The adverse effects of the accumulation of plastic on our planet are no longer sustainable; plastic is a major threat to all forms of life in all environments in addition to contributing to global warming. The academic world has been focusing on registering the damages caused by plastic pollution and finding solutions to refrain from and substitute plastic and its usages, which our consumer society is so heavily dependent on. A pathway towards limiting the use of plastic comes from the European Union 2019/904 Directive for limiting the production of single-use and oxo-degradable plastics. Currently, bioplastics are one of the major alternatives in substituting fossil-based plastics, but question remain about its use. as too what extent could bioplastics be a long-term solution to plastic pollution? Is it a misconception to consider bioplastics completely harmless to the environment? This short review article aims to draw attention to the counter effects connected to the limitations and mismanagement of bioplastics through their life cycle by collecting data not published until now. A review of several cradle-to-Grave Life Cycle Assessments has been made to analyse bioplastics from production to end-of-life options. The result produced from this review article shows that bioplastics do not represent a long-term solution to plastic pollution and, on the contrary, may seem to contribute to overall environmental endangerment. The novelty of this work lies in pointing out the misconception of bioplastics’ healthy effects on the environment by thoroughly analysing all environmental impacts of current production and disposal of bioplastics and by providing a more sustainable production of bioplastic through wastewater treatment plants.
The development of resilient and sustainable cities emerged as a solution to tackle the several challenges arising from the exponential growth of urban areas population worldwide. The implementation of environmental technologies represents a solution to minimize negative impacts of crowded cities on the environment and human health. The research presents and discusses the applications of advanced and innovative cutting edge technologies to develop sustainable, green and resilient cities. The study is carried out by distinguishing environmental technologies (ETs) on four principal sectors: water and greywater, air pollution, municipal solid waste and mobility. For each technology the strengths and weaknesses are analysed and pointed out. The application of the principal technologies evaluated with reference to real cases study of metropolitan area were highlighted. The work contributes to the development of sustainable cities, providing useful information to support urban planners and policymakers in order to minimize environmental pressures and improve the way they operate.
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