FRANK-FUTUROLOGY CHRONICLE No 29 - The 3 R

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Futurology Chronicle “Independent and Sponsor free” February 2024 – Edition - 4th Year--

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contents

PAGES

PART

1

NOTIONS

CIRCULAR ECONOMY HISTORY THE 3R ORIGINS THE 3 R DEFINITIONS UPCYCLING CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW

PART

7-8 9-10 11-12 13-14

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FELONS

PLASTIC DRAMA THE STAGGERING NUMBERS THE HEALTF EFFECTS OF PLASTICS ON HUMANS PLASTICS AS MARINE POLLUTANTS ELECTRONIC DEVICES POLLUTION THE TRILLION CIGARETTES BUTTS’S DUMP PART

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16-17 18-19 20-21 22-23 24-25 CONVERSIONS

WASTE TO ENERGY HISTORY EIGHT WASTE TO ENERGY SECTORS LANDFILL INTO ENERGY RNG FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTE E-WASTE CONVERSION UCO FOR AVIATION SAF SUSTAINABLE FABRICS NEW WAVE SASHIRO AN UPCYLING LESSON FROM 17TH CENTURY JAPAN

27-28 29-30 31-32 33-34 35-36 37-38 39-40 41-42

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PART

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INVENTIONS

RECYCLING WIND TURBINE BLADES RECYCLING CONCRETE A NEW TECH CHALLENGE DIAPERS INTO CONCRETE UPCYLING PLASTICS TO BUILD ROADS SOLAR PANELS FULL RECYCLING PLASMA ARC GASIFICATIONE NEW TECH BREAKDOWN OF PLASTICS BY MICRO ORGANISMS NEW METHOD CAN DESTROY ‘FOREVER’ CHEMICALS FOOTWEAR RECYCLING WITH AI AND ROBOTICS BANANA PEELS SOURCE OF HYDROGEN ENERGY LAB GROWN WOOD LEATHER FABRICS FROM MUSHROOMS

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44-45 46-47 48-49 50-51 52-53 54-55 56-57 58-59 60-61 62-63 64-65 66-67

CONCLUSIONS

BORNHOLM THE DANISH EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW 69-70 FINLAND PLANT TO END ALL WASTE BY 2050 71-73 THE 3R AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY: A YESTERDAY MODEL FOR TOMORROW 74-75 SOURCES AND PUBLISHING PROGRAM 2024 MARCH NO 30 FRONT COVER : SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY AUTHOR SIGNATURE STATEMENT AUTHOR

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OUTSIDE

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OFFICIAL

PORTRAIT

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ALL THE ILLUSTRATION HAVE BEEN PROMPTED BY THE AUTHOR IN COLLABORATION WITH COGNITIVE AI – CHAT GPT 4 – DALL- E3

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PART 1

NOTIONS

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Circular economy history The term "circular economy" doesn't have a single inventor or a specific moment of creation. Instead, its development is attributed to a range of thinkers over several decades.

The concept is rooted in various schools of thought, including environmental economics, industrial ecology, and sustainability.

One of the earliest formulations of a circular economy concept can be traced back to the work of Kenneth E. Boulding, an economist who, in his 1966 paper "The Economics of the Coming Spaceship Earth," introduced the idea of a closed system of Earth and the need for a circular flow of resources.

In the 1970s, Walter Stahel and Genevieve Reday sketched the vision of an economy in loops i.e. a "circular economy" and its impact on job creation, economic competitiveness, resource savings, and waste prevention.

They developed these ideas at the Product-Life Institute in Geneva, Switzerland, the oldest consultancy in Europe devoted to developing sustainable strategies and policies.

The term was later expanded upon by several other economists and theorists. For instance, in the 1980s, Pearce and Turner incorporated aspects of the concept in their book "Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment," where they emphasized a system where resources are looped back into production and use.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, established in 2010, by Dame Ellen MacArthur, the world-renowned yachtswoman has been pivotal in popularizing and communicating the concept of the circular economy to a wider audience. The foundation works with businesses, governments, and academia to build a framework for an economy that is restorative and regenerative by design.

Thus, the concept of a circular economy is an amalgamation of ideas and contributions from various thinkers and organizations over time, rather than the brainchild of a single individual.

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation based in the United Kingdom. focuses on accelerating the transition to a circular economy and works with businesses, academia, policymakers, and institutions to achieve this goal.

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Dame Ellen MacArthur gained fame as a yachtswoman. She is best known for breaking the world record in 2005 for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe.

After retiring from professional sailing, she founded the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, focusing on promoting the circular economy as a solution to global sustainability challenges.

Her transition from sailing to environmental advocacy highlights her commitment to influence and inspire individuals and organizations around the globe to think and act more sustainably.

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THE 3 R ORIGINS

The principles of sustainable waste management and environmental conservation, known as the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle, have an interesting history that dates back several decades.

The idea came up as a result of people's increased awareness of environmental problems and the pressing necessity to deal with the amount of rubbish that contemporary consumer cultures are producing.

The name "3 Rs" has a somewhat hazy origin because it was not coined by a single person, but rather developed from a collective environmental consciousness.

However, the environmental movements of the 1970s, when the effects of widespread industrialization and garbage generation were becoming glaringly obvious, are frequently credited with popularising this idea. Environmental activism peaked during this time period, and as a result, numerous environmental protection laws and regulations were established all around the world.

The late 20th-century environmental policies can be linked to the term's first significant official usage. The 3 Rs paradigm gained traction as a guiding concept for resource conservation and waste management by governments and environmental organisations.

As part of a global initiative to promote sustainable development, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and other international organisations were instrumental in promoting these ideas.

Originally, the three Rs were thought to be straightforward directives for personal behaviour: recycle materials to keep them out of landfills, reduce waste by consuming fewer things, and reuse objects rather than tossing them away.

But these ideas have developed into a more all-encompassing approach to waste and resource management over time, impacting not only human behaviour but also business operations and governmental regulations.

Currently, the circular economy—which aims to maximise resource utilisation and reduce waste—is mostly based on the three Rs.

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This strategy, which advocates for a systemic movement towards sustainability, stands in stark contrast to the 'take-make-dispose' model of the traditional linear economy.

The 3 Rs are still important today, pointing the way towards more sustainable behaviours and a healthier planet as we face environmental issues like resource depletion and climate change. – Berlin: first activist movement on 3 R in 1973 -

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THE 3 R DEFINITIONS

Reduce Within the circular economy, 'Reduce' refers to reducing waste production and resource use. In order to promote sustainable development, this approach supports the initial use of fewer resources. We can greatly lessen the environmental impact of the manufacturing and consumption processes by cutting waste and consumption.

Using sustainable materials, creating goods with a longer lifespan, and implementing more efficient production methods are some strategies used by industries to reduce resource usage. Some businesses, for instance, have effectively put into place closed-loop systems, which reduce overall resource consumption by using waste from one operation as an input for another. Using lean manufacturing concepts, which emphasize cutting waste in all its forms—including overproduction, needless transportation, and superfluous inventory—is an additional tactic.

Reuse "Reuse" is essential to prolonging the life cycle of resources and products. This strategy reduces waste and conserves resources by reusing goods several times before discarding them.

Reuse has been embraced by various industries in creative ways. One emerging trend in the fashion business is upcycling, which involves repurposing old clothing to create new items. The demand for raw materials is greatly decreased in the construction industry since materials from demolished buildings are frequently reused in new construction.

Encouraging reuse has significant drawbacks, like having to overcome consumer desires for new products and making sure that repurposed goods are safe and of high quality. On the other hand, there are a lot of benefits, such as lower costs, less of an impact on the environment, and the development of new markets and employment prospects in the renovation and repurposing industry.

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Recycle Recycling is the process of repurposing waste materials to create new goods while minimizing the impact on the environment and the requirement for virgin resources. Depending on the material, the recycling process might involve several steps, such as gathering, sorting, processing, and manufacture.

Chemical recycling is an additional invention that makes it possible to recycle materials that were previously thought to be non-recyclable by disassembling them into their molecular components.

Recycling procedures themselves also use resources and energy. Recycling, is a key component of waste management and the shift to a circular economy if done well.

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UPCYCLING: CONTEXT AND OVERVIEW

Within the larger context of the circular economy, upcycling, together with the 3R has become a very popular concept in recent years as a sustainable approach.

The German engineer Reiner Pilz is widely credited with popularising the term "upcycling" In 1994 .Pilz defined upcycling as the act of turning used or discarded materials into something functional, frequently beautiful.

In contrast, recycling is a more conventional concept that usually requires reducing things to their raw state before repurposing them.

However, the concept of upcycling predates the 1990s by a great deal. Reusing materials in creative and inventive ways has long been a widespread activity, especially during periods of scarcity or economic difficulty.

