Pub Date : 2024-10-18DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.004
Sebastian Richter , Laura Scherer , Margaret Hegwood , Harriet Bartlett , Leonie N. Bossert , Anita Frehner , Christian Schader
In recent years, many studies analyzed the environmental, health and economic implications of the production and consumption of different foods – and, on this basis, evaluated their sustainability. However, associated impacts on animals have remained largely unexamined and existing assessment approaches are still immature and often lack reflection on their normative assumptions and resulting implications. As animal welfare concerns increase, this represents a shortcoming, leaving a critical sustainability issue without due consideration. To address this, we develop a conceptual framework that guides the key decisions for assessing animal welfare impacts of foods. The framework is derived from an integrative literature review and revised following external feedback from expert focus groups. It bridges the research fields of food system modeling, animal welfare science and animal ethics and can guide researchers in developing assessment approaches and assessing animal welfare impacts of foods, from individual food items to whole diets. The framework also directs transparent communication of the most important assessment decisions. We outline key considerations for animal welfare assessments of foods, highlight associated challenges and discuss quality criteria as well as technical and normative strategies to address them. Our contribution provides a basis for future research to integrate animal welfare into sustainability evaluations of food and investigate tradeoffs and synergies with environmental, social or economic issues. Following this framework in future assessments facilitates the integration of animal welfare into food-related policy assessments and public decisions.
{"title":"Conceptual framework for considering animal welfare in sustainability assessments of foods","authors":"Sebastian Richter , Laura Scherer , Margaret Hegwood , Harriet Bartlett , Leonie N. Bossert , Anita Frehner , Christian Schader","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, many studies analyzed the environmental, health and economic implications of the production and consumption of different foods – and, on this basis, evaluated their sustainability. However, associated impacts on animals have remained largely unexamined and existing assessment approaches are still immature and often lack reflection on their normative assumptions and resulting implications. As animal welfare concerns increase, this represents a shortcoming, leaving a critical sustainability issue without due consideration. To address this, we develop a conceptual framework that guides the key decisions for assessing animal welfare impacts of foods. The framework is derived from an integrative literature review and revised following external feedback from expert focus groups. It bridges the research fields of food system modeling, animal welfare science and animal ethics and can guide researchers in developing assessment approaches and assessing animal welfare impacts of foods, from individual food items to whole diets. The framework also directs transparent communication of the most important assessment decisions. We outline key considerations for animal welfare assessments of foods, highlight associated challenges and discuss quality criteria as well as technical and normative strategies to address them. Our contribution provides a basis for future research to integrate animal welfare into sustainability evaluations of food and investigate tradeoffs and synergies with environmental, social or economic issues. Following this framework in future assessments facilitates the integration of animal welfare into food-related policy assessments and public decisions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"52 ","pages":"Pages 179-209"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142654237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-18DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.014
Sandip Subedi , Benjamin Dent , Rajendra Adhikari
The agrifood system's challenge of meeting an ever-increasing demand for food while at the same time minimizing its carbon impact is reflected in increased research on the carbon footprint assessment of agrifood products. Despite fruits representing a significant and expanding proportion of total agrifood production, not only is their whole-of-life carbon footprint inadequately explored, but also the existing knowledge in this area is fragmented and dispersed. To address these issues, this study systematically reviewed 161 peer-reviewed journal articles using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Literature Reviews and Meta-Analyses framework. The review focused on the scope of each study, assessment methods, emission hotspots, and greenhouse gas mitigation strategies, alongside a meta-analysis of 289 carbon footprint values, establishing reference points for fruits' carbon footprint. Findings revealed that existing studies predominantly focused on cradle-to-farm gate spatial boundaries and single-year production data. Process-based life cycle assessment adhering to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14040 and 14044 standards was the dominant methodology. The production stage was identified as the greenhouse gas emission hotspot in the majority of studies, however, a meta-analysis of carbon footprint values across the entire fruit life cycle showed that the production stage is a critical but not the sole hotspot. The meta-analysis suggests an average cradle-to-farm gate carbon footprint of 0.503 ± 0.365 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) per kg fruit. Expanding the boundary to cradle-to-retail and cradle-to-grave resulted in mean values of 0.743 ± 0.193 and 1.257 ± 0.886 kg CO2eq per kg fruit, respectively. Emphasizing the importance of incorporating carbon sequestration in future studies for accurately positioning fruits among agri-food products in terms of their carbon footprint, the study underscores the need for developing a standard protocol for more reliable and comparable estimates. Findings and strategies for reducing emissions contribute to ensuring sustainable fruit production, with both academic and practical implications.
