Magnesium is a promising material. It has a remarkable mix of mechanical and biomedical properties that has made it suitable for a vast range of applications. Moreover, with alloying, many of these inherent properties can be further improved. Today, it is primarily used in the automotive, aerospace, and medical industries. However, magnesium has its own set of drawbacks that the industry and research communities are actively addressing. Magnesium’s rapid corrosion is its most significant drawback, and it dramatically impeded magnesium’s growth and expansion into other applications. This article reviews both the engineering and biomedical aspects and applications for magnesium and its alloys. It will also elaborate on the challenges that the material faces and how they can be overcome and discuss its outlook.
Advancing societal’s progress to achieve circularity is imperative as our linear (take, make, waste) economic model is highly unsustainable. It depletes our natural resources and substantially contributes to pollution and global greenhouse gas emissions. Our continued participation in the linear economy will also expose businesses to volatile resource prices and supply disruptions resulting from the scarcity of critical materials and geopolitical factors. Hence, there are compelling reasons for businesses to transit and participate in the circular economy. However, anecdotal evidence suggests limited practical implementations. Therefore, this systematic review aims to determine the most significant drivers and barriers that influence business leaders to transform their businesses for participation in the circular economy. By clarifying the most influential factors and their characteristics, we can introduce effective measures to encourage or mitigate them. This review takes a transdisciplinary approach to discuss salient and consequential ideas with depth and completeness. Its associated practical and managerial implications are also thoroughly discussed.
The topic of single-use plastic (SUP) has attracted considerable global attention. Even though it has been investigated extensively by the research community, there is no existing literature that succinctly reviews the progress and developments of its uses, associated impacts, viable alternatives, and end-of-life scenarios through the lens of the food services industry (FSI). Through our review, we attempted to answer the question if the use of SUP foodware in the FSI can be more sustainable, and if possible, participate in the circular economy. We have determined that it is technologically possible for disposable foodware to achieve circularity using bio-based biodegradable foodware materials, organic recycling, and industrial symbiosis. All three components need to be operated and utilized simultaneously for any disposable foodware to be truly circular. However, we found the adoption rate of these technologies to be relatively low, and we discussed the reasons for our findings in detail. We proposed using policy action as an intervention mechanism to mitigate this situation and encourage greater adoption.
More than 78 million tons of photovoltaic modules (PVMs) will reach their end of life (EOL) by 2050. If they are not responsibly managed, they can (a) pollute our terrestrial ecosystem, (b) indirectly encourage continuous mining and extraction of Earth’s finite resources, and (c) diminish the net environmental benefit of harvesting solar energy. Conversely, successfully recovering them could reduce resource extraction and waste and generate sufficient economic return and value to finance the production of another 2 billion PVMs by 2050. Therefore, EOL PVMs must participate in the circular economy, and business and political leaders are actively devising strategies to enable their participation. This article aims to facilitate and expedite their efforts by comprehensively reviewing and presenting the latest progress and developments in EOL PVM recovery methods and processes. It also identifies and thoroughly discusses several interrelated observations that impede or accelerate their efforts. Overall, our approach to this article differs but synergistically complements and builds upon existing life cycle assessment-based (LCA-based) contributions.
Extended producer responsibility (EPR) initiatives have shown success in enhancing the independent collection of plastic waste, but the existing recycling industry framework poses challenges to achieving optimal recyclability levels. For addressing this issue, various legislative strategies, including non-profit EPR, door-to-door collection systems, and deposit refund schemes (DRS), have been implemented in some countries such as the UK and Germany. As plastic waste management responsibility is shared between consumers and producers in Europe, with consumers generating 40% of plastic waste and producers being responsible for the remaining 60%, this review examines the impact of EPR and DRS programs on consumer and producer behaviors. The article also explores the potential for circularity and sustainability of recycling technologies, including their challenges and limitations. The significance of this study lies in its examination of the impact of EPR and DRS programs on consumer and producer behaviors, providing insight into sustainable practices that promote waste minimization and foster the adoption of recycling methods. Ultimately, the review recommends quick action in four crucial areas, including standardization, infrastructure investment, partnership models, and the production of higher-value recycled materials, all of which require supply chain collaboration.
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