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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Bioeconomy of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2022) | Viewed by 66500

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Manoj Kumar Nallapaneni

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Guest Editor

School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Interests: building-integrated photovoltaics; circular economy; sustainability and resilience; energy management; life cycle assessment; technoeconomic analysis; modeling and performance investigation of energy systems; solar for smart cities applications; advances in solar energy installations; microgrids; blockchain technology; Internet of Things
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Md Ariful Haque

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Energy and Environment, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Interests: biomass; waste valorization; fermentation; metabolic engineering; biorefinery and life cycle analysis

Dr. Sarif Patwary

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Human Development and Consumer Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
Interests: textile sustainability; circular fashion; life cycle assessment; responsible consumption

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As we all know, when the bioeconomy was first explored, for many, it was simply a case of switching fossil resources to renewables and other naturally derived resources (Tan and Lamers, 2021). However, now, with the current phase of technological development and innovation, the bioeconomy is going beyond what was previously projected and is currently fostering growth and development in new and emerging economies, in order to become more sustainable. At the same time, it is believed that the bioeconomy ensures continuous resource and service functions from natural assets, resulting in a circular bioeconomy concept. However, given the existing limitations (e.g., rebound effects) and complexities (e.g., low-carbon energy inputs, sustainable supply chains, and synergies and conflicts with broader ecological processes and ecosystem services) in the circular economy and bioeconomy, as well as their intersections, the circular bioeconomy concept cannot necessarily deliver its perceived sustainability benefits (D'Amato et al., 2017; Kirchherr et al., 2017; Korhonen et al. 2018). There could be numerous reasons for this, which could vary from case to case. Therefore, this Special Issue invites contributions focusing on multiple sectors that:

Critically examine the existence of circular bioeconomy, identify its challenges, and understand why sustainability benefits are not perceived;
Logically show the conceptual or implemented models and tools used to evaluate sustainability benefits;
Clearly demonstrate the resource efficiency and sustainability (economic, environmental, and social) of circular bioeconomy concepts.

The focused sectors include energy; agriculture; forestry; fishing and aquaculture; manufacturing of food, beverages and tobacco; manufacturing of bio-based textiles; manufacturing of wood products and furniture, manufacturing of paper; manufacturing of bio-based chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics, and rubber; manufacturing of liquid biofuels; production of bioelectricity; and others.

References:

D'Amato, D., Droste, N., Allen, B., Kettunen, M., Lähtinen, K., Korhonen, J. et al. (2017). Green, circular, bio economy: a comparative analysis of sustainability avenues. J. Clean. Prod. 168, 716–734.

Kirchherr, J., Reike, D., and Hekkert, M. (2017). Conceptualizing the circular economy: an analysis of 114 definitions. Resour. Conserv. Recycling 127, 221–232.

Korhonen, J., Nuur, C., Feldmann, A., and Birkie, S. E. (2018). Circular economy as an essentially contested concept. J. Clean. Prod. 175, 544–552.

Tan E.C.D., and Lamers P. (2021). Circular bioeconomy concepts—a perspective. Front. Sustain. 2, 701509.

Dr. Manoj Kumar Nallapaneni
Dr. Md Ariful Haque
Dr. Sarif Patwary
Guest Editors

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Keywords

circular bioeconomy
circular economy
bioeconomy
waste management
industrial ecology
environmental services
recycling, reuse, regeneration and recovery
bioconversion methods
biomass valorization
food–feed–fuel
circular business models
value-added products
techno-economic feasibility
life cycle assessment
tools for sustainability

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Published Papers (14 papers)

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Editorial

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6 pages, 853 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

It Is Time to Synergize the Circularity of Circular Bioeconomy with Sustainability and Resiliency Principles

by Manoj Kumar Nallapaneni, Md Ariful Haque and Sarif Patwary

Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12239; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612239 - 10 Aug 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 980

Abstract

Bioeconomy mainly refers to an economic system based on the sustainable production, conversion, and utilization of biological resources, such as crops, forests, fish, and microorganisms, to produce food, feed, energy, and other products [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy)

