and components. While CFA provides actionable insights into material selection for façade components, the study highlights the need for standardized circularity indicators and reliable databanks to enhance decision-making in architectural design. By combining quantitative carbon tracking with performance- based contextualization, this research contributes to the development of practical guidelines for achieving carbon-neutral façade renovations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100361"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145575976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-06DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100371
Ana Maria Caceres Ruiz , Alessandro Sanches Pereira , Atiq Zaman
A Circular Economy (CE) is a promising path to realise sustainable societies across cities, regions, and nations. Yet, the realisation of effective regional circular economies (RCEs) remains underexplored. This paper contributes to advancing RCE knowledge by conducting a three-step integrative literature survey and gap analysis. Successful RCE implementation requires integrated, place-based approaches. These include clearly demarcating regional boundaries; assessing local contexts such as resources, secondary materials, specialisations, key stakeholders, barriers and drivers to CE, path dependencies, and proximity dynamics; and developing policies that support regional clusters, knowledge transfer, and fit-for-purpose indicators (e.g., sector-based), as well as the scaling-up of successful CE initiatives, and spatial planning strategies (e.g., designating land for CE pilots). Territorial governance strategies should engage diverse stakeholders, transition brokers, and interregional collaborations. Implementation should extend beyond the “R-framework” by incorporating reverse logistics, cascading, and industrial symbiosis, alongside robust monitoring mechanisms to adapt and improve initiatives while assessing climate impacts.
In addition, our gap analysis reveals critical research needs: developing and testing circular strategies tailored to key local economic specialisations (e.g., agriculture, forestry, mining); bridging the divide between sufficiency, efficiency, and innovation ideals and their practical uptake; addressing the underutilisation of regenerative, reduce, and reuse strategies; clarifying how RCEs influence emission reduction pathways; and how to initiate and mobilize governance structures for CE transitions in regions.
This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on CE by providing practical insights for ground-level RCE implementation and by highlighting overlooked research areas that are essential for advancing circular transitions in regional settings.
{"title":"Regionalising the circular economy: A three-step integrative review and gap analysis","authors":"Ana Maria Caceres Ruiz , Alessandro Sanches Pereira , Atiq Zaman","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100371","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100371","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A Circular Economy (CE) is a promising path to realise sustainable societies across cities, regions, and nations. Yet, the realisation of effective regional circular economies (RCEs) remains underexplored. This paper contributes to advancing RCE knowledge by conducting a three-step integrative literature survey and gap analysis. Successful RCE implementation requires integrated, place-based approaches. These include clearly demarcating regional boundaries; assessing local contexts such as resources, secondary materials, specialisations, key stakeholders, barriers and drivers to CE, path dependencies, and proximity dynamics; and developing policies that support regional clusters, knowledge transfer, and fit-for-purpose indicators (e.g., sector-based), as well as the scaling-up of successful CE initiatives, and spatial planning strategies (e.g., designating land for CE pilots). Territorial governance strategies should engage diverse stakeholders, transition brokers, and interregional collaborations. Implementation should extend beyond the “R-framework” by incorporating reverse logistics, cascading, and industrial symbiosis, alongside robust monitoring mechanisms to adapt and improve initiatives while assessing climate impacts.</div><div>In addition, our gap analysis reveals critical research needs: developing and testing circular strategies tailored to key local economic specialisations (e.g., agriculture, forestry, mining); bridging the divide between sufficiency, efficiency, and innovation ideals and their practical uptake; addressing the underutilisation of regenerative, reduce, and reuse strategies; clarifying how RCEs influence emission reduction pathways; and how to initiate and mobilize governance structures for CE transitions in regions.</div><div>This research contributes to the growing body of knowledge on CE by providing practical insights for ground-level RCE implementation and by highlighting overlooked research areas that are essential for advancing circular transitions in regional settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100371"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145525337","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-04DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100369
