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Processes
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Circular Economy and Efficient Use of Resources (Volume II)
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Circular Economy and Efficient Use of Resources (Volume II)

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental and Green Processes".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2024 | Viewed by 10143

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Lucian-Ionel Cioca

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Industrial Engineering and Management Department, Faculty of Engineering, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, 550024 Sibiu, Romania
Interests: management; human resources management; occupational health and safety management; production systems engineering; ergonomics; circular economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Elena Simina Lakatos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
"Ernest Lupan" Institute for Research in Circular Economy and Environment, Cluj Napoca, Romania
Interests: entrepreneurship; circular economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Previous and current resource-use models have led to high levels of pollution, environmental degradation, and the depletion of natural resources. The waste policy has a long history and has traditionally focused on more environmentally sustainable waste-management techniques. To be efficient in terms of resource use, the principles of the circular economy should change this trend, transforming the economy into a more sustainable economy. The new waste regulations have introduced novel waste-management objectives in terms of waste prevention, reuse, recycling, and storage, by addressing new processes. In the current Special Issue on the "Circular Economy and Efficient Use of Resources (Volume II) ", we invite researchers to publish their scientific contributions to this topic.

Prof. Dr. Lucian-Ionel Cioca
Dr. Elena-Simina Lakatos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Processes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • circular economy
  • ecological technologies
  • ecological processes
  • production processes
  • resource efficiency
  • production system and waste streams
  • waste treatment and disposal
  • plastics in the circular economy
  • waste generation management and prevention
  • ecological technologies
  • medical waste
  • sustainable process
  • new trends in textiles

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 2005 KiB  
Article
The Paradox of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) between High-Efficiency Energy and Waste Management Concerns in the Context of Disasters Worldwide
by Laura Elly Naghi, Narcis Sebastian Păvălașcu and Manuela Rozalia Gabor
Processes 2023, 11(3), 953; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11030953 - 20 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2209
Abstract
With the uncertainty concerning the future use of natural resources due to depletion and lack of access caused by the pandemic and recent political events that led to increased prices, nuclear energy may become an alternative efficient energy. NPPs raise serious concerns, including [...] Read more.
With the uncertainty concerning the future use of natural resources due to depletion and lack of access caused by the pandemic and recent political events that led to increased prices, nuclear energy may become an alternative efficient energy. NPPs raise serious concerns, including waste management, and any case of an NPP accident has the potential to disrupt the positive impact of energy production in terms of circular economies. Our research analyzed the impact of nuclear incidents as examples of disasters worldwide to decide whether any of the different forms of insurance coverage could be useful in future events. By using 2533 historical records of incidents from 1901 to June 2022, we set out to find the best predictor of damage causes and further observe whether the validation of current forms of insurance may be possible. The disaster subtype and declaration represent the best predictor of the total damage value (adjusted or not) for all types of disasters, including nuclear. The results are important inputs for underwriters working in insurance, including in radioactive waste management, which must consider historical data in order to tailor future contracts, adjusting the cost and coverage to the type of disaster. Our results highlight that with an increase of only one event involving a nuclear source, the total adjusted damages will increase by USD 1,821,087.09 thousand, representing 75% of the damage costs of the rest of the disaster subtypes. The results are useful for public entities to evaluate nuclear energy as a new solution and can help further adapt existing policies to include better responses for waste prevention, reuse and recycling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Efficient Use of Resources (Volume II))
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19 pages, 1530 KiB  
Article
Organizational Agility and Sustainable Manufacturing Practices in the Context of Emerging Economy: A Mediated Moderation Model
by Jianmin Sun, Muddassar Sarfraz, Jamshid Ali Turi and Larisa Ivascu
Processes 2022, 10(12), 2567; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10122567 - 02 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2371
Abstract
Since the beginning of the 21st century, agility and sustainability have played a significant role in the global manufacturing industry. The manufacturing paradigm leaning toward green procurement and organizational agility has crossed all levels of sustainability by colossally influencing the firms’ sustainable practices, [...] Read more.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, agility and sustainability have played a significant role in the global manufacturing industry. The manufacturing paradigm leaning toward green procurement and organizational agility has crossed all levels of sustainability by colossally influencing the firms’ sustainable practices, innovation capacity, and eco-friendly procurements. Integrating sustainable practices in manufacturing is a complex task that demands that global economies conduct comprehensive research on the factors influencing the firms’ sustainable practices. Therefore, the study considers empirical research between organizational agility and sustainable manufacturing practices. The data was collected from 461 respondents working in the manufacturing sector by applying a convenience sampling technique. We utilized structural equation modeling (SEM) for direct and indirect hypothesis testing. The study results revealed that operational, customer, and partnering agility significantly and positively impact sustainable manufacturing practices and green procurement. Green procurement mediates the relationship between operational, customer, partnering agility and sustainable manufacturing practices. The study results showed a significant moderating role of big data between green procurement and sustainable manufacturing practices. The study findings are helpful to managers and policymakers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Efficient Use of Resources (Volume II))
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Review

