scholarly journals LCA Practices of Plastics and Their Recycling: A Critical Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 3305
Author(s):  
Timothy M. Kousemaker ◽  
Gerald H. Jonker ◽  
Antonis I. Vakis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Dynamic Modelling ◽  
Policy Space ◽  
Methodological Choices ◽  
Plastics Recycling ◽  
Environmental Footprints ◽  
Dynamic Lca ◽  
Advanced Sampling ◽  
Methodological Practice ◽  
Modelling Methods

In a bid to help address the environmental footprints associated with products and services, life cycle assessment (LCA) applications have become increasingly popular throughout the years. This review summarizes some important methodological developments in recent years, such as the advent of dynamic LCA, as well as highlighting recent LCA applications in the context of plastics/recycling with a focus on their methodological choices. Furthermore, this review aims to offer a set of possible research lines to improve the gap between LCA and decision-making (policy). It was found that the majority of reviewed papers are mostly conservative in their methodological practice, employing mostly static analyses and making little use of other methods. In order to bridge the gap between LCA and policy, it is suggested to broaden system boundaries through the integration of dynamic modelling methods, incorporating interactions between fore- and background systems, and including behavioral components where relevant. In addition, advanced sampling routines to further explore and assess the policy space are recommended. This is of paramount importance when dealing with recycling processes as the molecules/polymers constituting the output of those processes have to be benchmarked in terms of costs and, crucially, their sustainability character against virgin ones.

Framework Proposition Strategy for Collection of Returned Products in Reverse Logistics Environment

2020 ◽  
pp. 462-475
Author(s):  
Hendrik Lamsali
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Reverse Logistics ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Development ◽  
Logistics System ◽  
Logistics Network ◽  
Plastics Recycling ◽  
Product Return ◽  
Development Goals

The importance of reverse logistics and product recovery is evident in various industries as well as in current UNESCO sustainable development goals. This includes plastics and recycling with the former “contributed” significantly towards environmental issues and the latter being one of the primary solutions. The motivations of its implementation are generally divided into legal, economic, and socio-environmental factors. One of the crucial components of plastics recycling and a reverse logistics system is product return channels. The success of other components especially the recovery operations depends on the effectiveness of the return channels. Although numerous investigations on product return channels have been carried out, research on some critical aspects remains wanting. This study presents a review that highlights this deficiency, depicts relevant research development on product return channels, decision-making issues, and direction for future research. At the end of the study, the authors propose a new closed-loop logistics network and future research framework propositions.

Scoring Modeling in Estimating the Financial Condition of Russian Agro-Industrial Companies

2019 ◽  
pp. 151-175
Author(s):  
Oleg Y. Patlasov ◽  
Olga K. Mzhelskaya
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Modelling ◽  
Financial Indicators ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Financial Condition ◽  
Industrial Companies ◽  
Express Analysis ◽  
Regional Specificity ◽  
Methodological Problems ◽  
Discriminant Models ◽  
Modelling Methods

The chapter presents the authors' estimations according to the scoring modeling techniques; also, internationally spread models of bankruptcy forecasting are systematized. Advantages and disadvantages of dynamic modelling methods as applied to financial condition assessment are presented here. Methodological problems of financial modelling are explained here in detail. Regression, logit-regression, and discriminant models are built on the basis of data on the Rosselkhozbank and Sberbank of Russia regulations, taking into account the agrarian specifics of organizations and regional specificity of the Omsk region. An attempt has been made to balance the simplicity of calculations and the accuracy of predictions. Graphs, to be used for express analysis, are constructed on the basis of two core financial indicators.

scholarly journals Definition of LCA Guidelines in the Geothermal Sector to Enhance Result Comparability

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 3534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Laura Parisi ◽  
Melanie Douziech ◽  
Lorenzo Tosti ◽  
Paula Pérez-López ◽  
Barbara Mendecka ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Geothermal Energy ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Geothermal Systems ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Large Variability ◽  
Low Carbon Economy ◽  
Methodological Choices ◽  
Construction Operation

Geothermal energy could play a crucial role in the European energy market and future scenarios focused on sustainable development. Thanks to its constant supply of concentrated energy, it can support the transition towards a low-carbon economy. In the energy sector, the decision-making process should always be supported by a holistic science-based approach to allow a comprehensive environmental assessment of the technological system, such as the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. In the geothermal sector, the decision-making is particularly difficult due to the large variability of reported results on environmental performance across studies. This calls for harmonized guidelines on how to conduct LCAs of geothermal systems to enhance transparency and results comparability, by ensuring consistent methodological choices and providing indications for harmonized results reporting. This work identifies the main critical aspects of performing an LCA of geothermal systems and provides solutions and technical guidance to harmonize its application. The proposed methodological approach is based on experts’ knowledge from both the geothermal and LCA sectors. The recommendations cover all the life cycle phases of geothermal energy production (i.e., construction, operation, maintenance and end of life) as well as a selection of LCA key elements thus providing a thorough base for concerted LCA guidelines for the geothermal sector. The application of such harmonized LCA framework can ensure comparability among LCA results from different geothermal systems and other renewable energy technologies.