Mikael Säberg , Emma Lindkvist , Roozbeh Feiz , Patrik Thollander
Sport is more than just a game—it's a global phenomenon that shapes cultures, economies, and communities. Football, the world's most popular sport, is a prime example. Yet beneath the surface lies an overlooked environmental cost. As the climate crisis accelerates, the sprawling network of football facilities—stadiums, training grounds, and infrastructure—emerges as a silent contributor to environmental degradation and the transgression of planetary boundaries. Two common types of fields exist: artificial and natural turf. Research on environmental impacts of these turfs remains limited, especially in cold climates. This study presents a life cycle assessment of 1 m2 artificial and natural football turfs in Nordic climates, evaluating their environmental impacts such as global warming potential, eutrophication potential and ecotoxicity potential across construction, use, maintenance, and end-of-life phases over operational lifespans of 10, 20 and 30 years. Natural turf exhibited the highest overall environmental impacts over the operational lifespan, e.g. the global warming potential was 30.6 kg CO2 eq/m2 while the artificial turf reached 15.6 kg CO2 eq/m2. During the construction phase, artificial turf generated significant emissions, mainly from material production. In the use phase, natural turf showed the greatest impacts due to diesel consumption and fertilizer application. At the end-of-life stage, artificial turf's sand and infill were reused, while the turf carpet and shock pad were incinerated for energy recovery. However, without recycling, artificial turf would represent the highest environmental burden among the evaluated alternatives. Implementing effective recycling and energy recovery strategies is essential to mitigate its environmental impact. Furthermore, sourcing turf materials locally, combined with substituting conventional maintenance equipment with electric robotic alternatives, can further reduce overall environmental impacts.
体育不仅仅是一项游戏——它是一种塑造文化、经济和社区的全球现象。足球，世界上最受欢迎的运动，就是一个最好的例子。然而，在表面之下隐藏着被忽视的环境成本。随着气候危机的加剧，庞大的足球设施网络——体育场、训练场和基础设施——成为环境恶化和地球边界越界的无声贡献者。有两种常见的草坪：人造草坪和天然草坪。关于这些草皮对环境影响的研究仍然有限，特别是在寒冷气候下。本研究对北欧气候下的1平方米人造和天然足球草皮进行了生命周期评估，评估了其在建设、使用、维护和使用寿命结束阶段的环境影响，如全球变暖潜力、富营养化潜力和生态毒性潜力，使用寿命为10年、20年和30年。在使用寿命期内，天然草坪对环境的总体影响最大，全球变暖潜势为30.6 kg CO2 eq/m2，而人造草坪达到15.6 kg CO2 eq/m2。在施工阶段，人造草坪产生了大量的排放，主要来自材料生产。在使用阶段，天然草坪受柴油消耗和化肥施用的影响最大。在使用寿命结束阶段，人造草坪的沙子和填充物被重复利用，而草坪地毯和减震垫则被焚烧以回收能量。然而，如果不进行回收利用，人造草坪将是所评估替代品中环境负担最重的。实施有效的再循环和能源回收战略对于减轻其对环境的影响至关重要。此外，在当地采购草坪材料，再加上用电动机器人替代传统的维护设备，可以进一步减少对整体环境的影响。
{"title":"Life cycle assessment of football fields in Nordic climates: Comparing artificial and natural turf systems","authors":"Mikael Säberg , Emma Lindkvist , Roozbeh Feiz , Patrik Thollander","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100369","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100369","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sport is more than just a game—it's a global phenomenon that shapes cultures, economies, and communities. Football, the world's most popular sport, is a prime example. Yet beneath the surface lies an overlooked environmental cost. As the climate crisis accelerates, the sprawling network of football facilities—stadiums, training grounds, and infrastructure—emerges as a silent contributor to environmental degradation and the transgression of planetary boundaries. Two common types of fields exist: artificial and natural turf. Research on environmental impacts of these turfs remains limited, especially in cold climates. This study presents a life cycle assessment of 1 m<sup>2</sup> artificial and natural football turfs in Nordic climates, evaluating their environmental impacts such as global warming potential, eutrophication potential and ecotoxicity potential across construction, use, maintenance, and end-of-life phases over operational lifespans of 10, 20 and 30 years. Natural turf exhibited the highest overall environmental impacts over the operational lifespan, e.g. the global warming potential was 30.6 kg CO<sub>2</sub> eq/m<sup>2</sup> while the artificial turf reached 15.6 kg CO<sub>2</sub> eq/m<sup>2</sup>. During the construction phase, artificial turf generated significant emissions, mainly from material production. In the use phase, natural turf showed the greatest impacts due to diesel consumption and fertilizer application. At the end-of-life stage, artificial turf's sand and infill were reused, while the turf carpet and shock pad were incinerated for energy recovery. However, without recycling, artificial turf would represent the highest environmental burden among the evaluated alternatives. Implementing effective recycling and energy recovery strategies is essential to mitigate its environmental impact. Furthermore, sourcing turf materials locally, combined with substituting conventional maintenance equipment with electric robotic alternatives, can further reduce overall environmental impacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100369"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145474204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-03DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100368
María Molinos-Senante , Alexandros Maziotis