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18 pages, 2902 KiB  
Review
Exopolysaccharides of Fungal Origin: Properties and Pharmaceutical Applications
by Roxana Mădălina Stoica, Misu Moscovici, Elena Simina Lakatos and Lucian Ionel Cioca
Processes 2023, 11(2), 335; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr11020335 - 20 Jan 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2711
Abstract
Fungal exopolysaccharides (EPSs) represent an important group of bioactive compounds secreted by fungi. These biopolymers can be utilized individually or in combination with different bioactive substances for a broad range of pharmaceutical field applications, due to their various biological activities, such as antioxidant, [...] Read more.
Fungal exopolysaccharides (EPSs) represent an important group of bioactive compounds secreted by fungi. These biopolymers can be utilized individually or in combination with different bioactive substances for a broad range of pharmaceutical field applications, due to their various biological activities, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-diabetic, and anticoagulant effects. The paper presents an up-to-date review of the main fungal polysaccharides (pullulan, schizophyllan, scleroglucan, botryosphaeran, lentinan, grifolan, and lasiodiplodan), highlighting their structures, producing strains, and useful properties in a double position, as controlled release (rate and selectively targeting) drug carriers, but mostly as active immunomodulating and antitumor compounds in cancer therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Efficient Use of Resources (Volume II))
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16 pages, 727 KiB  
Review
A Systematic Review on Biosurfactants Contribution to the Transition to a Circular Economy
by Elena Simina Lakatos, Lucian Ionel Cioca, Andrea Szilagyi, Mariana Gratiela Vladu, Roxana Mădălina Stoica and Misu Moscovici
Processes 2022, 10(12), 2647; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr10122647 - 08 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1856
Abstract
Since they are more environmentally acceptable than their chemically synthesized counterparts, biosurfactants are used in a wide range of environmental applications. However, less research has been done on biosurfactants within the context of the circular economy, despite their theoretical potential to fulfill a [...] Read more.
Since they are more environmentally acceptable than their chemically synthesized counterparts, biosurfactants are used in a wide range of environmental applications. However, less research has been done on biosurfactants within the context of the circular economy, despite their theoretical potential to fulfill a number of circular economy ambitions, including closing the consumption loop, regenerating natural systems, and maintaining resource value within the system. Hence, the main objective of this review is to identify and analyze the contributions of biosurfactants to the implementation of the circular economy. A final sample of 30 papers from the Web of Science database was examined. We identified five broad categories of contributions: waste stream-derived production, combating food waste, strengthening soil health, and improving the efficiency of water resources. We concluded that, while manufacturing biosurfactants from waste streams can reduce production costs, optimizing yield remains a contentious issue that complicates the adoption of biosurfactants into the circular economy framework. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy and Efficient Use of Resources (Volume II))
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