Pub Date : 2025-08-05DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.08.006
Aurore Guillaume , Lise Appels , Vladimír Kočí , Jan Aerts , Annemie Geeraerd
Shifting one's diet towards more plant-based products is seen as one of the most efficient ways to mitigate one's environmental footprint. Yet, associated market adjustments between global demand and supply are rarely considered in environmental assessments and could counterbalance expected environmental benefits. In this context, we used an agro-economic model to predict global production changes following a demand shift towards EAT-Lancet guidelines for red meat and legume intake for the year 2030. We modelled four scenarios which apply to diverse regions, namely, the European Union (EU), EU and China, 40 % of the largest red meat eaters and the whole world. The environmental impact of these subsequent changes was quantified using consequential Life Cycle Assessment. Results show that significant environmental benefits could be achieved already when 40 % of the largest red meat-eating population shifts its diet. For greenhouse gas emissions, it translates into 1.02 GtCO2 eq and 1.27 GtCO2 eq saved in the 40 % and global diet shift scenarios, respectively. This latter is equivalent to the annual savings needed to reach net zero in 2050 for the Paris Agreement. Most of the local environmental benefits are linked to the regional specialisation of agricultural production. For example, there would be lower acidification in Asia due to the decrease in livestock production and lower aquatic eutrophication and ecotoxicity in the Americas due to the decrease in feed production. To reach such diet shifts and associated environmental benefits, context-specific solutions should be defined considering cultural and, global and regional physical constraints.
{"title":"Including the agro-economic effects of diet shifts into environmental assessments: Implications for the world's largest red meat eaters","authors":"Aurore Guillaume , Lise Appels , Vladimír Kočí , Jan Aerts , Annemie Geeraerd","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.08.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.08.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Shifting one's diet towards more plant-based products is seen as one of the most efficient ways to mitigate one's environmental footprint. Yet, associated market adjustments between global demand and supply are rarely considered in environmental assessments and could counterbalance expected environmental benefits. In this context, we used an agro-economic model to predict global production changes following a demand shift towards EAT-Lancet guidelines for red meat and legume intake for the year 2030. We modelled four scenarios which apply to diverse regions, namely, the European Union (EU), EU and China, 40 % of the largest red meat eaters and the whole world. The environmental impact of these subsequent changes was quantified using consequential Life Cycle Assessment. Results show that significant environmental benefits could be achieved already when 40 % of the largest red meat-eating population shifts its diet. For greenhouse gas emissions, it translates into 1.02 GtCO<sub>2</sub> eq and 1.27 GtCO<sub>2</sub> eq saved in the 40 % and global diet shift scenarios, respectively. This latter is equivalent to the annual savings needed to reach net zero in 2050 for the Paris Agreement. Most of the local environmental benefits are linked to the regional specialisation of agricultural production. For example, there would be lower acidification in Asia due to the decrease in livestock production and lower aquatic eutrophication and ecotoxicity in the Americas due to the decrease in feed production. To reach such diet shifts and associated environmental benefits, context-specific solutions should be defined considering cultural and, global and regional physical constraints.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"59 ","pages":"Pages 27-38"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144828212","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 : 2025-07-24DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.009
Prince Agyemang , Ebenezer M. Kwofie , Ludovic Lahaye , Melissa Otis , Emilie Fontaine , Victoria Asselstine , Aubin Payne , Greg Thoma
Over the last decade, policymakers and dairy producers worldwide have faced the challenge of reducing the environmental impact of dairy production while continuing to meet societal needs for high-quality and nutritious protein sources. Given this, the objective of the present study was to assess the net environmental impact of adopting different nutrition strategies with and without supplementing rumen-protected B vitamins (RPBV, B vitamins that are microencapsulated to bypass rumen degradation in cows and be absorbed in the small intestines) in dairy milk production. Seven representative regional dairy production systems across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Australia, and France were investigated, utilizing a total mixed ration (TMR) feeding program supplemented with 3 g of RPBV. The estimated climate change impact scores for all control production scenarios ranged from 1.08 to 1.65 kg CO2-eq/kg fat protein-corrected milk (FPCM). However, the impact of climate change per kg of FPCM decreased by 5.6–18.0 % when RPBV was supplemented on top of the TMR feeding program. The highest and lowest climate change impact reductions were observed for the RPBV production scenarios in Mexico and Colombia, where the impacts decreased from 1.65 to 1.36 kg CO2-eq/FPCM and from 1.49 to 1.41 kg CO2-eq, respectively. Additionally, the impacts of agricultural land use, water consumption, and acidification, as well as eutrophication potential, were reduced by 3.0–16.3 % (with an average reduction of 7.4 % across all scenarios) when the TMR feeding programs were supplemented with 3 g of RPBV. The observed impact reduction could be attributed to improvements in milk production, which varied across different regions, with milk yields ranging from 3.3 % to 19.4 % above those of the control production scenario. Additionally, there were reductions in enteric methane (up to 2.4 %) and nitrogen emissions (up to 10 %). In dairy cows, RPBV acts as an enzyme co-factor at the cellular level by improving the efficiency of key pathways involved in energy, fat, and protein metabolism, which consequently increases milk yield and feed efficiency. The manufacturing and transportation of RPBV to the seven regional destinations examined in the current study had a minimal impact on the total environmental footprint of dairy production systems. The null hypothesis was rejected, indicating significant differences in results, as the p-value for all impacts and pairs (control and RPBV scenarios per 500 Monte Carlo runs) was less than 0.05, which is considered statistically significant. Overall, supplementation with RPBV constitutes a valuable nutritional strategy to support ongoing efforts and innovations in driving sustainable dairy production.