The emphasis on not simply extending the life of materials but also imaginatively converting them into something of higher quality or value than the original distinguishes upcycling from previous reuse approaches.

Upcycling: A Thorough Overview Upcycling is the imaginative and ecologically responsible process of repurposing discarded materials or rejected products into new, higher-quality materials or products with more environmental value. In contrast, materials are frequently devalued in typical recycling processes.

Adding value is the fundamental goal of upcycling. Through this process, anything that is no longer in use is turned into something useful and frequently visually beautiful. This could entail reusing construction materials in inventive ways in new building projects, repurposing old furniture, or transforming unwanted clothing into bags or quilts.

Upcycling, as opposed to typical manufacturing processes, conserves energy, lessens the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, and lowers the need for new raw materials. The socioeconomic aspect of upcycling encourages originality and ingenuity, which frequently results in handcrafted goods that are more valuable on the market.

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Upcycling does not, however, come without difficulties. A notable obstacle is the accessibility and availability of appropriate resources. Not every waste material can be recycled, and finding the proper kind of waste might be difficult in terms of logistics. Furthermore, the expertise and inventiveness required for upcycling can be a barrier to its wider acceptance.

Notwithstanding these obstacles, upcycling is acknowledged as a crucial component of sustainable practices. It is being incorporated to encourage environmental stewardship into company policy, community program, and school curricula. Upcycling is a sustainable technique that has the potential to have a big impact on the economy and the environment, not just a fad.

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Part 2

FELONS

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PLASTICs DRAMA: THE Staggering NUMBERS

Startling numbers highlight the worldwide plastic crisis: 430 million tons of plastic are generated globally each year—a quantity more than the weight of all people combined.

A significant number of single-use plastics are included in this, making up one-third of the overall manufacturing. One significant contributor is packaging, where 95% of the plastic is thrown away after only one use, resulting in an astounding $120 billion in lost revenue each year.

With a third of packaging trash damaging ecosystems and incurring at least $40 billion in damages, the environmental impact is significant. An alarming amount of microplastics is consumed by the typical individual each week—five grammes mostly through water—with 95% of tap water in the United States being contaminated.

Many food items, including beer, salt, seafood, and even fruits and vegetables, are contaminated with microplastics.

The situation for disposal is dire: only 9% of plastics are recycled, and 19% are burned, meaning that 72% of plastics end up in landfills or the environment.

With 8–11 million tonnes of plastic waste entering the ocean annually—the equivalent of throwing a garbage truck's worth of plastic debris into the ocean every minute—ocean pollution is one giant serious problem.

Growing at a rate of roughly 5% each year, the production trend predicts that by 2050, it will have tripled to 34 billion tonnes.

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, the United Nations Environment Assembly is working towards a global convention to halt plastic pollution by 2025, with a consensus on cutting plastic manufacturing as the major solution. This initiative is analogous to the climate change accords in Paris.

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The Health Effects of Plastics on humans

Concerns about plastics' effects on human health have grown as a result of their entanglement in our environment. This multifaceted effect is caused by several kinds of plastic pollution, such as macro, micro, and nanoplastics.

Although macroplastics pose a physical hazard to wildlife, they have an indirect impact on human health. Big plastic objects can decompose into smaller pieces in the environment and find their way into the food chain through fish and other species that humans eat. These polymers may include toxic substances like phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), and other chemicals that are known to disrupt hormones, interfere with reproduction, or even cause cancer.

Microplastics pose more obvious health risks. Less than 5 mm in size, these particles are common in everyday products like makeup and clothes. Because of their microscopic size, they can enter our bodies by ingestion or inhalation with ease.

Microplastics can build up in human organs and tissues, according to studies, and this could lead to genotoxicity, inflammation, and other physiological problems.

Microplastics may also have additional negative effects on health because they can serve as carriers of viruses, heavy metals, and other poisons.

Though less known, nanoplastics represent the tiniest category of plastic pollution and may be the most dangerous. They can pass through cellular membranes and potentially reach the circulation and lymphatic system due to their tiny size, which is frequently less than 0.1 micrometres.

This could result in previously unheard-of health problems. Research on the possibility that nanoplastics could interfere with cellular functions and upset biological systems is just being started, but this is an increasing issue.

All things considered, there are a number of health hazards associated with plastics in our environment and their potential entrapment within the human body, which is drawing more and more attention from scientists.

There is an urgent need to reevaluate our reliance on plastic materials since the effects of long-term exposure to and buildup of plastics in the human body are continuously being discovered.

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Plastics as marine pollutants

A worldwide issue with far-reaching effects is the impact of plastic contamination in maritime habitats. Marine life and ecosystems are seriously threatened by plastics once they find their way into the ocean.

Many times, marine life confuses macroplastics in the ocean for food. When these big plastic things are consumed, it can cause inside injury, bodily pain, and even death. Entanglement in bigger plastic trash can often result in impairment of movement, injury, or drowning of marine species, including but not limited to turtles, seabirds, and whales.

There is a concerning amount of microplastics in the marine environment. A wide range of marine organisms quickly consume these microscopic plastic particles, which come from a number of sources such as synthetic fibres and cosmetic goods.

Microplastics can impede an animal's capacity to properly digest food by causing internal obstructions once it has been consumed.

An further hazardous risk to marine life is the capacity of microplastics to absorb and concentrate environmental contaminants including heavy metals and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

In marine habitats, nanoplastics pose a mostly unknown but potentially catastrophic problem because of their minuscule size. The tiniest sea organisms could consume them, allowing them to enter cells and tissues and perhaps interfering with biological processes.

There are worries that they may have an impact on the growth, reproduction, and even the genetic make-up of marine animals. Research on their impact on marine life and ecosystems is still ongoing.

Plastic waste is overflowing our oceans, upsetting biodiversity, upsetting marine ecosystems, and changing the natural equilibrium. Though the long-term effects of this pollution are still being felt, it is obvious that this man-made issue poses a serious threat to the health of our oceans.

To tackle this worldwide problem, it is imperative to reduce plastic waste, enhance waste management, and carry out additional study on the effects of plastics on marine ecosystems.

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ELECTRONIC DEVICES pollution

According to a recent study, there was a 53% rise in greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere between 2014 and 2021 related to electronic devices and the garbage they produce.

Researchers claim that in 2020 alone, that amounts to 580 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide. They predict that by 2030, e-waste sources will release over 852 million metric tons of CO2 compounds yearly in the absence of legislation or a legislative framework to prolong the useful life of information and communication technology (ICT) equipment.

The goal of the study was to measure the carbon footprint of e-waste and contribute to the body of knowledge demonstrating the contribution of e-waste to the overall amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.

"Oladele Ogunseitan, professor of population health and disease prevention in the University of California, states that strategies for source reduction, including extending the useful lifetime of the electronic products, will directly address the quantity issue in reversing the trend of harmful greenhouse gas emissions created because of e-waste into the environment."

A decrease in e-waste will not only lessen the effects of climate change but also deter child labour in mining operations and lessen the harmful effects on the health of waste management workers.

In order to calculate the amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced during the product's lifetime—which includes manufacturing, transportation, usage, and disposal—the researchers examined 1,003 life cycle records from various manufacturers for the study published in the journal Circular Economy.

Researchers discovered that, accounting for around 41% of all cumulative emissions, flat-screen TVs were linked to the highest emissions.

This was followed by gaming consoles, desktop computers, laptops and tablets, flatscreen computer displays, mobile phones, and computer accessories.

They estimated that a large decrease in CO2 emissions may occur if information and communication technology's useful life were prolonged using the same reports.

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A 50% to 100% increase in the useful lifetime of ICT equipment between 2015 and 2020 through a "3re" effort-reduce, reuse, and recycle—was predicted to prevent 19 to 28 million metric tons of e-waste in one hypothetical scenario.

"We believe that prolonging the lifespan of an electronic device, like a cell phone, is comparable to decreasing the manufacturing of the same product that would otherwise replace that item since a device's useful life expectancy would increase and consequently lead to fewer replacements” add Ogunseltan.

Assessments of the levels of dangerous metals in the air, water, and soil at accredited e-waste recycling locations reveal a substantially greater amount than allowable limits established by the US Environmental Protection Agency, the World Health Organisation, and the European Union.

Coauthor Narendra Singh, a sustainability specialist with the British Geological Survey, says, "We have an opportunity to develop an international consensus on a legal framework to support eco-design and source reduction, refurbishment, and reuse.

"The electronics sector, which presently ranks among the top eight industries responsible for more than 50% of the worldwide carbon footprint, shall focus seriously on 3R in pursuit of climate neutrality.