{"title":"The carbon footprint of fruits: A systematic review from a life cycle perspective","authors":"Sandip Subedi , Benjamin Dent , Rajendra Adhikari","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.014","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.014","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The agrifood system's challenge of meeting an ever-increasing demand for food while at the same time minimizing its carbon impact is reflected in increased research on the carbon footprint assessment of agrifood products. Despite fruits representing a significant and expanding proportion of total agrifood production, not only is their whole-of-life carbon footprint inadequately explored, but also the existing knowledge in this area is fragmented and dispersed. To address these issues, this study systematically reviewed 161 peer-reviewed journal articles using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Literature Reviews and Meta-Analyses framework. The review focused on the scope of each study, assessment methods, emission hotspots, and greenhouse gas mitigation strategies, alongside a meta-analysis of 289 carbon footprint values, establishing reference points for fruits' carbon footprint. Findings revealed that existing studies predominantly focused on cradle-to-farm gate spatial boundaries and single-year production data. Process-based life cycle assessment adhering to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14040 and 14044 standards was the dominant methodology. The production stage was identified as the greenhouse gas emission hotspot in the majority of studies, however, a meta-analysis of carbon footprint values across the entire fruit life cycle showed that the production stage is a critical but not the sole hotspot. The meta-analysis suggests an average cradle-to-farm gate carbon footprint of 0.503 ± 0.365 kg carbon dioxide equivalent (CO<sub>2</sub>eq) per kg fruit. Expanding the boundary to cradle-to-retail and cradle-to-grave resulted in mean values of 0.743 ± 0.193 and 1.257 ± 0.886 kg CO<sub>2</sub>eq per kg fruit, respectively. Emphasizing the importance of incorporating carbon sequestration in future studies for accurately positioning fruits among agri-food products in terms of their carbon footprint, the study underscores the need for developing a standard protocol for more reliable and comparable estimates. Findings and strategies for reducing emissions contribute to ensuring sustainable fruit production, with both academic and practical implications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"52 ","pages":"Pages 12-28"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142526553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-18DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.012
Hamad Hussain Shah, Claudio Tregambi, Piero Bareschino, Francesco Pepe
Additive manufacturing (AM) is rapidly being adopted in various industries due to its ability to enhance production efficiency and reduce material waste, yet there remains a critical need to explore its sustainability, particularly concerning environmental, economic, and material recycling aspects. This study employs a systematic literature review (SLR) approach to assess the sustainability of AM across multiple aspects, including environmental impact, cost-effectiveness, and its role in advancing circular economy (CE) principles. The findings indicate that AM offers notable environmental benefits, including reductions in material waste and energy consumption, but challenges remain in scaling these advantages globally, particularly regarding the optimization of energy use and the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Economic analysis reveals that AM is cost-effective for small-scale production but less competitive in large-scale operations. The study also highlights that while AM promotes material recycling, its full potential in supporting a CE has yet to be realized. To further advance AM's sustainability, it is recommended to integrate more sustainable materials into AM processes and adopt industry-wide protocols to support global adoption of sustainable AM practices.
