Packaging Glasses: From Containers to Encapsulation Composition, Performance, and Sustainability Pathways.

In order to realize carbon mitigation and the efficient utilization of waste biogas, the biogas-to-methanol process is an important method. The syngas produced by the conventional biogas reforming technology is rich in CO2 and CO, whereas it is poor in hydrogen. Therefore, additional H2 is introduced into the system to adjusted the syngas ratio, promoting the efficient conversion of the biogas. However, the use of traditional H2 production technologies generally results in considerable carbon emissions. Given these points, low-carbon H2 production technologies, namely methane pyrolysis technology and chemical looping reforming technology, are integrated with the biogas-to-methanol process to enhance carbon conversion, carbon reduction, and cost-saving potentials. Comprehensive technical and economic comparisons of the integrated processes are conducted. The process coupled with chemical looping reforming technology has a higher carbon conversion efficiency (73.52%) and energy efficiency (70.41%), and lower unit carbon emissions (0.73 t CO2/t methanol). Additionally, the process coupled with methane pyrolysis technology has higher product revenue, whereas that including chemical looping reforming technology has a lower net production cost (571.33 USD/t methanol). In summary, the novel chemical looping reforming technology provides a cleaner and more sustainable pathway with which to promote the efficient conversion of biogas into methanol.

This review critically assesses the valorization of animal waste proteins (collagen, gelatin, casein, keratin, and silk fibroin) into advanced food packaging nanofibers via electrospinning, solution blow spinning, and centrifugal spinning. This work details the processing parameters and protein-specific adaptations enabling the fabrication of ultrafine fibers with enhanced mechanical strength, tunable moisture/oxygen barriers, and a high surface area. Central to overcoming limitations (e.g. hydrophilicity and brittleness) are key functionalization strategies: polymer blending (e.g. with zein and polyvinyl alcohol [PVA]), chemical cross-linking, and incorporation of bioactive agents (antimicrobials, antioxidants, and pH-responsive systems). These modifications yield active/intelligent nanofiber films demonstrably effective in extending shelf life across diverse foods (meat, dairy, and soy products). By transforming slaughterhouse, dairy, and leather byproducts into high-value packaging, this approach exemplifies circular economy principles, simultaneously addressing plastic pollution and organic waste disposal. Challenges in moisture stability, scalability, and regulatory alignment have been examined, yet protein nanofibers represent a sustainable technological pathway to reduce fossil-fuel dependency and advance food preservation.

The rapid development of China’s cross-border e-commerce has largely benefited from the support of industrial policies. This paper adopts social network analysis and content analysis, builds an analytical framework from the four dimensions: policy time, policy document type, text subject, and content theme. We conduct a quantitative analysis of 81 cross-border e-commerce industry policy texts from 2008 to 2018, and systematically reveal the characteristics of China’s cross-border e-commerce industry policy system, including document structure, subject network and content theme, as well as the time trend of those characteristics. The results show that China has initially established a cross-border e-commerce industry policy system with reasonable text structure and relatively concentrated themes, which covers all business links of the cross-border e-commerce industry ecological chain. Among them, four departments, including the Ministry of Commerce, the General Administration of Customs, the Administration of Taxation and the Ministry of Finance, are at the core of the cooperation network on industrial policy issuance. Customs management, foreign exchange receipt and payment, business pattern, tax administration, credit management, inside and outside coordination are the most concerned themes of cross-border e-commerce industry policy system during 2008–2018.

Directly splitting seawater to produce hydrogen provides a promising pathway for energy and environmental sustainability. However, current seawater splitting faces many challenges because of the sluggish kinetics, the presence of impurities, membrane contamination, and the competitive chloride oxidation reaction at the anode, which makes it more difficult than freshwater splitting. This Review firstly introduces the basic mechanisms of the anode and cathode reactions during seawater splitting. We critically analyze the primary principles for designing catalysts for seawater splitting in terms of both the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions, including with noble metal, noble metal free, and metal-free catalysts. Strategies to design effective catalysts, such as active site population, synergistic effect regulation, and surface engineering, are discussed. Furthermore, promises, perspectives, and challenges in developing seawater splitting technologies for clean hydrogen generation are summarized.