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the trillion cigarettes butts’ dump

Smokers everywhere are accountable for dumping an astounding 4 trillion plastic cigarette filters annually, which adds substantially to the world's pollution. These seemingly insignificant actions of disposal accumulate to produce a chronic and widespread environmental cost.

Acetate Cellulose in Filters The main component in cigarette filters, cellulose acetate, is the root of the issue.

Contrary to popular belief, cellulose acetate is not easily biodegradable and is actually a type of plastic. It can take more than ten years for it to break down in the environment, allowing harmful substances like tar, nicotine, and other tobacco residues to seep into the soil and water. Because cigarette butts are small and lightweight, they can be easily carried by wind and water, dispersing the toxins and endangering wildlife that may consume them.

Solutions for Recycling Numerous businesses and organisations have risen up to address this problem by creating creative recycling solutions. One such business, TerraCycle, is well-known for its recycling initiative for used cigarette trash. Cigarette butts are gathered through a system of containers and sent to a facility that is dedicated to this operation. Here, organic debris from the butts is separated and composted, including used paper and tobacco.

After being cleaned, the leftover cellulose acetate filters are turned into hard plastic granules. By converting garbage into a resource, these granules can be utilised to make a wide range of items, such as shipping pallets and plastic lumber.

Businesses like Greenbutts, who are creating biodegradable filters that decompose in a matter of months rather than years, are taking a different tack. Natural materials that have been given a biodegradable treatment, such hemp and cotton fibres, are used to make these filters.

Although it doesn't deal with the rubbish that is already there, this offers a creative alternative that might lessen pollution in the future.

Various research projects are also investigating the use of cigarette butts in energy production in addition to these efforts.

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Adding another chapter to the waste-to-value story, the high calorific value of cellulose acetate has been investigated for its potential in energy generation.

A circular economy centered around cigarette trash is starting to take shape thanks to the commitment of environmental entrepreneurs and technological breakthroughs in recycling.

The trip from a discarded cigarette butt to a recovered product is not an easy one.

As more people adopt these habits, they not only lessen the effects of cigarette litter but also support larger campaigns to conserve the environment.

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PART 3

Conversions

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WASTE TO ENERGY HISTORY Waste to energy (Wte) conversion has a long history that dates to the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Nottingham, England, saw the first recorded usage of garbage as a source of energy in 1874. The process of "destructive distillation" was employed by the city to turn garbage into coke and coal gas.

This early waste-to-energy method was more concerned with producing gas than with producing power.

The notion of burning garbage to produce energy began to gain traction in the early 1900s. In Hamburg, Germany, the first actual waste-to-energy incinerator was constructed in 1896. . This plant produced steam by using the heat from burning waste, which was subsequently used for heating or industrial processes.

The idea gradually extended to other nations, such as the US, where the first waste incinerator was constructed in New York in 1885, however its main purpose was waste reduction rather than energy production.

The modern usage of the word "waste-to-energy" developed in the middle of the 20th century as the need for renewable energy sources and environmental concerns about garbage disposal increased.

The 1970s oil problems sparked the first interest in waste-derived energy and other alternative energy sources.

The technology and procedures used in waste-to-energy have changed dramatically throughout time. Because they were so outdated, early incinerators frequently produced a great deal of air pollution.

On the other hand, contemporary WtE plants are far more effective at converting energy and are furnished with cutting-edge pollution control systems.

Waste-to-energy is now acknowledged as a source of renewable energy that help reduce dependency on fossil fuels and promote the concepts of the circular economy,

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in addition to serving as a waste management solution. WtE technologies are still being developed and adopted today due to the need for sustainable waste management solutions, environmental laws, and technological improvements.

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Eight WASTE TO ENERGY SECTORS Eight sectors has evolved into waste to energy with very different progress and use in different regions of the world.

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Commonplace goods, such as food scraps, packaging, yard debris, and other household materials, make up Municipal Solid debris (MSW). One essential element of contemporary waste management systems is turning MSW into electricity.

High temperatures are used in the process to burn the waste, creating steam that powers turbines to produce electricity. This approach lessens the need for landfills while also aiding in the management of urban garbage.

To reduce emissions, contemporary WtE facilities are outfitted with cutting-edge pollution control systems.. Effective sorting and waste segregation are essential to the success of MSW-to-energy in order to maximise energy recovery and reduce environmental effect.

Waste Biomass Organic waste such as wood, crop residues, and garden waste are examples of biomass waste. There are several ways to turn biomass into energy, such as gasification, anaerobic digestion, and burning.

Like MSW incineration, combustion includes burning biomass to produce heat and power. Without oxygen, anaerobic digestion breaks down organic waste to produce biogas, primarily carbon dioxide and methane, which is utilised to generate electricity or heat. A more involved procedure called gasification uses limited oxygen and high temperatures to transform biomass into a gas mixture. After that, this synthesis gas, or syngas, can be used to produce energy.

Plastics to energy The two primary technologies in use are gasification and pyrolysis. Plastics are heated during pyrolysis in the absence of oxygen, converting them into char, gas and oil. Gasification turns polymers into syngas for the production of energy, just like it does with biomass. The growing issue of plastic waste, particularly nonrecyclable plastics, can be managed with the help of plastics-to-energy.

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industrial Waste Depending on the industry, this waste can comprise things like residues, slags, and effluents. It varies greatly. Anaerobic digestion, gasification, and combustion are some techniques for energy recovery. The properties and energy potential of the trash determine which technology is best.

Nevertheless, specialised solutions and strict environmental controls are needed because to the variety of waste kinds and their pollutants.

Agriculture waste Waste from agriculture, such as animal dung, can be burned and anaerobically digested to provide energy. For wet waste, such as manure, anaerobic digestion works very well, producing biogas that can be used for energy or heating.

Dryer agricultural wastes can burn to produce power and heat. This helps manage agricultural waste, which otherwise may contribute to environmental issues like methane emissions from decomposing organic matter.

Sewage sludge The byproduct of wastewater treatment, sewage sludge, is rich in organic matter and has the potential to generate energy. In order to produce biogas, anaerobic digestion is frequently utilised to break down the organic matter in sludge.

This biogas help the wastewater treatment facility meet its energy requirements and lessen its carbon footprint by producing heat or power. Sludge can also be treated with advanced techniques to create pellets or charcoal that can be used as fuel in industrial operations.

Construction and Demolition waste Waste from construction and demolition projects includes things like concrete, metal, and wood. The two main methods for recovering energy from this waste are gasification and combustion.

For many of the elements in this waste stream, recycling is still important; however, energy recovery offers an alternative for the non-recyclable fractions. Energy recovery can be used to manage building and demolition waste, greatly reducing its environmental impact.

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Tyres and rubber waste Tyre-derived fuel (TDF), which is utilised in power plants, cement kilns, and industrial boilers, is made from tyres and rubber waste. With its high energy output, TDF can lessen the need for conventional fossil fuels. To ensure effective combustion, tyres are shredded into smaller pieces.

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Landfill into energy By turning landfill gas into green energy, Waga Energy, a firm situated in the Grenoble metropolitan area of France, is leading his own creative ways to tackle climate change.

CEO Mathieu Lefebvre believe that Grenoble is in a good position to spearhead the worldwide energy transition in the battle against climate change because of its strong emphasis on technological innovation.

In 2007, Lefebvre started his career in landfill gas conversion when he was employed as a research engineer at the multinational industrial gas business Air Liquide, based in France.

At that point, biomass was starting to become a significant renewable energy source. A byproduct of biomass called biomethane, which recycles carbon dioxide that plants take from the atmosphere, was thought to be carbon neutral and could eventually replace conventional natural gas.

Lefebvre and his colleagues decided to investigate biomethane production techniques after realizing its potential.

At first, they thought about producing biomethane from waste from the food and agriculture industries. But they ran into problems with the scale and cost of the necessary anaerobic digestion plants.

This led them to investigate landfills, which naturally break down organic materials like food scraps, wood, and diapers to produce methane-rich biogas.

The ground-breaking Wagabox landfill-gas recovery gathers gas from waste sites and processes it through a sequence of chemical reactions.

These procedures entail the extraction of hydrogen sulphide and water from organic materials. Safe methods for removing contaminants and carbon dioxide from methane include cryogenic distillation, gas compression, and membrane filtration.

Presently, Waga Energy is running 14 Wagabox units in France, and 15 more are being built in different parts of the world, including as Canada, the US, and Spain.

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Their efforts have prevented the release of approximately 87,000 tonnes of CO2 into the environment by adding more than 50 million cubic metres of biomethane to the French electricity grid.

Compliments to Mathieu Lefebvre and Waga Energy in their goal to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and showcase the potential for creative solutions to meet the global energy transition and fight climate change by converting landfill gas into grid-compliant biomethane.

