Potential Uses of Copper Wastes in the Building Sector: Inertization and Added Value Solutions

Mining activity is the second biggest producer of waste in the European Union (EU), so to develop processes that allow the reuse of waste and the consequent creation of markets for these secondary raw materials are relevant for a desirable transition to a circular economy. Copper waste such as cakes, tailings, pyrite roasting residues, or slags present very different physical characteristics and hazards. There are two important aspects to consider for the residue of hazardous determination and its reuse: the particle size and the leaching behavior. Also, the reactive or non-reactive property of the waste depends on their origin, which is important for new applications. Based on these parameters (and other specifics for each application), the intention of this paper is to review and study the different applications of copper residues, aiming for new possibilities of cement-based construction materials with added value that allow to economically justify the use of cement.

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Towards the Implementation of Circular Economy in the Wastewater Sector: Challenges and Opportunities

Water ◽

10.3390/w12051431 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (5) ◽

pp. 1431 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Sonia Guerra-Rodríguez ◽

Paula Oulego ◽

Encarnación Rodríguez ◽

Devendra Narain Singh ◽

Jorge Rodríguez-Chueca

Keyword(s):

Wastewater Treatment ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Added Value ◽

The European Union ◽

Reclaimed Wastewater ◽

Human Lifespan ◽

Self Sufficiency ◽

Challenges And Opportunities

The advancement of science has facilitated increase in the human lifespan, reflected in economic and population growth, which unfortunately leads to increased exploitation of resources. This situation entails not only depletion of resources, but also increases environmental pollution, mainly due to atmospheric emissions, wastewater effluents, and solid wastes. In this scenario, it is compulsory to adopt a paradigm change, as far as the consumption of resources by the population is concerned, to achieve a circular economy. The recovery and reuse of resources are key points, leading to a decrease in the consumption of raw materials, waste reduction, and improvement of energy efficiency. This is the reason why the concept of the circular economy can be applied in any industrial activity, including the wastewater treatment sector. With this in view, this review manuscript focuses on demonstrating the challenges and opportunities in applying a circular economy in the water sector. For example, reclamation and reuse of wastewater to increase water resources, by paying particular attention to the risks for human health, recovery of nutrients, or highly added-value products (e.g., metals and biomolecules among others), valorisation of sewage sludge, and/or recovery of energy. Being aware of this situation, in the European, Union 18 out of 27 countries are already reusing reclaimed wastewater at some level. Moreover, many wastewater treatment plants have reached energy self-sufficiency, producing up to 150% of their energy requirements. Unfortunately, many of the opportunities presented in this work are far from becoming a reality. Still, the first step is always to become aware of the problem and work on optimizing the solution to make it possible.

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European experience in transition to circular economy

Economic Analysis Theory and Practice ◽

10.24891/ea.19.4.598 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 598-617 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

S.V. Ratner

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Action Plan ◽

National Level ◽

The European Union ◽

Scientific Methods ◽

European Experience ◽

General Scientific ◽

The Eu

Subject. The article considers the concept of circular economy, which has originated relatively recently in the academic literature, and is now increasingly recognized in many countries at the national level. In the European Union, the transition to circular economy is viewed as an opportunity to improve competitiveness of the European Union, protect businesses from resource shortages and fluctuating prices for raw materials and supplies, and a way to increase employment and innovation. Objectives. The aim of the study is to analyze the incentives developed by the European Commission for moving to circular economy, and to assess their effectiveness on the basis of statistical analysis. Methods. I employ general scientific methods of research. Results. The analysis of the EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy enabled to conclude that the results of the recent research in circular economy barriers, eco-innovation, technology and infrastructure were successfully integrated into the framework of this document. Understanding the root causes holding back the circular economy development and the balanced combination of economic and administrative incentives strengthened the Action Plan, and it contributed to the circular economy development in the EU. Conclusions. The measures to stimulate the development of the circular economy proposed in the European Action Plan can be viewed as a prototype for designing similar strategies in other countries, including Russia. Meanwhile, a more detailed analysis of barriers to the circular economy at the level of individual countries and regions is needed.