Quick urbanization increment causes a few difficult problems, such as social assessment, more energy demands, and pollution increase. A positive factor for a city is the concentration of energy requests. On the other hand, urbanization trend is going to fragmentation of settlements, with a consequent expansion of the energy distribution networks but also an increase of the energy wasted. Each building needs some of the total energy distributed in the city. Energy needs can be grouped into four essential parameters: construction, heating, electricity, and water. How were these four parameters satisfied in the XIX century, before the industrial revolution? In those days’ energy requirement wasn’t so high and could be supplied with basic energy production technology. The knowledge of appropriate building technology (project), the use of (energy saving) materials, with a low and punctual heating system (fireplace, stove) or passive refreshment all intervened in this process. These requirements were achieved in each country using building plans studied to face different weather conditions with different architectural typology and with human effort and time (work-energy). This paper analyses an energy balance in a single typical building in the center of Italy, describing the energy flow that will show the logical and technical solution for “energy-saving”. Old buildings (before the introduction of “building-plant”) were always designed and built with an energy-saving concern. This article wants to propose the study of a typical building in which are used only low-energy systems to meet all the comfort requirements, to demonstrate that it is not necessary to use high-energy technology. This is how architecture urbanization studies and implementation can be used to reduce high-energy production needs.

Sustainable Upgrading Process of Methanol to Hydrogen

Dual-objective chemical production planning by graphical-tabular Pinch Analysis for sustainable methanol industry in China

Rapid economic and industrial developments and population growth in Bahrain are associated with increases in energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process has been adopted in the country to address environmental aspects within energy intensive projects such as oil and petrochemical industries. The quality of EIA reports with respect to energy conservation and gas emissions was investigated in this study. The results obtained showed that aspects of gas emissions received more attention than energy conservation. The reports reflected a good (75%) and satisfactory (25%) consideration of air quality. Considering the efficiency and energy consumption aspects, the reports were assessed as satisfactory (25%), borderline (50%) and poor (25%) quality. A framework to be used as a platform to integrate the EIA process, environmental management systems (EMS) and energy management systems (EnMS) was suggested. Enforcement of legislations to ensure efficient use of energy within the industrial sector, adopting strategic environmental assessment (SEA) practice in the country and linking it to energy planning, and encouraging industrial firms to adopt EnMS to play the role of adhering to EIA mitigation measures were recommended.

Modelling creative destruction: Technological diffusion and industrial structure change to 2050

Indonesia’s growing role in the global halal economy highlights the necessity of a well-developed halal infrastructure that ensures product integrity, strengthens consumer trust, and enhances industry competitiveness. However, existing studies and national practices tend to focus on isolated elements such as certification or logistics, resulting in fragmented implementation and uneven institutional capacity across regions. This study aims to provide an integrated analysis of halal infrastructure covering certification governance, halal laboratory networks, halal logistics, and digital traceability systems and examine how these components collectively reinforce the Sharia economic ecosystem in Indonesia. The analysis also considers how national regulatory frameworks shape institutional coordination, stakeholder roles, and system-wide governance of halal assurance. Using a qualitative Integrative Systematic Literature Review (SLR) supported by policy reports and empirical case documentation, the study synthesizes Institutional Theory, the Resource-Based View, and the maqāṣid al-sharī‘ah framework to analyze structural, operational, and ethical dimensions. This integrative SLR approach is employed to consolidate fragmented interdisciplinary scholarship and construct a unified analytical model of halal infrastructure. The findings show that coordinated institutional arrangements, capacity development of laboratories, and digital integration significantly enhance efficiency and credibility, although disparities remain in regional access and SME readiness. The results also demonstrate that regulatory alignment and multi-stakeholder collaboration are critical determinants of ecosystem performance. The study concludes that holistic infrastructure development is essential for sustainable and inclusive Sharia economic growth, grounded in the normative principles of halal–ṭayyib, maṣlaḥah, and institutional accountability, contributing a conceptual framework to guide future policy and empirical research

Global food production is dependent on constant inputs of phosphorus. In the current system this phosphorus is not predominantly derived from organic recycled waste, but to a large degree from phosphate-rock based mineral fertilisers. However, phosphate rock is a finite resource that cannot be manufactured. Our dependency therefore needs to be addressed from a sustainability perspective in order to ensure global food supplies for a growing global population. The situation is made more urgent by predictions that, for example, the consumption of resource intensive foods and the demand for biomass energy will increase. The scientific and societal debate has so far been focussed on the exact timing of peak phosphorus and on when the total depletion of the global reserves will occur. Even though the timing of these events is important, all dimensions of phosphorus scarcity need to be addressed in a manner which acknowledges linkages to other sustainable development challenges and which takes into consideration the synergies between different sustainability measures. Many sustainable phosphorus measures have positive impacts on other challenges; for example, shifting global diets to more plant-based foods would not only reduce global phosphorus consumption, but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce nitrogen fertiliser demand and reduce water consumption.