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RNG FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTE

Some sustainable energy challenges can be addressed using the potential provided

by Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) derived from agricultural waste and residues.

In this procedure, anaerobic digestion turn organic waste materials like animal dung, crop leftovers, and food waste into biogas. Following the breakdown of these elements in an oxygen-free atmosphere during the anaerobic digestion process, methane dominates the biogas produced.

Making RNG a more adaptable and environmentally friendly energy source, the generated biogas is subsequently refined to the level of regular natural gas.

Agricultural waste, which would otherwise contribute to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in the environment, can be managed sustainably with its help.

Production of RNG lessens the total carbon footprint of farming activities by turning this waste into electricity.

In addition to being used as gas fuel for vehicles, it can be utilised for heating and the production of electricity.

This flexibility makes it a desirable choice for improving energy security and varying the sources of energy.

A circular economy is also greatly aided by RNG, though. It maximises resource efficiency by turning waste products into useful resources and minimising waste.

Given the importance of waste management and resource conservation in the context of sustainable agriculture, this is especially crucial.

RNG offers significant environmental advantages as well. RNG generation contributes to a decrease in the emissions of this powerful greenhouse gas by absorbing methane from organic waste.

Capturing and using methane as a renewable energy source has major implications for mitigating climate change since it has a global warming potential that is many times greater than that of carbon dioxide over a 100-year period.

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In conclusion, generating renewable natural gas (RNG) from agricultural waste and residues advances the circular economy, waste management, and greenhouse gas reduction in addition to providing a sustainable energy source.

RNG is a promising alternative with numerous environmental and financial advantages for a more robust and environmentally friendly energy future while also aiding in the achievement of sustainability goals.

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E-WASTE CONVERSION The quick rate of technological innovation has resulted to an abundance of home tech devices. Planned obsolescence, in which gadgets are made purposefully to last a short time so that users must replace them regularly, makes this problem worse.

As a result, only a small percentage of the enormous amount of e-waste produced worldwide is recycled.

83.6 million metric tons of e-waste were created worldwide in 2022, of which only 22.4% was recycled.

E-waste is a worldwide environmental justice issue since affluent countries are essentially throwing their rubbish and obsolete technologies onto underdeveloped countries.

The European Union passed legislation to standardize phone and gadgets chargers in order to minimize e-waste, demonstrating how policymakers are paying attention to this issue.

In the USA there is little federal policy action, and e-waste regulation is still mostly done at the state level. As a result, it is primarily the duty of consumers and businesses to solve e-waste by themselves.

To address the e-waste situation, Sustainable Electronics Recycling International (SERI), a nonprofit, encourages collaboration between the public, business, and consumer sectors.

To put pressure on businesses and governments to adopt more environmentally friendly techniques for the development of electronics, SERI has established certification requirements for e-waste recycling facilities.

The "right to repair" campaign, which asks manufacturers to loosen limitations on individual and independent repair shop repair of gadgets, is also being pushed.

Big Tech like Apple and Samsung have opened self-service repair shops and resent Recently US administration instructed the Federal Trade Commission to establish regulations for do-it-yourself repairs.

Upgrading existing devices rather than buying new ones and recycling properly are two important ways that consumers shall contribute.

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As recycling devices can recover valuable materials and save a substantial amount of energy, it is imperative to remove batteries before recycling.

The final change in perspective is that devices should be viewed more like cars, which are upgraded and repaired rather than thrown away when problems occur.

By working together to manage e-waste on different fronts, we can lessen its negative effects on the environment and human health.

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UCO FOR SAF

Used Cooking Oil (UCO) as a feedstock for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is a major step towards environmentally friendly aviation. SAF is a cleaner alternative to traditional jet fuel because it is produced from renewable resources, which helps to lessen the carbon impact of the aviation industry.

There has been a change in resource utilisation and waste management as UCO, a byproduct of the food sector, is now recognised for its potential in SAF production.

Refining and processing the oil to suit aviation fuel standards is a step in the process of turning UCO into SAF. When compared to conventional jet fuels, this technique not only recycles waste but also drastically reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

UCO is a more sustainable solution than crop-based biofuels because it doesn't require extra agricultural land or resources.

It assists in reducing the argument over fuel vs. food, which is a prevalent issue in the development of biofuels and could affect food prices and security when food crops are diverted for fuel.

Because of their massive consumption of cooking oil and consequent waste oil creation, China, Malaysia, and Indonesia play a crucial role in the UCO market.

By putting in place procedures for collection and processing, these nations have transformed a waste product into an important resource for the manufacturing of SAF. They play a critical role in the global supply chain for SAF, offering a consistent supply of UCO to fulfil the aviation industry's increasing demand.

In addition to addressing environmental issues, the incorporation of UCO into SAF manufacturing has financial advantages. It lessens reliance on fossil fuels, boosts local economies, and opens up new markets for waste goods.

SAF produced from UCO offers a workable alternative as the globe focuses more and more on lowering carbon emissions.

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This strategy demonstrates the critical role that trash repurposing can play in sustainable development by balancing environmental objectives with business potential.

NEWS: A Boeing 787 took off on 100% UCO SAF FUEL on 28th November 2023. A Virgin Atlantic Flight Heathrow to JFK …Trial test without paying passengers…!

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SUSTAINABLE FABRICS NEW WAVE Organic cotton is a natural and eco-friendly fabric that is produced without chemicals or pesticides and processed without fertilizers. It is certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and offers a wide range of textile products, including home goods and apparel. Cotton recycled materials are made from post-industrial or post-consumer waste, reducing the need for cotton production and keeping textile waste out of landfills.

Hemp is a high-yielding plant that helps soil through phytoremediation, absorbing more CO2 than typical plants. It is slightly more expensive but expected to see more use in the future.

Linen and hemp are nearly identical in terms of sustainability and lightness, with organic linen being the source of linen sheets and hemp being the source of linen.

Bamboo is another sustainable material, as it can be harvested without harm and absorbs more CO2 than most trees. Cork fabric is a popular vegan leather substitute, as it is sustainably obtained from cork oak trees and supports various plant and animal species.

ECONYL®, a recycled nylon fabric, is an alternative to synthetic materials, as it transforms waste fabric, abandoned fishing nets, and synthetic trash from ocean plastic into recycled nylon fabric.

Overall, sustainable fabrics like organic cotton, hemp, and ECONYL® offer a sustainable alternative to traditional materials, while also promoting a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle.

Polyester Recycled (RPET) is a sustainable fabric that has been used by brands like Patagonia and Reformation to extend the life of plastic bags, bottles, and textiles that would otherwise end up in landfills. PET is adaptable and can have a wide range of uses, including thick and fluffy fleece and thin and elastic sustainable sportswear. Deadstock fabrics, made from other apparel, are another option for sustainable clothing.

Piñatex, a cruelty-free alternative to leather, is made from pineapples and is a byproduct of the food industry. Bananatex, an award-winning plant pulp fabric, uses Abacá banana plants for its bark and beeswax for waterproofing.

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SCOBY leather, made from Kombucha, is a cheaper, biodegradable, compostable, and non-toxic alternative to leather. Spiber Inc. leads the way in the sustainable fabrics sector with Brewed Protein, a smooth protein fiber made from plantderived biomass. Apple Leather, manufactured from leftover components from the apple juice industry, is waterproof, breathable,and biodegradable on its own.

Woocoa, a vegan wool derived from plants, is part of an expanding trend. QMilk, a non-vegan, eco-friendly fabric, is silky smooth, flame retardant, and made of casein, a milk protein byproduct of the dairy industry.

In summary, sustainable fabrics like PET, deadstock cloth, lyocell, Piñatex, Bananatex, SCOBY, Split Protein, Apple Leather, Woocoa, and QMilk offer sustainable alternatives to traditional leathers and textiles.This in addition to the traditional century old purely organic fabrics.

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SASHIKO: AN UPCYCLING LESSON FROM 17TH CENTURY JAPAN The traditional Japanese needlework method known as Sashiko teaches valuable lessons about sustainability and thoughtful consumerism that extend well beyond its cultural context. Sashiko is a practical and creative culture that has inspired modern upcycling and textile sustainability.

Sashiko was first created in rural Japan and quickly became essential. Farmers and fishermen utilized it to reinforce and mend household linens and apparel. This method increased the warmth and longevity of the cloth by patching damaged sections or joining many layers of fabric together with simple running stitches.

Sashiko, however, was more than simply a way to fix things; it was a way to convey beauty and art, turning commonplace objects into one-of-a-kind creations decorated with elaborate patterns.

Upcycling has become more popular in recent years as a means of addressing the fast fashion industry's wastefulness. Sashiko is the epitome of this ideology. It illustrates the symbiotic relationship that exists between aesthetics and utility, wherein restoring textiles simultaneously adds value and beauty while extending their lifespan.