快速成型制造(AM)能够提高生产效率并减少材料浪费,因此正迅速被各行各业所采用,但仍亟需探索其可持续性,尤其是在环境、经济和材料回收方面。本研究采用系统文献综述(SLR)方法,从多个方面评估了 AM 的可持续性,包括环境影响、成本效益及其在推进循环经济(CE)原则方面的作用。研究结果表明,AM 具有显著的环境效益,包括减少材料浪费和能源消耗,但在全球范围内推广这些优势仍面临挑战,特别是在优化能源使用和挥发性有机化合物 (VOC) 排放方面。经济分析表明,AM 在小规模生产中具有成本效益,但在大规模运营中竞争力较弱。研究还强调,虽然 AM 促进了材料的回收利用,但其在支持 CE 方面的全部潜力仍有待发挥。为进一步推动 AM 的可持续发展,建议将更多可持续材料纳入 AM 流程,并采用全行业协议,以支持全球采用可持续 AM 实践。
{"title":"Environmental and economic sustainability of additive manufacturing: A systematic literature review","authors":"Hamad Hussain Shah, Claudio Tregambi, Piero Bareschino, Francesco Pepe","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Additive manufacturing (AM) is rapidly being adopted in various industries due to its ability to enhance production efficiency and reduce material waste, yet there remains a critical need to explore its sustainability, particularly concerning environmental, economic, and material recycling aspects. This study employs a systematic literature review (SLR) approach to assess the sustainability of AM across multiple aspects, including environmental impact, cost-effectiveness, and its role in advancing circular economy (CE) principles. The findings indicate that AM offers notable environmental benefits, including reductions in material waste and energy consumption, but challenges remain in scaling these advantages globally, particularly regarding the optimization of energy use and the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Economic analysis reveals that AM is cost-effective for small-scale production but less competitive in large-scale operations. The study also highlights that while AM promotes material recycling, its full potential in supporting a CE has yet to be realized. To further advance AM's sustainability, it is recommended to integrate more sustainable materials into AM processes and adopt industry-wide protocols to support global adoption of sustainable AM practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 628-643"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142531353","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}
The high-emitting and hard-to-abate passenger transport sector plays a crucial role in global deep decarbonization. To lead an equitable and rapid transition in the passenger transportation, this work is the first to develop a bottom-up modeling framework integrated with the latest decomposing structural decomposition methodology to assess and compare historical emission patterns and decarbonization efforts of 28 countries over the past two decades. Results indicate: (1) Carbon emissions from the global passenger transport sector increased between 2000 and 2021, peaking in 2019, with GDP per capita and population size being key drivers of rising carbon emissions across countries. (2) The decarbonization efforts of the global passenger transport sector varied by traffic mode. The largest contributors were passenger buses [−0.46 megatons of carbon dioxide per year (Mt CO2/yr)], followed by trains (−0.4 Mt CO2/yr), and airplanes (−0.28 Mt CO2/yr), while passenger cars (1.04 Mt CO2/yr) hindered the decarbonization process. (3) Although the global passenger transport sector has cumulatively decarbonized 3005.9 Mt CO2 and achieved a decarbonization rate of 5.1 %, regional performance varied significantly, exhibiting uneven and inadequate progress. Overall, the study provides an effective data-driven assessment framework for reviewing and comparing global and national passenger transport decarbonization performance, which will facilitate the planning of decarbonization pathways by global emitters and the early achievement of zero-carbon transport.
{"title":"Global carbon transition in the passenger transportation sector over 2000–2021","authors":"Haoyan Jing , Yuke Chen , Minda Ma , Wei Feng , Xiwang Xiang","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The high-emitting and hard-to-abate passenger transport sector plays a crucial role in global deep decarbonization. To lead an equitable and rapid transition in the passenger transportation, this work is the first to develop a bottom-up modeling framework integrated with the latest decomposing structural decomposition methodology to assess and compare historical emission patterns and decarbonization efforts of 28 countries over the past two decades. Results indicate: (1) Carbon emissions from the global passenger transport sector increased between 2000 and 2021, peaking in 2019, with GDP per capita and population size being key drivers of rising carbon emissions across countries. (2) The decarbonization efforts of the global passenger transport sector varied by traffic mode. The largest contributors were passenger buses [−0.46 megatons of carbon dioxide per year (Mt CO<sub>2</sub>/yr)], followed by trains (−0.4 Mt CO<sub>2</sub>/yr), and airplanes (−0.28 Mt CO<sub>2</sub>/yr), while passenger cars (1.04 Mt CO<sub>2</sub>/yr) hindered the decarbonization process. (3) Although the global passenger transport sector has cumulatively decarbonized 3005.9 Mt CO<sub>2</sub> and achieved a decarbonization rate of 5.1 %, regional performance varied significantly, exhibiting uneven and inadequate progress. Overall, the study provides an effective data-driven assessment framework for reviewing and comparing global and national passenger transport decarbonization performance, which will facilitate the planning of decarbonization pathways by global emitters and the early achievement of zero-carbon transport.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 556-571"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142531381","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}