在过去十年中，世界各地的决策者和乳制品生产商面临着减少乳制品生产对环境影响的挑战，同时继续满足社会对高质量和营养蛋白质来源的需求。鉴于此，本研究的目的是评估在奶牛产奶过程中，采用不同营养策略添加和不添加瘤胃保护B族维生素（RPBV，一种微胶囊化的B族维生素，可绕过奶牛瘤胃降解并被小肠吸收）对环境的净影响。研究人员对美国、加拿大、墨西哥、智利、哥伦比亚、澳大利亚和法国七个具有代表性的区域乳制品生产系统进行了调查，采用了全混合日粮（TMR）饲喂方案，并添加了3g RPBV。所有控制生产情景的估计气候变化影响得分范围为1.08至1.65千克二氧化碳当量/千克脂肪蛋白校正奶（FPCM）。然而，在TMR饲养计划的基础上添加RPBV，每公斤FPCM对气候变化的影响降低了5.6 - 18.0%。在RPBV生产情景下，墨西哥和哥伦比亚的气候变化影响减少幅度最大和最低，其影响分别从1.65 kg co2当量/FPCM和1.49 kg co2当量降至1.41 kg co2当量。此外，当TMR喂养方案中添加3g RPBV时，农业用地利用、用水量、酸化以及富营养化潜力的影响降低了3.0 - 16.3%（在所有情景中平均降低了7.4%）。观察到的影响减少可归因于牛奶产量的提高，这在不同地区有所不同，牛奶产量比控制生产情景高出3.3%至19.4%。此外，肠道甲烷（最多减少2.4%）和氮排放（最多减少10%）也有所减少。在奶牛中，RPBV在细胞水平上作为一种酶辅助因子，通过提高能量、脂肪和蛋白质代谢的关键途径的效率，从而提高产奶量和饲料效率。在目前的研究中，RPBV的制造和运输到七个区域目的地对乳制品生产系统的总环境足迹影响最小。原假设被拒绝，表明结果存在显著差异，因为所有影响和对（每500个蒙特卡罗运行的对照和RPBV场景）的p值小于0.05，这被认为具有统计学意义。总的来说，补充RPBV是一种有价值的营养战略，可以支持推动可持续乳制品生产的持续努力和创新。
{"title":"Global analysis of nutritional strategies to mitigate the environmental impacts of dairy production: the case of supplementing diets with microencapsulated B vitamins","authors":"Prince Agyemang , Ebenezer M. Kwofie , Ludovic Lahaye , Melissa Otis , Emilie Fontaine , Victoria Asselstine , Aubin Payne , Greg Thoma","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Over the last decade, policymakers and dairy producers worldwide have faced the challenge of reducing the environmental impact of dairy production while continuing to meet societal needs for high-quality and nutritious protein sources. Given this, the objective of the present study was to assess the net environmental impact of adopting different nutrition strategies with and without supplementing rumen-protected B vitamins (RPBV, B vitamins that are microencapsulated to bypass rumen degradation in cows and be absorbed in the small intestines) in dairy milk production. Seven representative regional dairy production systems across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Australia, and France were investigated, utilizing a total mixed ration (TMR) feeding program supplemented with 3 g of RPBV. The estimated climate change impact scores for all control production scenarios ranged from 1.08 to 1.65 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq/kg fat protein-corrected milk (FPCM). However, the impact of climate change per kg of FPCM decreased by 5.6–18.0 % when RPBV was supplemented on top of the TMR feeding program. The highest and lowest climate change impact reductions were observed for the RPBV production scenarios in Mexico and Colombia, where the impacts decreased from 1.65 to 1.36 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq/FPCM and from 1.49 to 1.41 kg CO<sub>2</sub>-eq, respectively. Additionally, the impacts of agricultural land use, water consumption, and acidification, as well as eutrophication potential, were reduced by 3.0–16.3 % (with an average reduction of 7.4 % across all scenarios) when the TMR feeding programs were supplemented with 3 g of RPBV. The observed impact reduction could be attributed to improvements in milk production, which varied across different regions, with milk yields ranging from 3.3 % to 19.4 % above those of the control production scenario. Additionally, there were reductions in enteric methane (up to 2.4 %) and nitrogen emissions (up to 10 %). In dairy cows, RPBV acts as an enzyme co-factor at