Ensuring the sustainability of water utilities (WUs) is crucial for improving long-term water and sanitation services. This study proposes a novel methodological framework for dynamic sustainability benchmarking through the development of the Sustainability Change Index (SCHI). The SCHI is decomposed into two components: the Sustainability Internal Change Index (SII) and the Sustainability External Change Index (SEI), which allow for a detailed analysis of the underlying drivers of sustainability performance. The methodology is applied to a panel of 28 Chilean WUs over 2013–2023. Results highlight the ability of the proposed framework to capture dynamic sustainability trajectories in water utilities, revealing significant heterogeneity across utilities and over time. Beyond quantifying changes, the SCHI offers insights into whether improvements stem from internal operational progress or from shifts in external benchmarks, which is particularly relevant for regulatory evaluation and utility management. The empirical application in Chile demonstrates the framework's usefulness in identifying drivers of sustainability change and also provides reflections that can inform targeted policy interventions. The proposed model, grounded in multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and incorporating stakeholder and expert preferences through the Best-Worst Method, is broadly applicable to other contexts, offering regulators and water service managers a robust tool for monitoring, benchmarking, and fostering sustainability transitions.
{"title":"A dynamic framework for benchmarking sustainability in water utilities","authors":"María Molinos-Senante , Alexandros Maziotis","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100368","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100368","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ensuring the sustainability of water utilities (WUs) is crucial for improving long-term water and sanitation services. This study proposes a novel methodological framework for dynamic sustainability benchmarking through the development of the Sustainability Change Index (SCHI). The SCHI is decomposed into two components: the Sustainability Internal Change Index (SII) and the Sustainability External Change Index (SEI), which allow for a detailed analysis of the underlying drivers of sustainability performance. The methodology is applied to a panel of 28 Chilean WUs over 2013–2023. Results highlight the ability of the proposed framework to capture dynamic sustainability trajectories in water utilities, revealing significant heterogeneity across utilities and over time. Beyond quantifying changes, the SCHI offers insights into whether improvements stem from internal operational progress or from shifts in external benchmarks, which is particularly relevant for regulatory evaluation and utility management. The empirical application in Chile demonstrates the framework's usefulness in identifying drivers of sustainability change and also provides reflections that can inform targeted policy interventions. The proposed model, grounded in multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and incorporating stakeholder and expert preferences through the Best-Worst Method, is broadly applicable to other contexts, offering regulators and water service managers a robust tool for monitoring, benchmarking, and fostering sustainability transitions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100368"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145474091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-30DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100360
Yusra Hasan , Bassim Abbassi , Amar K. Mohanty , Manjusri Misra , Atul Bali , Mike Tiessen
The environmental impacts of a compostable greenhouse film composed of 85 % poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and 15 % talc are examined within a cradle-to-grave framework using an environmental life cycle assessment (LCA). This assessment is essential for understanding the sustainability of this solution in relation to the conventional, non-biodegradable plastics commonly used for greenhouse cover materials in Ontario, thereby supporting the resiliency and sustainability of the greenhouse agriculture sector. The Ecoinvent database within SimaPro software was coupled with the key standards of ISO 14040:2006 and 14044:2006 to conduct an environmental LCA per functional unit of 1 kg of PBAT-talc film. Data consisted of primary and secondary inventory sourced from the University of Guelph Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre and literature, respectively. Using the TRACI 2.1 method, environmental burdens were calculated and mitigated. Key hotspots emerged from the preparation, blown film, and composting stages. By incorporating sustainable energy mixes and biobased components of PBAT instead of petroleum-based compounds, the leading normalized categories of carcinogenic and ecotoxicity impacts were significantly reduced. With these suggested sensitivity modifications, PBAT-talc film proves to be the more sustainable option compared to all other conventional films. The Ontario agricultural greenhouse industry must seek greenhouse cover materials with the least environmental impacts, as this film demonstrates relative to other options. Aligning with global and national initiatives, this study addresses Ontario's greenhouse cover sustainability in the agriculture sector, with additional recommendations to further improve these outcomes.