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Circular Bioeconomy Business Models to Overcome the Valley of Death. A Systematic Statistical Analysis of Studies and Projects in Emerging Bio-Based Technologies and Trends Linked to the SME Instrument Support

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13041899 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 1899

Author(s):

Fabiana Gatto ◽

Ilaria Re

Keyword(s):

Circular Economy ◽

Success Factors ◽

Business Models ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Action Plan ◽

Future Perspective ◽

The European Union ◽

Strategic Orientations ◽

Start Ups ◽

Valley Of Death

Reducing the environmental pressure along the products life cycle, increasing efficiency in the consumption of resources and use of renewable raw materials, and shifting the economic system toward a circular and a climate-neutral model represent the heart of the current macro-trends of the European Union (EU) policy agendas. The circular economy and bioeconomy concepts introduced in the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan and the Bioeconomy Strategy support innovation in rethinking economic systems focusing on market uptaking of greener solutions based on less-intensive resource consumption. In recent decades, industrial research has devoted enormous investments to demonstrate sustainable circular bio-based business models capable of overcoming the “Valley of Death” through alternative strategic orientations of “technological-push” and “market-pull”. The study highlights industrial research’s evolution on bio-based circular business model validation, trends, and topics with particular attention to the empowering capacity of start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to close the loops in renewable biological use and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The research methodology involves a bibliographic search based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach and the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Data Hub investigation to understand SMEs’ key success factors and start-ups of the circular bioeconomy sector. Eco and bio-based materials, nutraceuticals, and microalgae represent the most sustainable industry applications, leading to circular bioeconomy business models’ future perspective.

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MEASURING THE PROGRESS TOWARDS CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES

Business Excellence and Management ◽

10.24818/beman/2021.11.1-02 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 19-35

Author(s):

Nicolae Pintilie ◽

Keyword(s):

European Union ◽

Waste Management ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Raw Materials ◽

The European Union ◽

Future Directions ◽

Production And Consumption ◽

European Union Countries ◽

Continuous Actions ◽

Consumption Waste

This paper aims to create an image of progress towards circular economy registered by European Union countries through specific indicators. In this way, this paper is based on the study and analysis of the 13 indicators, grouped on 4 pillars: Production and consumption, Waste management, Secondary raw materials, Competitiveness and innovation. After the presentation of the methodology, the paper develops an analysis in time and space of the selected indicators, then an analysis of the countries with their grouping on clusters, creating a map of them and highlighting the current situation of circular economy in the European Union. Moreover, the paper also presents the evolution of the countries regarding circular economy, which has a big importance taking into account that in the European Union the preoccupations for this concept is higher from one period to another. Among the most interesting results are: (1) a massive concentration of countries with problems for Waste management pillar; (2) Europe is one of the regions with the largest contribution in terms of circular economy, but the concept is developing differently from one country to another; (3) The scoreboard evolution is particularly useful in revealing the continuous actions adopted by countries in order to facilitate the conversion to circular economy. Finally, the paper presents possible limits of the research, but also future directions of its development.

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The Circular Model in Disposal with Municipal Waste. A Case Study of Slovakia

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17061839 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (6) ◽

pp. 1839

Author(s):

Henrieta Pavolová ◽

Roman Lacko ◽

Zuzana Hajduová ◽

Zuzana Šimková ◽

Martin Rovňák

Keyword(s):

Natural Resources ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Slovak Republic ◽

Raw Materials ◽

National Level ◽

Partial Replacement ◽

The European Union ◽

Linear Arrangement ◽

Circular Model

Mineral resources are life and driving force of the European Union. It is gaining awareness not only in the EU dependent on imports, but also in the world. In the context of the growing population and the growing demands of economies for natural resources, this type of material management has a significant negative impact on the environment. The main aim of the study was to justify the model of circular economy on the national level, based on the disparities between the regions of Slovak republic. To meet the objective, mostly one-factor analysis was implemented. The circular model, which is based on the partial replacement of primary raw materials by secondary ones, should, on the one hand, limit the depletion of natural resources and, on the other hand, reduce the amount of waste produced. The presented work focuses on the issue of sustainable development, which is closely related to the circular economy, and then explains the circular economy model, including the differences from the linear arrangement and possible obstacles to its implementation for the specific conditions of the Slovak republic. From the results, it is clear that the proposed circular model would be helpful to improve the inefficiencies and disparities on the regional and national level.