the cellular level by improving the efficiency of key pathways involved in energy, fat, and protein metabolism, which consequently increases milk yield and feed efficiency. The manufacturing and transportation of RPBV to the seven regional destinations examined in the current study had a minimal impact on the total environmental footprint of dairy production systems. The null hypothesis was rejected, indicating significant differences in results, as the p-value for all impacts and pairs (control and RPBV scenarios per 500 Monte Carlo runs) was less than 0.05, which is considered statistically significant. Overall, supplementation with RPBV constitutes a valuable nutritional strategy to support ongoing efforts and innovations in driving sustainable dairy production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"59 ","pages":"Pages 339-358"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010443","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 : 2025-07-24DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.008
Shwe Yie Lin , Nicholas M. Holden , Romanee Thongdara , Thapat Silalertruksa , Shabbir H. Gheewala , Trakarn Prapaspongsa
Sugarcane biorefineries convert sugarcane waste into bioproducts, requiring assessment for environmentally viable processing. This study compared the life cycle environmental impacts, environmental damage costs, and circularity of sugarcane biorefinery scenarios: a base case with pre-harvest cane trash burning and sugar and ethanol production; a modified one with improved energy efficiency; and three bioproduct scenarios producing bagasse-based biobutanol or biochar for bioenergy scenario, lactic or acetic acid for biochemicals, and cane trash-derived cellulose nanofibers or soil conditioner for biomaterials. Bioproduct scenarios assumed green cane harvesting. Life cycle assessment followed a cradle-to-gate scope, with a functional unit of 1 tonne of cane processed (tc). Damage to human health ranged from 7.72 × 10−4 to 2.85 × 10−3 disability-adjusted life years/tc; ecosystem from 4.85 × 10−6 to 9.15 × 10−6 species.year/tc; resource scarcity from 10 to 60 United States dollar 2013/tc; total damage costs from 2,100 to 5,410 Thai Baht/tc, and circularity from 0.44 to 0.52. Bioproduct scenarios, except cellulose nanofibers, had lower environmental damage costs than the base case. Biorefinery circularity aligned closely with the highest-value product in each scenario. Biochemical (Lactic acid) was the best overall, with the lowest environmental damage cost and resource scarcity damage, relatively low human health and ecosystem damage, and a high circularity score of 0.5. Biomaterial (Cellulose nanofibers) was the worst due to its highest damage cost from the highest fossil resource scarcity, accounting for over 95 % of resources scarcity damage in all scenarios, and high-water consumption, despite minimum human health damage from the lowest fine particulate matter formation, leading contributor to human health damage mainly from cane burning and biomass electricity, and a high circularity of 0.52. The modified base case was slightly better than the base case across all metrics. Bioproduct scenarios increased circularity; however, higher circularity did not always correlate better environmental performance.