There is growing concern about the various impacts of food consumption, both on human and planetary health. Given the context-specific nature of consumption patterns, evaluating their national-level impacts is crucial for proactive policy development. This research aims to evaluate the environmental impact of current Belgian diets, with particular attention to the contribution of food groups, ultra-processed foods (UPF), and the animal-to-plant protein ratio. The methodology consists of three key stages. Firstly, the Belgian diet was summarised, based on data from the Belgian National Food Consumption Survey 2014/2015. Secondly, the origin of the most frequently consumed foods was traced using trade databases. Finally, a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment was conducted to determine the impact of Belgian diets on climate change, water use, land use, and fossil resource scarcity. In this third step, an iterative procedure for selecting the food items to be included in the study was performed. The iterative approach resulted in the inclusion of 227 food items in the analysis. The results indicate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 4.4 [4.27–4.54] kg CO2-equivalent per person per day. Red meat (35 %), beverages (16 %), dairy products (12 %) and snacks (10 %) are identified as primary contributors to climate change. Similar results were observed for land use impacts. Water use and fossil resource scarcity exhibited different trends, with beverages being the most impactful food group. Moreover, UPF account for 50 % of the total climate change and land use impacts, with a linear relationship observed between increased UPF consumption and GHG emissions and land use. A similar linear trend is observed between the ratio of animal-to-plant protein intake and both climate change and land use impact categories. A shift from the current protein ratio to a ratio of 40/60, as suggested in the Flemish Green Deal Protein Shift has been shown to result in a reduction in GHG emissions of the diet by 29 %. This study emphasises the need to target the consumption of high-impact foods such as UPF and animal-based products. Future research will investigate the relationship between environmental and health impacts.
{"title":"Contribution of ultra-processed food and animal-plant protein intake ratio to the environmental impact of Belgian diets","authors":"Claire Dénos , Stefanie Vandevijvere , Lieselot Boone , Margot Cooreman-Algoed , Michiel De Bauw , Wouter M.J. Achten , Jo Dewulf","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is growing concern about the various impacts of food consumption, both on human and planetary health. Given the context-specific nature of consumption patterns, evaluating their national-level impacts is crucial for proactive policy development. This research aims to evaluate the environmental impact of current Belgian diets, with particular attention to the contribution of food groups, ultra-processed foods (UPF), and the animal-to-plant protein ratio. The methodology consists of three key stages. Firstly, the Belgian diet was summarised, based on data from the Belgian National Food Consumption Survey 2014/2015. Secondly, the origin of the most frequently consumed foods was traced using trade databases. Finally, a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment was conducted to determine the impact of Belgian diets on climate change, water use, land use, and fossil resource scarcity. In this third step, an iterative procedure for selecting the food items to be included in the study was performed. The iterative approach resulted in the inclusion of 227 food items in the analysis. The results indicate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 4.4 [4.27–4.54] kg CO<sub>2</sub>-equivalent per person per day. Red meat (35 %), beverages (16 %), dairy products (12 %) and snacks (10 %) are identified as primary contributors to climate change. Similar results were observed for land use impacts. Water use and fossil resource scarcity exhibited different trends, with beverages being the most impactful food group. Moreover, UPF account for 50 % of the total climate change and land use impacts, with a linear relationship observed between increased UPF consumption and GHG emissions and land use. A similar linear trend is observed between the ratio of animal-to-plant protein intake and both climate change and land use impact categories. A shift from the current protein ratio to a ratio of 40/60, as suggested in the Flemish Green Deal Protein Shift has been shown to result in a reduction in GHG emissions of the diet by 29 %. This study emphasises the need to target the consumption of high-impact foods such as UPF and animal-based products. Future research will investigate the relationship between environmental and health impacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 584-598"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142531151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-11DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.007
Estefanya Charlotte Vazquez-Casaubon, Veroline Cauberghe
With escalating freshwater scarcity, transformative shifts in infrastructure, technology, and societal attitudes are essential. This study applies Protection Motivation Theory to explore how perceived water scarcity impacts individuals' willingness to reduce tap water consumption and increase the use of alternative sources in households. An online survey (n = 2623) in Belgium assessed acceptance of tap water, rainwater, and recycled greywater for various household activities. Sequential regression analysis examined the influence of threat appraisal, coping appraisal, personal norms, and socio-demographics on this willingness. The results indicate that willingness to conserve tap water is strongly driven by self-efficacy rather than risk appraisal. Conversely, willingness to use rainwater and recycled greywater depends on perceived future water scarcity, perceived self-efficacy, and personal norms. Perceptions of present water scarcity negatively influenced the willingness to use rainwater and recycled greywater, suggesting a boomerang effect. However, future water scarcity perceptions encourage the use of alternative water sources, providing a nuanced perspective. These findings provide valuable insights into the acceptance of alternative water sources and underline the importance of context-specific approaches, enhancing self-efficacy and personal norms to encourage the adoption of alternative water sources for household activities, ensuring effective freshwater conservation.