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The Management of Agriculture Plastic Waste in the Framework of Circular Economy. Case of the Almeria Greenhouse (Spain)

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182212042 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (22) ◽

pp. 12042

Author(s):

Francisco José Castillo-Díaz ◽

Luis Jesús Belmonte-Ureña ◽

Francisco Camacho-Ferre ◽

Julio César Tello-Marquina

Keyword(s):

Circular Economy ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Plastic Waste ◽

Intensive Agriculture ◽

The European Union ◽

Current Management ◽

Recycled Plastics ◽

Petroleum Derivatives ◽

Approximate Treatment

In recent decades, ecosystems have suffered diverse environmental impacts caused by anthropogenic activities, including the dumping of plastic waste. This situation has prompted the European Union to introduce a new policy based on the circular economy. In this study, the present state and future perspectives on the generation and treatment of plastic waste in the intensive agriculture of Almeria (Spain) are analyzed. This activity generates 1503.6 kg·ha−1·year−1, on average, of plastic waste with an approximate treatment cost of 0.25 €/kg. The present study shows that the volume of plastic waste from intensive agriculture in Almeria is constantly increasing (48,948.2 tons in 2020/21) and it is suggested that the current management system does not meet the needs of the sector. Although it presents great opportunities for improvement under the framework of the circular economy. Furthermore, this work reports a direct relationship between the price of the raw materials needed for the production of plastic and the volume of recycled plastics. For this reason, it would be advisable for the administration to consider the implementation of a tax rebate system for the sector and specifically when the petroleum derivatives used to manufacture plastic are less expensive, and the recycling option is not so attractive.

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Problems of functioning and directions of agro-food chains development in the conditions of turbulence strengthening

Ekonomìka ta upravlìnnâ APK ◽

10.33245/2310-9262-2020-155-1-18-28 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 18-28

Author(s):

O.O. Varchenko

Keyword(s):

Sustainable Development ◽

Food Chain ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Food Products ◽

Added Value ◽

Food Chains ◽

Practical Implementation ◽

The European Union ◽

Association Agreement ◽

Stage Of Development

The article substantiates scientic and methodological approaches and principles of distribution, formation, effectiveness, effciency of functioning and development of agri-food chains. It is determined that agro-food chains have acquired the most significant economic and social importance for the inclusion of small producers in the processes of practical production cooperation, which prompted the requirements related to the specifics of the technology of production of finished food products. The main factors that provoke the emergence of extremely contradictory and diverse phenomena in the development of agri-food chains include: globalization of international relations, intensification of turbulent phenomena and processes in the world economy, the entry of advanced countries to new economic frontiers. For the current stage of development of the national economy, the practical implementation of one of the key objectives of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union was of paramount importance. For the purpose of periodic audit of HACCP-certified food processing enterprises, the specified structure of business entities that ensure the production of finished food and other products is highlighted. These calculations show that in 2018 in Ukraine the producers of agricultural raw materials were 49550 farms/enterprises and 23822 natural personsentrepreneurs who are oficially registered and represent the primary link in the food chain. The next link in the agri-food chain are processors of raw materials of primary production, which in Ukraine in 2018 were 5872 enterprises and 10845 individual entrepreneurs, of which 157 enterprises and 1016 sole proprietors produce non-food products. The analysis allows us to conclude that now the producers of food raw materials have the following situation: a) Àexible or simplified permanent procedures, certified (or tested) their facilities for compliance with the minimum requirements of basic programs; b) the second part, mainly FOPs and PF, continue to operate traditionally, ie without paying special attention to the time requirements for the implementation of systematic security procedures. It is established that in practice, some producers of food raw materials, with different levels of tightness, depth of processing and value creation, are already included in agri-food chains. Taking into account the objectively existing tendencies of spontaneous, at the initial stage mainly seasonal occurrence, and further deepening and strengthening of interrelations between actors, the hierarchy of formation and sustainable development of food chains is offered. Key words: agro-food chains, economic turbulence, agricultural raw materials, personal farms, processing and food enterprises, sustainable development, added value.