{"title":"Circular economy models of sugarcane biorefinery towards carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability","authors":"Shwe Yie Lin , Nicholas M. Holden , Romanee Thongdara , Thapat Silalertruksa , Shabbir H. Gheewala , Trakarn Prapaspongsa","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sugarcane biorefineries convert sugarcane waste into bioproducts, requiring assessment for environmentally viable processing. This study compared the life cycle environmental impacts, environmental damage costs, and circularity of sugarcane biorefinery scenarios: a base case with pre-harvest cane trash burning and sugar and ethanol production; a modified one with improved energy efficiency; and three bioproduct scenarios producing bagasse-based biobutanol or biochar for bioenergy scenario, lactic or acetic acid for biochemicals, and cane trash-derived cellulose nanofibers or soil conditioner for biomaterials. Bioproduct scenarios assumed green cane harvesting. Life cycle assessment followed a cradle-to-gate scope, with a functional unit of 1 tonne of cane processed (t<sub>c</sub>). Damage to human health ranged from 7.72 × 10<sup>−4</sup> to 2.85 × 10<sup>−3</sup> disability-adjusted life years/t<sub>c</sub>; ecosystem from 4.85 × 10<sup>−6</sup> to 9.15 × 10<sup>−6</sup> species.year/t<sub>c</sub>; resource scarcity from 10 to 60 United States dollar 2013/t<sub>c</sub>; total damage costs from 2,100 to 5,410 Thai Baht/t<sub>c</sub>, and circularity from 0.44 to 0.52. Bioproduct scenarios, except cellulose nanofibers, had lower environmental damage costs than the base case. Biorefinery circularity aligned closely with the highest-value product in each scenario. Biochemical (Lactic acid) was the best overall, with the lowest environmental damage cost and resource scarcity damage, relatively low human health and ecosystem damage, and a high circularity score of 0.5. Biomaterial (Cellulose nanofibers) was the worst due to its highest damage cost from the highest fossil resource scarcity, accounting for over 95 % of resources scarcity damage in all scenarios, and high-water consumption, despite minimum human health damage from the lowest fine particulate matter formation, leading contributor to human health damage mainly from cane burning and biomass electricity, and a high circularity of 0.52. The modified base case was slightly better than the base case across all metrics. Bioproduct scenarios increased circularity; however, higher circularity did not always correlate better environmental performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"59 ","pages":"Pages 305-324"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145004291","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 : 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.010
Lillian Tsitsi Mambiri , Riley Guillory , Dilip Depan
Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is critical for addressing bone defects caused by aging populations, chronic diseases, and millions of annual road injuries, yet its potential is hampered by high costs, regulatory delays that deter investment, and healthcare's environmental footprint, which accounts for 8.5 % of the United States' emissions and continues to rise. BTE advancement must prioritize affordability, regulatory efficiency, and climate-conscious innovation to ensure equitable access and sustainability. This work conducts a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA), techno-economic analysis (TEA), and entropy-weighted sustainability indices (SI), a data-driven overall score that weighs economic and environmental metrics by their variability, of stereolithography (SLA) three-dimensional (3D) printing and electrospinning (ES) for polycaprolactone-based scaffold preparation. Results show SLA reduces energy demand per kilogram of scaffold compared to ES, attributed to ES's energy-intensive solvent evaporation and high-voltage fiber formation. When bioactive nanofillers were incorporated, SLA remained cost-competitive and environmentally favorable, whereas ES showed steep increases in energy use, solvent consumption, and ecotoxicity, largely attributed to chloroform. Entropy-weighted SI values reflected these trends: SLA led the ranking, its nanofiller variant remained viable, while ES (with and without nanofillers) performed poorest due to compounded environmental and economic burdens. Adopting solvent recovery systems, such as condensation and closed-loop recycling as well as green solvents and renewable energy, could trim the high energy demand and solvent-intensive processes.
{"title":"Evaluating the sustainability and commercial viability of conventional and traditional bone tissue scaffold fabrication methods","authors":"Lillian Tsitsi Mambiri , Riley Guillory , Dilip Depan","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bone tissue engineering (BTE) is critical for addressing bone defects caused by aging populations, chronic diseases, and millions of annual road injuries, yet its potential is hampered by high costs, regulatory delays that deter investment, and healthcare's environmental footprint, which accounts for 8.5 % of the United States' emissions and continues to rise. BTE advancement must prioritize affordability, regulatory efficiency, and climate-conscious innovation to ensure equitable access and sustainability. This work conducts a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA), techno-economic analysis (TEA), and entropy-weighted sustainability indices (SI), a data-driven overall score that weighs economic and environmental metrics by their variability, of stereolithography (SLA) three-dimensional (3D) printing and electrospinning (ES) for polycaprolactone-based scaffold preparation. Results show SLA reduces energy demand per kilogram of scaffold compared to ES, attributed to ES's energy-intensive solvent evaporation and high-voltage fiber formation. When bioactive nanofillers were incorporated, SLA remained cost-competitive and environmentally favorable, whereas ES showed steep increases in energy use, solvent consumption, and ecotoxicity, largely attributed to chloroform. Entropy-weighted SI values reflected these trends: SLA led the ranking, its nanofiller variant remained viable, while ES (with and without nanofillers) performed poorest due to compounded environmental and economic burdens. Adopting solvent recovery systems, such as condensation and closed-loop recycling as well as green solvents and renewable energy, could trim the high energy demand and solvent-intensive processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"58 ","pages":"Pages 432-447"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144748751","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 : 2025-07-22DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.002
Beatrice Bais , Margherita Molinaro , Guido Orzes
While circular economy adoption is growing worldwide, its systematic assessment remains a challenge. This paper aims to shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of firm-level circular economy assessment tools and to theorize on the circular economy assessment issue. Four tools were selected and compared based on a qualitative comparative analysis as well as on their practical application to multiple case studies. The originality of this comparison lies in evaluating the extent to which these tools are affected by ontological and etymological issues and by epistemological and human cognitive bias. Such an evaluation was based on seven criteria rooted in the interpretivist research paradigm and grounded theory methodology. The results indicate that, albeit providing circular economy awareness and insights on high-level strategic circular economy practices, the tools can be improved in terms of transferability, credibility, confirmability, fit, and generality. Current holistic tools fail to consider some firms' specificities and to provide circular economy implications, besides being subject to user manipulation due to issues such as low reliability and human bias. Accordingly, the study provides suggestions to improve the development of future circular economy assessment tools and enhance practitioners' awareness of the effective use of these tools, having both academic and practical implications.