{"title":"Life cycle assessment of poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)-talc Ontario agri-film","authors":"Yusra Hasan , Bassim Abbassi , Amar K. Mohanty , Manjusri Misra , Atul Bali , Mike Tiessen","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100360","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100360","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The environmental impacts of a compostable greenhouse film composed of 85 % poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) and 15 % talc are examined within a cradle-to-grave framework using an environmental life cycle assessment (LCA). This assessment is essential for understanding the sustainability of this solution in relation to the conventional, non-biodegradable plastics commonly used for greenhouse cover materials in Ontario, thereby supporting the resiliency and sustainability of the greenhouse agriculture sector. The Ecoinvent database within SimaPro software was coupled with the key standards of ISO 14040:2006 and 14044:2006 to conduct an environmental LCA per functional unit of 1 kg of PBAT-talc film. Data consisted of primary and secondary inventory sourced from the University of Guelph Bioproducts Discovery and Development Centre and literature, respectively. Using the TRACI 2.1 method, environmental burdens were calculated and mitigated. Key hotspots emerged from the preparation, blown film, and composting stages. By incorporating sustainable energy mixes and biobased components of PBAT instead of petroleum-based compounds, the leading normalized categories of carcinogenic and ecotoxicity impacts were significantly reduced. With these suggested sensitivity modifications, PBAT-talc film proves to be the more sustainable option compared to all other conventional films. The Ontario agricultural greenhouse industry must seek greenhouse cover materials with the least environmental impacts, as this film demonstrates relative to other options. Aligning with global and national initiatives, this study addresses Ontario's greenhouse cover sustainability in the agriculture sector, with additional recommendations to further improve these outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100360"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145474092","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-28DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100367
Fahid Abu-Salah , Elsa Maalouf
This paper evaluates the sustainability of metallic glasses (MGs), specifically in applications as a core material in transformers. The environmental, economic, and social performance of the transformer is assessed through a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of three low-voltage transformer configurations: ferrite, silicon steel, and amorphous (MG) core transformers. To do that, we conducted two analyses. First a cradle-to-gate LCA under four distinct production scenarios, reflecting varied energy intensities in MG manufacturing, revealing that the sustainability of MGs depends on the energy needed during their production. Second, a cradle-to-use LCA over an operational period of 40 years to capture long-term environmental advantages of amorphous transformers. Under energy-intensive manufacturing conditions, the amorphous core transformer reduced environmental impacts by almost 50 % compared to silicon steel. Additionally, the influence of alloy composition is further explored by comparing several Fe–B–Si amorphous alloys, showing that alloys with an optimized iron-to-silicon ratio are more sustainable as amorphous core materials. To further validate the findings, Monte Carlo simulations were performed to validate the robustness of the results under variations in use-phase lifetime. The outcomes consistently confirmed the superior sustainable performance of amorphous core transformers compared to silicon steel core transformers. Finally, the impacts of material use and societal implications are discussed and integrated by analyzing human well-being, health implications, and noise pollution of transformers. The findings collectively show that amorphous core transformers offer superior sustainability across environmental, economic, and social dimensions, paving the way for greener power systems and more sustainable transformer design.
