ABSTRACT. This keynote speech tips on European vs global citizenship and will inform you about the story of one directive that has recently been adopted: the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) in order to show you the different positions and the stamina that is necessary to change an initiative into law. The European legislation process will be explained as well as the functioning of the European Parliament and the role of its Members. This directive is an example of how ‘soft law’ of the UNESCO’s SDGs and the ‘Protect, Respect and Remedy Framework’ for business and human rights could be transferred into the ‘hard law’ of a European directive.

And if time permits, I will present to you how teachers in Belgium and the Netherlands empower secondary school students to be an active European citizenship by showing you the Craeynest case about clean air.

ABSTRACT. When European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen took over nearly 5 years ago she announced the European Green Deal (EGD) calling it a man in the moon moment. The deal, which aims to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050, is a roadmap for making the EU's economy sustainable by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities across all policy areas and making the transition just and inclusive for all.

The EGD, a growth strategy per se, includes various commitments like: • no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 • economic growth decoupled from resource use • no person and no place left behind (just transition) • circular economy action plans that addresses the way we produce and consume

While the European Commission made its outlines, the EEB published its own ideas about a European Green Deal about e.g.: • The climate emergency: building towards a carbon neutral world that stays within 1.5 degrees; • Ending biodiversity loss on land, seas and oceans, committing to increased restoration, management, financing and policy coherence; • Committing to a zero-pollution world, free from pollution and harmful chemicals, embracing clean air and clean water for all; • Sparking a new industrial transformation and shifting to a resource-efficient, toxic free circular economy; • Embracing the need for a wider economic transition towards a wellbeing economy within planetary limits that builds on the evidence of the limits to growth, and seriously explore positive post-growth economic models. However, Covid-19 and the illegal invasion of Ukraine have been instrumentalised to weaken and postpone the EGD and both EEB’s mid-term assessment and gap analysis showed that there are some bad and even harmful developments. 2024 is a crucial year for the environmental movement. It will be marked by the elections to the European Parliament in June. The outcomes are going to decide on the future of the European Green Deal: what is Europe’s vision for 2024-2030 and what comes after the European Green Deal? A Green-Social Deal? The EEB will develop a vision for a European Pact for the Future.

One of EEB’s biggest teams is the one working on Circular Economy (CE) striving to establish ambitious transformative policies on products, strategic materials, waste and fiscal reform. The EEB is a founding member of the Coolproducts, Right to Repair, Wardrobe Change, and Rethink Plastic alliance campaigns. The EEB is also actively involved in multi-stakeholder platforms, notably the European Stakeholders Circular Economy Platform and the #BuildingLife campaign. The presentation will cover inter alia following EU’s initiatives and packages on CE: • Waste Framework Directive (WFD) • Food Waste Reduction Targets • Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) incl. textiles

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) is Europe’s largest network of environmental citizens’ organisations bringing together over 180 member organisations from 40 countries, representing 30 million individual supporters. EEB tackles Europe’s most pressing environmental problems by agenda setting, monitoring, advising on and influencing the way the EU institutions deal with these issues.

ABSTRACT. The transition to a functioning circular economy is becoming increasingly urgent in the face of growing environmental problems and resource scarcity. The COST Action CA19124 - Rethinking Packaging For Circular And Sustainable Food Supply Chains Of The Future (Circul-a-bility) is a key collaborative platform that aims to advance scientific knowledge and promote practical solutions.

The main objective of the action is to foster interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers, policy makers, industry stakeholders and societal actors to address key challenges that hinder the transition to a circular economy in the (food) packaging sector. Through knowledge exchange, capacity building and networking activities, the action aims to improve the understanding of circular economy concepts, identify barriers to implementation and develop innovative strategies to overcome these barriers.

Key circular economy research topics include circular design and innovation, resource efficiency, waste valorization, sustainable consumption and production, and policy frameworks for the circular economy. These topics are explored through a combination of empirical research, case studies, modelling approaches and policy analysis, with a focus on gaining actionable insights and scalable solutions.

Methodologically, the Circul-a-bility action takes a participatory and transdisciplinary approach, integrating expertise from different fields such as engineering, economics, environmental sciences, social sciences, and policy studies. Through joint projects, working groups, workshops and training activities, the Action promotes cross-sectoral dialogue and co-creation of knowledge to ensure that research results are relevant, applicable, and accessible to different stakeholders.

The results achieved in recent years include various scientific publications, best practice solutions, guidelines and tools to support the implementation of circular economy strategies at different scales and contexts. By fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, the action aims to continue to stimulate innovation, stimulate investment and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable and resilient economy.

Dedicated program points during the 5th Symposium on Circular Economy and Sustainability, Chania, Greece 17-19 June, 2024:

The special session “Food packaging – eco-design in a circular economy” on the 17th of June will highlight the interface between circular economy, food packaging, and sustainability. Emphasis will be laid on exploring innovative strategies, best practices, and transformative solutions to help the food and packaging industry evolve towards a more circular and sustainable future. The session will provide an overview of the current situation in food packaging and offer selected talks on different perspectives such as circular economy models, ecological footprint, eco-friendly materials, and product design, as well as waste management.

Building upon the special session, the workshop on the 18th of June will include an interactive discussion aimed at identifying research needs and gaps as well as promoting future international and interdisciplinary research activities in the field of sustainable food packaging.