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Research

Jump to: Editorial, Other

17 pages, 1752 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Bioeconomy Development Opportunities in the Latvian Policy Planning Framework

by Krista Laktuka, Dagnija Blumberga and Stelios Rozakis

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1634; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021634 - 13 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2158

Abstract

The broad spectrum of bioresource use makes it challenging to interconnect strategic objectives and policy planning documents without compromising a coherent development vision. Bioeconomy development directions have been defined at the EU and Latvian levels. Nevertheless, to facilitate their implementation, the goals must be consistent with those specified in relevant national policy planning documents and vice versa. To determine whether internationally defined bioeconomy objectives are implemented in Latvian policy planning documents and what priority is given to them, a mixed methods approach was used—a systematic literature review combined with a keyphrase assignment approach. The results are summarized in an illustrative screening matrix and aggregated using the TOPSIS method to identify in which policy planning documents bioeconomy objectives are prioritized and to what extent. The results have shown a high prioritization of bioeconomy objectives in Latvian policy planning documents, especially in hierarchically higher documents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy)

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15 pages, 2688 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Techno-Economic Analysis of Integrated Solar Photovoltaic Winnower-Cum Dryer for Drying Date Palm Fruit

by Surendra Poonia, Anil Kumar Singh, Dilip Jain, Nallapaneni Manoj Kumar and Digvijay Singh

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13686; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013686 - 21 Oct 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2129

Abstract

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruits are widely grown in rural areas of arid Rajasthan of India. The grown date palm fruits are generally dried in forced convection mode. However, given the socio-economic status of farmers, dryer facility affordability has become crucial. Additionally, there is a critical need for a simple winnower, especially with its operation. To address the highlighted issues with the dryer and winnower and given a location already receiving abundant solar radiation, a solar photovoltaic (PV) winnower cum-dryer was designed and developed. The developed winnower cum-dryer was tested in actual conditions to realize the performance. First, the drying experiment for dehydrating date palm fruits and, second, the winnower experiment for separating grains from straw were carried out. The date palm fruits used for experimentation have a moisture content of 65% on a wet basis. During the drying trial, the dryer reduced this moisture content by 39% in 6 days. In contrast, in the open sun drying, it took 8 days. The drying chamber’s temperature gradient was reduced to 2–3 °C from 6–8 °C in the system provided with a preheater, resulting in uniform drying. The observed effective moisture diffusivity and the dryer’s efficiency are 4.34 × 10⁻⁹ m²·s⁻¹ and 16.1%, respectively. A high IRR of 57.4% and a shorter payback period of 2.10 years were found in the economic analysis, indicating that the dryer is cost-effective. The winnower operation results suggest that about 200–300 kg grains could be separated daily when used as a winnower without natural wind. Overall, the developed winnower cum-dryer produced better-quality dried date palms in a shorter time than open drying by efficiently using solar energy and separating the grains from straw to enhance the utility throughout the year. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy)

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13 pages, 2363 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Searching for Novel Sustainability Initiatives in Amazonia

by Gabriel Medina, Cassio Pereira, Joice Ferreira, Erika Berenguer and Jos Barlow

Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10299; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610299 - 18 Aug 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2415

Abstract

Amazonia is facing growing environmental pressures and deep social injustices that prompt questions about how sustainable development may emerge. This study sought novel sustainability initiatives in the Brazilian Amazon based on interviews conducted with diverse practitioners in 2021 using a horizon-scanning approach and snowball sampling for selecting interviewees, who then described the initiative most familiar to them. The interviews resulted in 50 described initiatives and 101 similar initiatives that were listed but not described. The results reveal the emergence of a range of sustainability initiatives, which we classify into seven types of new seeds of change ranging from eco-business opportunities, territorial protection by grassroots movements, and novel coalitions promoting sustainability. However, most of these new seeds are still being established and have a limited or uncertain potential for replication, and most offer only incremental rather than transformative development. Therefore, although these initiatives provide weak yet real signals for alternative futures, they also suggest that much more needs to be done to support the needed transformation toward sustainable and equitable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy)