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Editorial Catalysts: Special Issue on “Microwave-Assisted Catalysis”

Catalysts ◽

10.3390/catal10080842 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (8) ◽

pp. 842

Author(s):

Pilar Salagre ◽

Yolanda Cesteros

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Energy Resources ◽

The Sun ◽

Renewable Energy Resources ◽

Special Issue ◽

Microwave Assisted ◽

New Applications

The concept of circular economy is based on several principles, such as the use of renewable energy resources, including those obtained from the sun, wind, or water; the use of natural raw materials; the manufacturing of products avoiding the generation of wastes and pollution; keeping products and materials in use for a longer time; or giving new applications to waste [...]

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Cereal supply chain waste in the context of circular economy

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/201911203031 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 112 ◽

pp. 03031 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nastasia Belc ◽

Gabriel Mustatea ◽

Livia Apostol ◽

Sorin Iorga ◽

Valentin-Nicolae Vlăduţ ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Circular Economy ◽

Food Systems ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Short Review ◽

Single Cell Protein ◽

Added Value ◽

Cell Protein ◽

Biodegradable Material ◽

By Products

Taking into consideration the circular economy context, from cereal production and processing result by-products and residues which can be transformed into the new raw materials. Straw, husks, brans, flours, bread waste, confectionary waste, so on, can be re-used using different processes such as: extraction, fermentation, microorganism cultivation, for obtaining added value products. These new products obtained can be: biofuels, enzymes, biodegradable material food contact, single cell protein, bio-adsorbent, nanoparticles, bio alcohol, bioactive compounds like fibres, phytochemicals, minerals, so on. This paper is a short review regarding sharing knowledge and good practices in implementing circular economy within food systems, specifically, cereal supply chain.

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The Potential of Selected Agri-Food Loss and Waste to Contribute to a Circular Economy: Applications in the Food, Cosmetic and Pharmaceutical Industries

Molecules ◽

10.3390/molecules26020515 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 26 (2) ◽

pp. 515

Author(s):

Lady Laura Del Rio Osorio ◽

Edwin Flórez-López ◽

Carlos David Grande-Tovar

Keyword(s):

Circular Economy ◽

Animal Feed ◽

Raw Materials ◽

Pharmaceutical Products ◽

Raw Material ◽

Added Value ◽

Food Loss ◽

Pharmaceutical Industries ◽

Scarcity Of Resources ◽

By Products

The food sector includes several large industries such as canned food, pasta, flour, frozen products, and beverages. Those industries transform agricultural raw materials into added-value products. The fruit and vegetable industry is the largest and fastest-growing segment of the world agricultural production market, which commercialize various products such as juices, jams, and dehydrated products, followed by the cereal industry products such as chocolate, beer, and vegetable oils are produced. Similarly, the root and tuber industry produces flours and starches essential for the daily diet due to their high carbohydrate content. However, the processing of these foods generates a large amount of waste several times improperly disposed of in landfills. Due to the increase in the world’s population, the indiscriminate use of natural resources generates waste and food supply limitations due to the scarcity of resources, increasing hunger worldwide. The circular economy offers various tools for raising awareness for the recovery of waste, one of the best alternatives to mitigate the excessive consumption of raw materials and reduce waste. The loss and waste of food as a raw material offers bioactive compounds, enzymes, and nutrients that add value to the food cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. This paper systematically reviewed literature with different food loss and waste by-products as animal feed, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical products that strongly contribute to the paradigm shift to a circular economy. Additionally, this review compiles studies related to the integral recovery of by-products from the processing of fruits, vegetables, tubers, cereals, and legumes from the food industry, with the potential in SARS-CoV-2 disease and bacterial diseases treatment.

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