In Western consumer culture, replacing rather than mending is frequently the priority. Sashiko disproves this idea by demonstrating the worth and beauty of healing. It promotes the transition from disposable to sustainable.

Sashiko encourages us to consider our consumption patterns more carefully. We can opt to repair and revitalize textiles rather than throwing them away at the first indication of wear, which would lessen waste and our environmental impact.

Creativity and personality unlike mass-produced fashion, Sashiko stitching's distinctive designs give garments a sense of personality. It encourages creativity by enabling people to express who they are via their fixes.

Like quilting in the West, sashiko frequently brings people together to sew and exchange tales. In a world that is becoming more and more digitally connected, this sense of community and the transmission of traditional skills are important.

Sashiko, offer useful ways to prolong the life of clothing and lessen the need for new resources.

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Due of Sashiko's aesthetic appeal and sustainable philosophy, both designers and enthusiasts are embracing it. People are being encouraged to take up needles and thread to give their worn fabrics a new lease on life via workshops and online instructions that are increasing accessibility to this art form.

Finally, Sashiko is a potent illustration of how conventional methods may motivate contemporary ecological initiatives.

Its tenets of creativity, thoughtful consumption, and repair provide insightful guidance for tackling some of the environmental issues raised by the Western textile and fashion sectors.

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Part 4

INVENTIONS

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RECYCLING WIND TURBINE BLADES The unsettling, although unrepresentative, pictures of wind turbine blades buried in massive landfills may soon become obsolete. Recently, the Danish producer Vestas stated that it has created a chemical method that makes them all recyclable, including the older ones.

Vestas is unquestionably one of the industry leaders with tens of thousands of wind turbines deployed worldwide. The Danish company announced that its newest addition, a massive 15 megawatt (MW) wind turbine, had just generated its first kWh.and at the same time offer a remedy for one of the main problems facing the wind energy sector: the recycling of blades.

The problem is being worked on by many. thus the requirements of the law in this area are growing. While many are thinking about reexamining the materials used in the blades of wind turbines of the future, Vestas says it has created a chemical method that would enable the recycling of wind turbine blades from the past as well as from the present. from broadly accessible sources. a procedure that is, in theory, easily implemented on a large industrial scale.

Recall that the fundamental issue is that wind turbine blades are made of materials referred to as thermosetting composites. must possess both resistance and lightness. Thirty percent epoxy resin holds about seventy percent glass or carbon fibres. Moreover, it is quite challenging to disassemble all of this into reusable components once it has been formatted. This has been the subject of research for more than 30 years.

Vestas appears to have finally succeeded in developing a new chemical process that would allow epoxy resin to be broken down into materials that could be used elsewhere as part of the CETEC project, which stands for Circular Economy for Thermosets Epoxy Composites.

This development is made possible through a partnership with the Danish Institute of Technology, Aarhus University (Denmark), and the chemical manufacturer Olin.

Including when producing brand-new wind turbines. Sufficient to reevaluate whether or not to regard as raw material sources the blades that are burned in cement plants, landfilled, or continue in rotation in active parks.

Regarding its procedure, the company is very secretive. However, there are many who discuss about a "solvolysis reaction." the reaction of a substance—in this case, Page | 43

epoxy resin—with a solvent in the presence of a catalyst after the compound has been removed from the composite fibres.

Breaking covalent bonds in order to identify the monomers that comprise epoxy is the goal. monomers that can be treated to turn them back into resin.

WindEurope projects that starting in 2025, there will be an extra 25,000 tonnes of obsolete blades produced annually, and as much as twice that amount starting in 2030—to be developed as part of Vestas's goal to implement a circular economy for wind turbines starting in 2040. They shall be ready then!

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RECYCLING CONCRETE NEW TECH challenge

The creation of a novel concrete recycling technique is a noteworthy development in the field of sustainable building methods. With the help of specialists from Belgium and the Netherlands, Professor Hubert Rahier of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) has developed an inventive method that provides a more thorough recycling plan for one of the most commonly used building materials worldwide.

Sand, cement, water, and stones or gravel make up the composite material known as concrete. All of these ingredients—especially cement, which creates a potent chemical bond during the hydration process—have historically posed recycling difficulties. But this new approach tackles these issues head-on.

To efficiently separate the sand and gravel from the mixture, the concrete is first ground mechanically. This is an important phase because it releases these coarse aggregates, which can subsequently be employed straight away in new building projects.

This method's management of the finer particles that include hydrated cement is its more inventive feature. This is where innovative technology is useful. For this reason, a powerful microwave is used to heat the cement powder to a temperature of approximately 600°C. The hydrated cement's chemical linkages are successfully broken by this strong heat treatment, returning it to its reactive powder state.

Closing the recycling cycle, this reactivated cement powder can then be utilised once more as a binder in fresh concrete.

This technology's environmental sustainability is one of its main features. Because solar-generated electricity powers the microwave process, the recycling activity as a whole has a low carbon footprint. By recycling pre-existing materials, this method not only conserves natural resources but also considerably lowers the carbon footprint connected to the manufacture of new cement.

This progress has been made possible in part by the work of the Dutch company Slim Breker, which designed the 'SmartCrusher' machine, which separates the components of concrete at the beginning. This apparatus is essential to the procedure because it guarantees effective and efficient separation prior to the microwave treatment.

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In conclusion, this innovative approach to recycling concrete marks a significant advancement in sustainable building and trash management. This technology has the potential to revolutionise the building business by enabling the entire recycling of concrete components, particularly the reactivation of cement, so making the building sector more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

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DIAPERS INTO CONCRETE?

The University of Kitakyushu in Japan has demonstrated that shredded diapers may replace a considerable part of sand in the manufacturing of concrete, addressing two environmental challenges at the same time and leading to a breakthrough in sustainable construction.

A vital component of cement production, which uses enormous amounts of sand and thus increases greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, is sand. This creative method offers a fresh option to recycle the increasing amount of waste from nonrecyclable diapers while also saving sand.

Under the direction of Siswanti Zuraida, this project explored how diaper-infused concrete can provide low-cost housing options in underdeveloped areas.

The components of the diapers—wood pulp, cotton, and super-absorbent polymers—enhance the mechanical qualities of concrete, as demonstrated by the research's experiments combining different combinations of traditional concrete materials with shredded diapers.

The experiment found that the concrete's strength is influenced by the quantity of nappy material added to it. Architectural components may accommodate a larger amount of nappy waste without compromising structural integrity, whereas structural elements must take a greater load.

A real-world implementation of this research was an experimental house constructed in Indonesia that used diaper concrete into the design while adhering to regional building codes. Nappy trash made up about 8% of the building materials used to create the house, which sets an example for environmentally friendly building practices.

The benefits of this approach for recycling non-biodegradable garbage are recognised by scientist Christof Schröfl, who specialises in sustainable materials. He does, however, draw attention to possible difficulties with transit logistics, which would negate some environmental benefits.

Zuraida recognises that logistical challenges, such as separating and transporting nappy trash to industry or building sites, must be overcome for such efforts to succeed.

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This invention offers two advantages: it lessens the need for sand and keeps nappy waste out of landfills, which is a positive step towards more environmentally friendly building methods.

Such useful recycling applications could lead to the global adoption of greener construction techniques as communities and industry strive to strike a balance between development and environmental care.

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UPCYCLING PLASTICS TO BUILD ROADS Using plastic trash for road construction through upcycling is a novel and exciting way to reuse plastic and improve construction sustainability. The possibilities and difficulties of this novel strategy have been described in a new white paper commissioned by the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) by Stanford University engineers.

A particular focus is on the environmental consequences and long-term sustainability of employing recycled plastics for infrastructure. Based on the notion that waste plastic can be turned into building materials, the proposal aims to decrease waste accumulation as well as the need for new, virgin resources.

The viability of utilizing plastic trash for construction has been examined using a combination of computer modelling, scientific study, experimental data, and stakeholder interviews.

According to their research's findings, tensile polymers such recycled glass fiberreinforced polymer composites, which are frequently found in automobile, boat, and aeroplane parts, could be successfully repurposed for usage in building.

Using on-site machinery, pavement is recovered down to a depth of 7 cm. The asphalt is crushed and combined with a binder composed of recycled plastic bottles. Then, in order to eliminate the necessity for bringing in fresh materials and to promote environmental sustainability, this new bituminous material is spread on top of the road surface. Up to 150,000 plastic bottles may be recycled along a 1.6 kilometer stretch of road with this method.

The economics and logistics of controlling plastic waste streams provide some difficulties for this strategy, too. The recycling process may become more difficult due to variations in the flow and kind of plastic components, such as packaging formulations. In addition, considering the volume and homogeneity of material available for reuse, recycling complete polymer composite structures at the end of their useful lives may constitute a substantial change.