{"title":"Residential water choices: Assessing the willingness to adopt alternative water sources by examining risk perceptions and personal norms in Belgium","authors":"Estefanya Charlotte Vazquez-Casaubon, Veroline Cauberghe","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>With escalating freshwater scarcity, transformative shifts in infrastructure, technology, and societal attitudes are essential. This study applies Protection Motivation Theory to explore how perceived water scarcity impacts individuals' willingness to reduce tap water consumption and increase the use of alternative sources in households. An online survey (n = 2623) in Belgium assessed acceptance of tap water, rainwater, and recycled greywater for various household activities. Sequential regression analysis examined the influence of threat appraisal, coping appraisal, personal norms, and socio-demographics on this willingness. The results indicate that willingness to conserve tap water is strongly driven by self-efficacy rather than risk appraisal. Conversely, willingness to use rainwater and recycled greywater depends on perceived future water scarcity, perceived self-efficacy, and personal norms. Perceptions of present water scarcity negatively influenced the willingness to use rainwater and recycled greywater, suggesting a boomerang effect. However, future water scarcity perceptions encourage the use of alternative water sources, providing a nuanced perspective. These findings provide valuable insights into the acceptance of alternative water sources and underline the importance of context-specific approaches, enhancing self-efficacy and personal norms to encourage the adoption of alternative water sources for household activities, ensuring effective freshwater conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 545-555"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142442771","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 : 2024-10-10DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.005
Manouk Beuving , Warren C. McNabb , Nick W. Smith
Reducing food losses and waste (FLW) can contribute to improving nutrient availability to meet the nutritional needs of the global population. Identifying foods that contribute most to nutrient content in FLW is crucial for developing effective strategies to reduce FLW. Here, we assessed the current literature for quality and consistency of FLW data, and then evaluated the quantity of nutrients that are wasted as a consequence of FLW, identifying the primary food sources contributing to this on a global scale. Several FLW definitions and quantification methods were identified in the literature, making it difficult to compare FLW data and estimates of nutrient content in FLW between existing studies. The nutrient content in global FLW was determined for 29 nutrients from 99 food commodities with the DELTA Model®, after which the contribution of each food group to the nutrient content of FLW was calculated. An indicator was developed to assess the potential impact of resolving FLW on global nutrient availability. Nutrient content in FLW was highest for phosphorus (69 % of global requirement), tryptophan (62 %), thiamine (61 %), methionine (58 %) and histidine (54 %). For 17 out of 29 nutrients, >40 % of the global requirement was embedded in FLW. Cereals contributed most to nutrient losses, followed by fruits and vegetables. According to the indicator, rice, wheat, vegetables, maize, and milk provided the greatest opportunity for increasing nutrient supply via reduction of FLW, due to the combination of waste rates and nutrient density. Our findings highlight the importance of broadening FLW research beyond food mass to incorporate nutritional aspects as important indicators, and to identify key food items to reduce FLW for the improvement of nutrient availability.