{"title":"Assessing circular economy at company level: Comparison of tools and methodological challenges","authors":"Beatrice Bais , Margherita Molinaro , Guido Orzes","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While circular economy adoption is growing worldwide, its systematic assessment remains a challenge. This paper aims to shed light on the strengths and weaknesses of firm-level circular economy assessment tools and to theorize on the circular economy assessment issue. Four tools were selected and compared based on a qualitative comparative analysis as well as on their practical application to multiple case studies. The originality of this comparison lies in evaluating the extent to which these tools are affected by ontological and etymological issues and by epistemological and human cognitive bias. Such an evaluation was based on seven criteria rooted in the interpretivist research paradigm and grounded theory methodology. The results indicate that, albeit providing circular economy awareness and insights on high-level strategic circular economy practices, the tools can be improved in terms of transferability, credibility, confirmability, fit, and generality. Current holistic tools fail to consider some firms' specificities and to provide circular economy implications, besides being subject to user manipulation due to issues such as low reliability and human bias. Accordingly, the study provides suggestions to improve the development of future circular economy assessment tools and enhance practitioners' awareness of the effective use of these tools, having both academic and practical implications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"59 ","pages":"Pages 112-126"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144860567","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 : 2025-07-21DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.007
Julia Koch , Harry Wilting , Kees Vringer , Linda Steg , Ellen van der Werff
Clothing production and consumption contribute to various environmental problems, such as climate change and environmental pollution. With the expected growth in demand, these negative effects will only increase. Consumers making sustainable choices in the acquisition, use and disposal of garments can play a critical role in the reduction of such environmental pressures. This study, taking a circular economy perspective, assesses to what extent the adoption of circular consumer behaviour in the Netherlands could reduce environmental pressures related to clothing and which behavioural changes are most effective in doing so.
In our analysis we incorporated 14 types of behaviours, all based on a framework for consumer options related to the circular economy. To provide a realistic estimation of the environmental reduction potential of these behaviours, we not only calculated the theoretical environmental reduction potential of each behaviour but also considered behavioural plasticity (i.e., the share of consumers that do not yet engage in a behaviour but would be willing to do so) and interactions between behaviours. The theoretical reduction potential was calculated with a combination of input-output- and process analysis, and the behavioural plasticity was based on survey data of a study among Dutch consumers.
Our results show that a more circular consumption of clothing in the Netherlands could reduce approximately 11–19 % of greenhouse gas emissions and approximately 3–29 % of land use related to clothing. Buying fewer new clothes, and choosing more durable garments, garments made from more environmentally-friendly and from recycled materials are behaviours that have the highest reduction potential when behavioural plasticity is considered. Renting clothes, buying second-hand, repairing, and changes in washing and drying behaviour have a lower reduction potential.