As opposed to conventional recycling, which reduces things to their raw forms for future use, upcycling involves improving the quality or value of an item, material, or waste.

Adding value and generating demand for recycled materials can be achieved through upcycling in infrastructure, such as building roadways out of plastic Page | 49

garbage. In addition to proving to have a smaller environmental impact than traditional materials, these materials must exceed performance standards.

Plastic garbage can be used for a variety of different purposes outside construction of buildings and roads. By comparison, recycled plastics in building might be used for longer periods of time and be used to make high-quality products, which would be a significant step forward for the circular economy.

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SOLAR PANELs FULL RECYCLING

The lifespan of photovoltaic modules is 20 to 25 years. The end-of-life of the modules represents a crucial phase in the lifetime of solar panels that is still improperly managed.

Furthermore, a tiny percentage of faulty panels require replacement each year.

Because of this, the number of panels that will eventually approach the end of their useful lives will increase exponentially in the years to come, in line with the installations of solar capacity over the last 20 years.

In Europe, end-of-life solar panels are now gathered via a program funded by importers and panel manufacturers. Pilot recycling lines have been set up in a few countries, but they only salvage the copper-containing junction box, the aluminium frame, and possibly the front glass panel.

At present, there isn't a recycling line that can adequately extract the components contained within the modules. The primary technical obstacle is effectively separating these materials, each of which has a high degree of purity and a market value that may be used to fund the recycling process.

The methods created by ROSI Solar (France) )enable the materials laminated in solar panels nearing the end of their useful lives to be deeply separated. In addition to recovering the ultrapure silicon from the cell, they may also retrieve the silver parts that were employed to gather the electric current produced by every cell.

In order to separate and purify high-purity, high-value raw materials that are currently lost by the photovoltaic sector, they have been developing revolutionary technologies since 2017. They are the first firm in the world to set up an industrial PV panel recycling plant, able to recover high-purity silicon, silver and copper and reintegrate them into advanced industrial uses, after an exceptionally quick industrial development.

In 2024, the French company and Japanese trade corporation Itochu will launch a solar panel recycling business in Japan, rescuing precious elements from old cells that may otherwise wind up in a landfill.

The scope is to reuse the majority of the material in each solar cell thanks to their recycling technology, which can recover silicon, copper, and silver from solar cells.

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Both group intend to construct many plants, each with the capacity to process 10,000–15,000 tonnes annually.Japan will have to deal with a surge of solar panels that are approaching the end of their useful lives in the 2030s as solar power becomes more popular there.

As part of Rosi's recycling process, the panel is heated to a temperature that breaks the seal between the glass covering and the cell. The cell is then submerged in a solution that enables the copper and silver components to be removed from the surface of the panel.

The silicon cell can be recycled for use in products like semiconductors, and the high-purity metals can be sold for a premium price..

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PLASMA ARC GASIfICATION NEW TECH An inventive and cutting-edge method for converting waste into energy is plasma arc gasification. The approach is notable for its capacity to manage an extensive range of waste materials, encompassing hazardous pollutants, industrial waste, and municipal solid garbage. It stands out in particular for producing syngas (synthetic gas) of superior quality and being environmentally efficient.

In order to achieve extraordinarily high temperatures—between 3,000 and 7,000 degrees Celsius—plasma arc gasification uses a plasma torch that is fueled by an electric arc.

Pyrolysis, a process, is the breakdown of waste materials at the molecular level caused by this tremendous heat. The plasma gasifier's harsh environment guarantees that waste materials almost entirely disintegrate into constituent gases and slag, a solid residue.

The Method and Its Outcomes The first step in the procedure is to send the waste into the gasifier, where the plasma torch's extreme heat treats it. Inorganic elements are converted into vitrified slag by this heat, while organic materials break down into syngas—a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. Following cleaning, the syngas can be used as a feedstock for the synthesis of chemicals or as a fuel for power generation. However, slag is a stable, nonleachable material that can be utilised for roadbeds and aggregate in construction.

The benefits of efficiency and the environment The environmental advantages of plasma arc gasification are highly praised. With a reduction rate higher than conventional incineration, it dramatically lowers the volume of waste. In comparison to traditional waste-to-energy techniques, the process emits fewer greenhouse gases and contaminants. In addition, the excellent grade of syngas generated results in a fuel that burns cleaner, and the inert nature of the slag guarantees that it doesn't harm the environment.

Economic and Useful Aspects Although there are many benefits to plasma arc gasification, there are also significant upfront and ongoing expenses. To run and maintain the plasma torch systems, the technology calls for significant upfront investment and highly qualified personnel. Its widespread implementation has been hindered by these constraints, especially in areas with smaller waste management budgets.

In particular, when processing hazardous wastes and in situations where minimizing environmental effect is a top concern, plasma arc gasification is viewed as a potential solution for the future of waste management and energy production.

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Globally, sustainable waste management and the production of renewable energy could be greatly impacted by technology as it develops and becomes more affordable.

In conclusion, plasma arc gasification is a state-of-the-art method in the waste-to-energy industry that provides variety in waste processing and environmental efficiency. The way it balances its technological advantages with economic viability will determine how it

develops and is adopted in the future.

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BREAKDOWN OF BIOPLASTICS BY MICRO ORGANISM Environmental science is beginning to study how microorganisms break down bioplastics.

Numerous microorganisms have demonstrated the ability to break down bioplastics, including bacteria and fungi belonging to the families Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Ascomycetes, and Basidiomycetes.

Enzymes like esterases, cutinases, and proteinases that these organisms release help break down bioplastics into smaller, easier-to-manage components. The chemical and physical characteristics of the plastics as well as environmental variables like temperature and moisture have an impact on how efficiently polymers biodegrade.

These findings contribute to the development of sustainable waste management methods by highlighting the potential of employing microbial activities to address the growing issue of plastic trash.

Microbial Enzymes: The Secret to the Breakdown of Bioplastics Bioplastics can be broken down by a variety of microorganisms that can be found in a wide range of environments, such as composting sites, insect guts, and soil on land and in the ocean. This demonstrates the astounding range of metabolisms found in microbes. Many of the reported biodegradable organisms are usually found in a growth condition more akin to the stationary phase found in a laboratory.

Enzymes that break down bioplastics typically belong to the esterase, cutinase, or proteinase families. Because of their relative promiscuity, these enzymes can degrade bioplastics that are not naturally occurring substrates.

Large polymers, however, must first be broken down into monomers and smaller polymers since they are frequently too massive to be transported into the cells. Enzymes that break down bioplastics are therefore usually secreted.

Aspergillus oryzae uses a two-protein system, in which a hydrophobin serves as an anchor for cutinase to break down the bioplastic poly-butylene succinate and co-butylene adipate.

In contrast to most known enzymes that function alone. Therefore, the breakdown of bioplastics can give organisms a supply of carbon. In fact, employing plastic as the only carbon source allows for the enrichment of bioplastic-degrading organisms in numerous experiments.

The rate of biodegradation is also significantly influenced by environmental factors. While plastics tend to be retained longer in colder, drier climates, deterioration is aided by both increased temperatures and wetness.

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This is partly caused by higher microbial development in warmer, more humid environments, which may come as no surprise. Moreover, the rate of biodegradation is influenced by the quality and availability of nutrients. Biodegradation can be promoted by increasing protein synthesis and supplementing with nutrients that have a limited rate of degradation.

Bioplastics' Future The goal of this field's continuous research is to find new organisms that can break down more resistant polymers, such polyethylene, as well as to improve the efficiency of biodegradation by creating new plastics or blends of plastics.

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New, Method Can Destroy “Forever” Chemicals Chemists at Northwestern University have created a technique that can degrade two major families of perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into harmless byproducts exclusively. Under the direction of William Dichtel, the research team hopes to offer a universally applicable remedy for the detrimental effects that PFAS have on people, animals, and the environment.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS for short, have been applied as nonstick and waterproofing coatings for more than 70 years. But over time, they have found their way into consumer goods, our water supply, and the blood of 97% of Americans.

Although the precise health effects of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are still unknown, there is a lot of evidence that it is associated with higher risks for many forms of cancer, impaired immune systems, raised cholesterol, and decreased fertility.

Several PFAS have been deemed hazardous by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), even at low doses.

The chemical bonds that make up PFAS are what make it unbreakable. In organic chemistry, carbon-fluorine bonds are the strongest, and PFAS has a lot of them. The researchers was able to target this head group by.

This started a series of processes that finally caused these compounds to release fluorine atoms, forming fluoride, the safest form of fluorine.