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20 pages, 1009 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainability-Focused Excellence: A Novel Model Integrating the Water–Energy–Food Nexus for Agro-Industrial Companies

by Fernando Caixeta, André M. Carvalho, Pedro Saraiva and Fausto Freire

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9678; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159678 - 5 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2628

Abstract

The water–energy–food (WEF) nexus approach is gaining attention due to the challenge of better managing natural elements. Agro-industrial companies, given their environmental impacts, need to take sustainability into proper account. However, this sector lacks the novel tools needed to integrate current methodologies with additional quality frameworks, such as business excellence models (BEMs). Therefore, the present research aims to propose a sustainability-focused excellence model by integrating the principles and objectives of the WEF nexus with existing BEM and proposing its application to agro-industrial companies. For that purpose, a new conceptual model to integrate sustainability and excellence was built. The proposed novel model can become a decision-support tool in helping agro-industrial companies transition toward improved sustainability while managing existing tradeoffs and synergies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy)

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20 pages, 1388 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Biofuel Crop Expansion on Green Gross Domestic Product

by Piyanon Haputta, Thongchart Bowonthumrongchai, Nattapong Puttanapong and Shabbir H. Gheewala

Sustainability 2022, 14(6), 3369; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14063369 - 13 Mar 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3355

Abstract

Following Thailand’s Alternative Energy Development Plan, lands for sugarcane and oil palm are being expanded to support biofuel production, thus decreasing the availability of land for other crops. Not only does this lead to the change in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) but also environmental consequences. This study assessed the effects of land expansion caused by biofuel promotion on Green GDP, which is the conventional GDP after adjusting for environmental damage. A static computable general equilibrium (CGE) model combined with life cycle impact assessment was used to estimate the effects of land expansion on economic transactions and conventional GDP. Results showed that compared with the business-as-usual scenario, expanding land for biofuel crops increased the Green GDP. However, rice cultivation and milling were adversely affected by the substitution of biofuel crops. Furthermore, expanding biofuel crops slightly reduced the production capacity of some industrial sectors. The Green GDP for biofuel crop expansion policies was greatest when abandoned rice fields were utilized for agriculture and lowest when forests were transformed. Using CGE to investigate the effects of policy on Green GDP yielded results that were comprehensive for decision making. The method presented in this study can be utilized for future Green GDP research focusing on other biofuel productions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy)

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16 pages, 4719 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Versatile Green Processing for Recovery of Phenolic Compounds from Natural Product Extracts towards Bioeconomy and Cascade Utilization for Waste Valorization on the Example of Cocoa Bean Shell (CBS)

by Christoph Jensch, Axel Schmidt and Jochen Strube

Sustainability 2022, 14(5), 3126; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14053126 - 7 Mar 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3453

Abstract

In the context of bioeconomic research approaches, a cascade use of plant raw materials makes sense in many cases for waste valorization. This not only guarantees that the raw material is used as completely as possible, but also offers the possibility of using its by-products and residual flows profitably. To make such cascade uses as efficient as possible, efficient and environmentally friendly processes are needed. To exemplify the versatile method, e.g., every year 675,000 metric tons of cocoa bean shell (CBS) accrues as a waste stream in the food processing industry worldwide. A novel green process reaches very high yields of up to 100% in one extraction stage, ensures low consumption of organic solvents due to double usage of ethanol as the only organic solvent, is adaptable enough to capture all kinds of secondary metabolites from hot water extracts and ensures the usage of structural carbohydrates from precipitation. A Design of Experiments (DoE) was conducted to optimize the influence of pH value and phase ratio on the yield and purity of the integrated ethanol/water/salt aqueous-two-phase extraction (ATPS) system. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy)

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20 pages, 2258 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential of NTFP Based Bioeconomy in Livelihood Security and Income Inequality Mitigation in Kashmir Himalayas

by Ishtiyak Ahmad Peerzada, Mohammad A. Islam, James Chamberlain, Shalini Dhyani, Mohan Reddy and Somidh Saha

Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2281; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042281 - 17 Feb 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4940