{"title":"Global nutrient content embedded in food losses and waste: Identifying the sources and magnitude along the food supply chain","authors":"Manouk Beuving , Warren C. McNabb , Nick W. Smith","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reducing food losses and waste (FLW) can contribute to improving nutrient availability to meet the nutritional needs of the global population. Identifying foods that contribute most to nutrient content in FLW is crucial for developing effective strategies to reduce FLW. Here, we assessed the current literature for quality and consistency of FLW data, and then evaluated the quantity of nutrients that are wasted as a consequence of FLW, identifying the primary food sources contributing to this on a global scale. Several FLW definitions and quantification methods were identified in the literature, making it difficult to compare FLW data and estimates of nutrient content in FLW between existing studies. The nutrient content in global FLW was determined for 29 nutrients from 99 food commodities with the DELTA Model®, after which the contribution of each food group to the nutrient content of FLW was calculated. An indicator was developed to assess the potential impact of resolving FLW on global nutrient availability. Nutrient content in FLW was highest for phosphorus (69 % of global requirement), tryptophan (62 %), thiamine (61 %), methionine (58 %) and histidine (54 %). For 17 out of 29 nutrients, >40 % of the global requirement was embedded in FLW. Cereals contributed most to nutrient losses, followed by fruits and vegetables. According to the indicator, rice, wheat, vegetables, maize, and milk provided the greatest opportunity for increasing nutrient supply via reduction of FLW, due to the combination of waste rates and nutrient density. Our findings highlight the importance of broadening FLW research beyond food mass to incorporate nutritional aspects as important indicators, and to identify key food items to reduce FLW for the improvement of nutrient availability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 519-531"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142437790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-09DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2024.09.029
Zi-Hao Qin , Anda Fridrihsone , Liang Dong , Jin-Hua Mou , Yahui Miao , Lin Zhang , Chunbao Xu , Mikelis Kirpluks , Carol Sze Ki Lin
Under the global pursuit of sustainable development, waste streams are being recognised as renewable feedstocks to produce value-added products. Given this, food waste (FW) was explored to synthesise bio-based polyols to further develop polyurethane rigid foams (PURF). However, relevant environmental aspects are yet to be examined to support this biorefinery scheme as a green and sustainable solution. In this work, we examined the environmental performance associated with the production of PURF using polyols derived from a FW biorefinery scheme by life cycle assessment (LCA). Analysis was first conducted at the polyol level. Different allocation and offset options were examined to configure the LCA model. Based on mass allocation, compared with fossil-based production, the production of FW-derived polyols achieved reductions of 24.30 % and 34.19 % in global warming potential (GWP) and cumulative energy demand (CED), respectively. At the midpoint level, FW-derived polyols had reduced impacts on human carcinogenic toxicity, freshwater eutrophication, and fossil resource scarcity but caused additional burdens on freshwater and marine ecotoxicity. Key environmental hotspots at this level included diethylene glycol, ion exchange resin (epoxidation catalyst), and hydrogen peroxide. The lipid content in FW also played a significant role. It was demonstrated that reducing the use of enzymes for FW hydrolysis to a cost-effective level remarkably mitigated the overall impacts of FW-derived polyol production. At the next level, we examined the production of FW-derived PURF using the obtained polyols. When 70 % of the polyols were replaced with bio-based products, the resultant PURF production achieved a GWP and CED of 5.67 kg CO2eq and 110.66 MJ/kg, respectively. In general, FW-derived PURF leads to environmental benefits compared to fossil-based ones. However, isocyanate used for foam formulation was the dominant contributor, causing almost two-thirds of the total impacts. The flame retardant also caused considerable impacts. Through the systematic examination of FW-derived polyols and PURF, this study demonstrated that FW-derived PURF could benefit the sustainable development of FW biorefineries and bio-based plastic industries, while the identified environmental hotspots need to be further studied and replaced with greener substitutes.