{"title":"Comparative life cycle sustainability of transformer cores with metallic glass alloys","authors":"Fahid Abu-Salah , Elsa Maalouf","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100367","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100367","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper evaluates the sustainability of metallic glasses (MGs), specifically in applications as a core material in transformers. The environmental, economic, and social performance of the transformer is assessed through a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of three low-voltage transformer configurations: ferrite, silicon steel, and amorphous (MG) core transformers. To do that, we conducted two analyses. First a cradle-to-gate LCA under four distinct production scenarios, reflecting varied energy intensities in MG manufacturing, revealing that the sustainability of MGs depends on the energy needed during their production. Second, a cradle-to-use LCA over an operational period of 40 years to capture long-term environmental advantages of amorphous transformers. Under energy-intensive manufacturing conditions, the amorphous core transformer reduced environmental impacts by almost 50 % compared to silicon steel. Additionally, the influence of alloy composition is further explored by comparing several Fe–B–Si amorphous alloys, showing that alloys with an optimized iron-to-silicon ratio are more sustainable as amorphous core materials. To further validate the findings, Monte Carlo simulations were performed to validate the robustness of the results under variations in use-phase lifetime. The outcomes consistently confirmed the superior sustainable performance of amorphous core transformers compared to silicon steel core transformers. Finally, the impacts of material use and societal implications are discussed and integrated by analyzing human well-being, health implications, and noise pollution of transformers. The findings collectively show that amorphous core transformers offer superior sustainability across environmental, economic, and social dimensions, paving the way for greener power systems and more sustainable transformer design.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100367"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145474086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-24DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100344
Marvin Gornik , Daniel Habermeier , Reiner Sojka , Nicolas Bucher , Denise Ott
This study evaluates global, currently existing industrial lithium-Ion battery (LIB) recycling processes from a technical, economic as well as environmental point of view. The focus lies in the comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) of these technologies in one single flexible model. Out of several analyzed publications, nine different industrial life cycle inventories were analyzed in detail and compared via LCA with similar system boundaries and background data. Minor adjustments were made to ensure a fair comparison. The results indicate variations in the degree of detail among the utilized inventories, with discrepancies observed, such as variations in coverage of pretreatment steps. This study identified trends indicating that hydrometallurgical treatments offer greater potential for reducing environmental burdens. This is primarily attributed to the wider range of materials recovered. Additionally, the LCA results of the complete life cycle of a LIB were analyzed using two different calculation approaches: the widely used End-of-Life (EoL) approach in LCA and the circular footprint formula (CFF), a recently introduced methodology by the European Union.
{"title":"Paving the way for more sustainable lithium-ion battery recycling routes","authors":"Marvin Gornik , Daniel Habermeier , Reiner Sojka , Nicolas Bucher , Denise Ott","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100344","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100344","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluates global, currently existing industrial lithium-Ion battery (LIB) recycling processes from a technical, economic as well as environmental point of view. The focus lies in the comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) of these technologies in one single flexible model. Out of several analyzed publications, nine different industrial life cycle inventories were analyzed in detail and compared via LCA with similar system boundaries and background data. Minor adjustments were made to ensure a fair comparison. The results indicate variations in the degree of detail among the utilized inventories, with discrepancies observed, such as variations in coverage of pretreatment steps. This study identified trends indicating that hydrometallurgical treatments offer greater potential for reducing environmental burdens. This is primarily attributed to the wider range of materials recovered. Additionally, the LCA results of the complete life cycle of a LIB were analyzed using two different calculation approaches: the widely used End-of-Life (EoL) approach in LCA and the circular footprint formula (CFF), a recently introduced methodology by the European Union.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100344"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145417287","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-24DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100365
Anna Carlesso, Lisa Pizzol, Antonio Marcomini, Elena Semenzin
This study examines the influence of choosing generic and country-specific Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) datasets on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) outcomes for key fossil-based (FB) and bio-based (BB) polymers produced in Europe. Although regionalized data are increasingly demanded, site-specific datasets are often absent, leading to reliance on generic datasets. Despite Europe offering the most country-specific coverage, comparative studies remain limited. This analysis uses regionalized datasets for FB polymers (HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE, and PP) and BB polymers (PLA/starch, and TPS) from Managed LCA Content (MLC) Databases, applying the EF 3.1 method, and using “1 kg of granulate polymer for packaging” as functional unit. Results were evaluated based on i) the occurrence of burden shifting from FB to BB polymers and ii) the influence of European country-specific datasets compared to RER datasets. Acidification and Eutrophication impacts were found to increase in BB polymers. In Climate Change, no decrease was observed because EF 3.1 lacks standardized biogenic carbon accounting, preventing this from being captured. Significant variations were found in Ionizing Radiation, Land Use, Ozone Depletion, and Water Use, both in the FB and BB datasets. The importance of regionalization in BB datasets was highlighted due to differing agricultural practices. In conclusion, enhanced inventory and impact regionalization are recommended to capture regional dynamics accurately.