{"title":"Reducing environmental pressure through a more circular consumption of clothes","authors":"Julia Koch , Harry Wilting , Kees Vringer , Linda Steg , Ellen van der Werff","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Clothing production and consumption contribute to various environmental problems, such as climate change and environmental pollution. With the expected growth in demand, these negative effects will only increase. Consumers making sustainable choices in the acquisition, use and disposal of garments can play a critical role in the reduction of such environmental pressures. This study, taking a circular economy perspective, assesses to what extent the adoption of circular consumer behaviour in the Netherlands could reduce environmental pressures related to clothing and which behavioural changes are most effective in doing so.</div><div>In our analysis we incorporated 14 types of behaviours, all based on a framework for consumer options related to the circular economy. To provide a realistic estimation of the environmental reduction potential of these behaviours, we not only calculated the theoretical environmental reduction potential of each behaviour but also considered behavioural plasticity (i.e., the share of consumers that do not yet engage in a behaviour but would be willing to do so) and interactions between behaviours. The theoretical reduction potential was calculated with a combination of input-output- and process analysis, and the behavioural plasticity was based on survey data of a study among Dutch consumers.</div><div>Our results show that a more circular consumption of clothing in the Netherlands could reduce approximately 11–19 % of greenhouse gas emissions and approximately 3–29 % of land use related to clothing. Buying fewer new clothes, and choosing more durable garments, garments made from more environmentally-friendly and from recycled materials are behaviours that have the highest reduction potential when behavioural plasticity is considered. Renting clothes, buying second-hand, repairing, and changes in washing and drying behaviour have a lower reduction potential.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"58 ","pages":"Pages 396-411"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144704361","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 : 2025-07-12DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.006
Siyuan Zhang , Jingjing Gan , Quan Zhou , Chenye Xu , Chensi Shen , Fang Li
The implementation of best available techniques (BATs) is crucial for the sustainable development of the textile industry. However, the selection of BATs is typically based on technical feasibility and immediate environmental benefits, while neglecting comprehensive environmental impacts and hidden costs. This study developed a comprehensive method integrating life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental price, and the VIKOR model with the entropy weight method to evaluate the environmental performance and hidden costs associated with the production of finished fabrics, and to screen sustainable BATs. The results revealed that the overall environmental burden of polyester finished fabrics was 13.30 % lower than that of cotton based on the normalized results. Fiber production was identified as the primary contributor to environmental loads, accounting for an average of 50.67 % of the total environmental burden in the cotton finished fabrics, and 57.75 % in the polyester, respectively. In monetary terms, cotton incurred a higher cost of € 9256.08 per ton, compared to € 4646.72 for polyester, indicating superior eco-efficiency. Additionally, BAT 24 (foam coating technology), BAT 17 (supercritical carbon dioxide dyeing), and BAT 29 (control of mineral oils and sizing agents) were selected as the top priority BATs for sustainable development. These findings highlight the importance of selecting fabrics based on both environmental sustainability and economic considerations. Moreover, the adoption of sustainable BATs can enhance both environmental and economic performance across the textile production value chain.
{"title":"Unveiling hidden environmental costs and optimizing sustainable BATs screening in finished fabrics production: An LCA-based approach","authors":"Siyuan Zhang , Jingjing Gan , Quan Zhou , Chenye Xu , Chensi Shen , Fang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The implementation of best available techniques (BATs) is crucial for the sustainable development of the textile industry. However, the selection of BATs is typically based on technical feasibility and immediate environmental benefits, while neglecting comprehensive environmental impacts and hidden costs. This study developed a comprehensive method integrating life cycle assessment (LCA), environmental price, and the VIKOR model with the entropy weight method to evaluate the environmental performance and hidden costs associated with the production of finished fabrics, and to screen sustainable BATs. The results revealed that the overall environmental burden of polyester finished fabrics was 13.30 % lower than that of cotton based on the normalized results. Fiber production was identified as the primary contributor to environmental loads, accounting for an average of 50.67 % of the total environmental burden in the cotton finished fabrics, and 57.75 % in the polyester, respectively. In monetary terms, cotton incurred a higher cost of € 9256.08 per ton, compared to € 4646.72 for polyester, indicating superior eco-efficiency. Additionally, BAT 24 (foam coating technology), BAT 17 (supercritical carbon dioxide dyeing), and BAT 29 (control of mineral oils and sizing agents) were selected as the top priority BATs for sustainable development. These findings highlight the importance of selecting fabrics based on both environmental sustainability and economic considerations. Moreover, the adoption of sustainable BATs can enhance both environmental and economic performance across the textile production value chain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"58 ","pages":"Pages 334-350"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144631477","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 : 2025-07-10DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.004
Qiuxian Li , Dirk Saelens , Nuri Cihan Kayaçetin , Rengin Aslanoğlu , Joost van Hoof , Chiara Piccardo
A wide range of circularity assessment indicators and frameworks for the built environment have been developed in recent years to support the transition to a circular economy (CE). However, few studies have systematically reviewed the available circularity assessment methods beyond the building scale, and there is limited analysis of non-quantitative assessment methods. Therefore, this systematic literature review of 66 studies identifies and analyzes existing circularity assessment indicators and frameworks for the built environment across building, neighborhood, and city (and beyond) scales, providing a comprehensive overview of the state of the art and key directions for future research. The analysis identifies 148 quantitative, 160 semi-quantitative, and 152 qualitative indicators, which are categorized based on their application in circularity assessment, either individually or as part of indicator sets in frameworks. The results show that existing indicators cover five key dimensions of circularity; however, the interrelationships between these dimensions remain unclear and are rarely addressed. Most indicators are applied at the building level, while larger spatial scales remain less developed. These findings highlight the complexity of the current state of the art, driven by the extensive number and fragmentation of existing indicators. Based on this, this review recommends future research directions to enhance circularity assessment methodologies, with an emphasis on refining existing methods, improving decision-support mechanisms, and moving toward standardization. By synthesizing current knowledge and identifying critical research needs, this study serves as a starting point toward standardizing circularity assessment and thus supporting the adoption of CE principles in the built environment.