{"title":"Environmental benefits of valorising food waste into bio-based polyols for the production of polyurethane rigid foams","authors":"Zi-Hao Qin , Anda Fridrihsone , Liang Dong , Jin-Hua Mou , Yahui Miao , Lin Zhang , Chunbao Xu , Mikelis Kirpluks , Carol Sze Ki Lin","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.09.029","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.09.029","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Under the global pursuit of sustainable development, waste streams are being recognised as renewable feedstocks to produce value-added products. Given this, food waste (FW) was explored to synthesise bio-based polyols to further develop polyurethane rigid foams (PURF). However, relevant environmental aspects are yet to be examined to support this biorefinery scheme as a green and sustainable solution. In this work, we examined the environmental performance associated with the production of PURF using polyols derived from a FW biorefinery scheme by life cycle assessment (LCA). Analysis was first conducted at the polyol level. Different allocation and offset options were examined to configure the LCA model. Based on mass allocation, compared with fossil-based production, the production of FW-derived polyols achieved reductions of 24.30 % and 34.19 % in global warming potential (GWP) and cumulative energy demand (CED), respectively. At the midpoint level, FW-derived polyols had reduced impacts on human carcinogenic toxicity, freshwater eutrophication, and fossil resource scarcity but caused additional burdens on freshwater and marine ecotoxicity. Key environmental hotspots at this level included diethylene glycol, ion exchange resin (epoxidation catalyst), and hydrogen peroxide. The lipid content in FW also played a significant role. It was demonstrated that reducing the use of enzymes for FW hydrolysis to a cost-effective level remarkably mitigated the overall impacts of FW-derived polyol production. At the next level, we examined the production of FW-derived PURF using the obtained polyols. When 70 % of the polyols were replaced with bio-based products, the resultant PURF production achieved a GWP and CED of 5.67 kg CO<sub>2eq</sub> and 110.66 MJ/kg, respectively. In general, FW-derived PURF leads to environmental benefits compared to fossil-based ones. However, isocyanate used for foam formulation was the dominant contributor, causing almost two-thirds of the total impacts. The flame retardant also caused considerable impacts. Through the systematic examination of FW-derived polyols and PURF, this study demonstrated that FW-derived PURF could benefit the sustainable development of FW biorefineries and bio-based plastic industries, while the identified environmental hotspots need to be further studied and replaced with greener substitutes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 572-583"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142531150","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 : 2024-10-09DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2024.09.025
Monika Dokl , Anja Copot , Damjan Krajnc , Yee Van Fan , Annamaria Vujanović , Kathleen B. Aviso , Raymond R. Tan , Zdravko Kravanja , Lidija Čuček
Excessive production, indiscriminate consumption, and improper disposal of plastics have led to plastic pollution and its hazardous environmental effects. Various approaches to tackle the challenges of reducing the plastic footprint have been developed and applied, such as the production of alternative materials (design for recycling), the production and use of biodegradable plastic and plastics from power-to-X, and the development of recycling approaches. This study proposes an optimisation strategy based on regression to evaluate and predict plastic use and end-of-life fate in the future based on historical trends. The mathematical model is formulated and correlations based on functions of time are developed and optimised by minimising the sum of squared residuals. The plastic quantities up to the year 2050 are projected based on historical trends analysis, and for improved sustainability, projections are additionally based on intervention analyses. The results show that the global use of plastics is expected to increase from 464 Mt in 2020 up to 884 Mt in 2050, with up to 4725 Mt of plastics accumulated in stock in 2050 (from the year 2000). Compared to other available forecasts, a slightly lower level of plastic use and stock are obtained. The intervention analysis estimates a range of global plastics' consumption between 594 Mt and 1018 Mt in 2050 by taking into account its different increment rates (between −1 % and 2.65 %). In the packaging sector, the implementation of reduction targets (15 % reduction in 2040 compared to 2018) could lead to a 27.3 % decrease in plastic use in 2050 as compared to 2018, while achieving recycling targets (55 % in 2030) would recycle >75 % of plastic packaging in 2050. The partial substitution of fossil-based plastics with bioplastics (polyethylene) will require significant land area, between 0.2 × 106 km2 for obtaining switchgrass and up to around 1.0 × 106 km2 for obtaining forest residue (annual yields of 58.15 t/ha and 3.5 t/ha) in 2050. The intervention analysis shows that proactive policies can mitigate sustainability challenges, however achieving broader sustainability goals also requires reduction of footprints related to energy production and virgin plastic production, the production of bio-based plastics, and the full implementation of recycling initiatives.