{"title":"Assessing regionalization of LCI datasets of fossil-based and biodegradable bio-based polymers used for food packaging in the European context","authors":"Anna Carlesso, Lisa Pizzol, Antonio Marcomini, Elena Semenzin","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100365","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100365","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the influence of choosing generic and country-specific Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) datasets on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) outcomes for key fossil-based (FB) and bio-based (BB) polymers produced in Europe. Although regionalized data are increasingly demanded, site-specific datasets are often absent, leading to reliance on generic datasets. Despite Europe offering the most country-specific coverage, comparative studies remain limited. This analysis uses regionalized datasets for FB polymers (HDPE, LDPE, LLDPE, and PP) and BB polymers (PLA/starch, and TPS) from Managed LCA Content (MLC) Databases, applying the EF 3.1 method, and using “1 kg of granulate polymer for packaging” as functional unit. Results were evaluated based on i) the occurrence of burden shifting from FB to BB polymers and ii) the influence of European country-specific datasets compared to RER datasets. Acidification and Eutrophication impacts were found to increase in BB polymers. In Climate Change, no decrease was observed because EF 3.1 lacks standardized biogenic carbon accounting, preventing this from being captured. Significant variations were found in Ionizing Radiation, Land Use, Ozone Depletion, and Water Use, both in the FB and BB datasets. The importance of regionalization in BB datasets was highlighted due to differing agricultural practices. In conclusion, enhanced inventory and impact regionalization are recommended to capture regional dynamics accurately.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100365"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145416731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-23DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100364
Shaiyan Siddique , Vivek Arulnathan , Ian Turner , Rehan Sadiq , Nathan Pelletier
Food waste is a major sustainability challenge in modern society. Livestock production also presents core sustainability challenges, notably due to its demand for feed inputs and associated impacts. Directly valorizing food waste to livestock feed at a commercial scale has hence emerged as a potential strategy to solve both problems. However, case studies of such systems are limited, particularly in western countries, representing an important knowledge gap. This study reports a cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment of a commercial-scale grocery waste-to-poultry feed input production system based in Pennsylvania, and the use of the resultant feed product for egg production in Canada. Findings for the valorized input product system showed a net environmental benefit for climate change and eutrophication impact categories due to avoided landfill emissions when no landfill gas collection is assumed. Using feed containing 5 % valorized product in egg production reduced the life cycle environmental impacts of conventional Canadian eggs in 10 out of 11 impact categories, including a 17 % impact reduction in climate change at the 20-year horizon. However, fossil fuel depletion saw a 57 % increase in impacts, due to process and technical inefficiencies in the studied product system and Pennsylvania's reliance on fossil fuel for electricity production. Contribution, scenarios, and sensitivity analyses highlighted the importance of utilizing green energy sources, along with efficient transportation and substrate drying technologies. The study also highlighted the need for further research to optimize the inclusion rate of the valorized product in poultry feeds, and better resolved regional, infrastructural, and logistical contexts.