{"title":"A systematic literature review on circularity assessment indicators and frameworks in the built environment","authors":"Qiuxian Li , Dirk Saelens , Nuri Cihan Kayaçetin , Rengin Aslanoğlu , Joost van Hoof , Chiara Piccardo","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A wide range of circularity assessment indicators and frameworks for the built environment have been developed in recent years to support the transition to a circular economy (CE). However, few studies have systematically reviewed the available circularity assessment methods beyond the building scale, and there is limited analysis of non-quantitative assessment methods. Therefore, this systematic literature review of 66 studies identifies and analyzes existing circularity assessment indicators and frameworks for the built environment across building, neighborhood, and city (and beyond) scales, providing a comprehensive overview of the state of the art and key directions for future research. The analysis identifies 148 quantitative, 160 semi-quantitative, and 152 qualitative indicators, which are categorized based on their application in circularity assessment, either individually or as part of indicator sets in frameworks. The results show that existing indicators cover five key dimensions of circularity; however, the interrelationships between these dimensions remain unclear and are rarely addressed. Most indicators are applied at the building level, while larger spatial scales remain less developed. These findings highlight the complexity of the current state of the art, driven by the extensive number and fragmentation of existing indicators. Based on this, this review recommends future research directions to enhance circularity assessment methodologies, with an emphasis on refining existing methods, improving decision-support mechanisms, and moving toward standardization. By synthesizing current knowledge and identifying critical research needs, this study serves as a starting point toward standardizing circularity assessment and thus supporting the adoption of CE principles in the built environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"58 ","pages":"Pages 412-431"},"PeriodicalIF":9.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144723868","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 : 2025-07-08DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.005
Jacob Kopeinig , Kevin Anton Kriechbaum , Julia Köberl , Helmut Zsifkovits
The transition from linear to circular economic models presents a critical challenge for sustainable industrial development, particularly in the context of complex, multi-tiered manufacturing supply chains. Despite the rise of circularity indicators, many existing metrics suffer from excessive data requirements, poor harmonization, and a lack of system-level applicability. This paper addresses these gaps by proposing the Supply Chain Circularity Composite Index, a novel performance metric designed to quantify the closed-loopedness of material flows using a Material Flow Analysis-based approach. The index aggregates three key sub-indicators - Material Efficiency, Secondary Material Usage, and Effectiveness of Recovery - into a composite score using the geometric mean to reflect proportional sensitivity and interdependency among supply chain actors. The index was developed through a systematic literature review of 59 foundational circularity metrics and validated through case studies in two manufacturing companies operating in distinct industrial sectors, the plastics and the gas engine manufacturing industry. Results demonstrate variation in circularity performance revealing distinct circularity profiles across the cases: The plastics manufacturer, with moderate values across all dimensions, achieved an overall circularity score of 0.35, whereas the gas engine firm showed the significantly higher level of secondary material usage (0.56) but was limited by a low recovery effectiveness of just 0.06, resulting in an overall circularity score of 0.30. These outcomes illustrate the index's diagnostic power to pinpoint specific strengths and deficiencies across the material loop. The index thus provides a scalable and operationally feasible indicator for companies aiming to improve material circularity across supply chain boundaries, and serves as a strategic instrument for aligning business practices with emerging regulatory and sustainability frameworks.