Abstract

The contribution of non timber forest products (NTFPs) has been acknowledged globally for their role in conservation, income generation, livelihood improvement and rural development. The potential of a NTFP-based bioeconomy has given a new dimension to the forest sector, and NTFPs are now considered favourably by the resource rich developing economies. The actual contribution of NTFPs has never been adequately estimated due to lack of sufficient baseline information on extraction, consumption patterns and traded quantities in Kashmir, India. Complicated management frameworks and fragmented value chains have eclipsed their diverse social life cycle in Kashmir. Therefore the present study investigates the bioeconomic transformation, livelihood contribution, income inequality mitigation and determinant socioeconomic factors of NTFP extraction in the Kashmir Himalayas. A multistage random sampling technique was employed to collect data through participatory household-based surveys from different villages. Data were collected through structured in-depth interviews, non-participant observation and focussed group discussions. Descriptive and analytical statistics were used for data analysis. The Lorenz curve and Gini index were used to evaluate the influence of household NTFP incomes on income inequality mitigation, and econometric models were developed to identify key factors that influence the level of household income from NTFPs to determine their potential for supporting livelihood security and bioeconomy in the region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy)

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13 pages, 4245 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Web-Based Decision Support System for Managing the Food–Water–Soil–Ecosystem Nexus in the Kolleru Freshwater Lake of Andhra Pradesh in South India

by Meena Kumari Kolli, Christian Opp, Daniel Karthe and Nallapaneni Manoj Kumar

Sustainability 2022, 14(4), 2044; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14042044 - 11 Feb 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3205

Abstract

Most of the world’s freshwater lake ecosystems are endangered due to intensive land use conditions. They are subjected to anthropogenic stress and severely degraded because of large-scale aquafarming, agricultural expansion, urbanization, and industrialization. In the case of India’s largest freshwater lake, the Kolleru freshwater ecosystem, environmental resources such as water and soil have been adversely impacted by an increase in food production, particularly through aquaculture. There are numerous instances where aqua farmers have indulged in constructing illegal fishponds. This process of aquafarming through illegal fishponds has continued even after significant restoration efforts, which started in 2006. This underlines the necessity of continuous monitoring of the state of the lake ecosystem in order to survey the effectiveness of restoration and protection measures. Hence, to better understand the processes of ecosystem degradation and derive recommendations for future management, we developed a web mapping application (WMA). The WMA aims to provide fishpond data from the current monitoring program, allowing users to access the fishpond data location across the lake region, demanding lake digitization and analysis. We used a machine learning algorithm for training the composite series of Landsat images obtained from Google Earth Engine to digitize the lake ecosystem and further analyze current and past land use classes. An open-source geographic information system (GIS) software and JavaScript library plugins including a PostGIS database, GeoServer, and Leaflet library were used for WMA. To enable the interactive features, such as editing or updating the latest construction of fishponds into the database, a client–server architecture interface was provided, finally resulting in the web-based model application for the Kolleru Lake aquaculture system. Overall, we believe that providing expanded access to the fishpond data using such tools will help government organizations, resource managers, stakeholders, and decision makers better understand the lake ecosystem dynamics and plan any upcoming restoration measures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy)

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19 pages, 966 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Spatio-Temporal Assessment of Biomass Self-Sufficiency in the European Union

by Vlada Vitunskienė, Akvilė Aleksandravičienė and Neringa Ramanauskė

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1897; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031897 - 7 Feb 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2803

Abstract

Growing concerns over ecosystem degradation, climate change, loss in biodiversity, and rapid depletion of natural resources have urged societies of the developed countries all over the world to encounter the challenge of shifting from fossil-based to bio-based economies. With European Green Deal priorities on a transition to a climate-neutral economy with net-zero GHGs emissions by 2050, projected demand for biomass is 40–100% higher, relative to its supply. To provide an overview on the capacity of the European Union countries to satisfy its demand for biomass through the organic materials extracted directly from the domestic natural environment, the study aimed to assess the biomass self-sufficiency based on its domestic extraction-domestic consumption balance. Both the spatial and temporal variability of the self-sufficiency ratio are used to characterise the stability of capacity to satisfy our own needs for biomass in the EU economy as a whole, and at the level of individual member states. The findings indicate that the differences in biomass self-sufficiency ratios are quite high among the European Union member countries (i.e., in the range of 15% in Malta and 33% in Cyprus; up to 184% in Estonia and 224% in Latvia (on average in 2016–2018)). GMM analysis (EU-28, 2000–2018 period) is provided in this study to define the main statistically significant factors that have an impact on the biomass self-sufficiency ratio. This study contributes to the debate on the issues of biomass self-sufficiency in the context of ecological constraint and the EU’s Green Deal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy)