{"title":"Global projections of plastic use, end-of-life fate and potential changes in consumption, reduction, recycling and replacement with bioplastics to 2050","authors":"Monika Dokl , Anja Copot , Damjan Krajnc , Yee Van Fan , Annamaria Vujanović , Kathleen B. Aviso , Raymond R. Tan , Zdravko Kravanja , Lidija Čuček","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.09.025","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.09.025","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Excessive production, indiscriminate consumption, and improper disposal of plastics have led to plastic pollution and its hazardous environmental effects. Various approaches to tackle the challenges of reducing the plastic footprint have been developed and applied, such as the production of alternative materials (design for recycling), the production and use of biodegradable plastic and plastics from power-to-X, and the development of recycling approaches. This study proposes an optimisation strategy based on regression to evaluate and predict plastic use and end-of-life fate in the future based on historical trends. The mathematical model is formulated and correlations based on functions of time are developed and optimised by minimising the sum of squared residuals. The plastic quantities up to the year 2050 are projected based on historical trends analysis, and for improved sustainability, projections are additionally based on intervention analyses. The results show that the global use of plastics is expected to increase from 464 Mt in 2020 up to 884 Mt in 2050, with up to 4725 Mt of plastics accumulated in stock in 2050 (from the year 2000). Compared to other available forecasts, a slightly lower level of plastic use and stock are obtained. The intervention analysis estimates a range of global plastics' consumption between 594 Mt and 1018 Mt in 2050 by taking into account its different increment rates (between −1 % and 2.65 %). In the packaging sector, the implementation of reduction targets (15 % reduction in 2040 compared to 2018) could lead to a 27.3 % decrease in plastic use in 2050 as compared to 2018, while achieving recycling targets (55 % in 2030) would recycle >75 % of plastic packaging in 2050. The partial substitution of fossil-based plastics with bioplastics (polyethylene) will require significant land area, between 0.2 × 10<sup>6</sup> km<sup>2</sup> for obtaining switchgrass and up to around 1.0 × 10<sup>6</sup> km<sup>2</sup> for obtaining forest residue (annual yields of 58.15 t/ha and 3.5 t/ha) in 2050. The intervention analysis shows that proactive policies can mitigate sustainability challenges, however achieving broader sustainability goals also requires reduction of footprints related to energy production and virgin plastic production, the production of bio-based plastics, and the full implementation of recycling initiatives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 498-518"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142437789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.001
Yinglei Wu , Kiyo Kurisu , Kensuke Fukushi
An environmentally sustainable diet plays an increasingly significant role in reducing environmental impacts from the consumer side. The prominent environmentally sustainable dietary choices that have been discussed in recent years include organic food, local seasonal food, protein alternatives, plant-based diets, sustainable packaging, sustainable cooking, sustainable storage, and food waste reduction. However, the majority of related studies have focused on only one single environmentally sustainable dietary choice, and comprehensive considerations of the environmental impacts, psychological factors, and practices related to different dietary choices are still limited. Thus, we take a broad perspective on this issue and aim to provide a theoretical foundation for policy makers and consumers to make environmentally friendly choices. This review aims to answer the following three questions: (1) Which dietary choices result in lower environmental burdens than conventional diets? (2) How do psychosocial factors influence environmentally sustainable dietary choices? (3) What interventions are effective in changing consumers' dietary choices? The results showed that there is a gap between the actual and perceived environmental impacts of dietary choices, including organic food, local seasonal food and food packages. Although transitioning from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one, reducing food waste, and adopting efficient cooking methods can bring considerable environmental benefits, barriers such as inconvenience, price, and neophobia significantly hinder behavior changes. Besides, the influence of environmental concern on most environmentally sustainable diets is weak, whereas health concern plays a significant role. In practice, a long-term change in dietary structure could be achieved by addressing cultural barriers and social norms, through the cooperation of governments, retailers, food producers, and consumers.
{"title":"What should be understood to promote environmentally sustainable diets?","authors":"Yinglei Wu , Kiyo Kurisu , Kensuke Fukushi","doi":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An environmentally sustainable diet plays an increasingly significant role in reducing environmental impacts from the consumer side. The prominent environmentally sustainable dietary choices that have been discussed in recent years include organic food, local seasonal food, protein alternatives, plant-based diets, sustainable packaging, sustainable cooking, sustainable storage, and food waste reduction. However, the majority of related studies have focused on only one single environmentally sustainable dietary choice, and comprehensive considerations of the environmental impacts, psychological factors, and practices related to different dietary choices are still limited. Thus, we take a broad perspective on this issue and aim to provide a theoretical foundation for policy makers and consumers to make environmentally friendly choices. This review aims to answer the following three questions: (1) Which dietary choices result in lower environmental burdens than conventional diets? (2) How do psychosocial factors influence environmentally sustainable dietary choices? (3) What interventions are effective in changing consumers' dietary choices? The results showed that there is a gap between the actual and perceived environmental impacts of dietary choices, including organic food, local seasonal food and food packages. Although transitioning from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one, reducing food waste, and adopting efficient cooking methods can bring considerable environmental benefits, barriers such as inconvenience, price, and neophobia significantly hinder behavior changes. Besides, the influence of environmental concern on most environmentally sustainable diets is weak, whereas health concern plays a significant role. In practice, a long-term change in dietary structure could be achieved by addressing cultural barriers and social norms, through the cooperation of governments, retailers, food producers, and consumers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48619,"journal":{"name":"Sustainable Production and Consumption","volume":"51 ","pages":"Pages 484-497"},"PeriodicalIF":10.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142424504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}