{"title":"Life cycle assessment of a commercial-scale valorized grocery food waste product and its potential use as a sustainable feed input for egg production","authors":"Shaiyan Siddique , Vivek Arulnathan , Ian Turner , Rehan Sadiq , Nathan Pelletier","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100364","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100364","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Food waste is a major sustainability challenge in modern society. Livestock production also presents core sustainability challenges, notably due to its demand for feed inputs and associated impacts. Directly valorizing food waste to livestock feed at a commercial scale has hence emerged as a potential strategy to solve both problems. However, case studies of such systems are limited, particularly in western countries, representing an important knowledge gap. This study reports a cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment of a commercial-scale grocery waste-to-poultry feed input production system based in Pennsylvania, and the use of the resultant feed product for egg production in Canada. Findings for the valorized input product system showed a net environmental benefit for climate change and eutrophication impact categories due to avoided landfill emissions when no landfill gas collection is assumed. Using feed containing 5 % valorized product in egg production reduced the life cycle environmental impacts of conventional Canadian eggs in 10 out of 11 impact categories, including a 17 % impact reduction in climate change at the 20-year horizon. However, fossil fuel depletion saw a 57 % increase in impacts, due to process and technical inefficiencies in the studied product system and Pennsylvania's reliance on fossil fuel for electricity production. Contribution, scenarios, and sensitivity analyses highlighted the importance of utilizing green energy sources, along with efficient transportation and substrate drying technologies. The study also highlighted the need for further research to optimize the inclusion rate of the valorized product in poultry feeds, and better resolved regional, infrastructural, and logistical contexts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100364"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145417285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-10-23DOI: 10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100366
Niklas Quernheim, Benjamin Schleich
The consideration of sustainability early in product development presents significant challenges for the field of mechanical engineering. Linking broad corporate strategies to specific product attributes such as dimensions and functions requires repeated, case-by-case evaluations. This article introduces a novel approach for systematically integrating sustainability into requirements engineering by establishing specification levels for environmental sustainability requirements. These levels offer a structured method to address sustainability at different stages of product design and development, regardless of data availability. By defining aspects such as sustainability assessment methods, data quality, reference products, and verification processes, these levels extend traditional requirements engineering practices to tackle the unique challenges of sustainable design. The scientific novelty of this paper lies in its structured approach to formulating sustainability requirements. It presents a framework for classifying sustainability requirements with varying levels of data quality while simultaneously identifying potential areas for improvement. These include enhancing data quality and establishing evaluation and validation processes for sustainability metrics. By providing a systematic method for defining and refining sustainability requirements, the paper supports more precise and actionable sustainability assessments, ultimately facilitating more robust decision-making in sustainable product development and manufacturing. The specification levels enable the verification and traceability of sustainable development. The effectiveness of the specification levels is illustrated in this article by performing the requirements development in a case study, developing an iteration of a mechanical engineering product with a focus on sustainability.
{"title":"Environmental sustainability requirement specification levels for comprehensive requirements engineering","authors":"Niklas Quernheim, Benjamin Schleich","doi":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100366","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.cesys.2025.100366","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The consideration of sustainability early in product development presents significant challenges for the field of mechanical engineering. Linking broad corporate strategies to specific product attributes such as dimensions and functions requires repeated, case-by-case evaluations. This article introduces a novel approach for systematically integrating sustainability into requirements engineering by establishing specification levels for environmental sustainability requirements. These levels offer a structured method to address sustainability at different stages of product design and development, regardless of data availability. By defining aspects such as sustainability assessment methods, data quality, reference products, and verification processes, these levels extend traditional requirements engineering practices to tackle the unique challenges of sustainable design. The scientific novelty of this paper lies in its structured approach to formulating sustainability requirements. It presents a framework for classifying sustainability requirements with varying levels of data quality while simultaneously identifying potential areas for improvement. These include enhancing data quality and establishing evaluation and validation processes for sustainability metrics. By providing a systematic method for defining and refining sustainability requirements, the paper supports more precise and actionable sustainability assessments, ultimately facilitating more robust decision-making in sustainable product development and manufacturing. The specification levels enable the verification and traceability of sustainable development. The effectiveness of the specification levels is illustrated in this article by performing the requirements development in a case study, developing an iteration of a mechanical engineering product with a focus on sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":34616,"journal":{"name":"Cleaner Environmental Systems","volume":"19 ","pages":"Article 100366"},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145417286","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号