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16 pages, 1703 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Assessing the Environmental Footprint of Distiller-Dried Grains with Soluble Diet as a Substitute for Standard Corn–Soybean for Swine Production in the United States of America

by Md Ariful Haque, Zifei Liu, Akinbile Demilade and Nallapaneni Manoj Kumar

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1161; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031161 - 20 Jan 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2902

Abstract

The swine diet formulation in the United States of America (U.S.A.) is entering a new era of decision making to promote low-carbon pork production systems. As a part of the decision-making process, the precision nutrition approaches to customize diet and alternative feeding options that are economically viable and environmentally sustainable are given priority. Hence, the objective of this study is to identify an alternative diet over a standard corn–soybean meal diet. The byproducts from the supply chain of human food and biofuels, i.e., distiller-dried grain with solubles (DDGS), are chosen as an alternative option to formulate a swine diet. First, two alternative byproduct diets with low and high DDGS inclusion (10.1% and 28.8%, respectively) were formulated using the least-cost technique. Second, a life cycle inventory was created, followed by data collection from the key sources, including DATA SMART-2017, USDA, RIA-GREET 2018, and the relevant literature. Third, in SimaPro 8.5.2.0 (PRé Sustainability: LE Amersfoort, The Netherlands), the ReCiPe 2016, the midpoint method by economic allocation was used to investigate the environmental footprint of the formulated diets to inform sustainability decisions of swine-farm managers. The considered functional unit is the ‘lb diet’, and the system boundary is the farm gate that considers only the feed production stage. The observed results include global warming potential, land use, water consumption, fossil resources scarcity, and terrestrial ecotoxicity. The comparative results of a 28.8% DDGS diet over the standard corn–soybean meal diet for the displacement ratio of 0.69 show an approximate global warming potential saving of 0.04 kg CO₂ eq. per lb DDGS feed at the feed production stage. Moreover, the DDGS displacement ratio of 0.69 does not significantly impact water consumption and fossil resources; however, it can reduce land use by 26% and terrestrial ecotoxicity by 8% compared to the standard diet. Overall, the quantified environmental footprint results of the byproduct DDGS diets indicate that the footprints of DDGS diets were lower than the standard diet. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy)

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10 pages, 251 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Utilization of Agro-Industrial Wastes for the Production of Quality Oyster Mushrooms

by Morzina Akter, Riyadh F. Halawani, Fahed A. Aloufi, Md. Abu Taleb, Sharmin Akter and Shreef Mahmood

Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 994; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020994 - 17 Jan 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4830

Abstract

The objective of this study was to utilize agro-lignocellulosic wastes for growing oyster mushroom which become problematic for disposal. Pleurotus ostreatus was cultivated on five agro-industrial wastes: rice straw (RS), wheat straw (WS), corncobs (CC), saw dust and rice husk @ 3:1 (SR) and sugarcane bagasse (SB). Approximately 500 g sized polypropylene bags (20.32 × 30.48 cm) were used for each substrate. The SR significantly improved the number of fruiting body (27.80), size of the fruiting body (5.39 g), yield (115.13 g/packet), ash and shortened the days for stimulation to primordial initiation and harvest (9.2 days). The maximum percentage of visual mycelium growth with the least time (15.0 days) to complete the mycelium running was found in SB, whereas the highest biological efficiency value (56.5) was calculated in SR. The topmost value of total sugar (33.20%) and ash (10.87 g/100 g) were recorded in WS, whereas the utmost amount of protein (6.87 mg/100 g) and total polyphenolics (196.88 mg GAE/100 g) were detected from SB and SR, respectively. Overall SR gave the highest amount of the fruiting body with the topmost polyphenols and ash, moderate protein and total sugar, and secured maximum biological efficiency too. The results demonstrate that saw dust with rice husk could be used as an easy alternative substrate for oyster mushroom cultivation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy)

