scholarly journals Exploring Odor Minimization in Post-Consumer Plastic Packaging Waste through the Use of Probiotic Bacteria

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9432
Author(s):  
Bianca Lok ◽  
Andrea Buettner ◽  
Philipp Denk ◽  
Eva Ortner ◽  
Tanja Fell
Keyword(s):  
Probiotic Bacteria ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Plastic Packaging ◽  
Packaging Waste ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks ◽  
Input Material ◽  
Odor Removal ◽  
Negative Environmental Impact ◽  
Environmentally Friendly Approach

Plastic packaging represents a large proportion of the plastic consumption throughout the world. The negative environmental impact associated with plastic packaging waste can be in part abated by recycling plastics, and increasing numbers of regulatory frameworks are being adopted towards this goal. Despite recent advances in modern recycling technologies, the production of high-quality polyolefin recyclates remains a challenge. Among other functional requirements, odor plays a crucial role in the acceptance of recycled packaging. This presents a challenge, as odor contamination in plastic packaging waste can stem from diverse sources, such as spoilage processes, and strongly depends on the quality of the post-consumer input material. The present study addressed this issue by exploring potential odor abatement of malodors in packaging waste through the use of probiotic bacteria. Specifically, probiotics were added to a mixed post-consumer plastic packaging waste fraction, which was subsequently evaluated using human sensory and gas chromatography–olfactometric analyses. A comparison of treated with untreated plastic waste fractions revealed significant sensory differences. Further structural elucidation of the causative odorants confirmed a reduction in malodorous microbial metabolites, although complete odor removal was not achieved. However, this environmentally friendly approach may represent an essential step towards overcoming the odor burden in post-consumer plastic packaging recyclates.

scholarly journals Factors Shaping the Recycling Systems for Plastic Packaging Waste—A Comparison between Austria, Germany and The Netherlands

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6772
Author(s):  
Caterina Picuno ◽  
Emile Van Van Eygen ◽  
Marieke T. Brouwer ◽  
Kerstin Kuchta ◽  
Eggo U. Thoden van Thoden van Velzen
Keyword(s):  
The Netherlands ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Plastic Packaging ◽  
Packaging Waste ◽  
Recycling Systems ◽  
Current Flows ◽  
Recycled Plastics ◽  
Sound Management

Setting up strategies for a sound management of plastic packaging waste (PPW) is becoming increasingly crucial at many levels of the value chain in Europe. After the very first implementation of an extended producer responsibility scheme in Germany in 1991, many EU Countries followed. This resulted in a complex network of schemes that differ from one member state to another. This paper brings together the three latest studies describing the current flows of PPW across the waste value chain from Austria (reference year 2013), Germany and the Netherlands (reference year 2017). With this aim, the models of the three single studies have been adapted to fit into a common model, allowing to perform a comparative analysis. Although with a relatively comparable product market, the three countries have different management systems (e.g., separate collection systems, target sorting products and treatment of residual waste), reflecting different national strategies to achieve the circular economy targets. Recycling rates (in terms of washed milled goods at the output of the recycling process) for the three countries resulted in 23%, 43% and 30% of the total mass of PPW generated in, respectively, Austria, Germany and the Netherlands. The fraction of mixed recycled plastics, relevant for Germany and the Netherlands only, was determined to be one of the major determinants of the differences in recycling rates. Furthermore, the discussion revolves around new political targets that have the potential to contribute to addressing the issue of tradeoff between quantity and quality of recycled plastics placed on the market, with measures such as design-for-recycling and eco-modulation of EPR fees playing a critical role, while also pointing out the aspects that inevitably hinder closed-loop recycling.

scholarly journals Effect of BioPlus YC Probiotic Supplementation on Gut Microbiota, Production Performance, Carcass and Meat Quality of Pigs

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1581
Author(s):  
Artur Rybarczyk ◽  
Elżbieta Bogusławska-Wąs ◽  
Alicja Dłubała
Keyword(s):  
Bacillus Subtilis ◽  
Meat Quality ◽  
Bacillus Licheniformis ◽  
Average Daily Gain ◽  
Production Performance ◽  
Probiotic Bacteria ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Production Traits ◽  
Feed Conversion