Dichtel and Trang found that the fluorinated pollutants breakdown through different pathways than previously believed, as well as a fault in the PFAS degradation settings.

Ai assisted Computational methods were employed by collaborators Ken Houk at UCLA and Yuli Li, a student at Tianjin University, to model the degradation of PFAS. PFAS was thought to only break down one carbon at a time, but their calculations showed that it actually breaks down two or three carbons at a time. This result was in line with the studies conducted by Dichtel and Trang, and it provide guidance for future method improvements.

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The group intends to investigate the efficacy of its unique strategy with other PFAS, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and GenX, a commonly used replacement.

Despite the fact that the US EPA has identified more than 12,000 PFAS compounds, Researchers are positive about the prospects of their efforts. They thinks that figuring out each type of PFAS's weak point will make it easier to activate and eliminate it.

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Footwear Recycling with AI and Robotics In the picturesque south of France city of Hendaye, a groundbreaking initiative is transforming the way we think about shoe recycling. Hendaye, a town known for its scenic beauty, is now home to an innovative project spearheaded by Cetia, a cutting-edge ‘innovation platform’. This facility is not just a recycling center; it's a glimpse into the future of sustainable fashion.

Europe faces a daunting challenge: only about one percent of its used textiles are recycled, and shoes, with their complex mix of materials like polyester, foam, and leather, pose a particularly stubborn recycling problem. Traditionally, these materials are difficult to separate, hindering efficient recycling.

Cetia's facility in Hendaye is pioneering a solution. Their flagship technology involves futuristic robots equipped with near-infrared sensors. These sensors perform a critical task – they can precisely identify the material composition of a shoe. For instance, whether a shoe is made of 80% cotton and 20% polyester, or a 50/50 mix. This precision allows for accurate sorting of materials into designated bins, streamlining the recycling process.

The European Union, recognizing the urgent need for sustainable practices, has set ambitious textile recycling targets for 2030. These include stipulations for minimum recycled fiber content in textiles. However, the challenge lies in the complexity of dismantling and sorting materials in clothes and shoes. Traditional recycling often relegates these materials to non-textile uses like household padding or road surfacing.

There's a growing demand within the fashion industry for circularity – the idea that materials from products should be recycled within the same industry, not downcycled into lesser products. As Chloé Salmon Legagneur, director of Cetia, points out, brands are increasingly seeking to recycle materials in a way that they can be reused in their original industry, rather than being repurposed for insulation or flooring.

Cetia is not just about sorting – it's about precision and care in material handling.

Infrared technology is used to recognize the color and composition of mixed materials. A subsequent process involves another machine adept at separating 'hard points', such as zippers and buttons, from the fabric, ensuring the integrity of the material is maintained.

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AI-Powered Precision The facility also boasts an AI-powered machine with the remarkable ability to differentiate between various parts of a garment – distinguishing a pocket from a collar, or a sleeve from trouser bottoms. This level of detail is crucial in ensuring that each material type is recycled correctly.

The work being done at Cetia represents a significant leap forward in sustainable fashion.

By combining advanced robotics, AI, and a deep understanding of textile composition, this facility is not just recycling shoes – it's redefining the possibilities of what can be achieved in the realm of sustainable fashion and circular economy.

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Banana peels: source of hydrogen energy?

A novel technique has been devised by researchers at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, to produce biochar and hydrogen from dehydrated banana peels, with very positive results.

While the European Commission continues to work on the Euro 7 standard, which is expected to expand the sector to include additional biofuels and synthetic fuels, researchers from all over the world are hoping to increase the number of energy sources that may be used in mobility.

A new technique for pyrolysis or gasification of hydrogen has been developed by the group led by Professor Hubert Girault of the EPFL Faculty of Basic Sciences. In the latter case, the waste is heated to approximately 1,000°C to convert it to liquid or solid biomass.

A mixture of hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide, and other hydrocarbons are produced as gas. Biochar that can be used in agriculture is included with it. There are three different ways to pyrolyze biomass.

The traditional and quick forms involve conditioning the biomass in an inert environment with five bars of pressure.

Lower, between 400 and 800° C, is the temperature required for the transition. Still, there is a significant amount of biochar.

Extra gas is released during flash pyrolysis. Even though the process is shorter, it still needs reactors that can endure high pressure and 600°C. First and foremost, a 24-hour first drying phase at 105° C is necessary. After being dehydrated, the biomass is ground into a fine powder by sieving and crushing it.

The latter is subsequently put in an inert atmosphere and ambient pressure stainless steel reactor for further processing.

A xenon lamp produces a very strong flashing beam that will shine through a regular glass window, flashing the material.

The change happens instantly. Swiss researchers at EPFL have found that photothermal chemical reactions occur in only milliseconds with a biochar and synthesis gas output.

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LAB GROWN WOOD

An innovative method for combating the unsustainable use of wood by employing “Zinnia elegans tree” cells to create 3-D printed, lab-grown plant materials.

The first physical, mechanical, and microstructural examination of tunable plant materials generated in a lab is a significant contribution to this field. The research shows that altering the growth medium's hormone levels can dramatically change these materials' characteristics.

The acquired data elucidates the repeatability of the growth patterns and the interaction between the culture conditions and developmental pathways, which ultimately influence the emergent features of the materials.

Samples were obtained by embedding them in paraffin wax, cutting thin pieces out of them, coloring them to be seen, and finally imaging them using a fluorescence microscope.

Dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA) was used for mechanical characterization. This allowed evaluation of the dehydrated samples' elastic and viscous moduli and allowed comparisons of material properties under various growth conditions.

One important discovery is that, within a comparable amount of time, the grown materials can attain shapes and scales that are distinct from those of wild plant tissues.

Additionally, this research raises the prospect of manipulating the sequences of cell development to create materials that resemble real plant tissues more closely, thereby increasing the spectrum of attributes that can be achieved .

Finally, the research provides a basic understanding of how the macroscopic features of the generated plant materials are influenced by developmental processes at the cell level.

This study is a step towards the environmentally and economically advantageous replacement of conventional forestry and agriculture methods with sustainable plant material production in lab settings.

Until now, scientists have used this method for only animal cell culture.

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“Analogous concepts have not been translated to the plant culture space, particularly with respect to the production of materials. This work thus represents a first look at a cellular agriculture approach to plant material generation.

They are now planning to 3D print timber in a lab from cells of trees like pine.

Once this happens, deforestation could become a thing of the past!

To conclude, these new biotechnologies will -one day-produce the wood products we love, without cutting down a single tree.

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LEATHER FABRIC FROM MUSHROOMS? Hermès, a luxury brand renowned for its hand-stitched leather bags, tested successfully a new biomaterial called “Sylvania”, a biomaterial produced from the mycelial roots of mushrooms.

Renowned for crafting intricately sewn accessories using materials such as crocodile and ostrich leather. By adding a novel biomaterial known as Sylvania into their goods, Hermès is venturing into uncharted territory.

Originating from mycelium, the network of threads found in mushroom roots, the luxury brand worked with California-based business “MycoWorks” for three years to produce this fabric. Mycelium strands have the potential to be weaved into a material that resembles leather through further processing and treatment.

MycoWorks claims that its fabric does not require compression to attain a lasting finish, in contrast to another mycelium-based biomaterial that is also referred to as mushroom leather.

The biomaterial was subsequently sent to France by Hermès, where it underwent finishing and tanning processes to fortify the fabric.

Hermès artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas stated when the partnership was first revealed that "with Sylvania, Hermès is at the heart of what it has always been: innovation in the making."

The garment industry has struggled in recent years to find ways to lessen its environmental impact. Products made from "upcycled" materials leftover from previous collections are now available from brands like Alexander McQueen.

In the meantime, the fashion brand Chanel pledged to contribute to lowering the carbon impact across its whole supply chain. Hermès has also taken action, such as integrating renewable energy into its electricity consumption and recycling leather offcuts.

Reevaluating leather use, however, presents a distinct set of difficulties. The chemicals used to cure and tan leather can be harmful to the environment, even though proponents of animal leather claim that the leather-tanning business reuses skins that would otherwise be thrown to landfills. Critics also question the environmental impact of petroleum-derived fabric, as "faux" or synthetic leather is seen as inferior and requires years to biodegrade.So not a solution far from it!.

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Companies have recently started exploring with plant-based alternatives. For example, plant leather made from rice husks, cork, and vegetable oil has been invested in by the shoe company Allbirds. Meanwhile, Hugo Boss is now producing some of its shoes using a biofabric derived from the fibres of pineapple leaves.

Nevertheless, it appears that mycelium-based biofabrics are becoming the leather substitute in the fashion business. “Mylo” created by Bolt Threads is another alternative mycelium-based material that Stella McCartney is experimenting with.