22 pages, 1200 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Smart and Sustainable Bioeconomy Platform: A New Approach towards Sustainability

by Gaspare D’Amico, Katarzyna Szopik-Depczyńska, Riccardo Beltramo, Idiano D’Adamo and Giuseppe Ioppolo

Sustainability 2022, 14(1), 466; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14010466 - 2 Jan 2022

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 14888

Abstract

The smart and sustainable bioeconomy represents a comprehensive perspective, in which economic, social, environmental, and technological dimensions are considered simultaneously in the planning, monitoring, evaluating, and redefining of processes and operations. In this context of profound transformation driven by rapid urbanization and digitalization, participatory and interactive strategies and practices have become fundamental to support policymakers, entrepreneurs, and citizens in the transition towards a smart and sustainable bioeconomy. This approach is applied by numerous countries around the world in order to redefine their strategy of sustainable and technology-assisted development. Specifically, real-time monitoring stations, sensors, Internet of Things (IoT), smart grids, GPS tracking systems, and Blockchain aim to develop and strengthen the quality and efficiency of the circularity of economic, social, and environmental resources. In this sense, this study proposes a systematic review of the literature of smart and sustainable bioeconomy strategies and practices implemented worldwide in order to develop a platform capable of integrating holistically the following phases: (1) planning and stakeholder management; (2) identification of social, economic, environmental, and technological dimensions; and (3) goals. The results of this analysis emphasise an innovative and under-treated perspective, further stimulating knowledge in the theoretical and managerial debate on the smart and sustainable aspects of the bioeconomy, which mainly concern the following: (a) the proactive involvement of stakeholders in planning; (b) the improvement of efficiency and quality of economic, social, environmental, and technological flows; and (c) the reinforcement of the integration between smartness and sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy)

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Other

Jump to: Editorial, Research

15 pages, 1388 KiB

Open AccessPerspective

Apparel Consumer Behavior and Circular Economy: Towards a Decision-Tree Framework for Mindful Clothing Consumption

by Sarif Patwary, Md Ariful Haque, Jehad A. Kharraz, Noman Khalid Khanzada, Muhammad Usman Farid and Nallapaneni Manoj Kumar

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 656; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010656 - 30 Dec 2022

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 13379

Abstract

The apparel consumer, one of the vital stakeholders in the apparel supply chain, has a significant role to play in moving the clothing industry in a sustainable direction. From purchasing and care practice to donation and disposal, every step of their decisions impacts the environment. Various internal and external variables influence those decisions, including culture, customs, values, beliefs, norms, assumptions, economy, gender, education and others. Therefore, we believe having a scientific understanding is very important, because consumers need to be aware of what makes eco-conscious apparel behavior; only then will the circular transition be eased. However, the key concern is whether the apparel consumers are aware of this knowledge or not. Therefore, we formulated a prospective study from a life cycle thinking point of view with a key focus on synthesizing apparel consumer behavior concerning clothing acquisition, maintenance and disposal through the circular economy lens. Hence, a circular economy lens framework is proposed, followed by three research questions’ (RQ) formulation: RQ1. What is the current norm of clothing acquisition, maintenance and disposal behavior?; RQ2. Is apparel consumer clothing acquisition, maintenance and disposal behavior circular-driven?; RQ3. What is the sustainable way of clothing acquisition, maintenance and disposal? These questions are followed by circular economy lens framework development for apparel consumers. Second, following the research questions, state-of-the-art literature-driven decisions were gathered to form constructive consumer-centric decisions over the apparel lifecycle. Third, building on this synthesis, a critical discussion is offered, following the decision-tree approach to inform relevant behavioral guidelines for consumers and other stakeholders in the apparel supply chain. Overall, our findings on apparel consumer behavior through the circular economy lens could serve as new guidelines for consumers to exercise mindful clothing consumption behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy)

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