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of probiotic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis on microbiological properties of feed mixtures and on the digestive tract content as applicable to production traits and carcass characteristics of fatteners. The experiment was performed on 83,838 fatteners from four successive (insertions) productions in two groups. From the seventy eighth day of age till marketing to the slaughter plant, the pigs were supplied with BioPlus YC probiotic (Chr. Hansen) in the amount of 400 g/t. The preparation contained a complex of probiotic bacteria Bacillus licheniformis DSM 5749, and Bacillus subtilis DSM 5750 spores in a 1:1 ratio. From the fourth insertion, after reaching a body weight of approximately 112 kg, 60 fatteners were selected from each group to measure carcass quality and half of them for meat quality evaluation. Moreover, microbiological analyses in feed and colon were performed. The study showed that BioPlus YC probiotics supplementation resulted in a significantly higher count of B. subtilis and B. licheniformis in the feed, a higher count of B. subtilis, B. licheniformis and LAB, as well as a lower count of Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Clostridium and Bacillus sp. in the mucosa and in the colorectal content of the test pigs. Our work has shown that supplementation with the BioPlus YC probiotic had a positive effect on the production traits of pigs mainly by reducing mortality (2.83%, p = 0.010), lowering feed conversion ratio—FCR (2.59 kg/kg, p = 0.013), better average daily gain—ADG (0.95 kg/day, p = 0.002) and shorter fattening period (77.25 days, p = 0.019) when compared to the control group (4.19%; 2.79 kg/kg; 0.89 kg/day; 92.8 days, respectively). The addition of the specific Bacillus bacteria did not influence carcass and meat characteristics of the test fatteners.

scholarly journals Textile Recognition and Sorting for Recycling at an Automated Line Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Recycling ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Kirsti Cura ◽  
Niko Rintala ◽  
Taina Kamppuri ◽  
Eetta Saarimäki ◽  
Pirjo Heikkilä
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Nir Spectroscopy ◽  
Automated Recognition ◽  
Textile Materials ◽  
Input Material ◽  
Adequate Quality ◽  
Automated Line

In order to add value to recycled textile material and to guarantee that the input material for recycling processes is of adequate quality, it is essential to be able to accurately recognise and sort items according to their material content. Therefore, there is a need for an economically viable and effective way to recognise and sort textile materials. Automated recognition and sorting lines provide a method for ensuring better quality of the fractions being recycled and thus enhance the availability of such fractions for recycling. The aim of this study was to deepen the understanding of NIR spectroscopy technology in the recognition of textile materials by studying the effects of structural fabric properties on the recognition. The identified properties of fabrics that led non-matching recognition were coating and finishing that lead different recognition of the material depending on the side facing the NIR analyser. In addition, very thin fabrics allowed NIRS to penetrate through the fabric and resulted in the non-matching recognition. Additionally, ageing was found to cause such chemical changes, especially in the spectra of cotton, that hampered the recognition.

scholarly journals Are Multi-Language Design Smells Fault-Prone? An Empirical Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-56
Author(s):  
Mouna Abidi ◽  
Md Saidur Rahman ◽  
Moses Openja ◽  
Foutse Khomh
Keyword(s):  
Programming Languages ◽  
Language Design ◽  
Functional Requirements ◽  
Code Smells ◽  
Design And Implementation ◽  
Design Smells ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Fault Proneness

Nowadays, modern applications are developed using components written in different programming languages and technologies. The cost benefits of reuse and the advantages of each programming language are two main incentives behind the proliferation of such systems. However, as the number of languages increases, so do the challenges related to the development and maintenance of these systems. In such situations, developers may introduce design smells (i.e., anti-patterns and code smells) which are symptoms of poor design and implementation choices. Design smells are defined as poor design and coding choices that can negatively impact the quality of a software program despite satisfying functional requirements. Studies on mono-language systems suggest that the presence of design smells may indicate a higher risk of future bugs and affects code comprehension, thus making systems harder to maintain. However, the impact of multi-language design smells on software quality such as fault-proneness is yet to be investigated. In this article, we present an approach to detect multi-language design smells in the context of JNI systems. We then investigate the prevalence of those design smells and their impacts on fault-proneness. Specifically, we detect 15 design smells in 98 releases of 9 open-source JNI projects. Our results show that the design smells are prevalent in the selected projects and persist throughout the releases of the systems. We observe that, in the analyzed systems, 33.95% of the files involving communications between Java and C/C++ contain occurrences of multi-language design smells. Some kinds of smells are more prevalent than others, e.g., Unused Parameters , Too Much Scattering , and Unused Method Declaration . Our results suggest that files with multi-language design smells can often be more associated with bugs than files without these smells, and that specific smells are more correlated to fault-proneness than others. From analyzing fault-inducing commit messages, we also extracted activities that are more likely to introduce bugs in smelly files. We believe that our findings are important for practitioners as it can help them prioritize design smells during the maintenance of multi-language systems.

scholarly journals Probiotics as a Possible Strategy for the Prevention and Treatment of Allergies. A Narrative Review