scholarly journals Using Constructivist Case Study Methodology to Understand Community Development Processes: Proposed Methodological Questions to Guide the Research Process

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Lauckner ◽  
Margo Paterson ◽  
Terry Krupa
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Community Development ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Methodological Choices ◽  
Qualitative Approaches ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Often, research projects are presented as final products with the methodologies cleanly outlined and little attention paid to the decision-making processes that led to the chosen approach. Limited attention paid to these decision-making processes perpetuates a sense of mystery about qualitative approaches, particularly for new researchers who will likely encounter dilemmas and uncertainties in their research. This paper presents a series of questions that assisted one Ph.D. student in making key methodological choices during her research journey. In this study, a collective case study design informed by constructivist grounded theory data analysis methods was used to develop a framework of community development from an occupational therapy perspective. Ten methodological questions are proposed regarding research question development, research paradigm, design and analysis, and trustworthiness. Drawing on examples from this research project, these questions are used to explicate the decisions made “behind the scenes”, with the intention of providing both theoretical and practical guidance to others embarking on similar research journeys.

scholarly journals The effect of sea surface temperature on the structure and connectivity of species landings interaction networks in a multispecies recreational fishery.

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kayla Mackenzie Blincow ◽  
Brice X Semmens
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Dynamic Modelling ◽  
Single Species ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Interaction Networks ◽  
Multispecies Fisheries ◽  
Recreational Fishery ◽  
Species Management ◽  
Management Approaches ◽  
Modelling Methods

Multispecies fisheries, particularly those that routinely adapt the timing, location, and methods of fishing to prioritize fishery targets, present a challenge to traditional single-species management approaches. Efforts to develop robust management for multispecies fisheries require an understanding of how priorities drive the network of interactions between catch of different species, especially given the added challenges presented by climate change. Using 35 years of landings data from a southern California recreational fishery, we leveraged empirical dynamic modelling methods to construct causal interaction networks among the main species targeted by the fishery. We found strong evidence for dependencies among species landings time series driven by apparent hierarchical catch preference within the fishery. In addition, by parsing the landings time series into anomalously cool, normal, and anomalously warm regimes (the last reflecting ocean temperatures anticipated by 2040), we found that network complexity was highest during warm periods. Our findings suggest that as ocean temperatures continue to rise, so too will the risk of unintended consequences from single species management in this multispecies fishery.

scholarly journals Identification of COVID-19 Waves: Considerations for Research and Policy

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11058
Author(s):  
Andrés Ayala ◽  
Pablo Villalobos Dintrans ◽  
Felipe Elorrieta ◽  
Claudio Castillo ◽  
Claudio Vargas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Quantitative Method ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Methodological Choices ◽  
Multivariate Linear Models ◽  
Research And Policy

The identification of COVID-19 waves is a matter of the utmost importance, both for research and decision making. This study uses COVID-19 information from the 52 municipalities of the Metropolitan Region, Chile, and presents a quantitative method—based on weekly accumulated incidence rates—to define COVID-19 waves. We explore three different criteria to define the duration of a wave, and performed a sensitivity analysis using multivariate linear models to show their commonalities and differences. The results show that, compared to a benchmark definition (a 100-day wave), the estimations using longer periods of study are worse in terms of the model’s overall fit (adjusted R2). The article shows that defining a COVID-19 wave is not necessarily simple, and has consequences when performing data analysis. The results highlight the need to adopt well-defined and well-justified definitions for COVID-19 waves, since these methodological choices can have an impact in research and policy making.

Introduction

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Yuri G. Raydugin
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Dynamic Modelling ◽  
System Dynamic ◽  
Project Delivery ◽  
Risk Modelling ◽  
Technical Aspects ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Project Risks ◽  
Project Structure

A roadmap of the book is developed to expedite a fundamental upgrade to the traditional Monte Carlo methodology. Traditionally risks are seen as standalone noninteracting events. As noninteracting risks are attributes of simple project systems, the traditional Monte Carlo methodology can be adequate in simple projects only. As the vast majority of the project is complex, a more sophisticated methodology that takes interacting risks into account is required. Two types of interactions—intra-risk (amplification of standalone risks due to ‘chronic’ project system issues) and inter-risk (knock-on and compounding interactions among risks)—are taken into account. These stem from various imbalances inside and between two fundamental project subsystems—project structure and project delivery subsystems. The methodology developed in this book is labelled ‘non-linear Monte Carlo methodology’. In parallel, system dynamic modelling of project risks exposure is undertaken. Besides the technical aspects, political aspects of risk modelling and project decision-making are reviewed including various realizations of bias. The notorious Hiding Hand concept is challenged by a newly introduced Revealing Hand approach based on the non-linear Monte Carlo methodology. This book has four target auditoria—all project practitioners who are not involved in Monte Carlo modelling, Monte Carlo modellers, students and instructors of various project management programmes, and specialists involved in project claims and dispute resolutions. The content of this book is organized in a way that serves specific needs of the target auditoria members.

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