{"title":"Supply chain circularity composite index: Measuring the closed-loopedness of material flows","authors":"Jacob Kopeinig , Kevin Anton Kriechbaum , Julia Köberl , Helmut Zsifkovits","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The transition from linear to circular economic models presents a critical challenge for sustainable industrial development, particularly in the context of complex, multi-tiered manufacturing supply chains. Despite the rise of circularity indicators, many existing metrics suffer from excessive data requirements, poor harmonization, and a lack of system-level applicability. This paper addresses these gaps by proposing the Supply Chain Circularity Composite Index, a novel performance metric designed to quantify the closed-loopedness of material flows using a Material Flow Analysis-based approach. The index aggregates three key sub-indicators - Material Efficiency, Secondary Material Usage, and Effectiveness of Recovery - into a composite score using the geometric mean to reflect proportional sensitivity and interdependency among supply chain actors. The index was developed through a systematic literature review of 59 foundational circularity metrics and validated through case studies in two manufacturing companies operating in distinct industrial sectors, the plastics and the gas engine manufacturing industry. Results demonstrate variation in circularity performance revealing distinct circularity profiles across the cases: The plastics manufacturer, with moderate values across all dimensions, achieved an overall circularity score of 0.35, whereas the gas engine firm showed the significantly higher level of secondary material usage (0.56) but was limited by a low recovery effectiveness of just 0.06, resulting in an overall circularity score of 0.30. These outcomes illustrate the index's diagnostic power to pinpoint specific strengths and deficiencies across the material loop. The index thus provides a scalable and operationally feasible indicator for companies aiming to improve material circularity across supply chain boundaries, and serves as a strategic instrument for aligning business practices with emerging regulatory and sustainability frameworks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"58 ","pages":"Pages 351-363"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144631478","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 : 2025-07-08DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.003
Ana Arias , Maria Teresa Moreira , Gumersindo Feijoo
The development of a sustainable energy transition is one of the strategic objectives in Europe, and wind energy plays a key role, as its production capacity has increased significantly in recent decades. However, to verify that wind farm projects are indeed sustainable, it is necessary to apply appropriate methodologies to assess the three pillars of sustainable development: environmental, social and economic. In addition, a comparison with traditional energy resources of fossil origin is necessary, seeking to identify the benefits and challenges associated with these renewable energy alternatives, as well as the study of how wind farms adhere circular economy principles. The idea of this analysis is to avoid past mistakes, such as the depletion of essential resources, for example the depletion of rare elements, used for the construction of renewable energy facilities. It is in this framework that this comprehensive and critical review is developed, with the aim of providing information on the actual production of wind energy in the European context, its potential environmental benefits and effects, the socio-economic constraints and benefits that wind farm projects could bring, as well as the gaps and challenges identified in the value chain. It is hoped that this critical review can be considered as a guide for policy makers, researchers and stakeholders on the main constraints that could slow down wind energy technologies, on the environmental footprint of wind farms and its comparison with fossil energy, on the potentialities of wind projects to increase employment opportunities and economic growth, and on the main concerns of social communities.
{"title":"Wind farms through the lens of sustainability and circularity: Integrating environmental, economic, and social dimensions","authors":"Ana Arias , Maria Teresa Moreira , Gumersindo Feijoo","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2025.07.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The development of a sustainable energy transition is one of the strategic objectives in Europe, and wind energy plays a key role, as its production capacity has increased significantly in recent decades. However, to verify that wind farm projects are indeed sustainable, it is necessary to apply appropriate methodologies to assess the three pillars of sustainable development: environmental, social and economic. In addition, a comparison with traditional energy resources of fossil origin is necessary, seeking to identify the benefits and challenges associated with these renewable energy alternatives, as well as the study of how wind farms adhere circular economy principles. The idea of this analysis is to avoid past mistakes, such as the depletion of essential resources, for example the depletion of rare elements, used for the construction of renewable energy facilities. It is in this framework that this comprehensive and critical review is developed, with the aim of providing information on the actual production of wind energy in the European context, its potential environmental benefits and effects, the socio-economic constraints and benefits that wind farm projects could bring, as well as the gaps and challenges identified in the value chain. It is hoped that this critical review can be considered as a guide for policy makers, researchers and stakeholders on the main constraints that could slow down wind energy technologies, on the environmental footprint of wind farms and its comparison with fossil energy, on the potentialities of wind projects to increase employment opportunities and economic growth, and on the main concerns of social communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"58 ","pages":"Pages 277-292"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144596594","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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