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 701
Author(s):  
Aroa Lopez-Santamarina ◽  
Esther Gonzalez Gonzalez ◽  
Alexandre Lamas ◽  
Alicia del Carmen Mondragon ◽  
Patricia Regal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Allergic Diseases ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Probiotic Bacteria ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Global Public Health ◽  
Cytokine Release ◽  
Public Health Concern ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Opportunistic Bacteria

Allergies are an increasing global public health concern, especially for children and people living in urban environments. Allergies impair the quality of life of those who suffer from them, and for this reason, alternatives for the treatment of allergic diseases or reduction in their symptoms are being sought. The main objective of this study was to compile the studies carried out on probiotics as a possible therapy for allergies. The most studied allergies on which probiotics have been shown to have a beneficial effect are rhinitis, asthma, and atopic dermatitis. Most studies have studied the administration of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium spp. in children and have shown beneficial effects, such as a reduction in hyperreactivity and inflammation caused by allergens and a decrease in cytokine release, among other beneficial effects. In the case of children, no clear beneficial effects were found in several studies, and the potential risk from the use of some opportunistic bacteria, such as probiotics, seems controversial. In the studies that reported beneficial results, these effects were found to make allergy symptoms less aggressive, thus reducing morbidity in allergy sufferers. The different effects of the same probiotic bacteria on different patients seem to reinforce the idea that the efficacy of probiotics is dependent on the microbial species or strain, its derived metabolites and byproducts, and the gut microbiota eubiosis of the patient. This study is relevant in the context of allergic diseases, as it provides a broader understanding of new alternatives for the treatment of allergies, both in children, who are the main sufferers, and adults, showing that probiotics, in some cases, reduce the symptoms and severity of such diseases.

Blockchain for Governance of Sustainability Transparency in the Global Energy Value Chain: Part 2, Reconciling the Technology/Regulation Mismatch

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-50
Author(s):  
Lauren Downes ◽  
Chris Reed
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Regulatory Change ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Regulatory Requirements ◽  
Global Energy ◽  
Energy Value ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Governance Model ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks

In this second part of a two-part article we continue our consideration of how global energy value chains could be managed more sustainably through blockchain by greatly increasing transparency. The aim is to use this transparency to incentivise more sustainable behaviour on the part both of energy producers and suppliers and of consumers. Incentives of this kind are market based, and so we have concentrated on market-based instruments in the energy sector, emphasising those that decrease the CO2 footprint of energy consumption, such as emissions trading schemes and renewable energy certificates. Blockchain can enhance transparency by improving the quality of, and access to, sustainability-related information. However, existing laws and regulatory frameworks that govern market-based instruments may prevent these benefits from becoming fully realised. We review the governance frameworks of market-based instruments in several international jurisdictions (Brazil, India, Kazakhstan, Mexico, South Africa and Ukraine, as well as the European Union with particular reference to the Netherlands and United Kingdom (which was a member of the EU at the time of this writing), to ascertain how laws, rules and regulations may limit transparency of sustainability information. We also consider jurisdictional differences to identify difficulties in the creation of a global framework for managing sustainability information from market-based instruments. Jurisdictional differences mean that a one-size fits all solution may not be possible. To overcome this, we propose a blockchain governance model, using aggregated blockchains and peering agreements. It allows flexibility when disclosing information, through layering of permissions, and this means that it should be possible to construct a transparency system which complies with existing domestic legal and regulatory requirements, rather than requiring major legal and regulatory change.

scholarly journals Edukasi Pengelolaan Sampah Plastik Dari Rumah Tangga Menjadi Ecobrick

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-126
Author(s):  
Titien Yusnita ◽  
Febri Palupi Muslikhah ◽  
Machyudin Agung Harahap
Keyword(s):  
Waste Management ◽  
Management Training ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
Plastic Packaging ◽  
Training Activity ◽  
Packaging Waste ◽  
Natural Beauty ◽  
The World

The problem of waste is always an interesting thing that never runs out to find a solution. One of them is plastic packaging waste that is widely used by the community and cannot be decomposed again by nature. In line with the SDGs issue, Indonesia is the second largest country that disposes of plastic waste in the world after China. This is very dangerous for the natural beauty of Indonesia's vast seas, and destroys a very diverse ecosystem. Existing plastic waste that comes from household waste, it can be used easily and cheaply into Ecobrick. Ecobrick is a term for the result of managing plastic waste into a brick that can be used as useful items such as chairs or tables. This plastic waste management training activity was carried out for housewives in Cibitung Tengah Village, Bogor Regency to find out the use of plastic waste that can be recycled to be used as useful goods. In addition, to provide awareness of the importance of sorting household waste in order to help preserve nature. Keywords: ecobricks, management, household, plastic waste  

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