A move that could boost the biomaterial's appeal in the high fashion world as well as elsewhere in the business is the involvement Gucci's parent company Kering, Adidas, with the firm commitment to use the new fabric in the future.

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PART 5

CONCLUSIONS

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BORNHOLM THE DANISH EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW The Baltic Sea Island of Bornholm, Denmark, has made a commitment to rid itself of all waste by the year 2032. The island is referred to as "the sunshine island" and welcomes thousands of visitors each year because of its pristine environment, charming fishing villages, and arts and crafts legacy. Nonetheless, the island has had difficulties, such as the depletion of Baltic Sea fisheries and the loss of numerous small-scale fishermen due to Denmark's privatisation of quotas.

The head of Bornholm's waste authority (BOFA), Jens Hjul-Nielsen, made the decision to suggest a solution to the island's issues in 2018. Bornholm's incinerator, which already burns almost all non-recyclable trash, will eventually run out of fuel in 2032.

This is a big difficulty because Denmark is one of the countries that creates the most garbage globally and among the most waste producers per person in the European Union.

Currently, 70% of waste produced annually on Bornholm is recycled; the remaining 25% is burned, and the other 5% is disposed of in landfills. By 2025, the island hopes to achieve carbon neutrality in its energy sector, producing heat and electricity from sustainable biomass, solar, biogas, and wind energy.

The goal of Bornholm's zero waste vision is to use a pilot project to create compost from diapers in order to maximise the potential of organic waste, or biomass.

Disposable diapers can take up to 500 years to decompose in landfills since they are composed of non-biodegradable materials. The zero waste project manager is employing a unique kind of 100% compostable nappy that is composed of cellulose and plant-based, biodegradable plastics.

Kindergarten diapers are gathered, shred, and combined with other organic waste materials like garden debris and leftover grains from a nearby brewery. After just 10 days, the combination is completely sanitised by heating it to 70C (158F) for an hour. It may then be utilised as compost in agriculture.

An annual biogas plant in Bornholm produces enough gas to run almost one-fifth of the island's dwellings by processing 120,000 tonnes of organic waste.The factory has requested permission from the local authorities to grow to four times its current size because it can only handle only 20% of the pig excrement on the island.

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With 12,800 members, the island's recycling center provides a hub for people to share unwanted goods like food, bicycles, and toys.

In order to accomplish this, BOFA is concentrating on growing its household collection service and giving youth education first priority. Outreach programs on the circular economy and "green mindset" instruction are provided to schoolchildren. The island is inviting businesses with design or technological solutions to work with them through the creation of a zero waste innovation and collaborations platform.

The process is beginning, and Bornholm should feel comfortable employing established procedures to achieve a recycling rate of up to 80%. The final 20%, nevertheless, is devoted to industrial redesign.

A i had difficulty to understand Baltic landscape for the illustration! It prefer Caribbeans style!

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Finland's Plan to End All Waste by 2050 Finland's comprehensive strategy to eliminate all waste by 2050 highlights the significance of a circular economy. Following the adoption of a national "road map" to a circular economy in 2016, the government has capped the exploitation of natural resources at specific levels.

Finland encourages creative reuse, upcycling, and the use of recovered materials in public procurement. Nonetheless, the nation has also placed a strong emphasis on education, preparing the next generation of citizens to view the economy in a different way than their parents and grandparents did.

Sitra's Nani Pajunen, a sustainability specialist, contends that changing society at all levels requires education. In 2017, a pilot program aimed at assisting educators in incorporating the idea into curricula took off, and 2,500 educators joined the network. From that point on, researching the circular economy has become its own thing, beginning with the youngest. The solutions-based approach to understanding the circular economy fits into all levels of formal education in a country where experiential learning plays a major role in education.

By the time children get to college, they have a solid enough foundation in circularity to be able to apply it to more complex study. Students at Metropolia University of Applied Sciences work together on projects intended to address issues in the real world. A group studying engineering looked into how Helsinki could support communities in which individual blocks could create their own small-scale circular economy.

As Marja Oesch, who grew up on a farm 88 km north of Helsinki, started altering the farm's model to include putting back as much as taking out, the idea is gradually finding its way into adult education. She now considers the impact on the soil and its inhabitants, as well as future improvements that will improve the farm's health.

Finland is adopting a circular economy, with 82% of its citizens thinking that it generates employment. With 28% of domestic energy originating from wood-based fuels, the nation's forestry sector has likewise made efforts to reinvent itself.

In 2020, renewable energy sources—including wood—surpassed fossil fuels for the first time.

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Promising startups utilizing circular strategies are growing, with several attempting to transform forestry sector byproducts into novel materials such as bioplastics, paperboard, and textiles. Refurbishing iPhones, Swappie is one of Finland's most prosperous recent firms.

At its headquarters in Helsinki, Swappie manages every stage internally, from receiving reconditioned phones to diagnosing and fixing them to shipping out the flawlessly restored models. By taking a comprehensive approach, the company has grown its income from 500,000 euros in its first year to 98,000,000 euros in 2020.

Additionally, it has expanded its capabilities by building a second factory in Estonia.

The company employs 1,100 people, many of whom are drawn to it by the sense of purpose.

The top energy producing and revenue-generating business in the nation, Fortum, already operates under a circular business model. By burning waste and turning fresh materials—like used household plastic—into clean pellets that can be recycled into any kind of plastic, it turns waste into energy.

Though it is being transformed into something new, Finland still has a long way to go since the volume of waste going to landfills has dropped significantly over the previous 20 years.

Since its opening in 2018, the downtown Helsinki restaurant Nolla has prioritised a zero-waste mentality. The general public, however, may not always be in favour of this strategy if they believe they are wasting food or serving guests spoiled food.

Although she has noticed a trend in favour of the circular economy, entrepreneur Amanda Rejstrom, founder and CEO of Spark Sustainability, points out that older Finns may still be more dubious.

Finland's distinct blend of a tiny population, strong political will, a robust entrepreneurial culture, and an excellent educational system implies that any nation hoping to emulate its success needs to look beyond simply sponsoring innovative firms and gradually closing landfills to a larger, more comprehensive picture.

With Sitra issuing instructions to assist other countries in creating their own circular economy road plans and working with the African Development Bank to advance circularity throughout Africa, Finland is attempting to establish itself as a role model

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for other nations. But it takes time to focus on teaching the next generation to change a society.

To sum up, Finland is emphasizing teaching its youth about the circular economy and its possible advantages, but this is a long-term approach that won't happen instantly. The emphasis on teaching youth sustainability is essential to advancing the circular economy and mitigating the effects on the environment.

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THE 3 R AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY: A YESTERDAY model for TOMORROW When we consider the history of the circular economy and its place in the modern world, it is evident that this deeply ingrained model is not merely a relic of the past but also an essential guide for the future. The circular economy, which operates on the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle, represents a significant transformation in how we view the environment and our resources. It has emerged as a key response to contemporary issues including resource depletion, biodiversity loss, and climate change.

The core principles of the circular economy were once commonplace in many traditional communities, where reducing waste and maximising resource efficiency were integral ways of life. But these sustainable approaches were abandoned in favour of a linear, "take-make-dispose" strategy due to the unrelenting pursuit of industrialization and economic expansion.

The circular economy is reappearing now as we deal with the fallout from this error, not as a sentimental throwback to bygone eras but rather as a required modification of these ideas to meet present and future needs The growing realisation that sustainability and economic growth are not mutually exclusive is demonstrated by the circular economy's renaissance. This model provides a route to ecological and economic resilience by changing patterns of production and consumption, which is essential for reducing the effects of environmental risks that are made worse by climate change. In addition to encouraging a culture of repair and refurbishing and a move away from ownership towards sharing, the circular economy promotes the development of long-lasting, reusable, and recyclable items.

Essentially, the 3 R within thecircular economy is a process of historical learning that applies conventional wisdom to creative solutions fit for the problems of the present. It suggests a fundamental shift in the ways that we generate, utilise, and view resources in order to bring economic activity into line with environmental sustainability.

Given the impending resource shortages and environmental catastrophes, this paradigm change is not only required but essential to our society's existence and development.

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It becomes clear that the circular economy model is more than just a different strategy when we adopt its tenets—rather, it provides the basis for a prosperous and sustainable future. It presents a picture of a society in which environmental conservation and economic growth go hand in hand, creating a stable and resilient environment.

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SOURCES

Phys.org scientificamerican.com Spectra.mhi.com techniques-ingenieur.fr wired.com bloomberg.com euronews.com asia.nikkei.com bnef.com arstechnica.com gb.news.com

Qz.com wsj.com pv-tech.org neozone.org visualcapitalist.com interestingengineering.com newatlas.com nationalgrid.com transitionsenergies.com h2-view.com techcrunch.com

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