Heavy metals (HMs) are mostly toxic to all forms of life and are tenacious environmental pollutants. Rapid industrialization, urban development, and unsustainable agricultural implications lead to their accumulation in soil and water ecosystems, promoting serious ecological and health risks. In course of time, the growing global population, demand for food, water, energy, and technology have increased heavy metal-contaminated wastewater discharges. Conventional physicochemical treatment approaches, although widely applied, often suffer from limitations such as incomplete metal removal, significant energy requirement and cost effectiveness. Microorganisms such as bacteria, algae, and fungi demonstrate great efficiency in HM detoxification and degradation by virtue of their natural biological properties. These microorganisms have the capability to reduce toxic metal ions in their surroundings to non-toxic or fixed forms. The current review aims to critically assess the efficiency of individual bioremediation processes in microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, algae, and their combinatorial states like bacteria-algae, algae-fungi, and algae-algae consortia. A great deal of emphasis has been given to elucidate the mechanistic insights specific to consortia particularly mutualistic carbon/nutrient exchange, bioprecipitation, EPS-mediated capture, enzymatic transformation, adsorption/chelation and synergistic indirect effects. Moreover, the importance of interspecies interactions through metabolite transfer and signaling has been underlined in terms of system stability and remediation ability. Future research direction includes reactor-scale integration studies, modeling efforts, and the use of artificial intelligence/machine learning tools. Thus, engineered bacterial communities based on omics analysis can provide a basis to improve bioremediation strategies in terms of efficiency, stability, and sustainability for the remediation of HMs in wastewaters.

This document discusses the potential of energy communities as a model for decentralized energy systems, particularly in Colombia, where their implementation depends on technical modeling and regulatory alignment. The study develops a simulation-based framework to assess photovoltaic (PV) self-generators transitioning to renewable energy communities, using a modular modeling approach to simulate PV systems, battery storage, and energy management in different scenarios. These scenarios are based on the legal framework of Colombia, specifically Resolution CREG 101072 and Decree 2236, and cover the modalities of collective self-generation (AGRC) and collective distributed generation (GDC). The simulations use real energy demand and meteorological data from a company in eastern Antioquia over six months, and demonstrate that grid-connected systems with substantial PV capacity are economically viable, achieving significant profits and high energy self-sufficiency, whereas off-grid systems are constrained by high investment costs. Research helps in policy making by providing a regulatory framework that considers legal, technical, and contextual factors essential for developing energy communities.

Biofuels are considered a promising solution to the energy shortage and the environmental issues caused by the rapid economic and industrial developments in China. With the continuous support of the government, biofuel production in the country has rapidly progressed in recent years and reached a level of 2.85 million tons of fuel ethanol and 1.11 million tons of biodiesel by 2017. However, this production level is far behind the internal demand due to the rapid increase of automobiles. Sugarcane is an economically important crop in southern China and is mainly cultivated in the province of Guangxi (~62%), Yunnan (~18%), Guangdong (~10%), and Hainan (~2%), with a total planting area estimated to be between 1.5 and 1.8 million hectares. Although sugarcane is considered a promising nonfood energy crop in China, it is mainly being used for sugar production to meet the huge sugar demands of the nation. Ethanol yielded from sugarcane molasses is majorly used for beverages instead. Sugarcane bagasse, on the other hand, finds applications as a source of electricity in many Chinese sugar mills; however, this bagasse-based electricity is generally reused for internal uses of mills. China is already producing fuel ethanol from cellulosic biomass sources such as sweet sorghum, corncob, and straw at industrial scale, but the production of fuel ethanol from sugarcane bagasse is still under development stages, and its industrial production is mainly limited by cost and challenges of efficiency of the pretreatment methods. With continuous increase in demand for renewable energy, along with the modernization of sugarcane production, advancements of breeding and processing technology, reduction of production cost, and favorable economic and governmental policy factors, we can expect that sugarcane will make a significant contribution to the biofuels production in southern China.

The transition to clean energy demands innovative low-carbon hydrogen production solutions, particularly in developing nations. This study explores the prospect of green hydrogen production in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) using solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind power technologies. The region, endowed with massive renewable energy resources, continues to face challenges in developing economically viable and low-carbon hydrogen production strategies. The study fills this gap by developing a comprehensive methodology combining renewable energy production, electrolysis, and economic analysis. The study examines the viability of hydrogen production in 15 West African countries according to primary indicators such as electricity production, density of hydrogen production, levelized cost of hydrogen, and reduction of carbon dioxide emission. This novel method offers a detailed geospatial and techno-economic analysis of green hydrogen production, revealing stark variations in production costs and green hydrogen potential for West African countries. The study revealed Niger, Mali, and Cape Verde to have great potential for green hydrogen development due to high renewable energy resources and low production costs. This study provides policymakers and investors with a critical roadmap based on the potential of green hydrogen as a low-carbon energy solution in West Africa. In addition, it presents a strategy for creating competitive, low-carbon hydrogen economies that can drive the energy transition and economic diversification based on the region's strengths and weaknesses.