ABSTRACT. Existing heavily industrialized areas struggle to embrace large-scale industrial symbioses, hindering progress in sustainable regional development, despite European Union’s priorities. Funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe call for proposals, “Sustainable Circular Economy Transition: From Industrial Symbiosis to Hubs for Circularity” (IS2H4C) project aims to address the challenges faced by industrial areas in adopting large-scale industrial symbiosis (IS), focusing on technology sharing, waste integration, and efficient energy and material use. The project proposes a comprehensive plan to establish Hubs for Circularity (H4C) in various industrial regions across the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Türkiye, leveraging innovative sustainable technologies and societal, governmental, financial, and business innovations. It seeks systemic change, integrating industrial areas with surrounding natural and social ecosystems and utilizing a digital platform for efficient resource and information management. With goals to significantly reduce energy use, waste, and carbon emissions, IS2H4C envisions paving the way for sustainable regional development models in Europe, emphasizing circularity, resource efficiency, and industrial-urban-rural symbiosis.

ABSTRACT. The Research Network on Innovation was founded in 2006 aiming at developing a better understanding of:

• the knowledge based economy
• the university-industry linkages
• the intellectual property rights issues

The RNI supports the proposal and submission of research projects, the design of partnerships and consultancy. We also encourage the publication of research contribution on specialized journals.

ABSTRACT. Regeneration is an emerging concept in economics and business that straddles the fine line between allied concepts of sustainability and the circular economy. Whereas sustainability is about the balance among social, environmental, and economic dimensions or the so-called triple bottom line of people, planet, and profits, and whilst circularity goes a step further by looping back waste as inputs to the production process, the regenerative economy and regenerative business models promote ecological integrity by ensuring planetary provisions and societal wellness. This is done through its replenishment or restorative or rebuilding function. Replenish means to fill again what has been used up, restore is to put or bring back to an original state while rebuild is to reconstruct something that has been damaged or destroyed. The latter two terms of restoring and rebuilding have common elements though with the Rs of the circular economy as repairing or refurbishing or remanufacturing. Replenishment thus is the more appropriate eleventh R added to the 10 Rs of the circular economy comprising Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, Recycle and Recover introduced by Potting & Hanemaaijer (2018).

As for regenerative business, the paper uses the concept of sustainable business models with respect to the elements of a business model proposed by Richardson (2008) and Osterwalder & Pigneur (2005, 2011) comprising value proposition (marketing), value creation (R&D and production), value delivery (supply chain and logistics) and value capture (finance). Using this conceptual framework, this research will use a qualitative approach of selected case studies of regenerative business models along the elements of value proposition, creation, delivery, and capture, and will juxtapose them with circular business models to distinguish the difference using environmental, social, and economic indicators. This will be done after a literature review of regenerative economics and regenerative business, the justification for the 11th R of replenishment using literature on carrying capacity, the Earth Charter as an ethical foundation for the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and a survey as well of some quantitative indicators for regenerative economic and business. A conclusion on the benefits of regenerative versus circular and sustainable business models in terms of the triple bottom line will be made with some policy implications drawn using lessons learned from the case studies, including improvements in materiality indicators needed to measure regenerative business models borrowing from quantitative indicators from the mathematical approaches of regenerative economics.

ABSTRACT. The modern world's reliance on natural resources for economic and social development is placing increasing pressure on water, food, and energy systems, worsened by population growth, socio-economic progress, and climate change. Circular Economy (CE) emerges as a promising solution to address these challenges by promoting reusing resources and reducing reliance on new resources, thereby decoupling economic growth from resource consumption. This study focuses on the Porsuk Basin, an area facing severe water stress, to assess the impact of industrial activities on water resources of the Basin and explore potential symbiotic relationships and CE applications within the basin's industries. Using system analysis and data from the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB), the study evaluates the water stress caused by industrial activities based on production codes and number of employees. By the application of cluster analysis industries are grouped under seven clusters according to similar characteristics. Literature review and studying of Best Available Techniques reference documents (BAT) provide insights into potential CE applications for each sector. The study proposes a framework for understanding and evaluating industry-induced water stress in a basin and suggests sector-specific strategies to enhance water efficiency, considering the unique characteristics of each industry. Additionally, the study examines barriers and enablers for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to integrate circular approaches effectively. Overall, this research contributes to advancing sustainable water management practices by offering tailored solutions for industries to improve their water efficiency and reduce their stress on the environmental within the Porsuk Basin context.

ABSTRACT. The establishment of a sustainable food system could benefit Europe and the world, enhance social prosperity and environmental health, as well as ensure sustainable economic recovery. However, food systems must cope with challenges originating from the growing human population and adapt to the new socio-economic reality before becoming sustainable. The participation of professionals related to the agri-food sector are essential for achieving a sustainable food-chain, as the use of technologically modern and environmentally friendly solutions, they could retrieve significant economic benefits and safeguard the environment. Despite the benefits for producers and consumers, as well as the contribution to environmental protection, the circular economy based on organic production still remains in an initial implementation stage. Advanced biorefining to produce biofertilizers, protein feeds, and biochemicals can participate in the transition to a climate-neutral economy and in creating new job positions. For the European Union, the "Farm to Fork" strategy, at the heart of the Green Deal, aims to comprehensively address the challenges of sustainable food systems and to strengthen the interface between people, societies, and a healthy planet, through a new integrated approach to how Europeans value food sustainability, which is essential for achieving the EU's climate and environmental goals. Ensuring a sustainable food system is intrinsically linked to reducing the use of chemical plant protection products, while maintaining the quantity and quality of the agri-food products. In this direction, biopesticides can significantly contribute to agricultural practices, which aim at environmental protection, providing an effective and safer alternative to synthetic pesticides for managing plant pathogens and insects. Thus, essential oils and extracts from a variety of aromatic plants may be used as biopesticides, due to their, depending on the plant, significant insecticidal, fungicidal, and herbicidal properties. In this study, the potential biocontrol properties of certain botanical extracts against microorganisms posing a significant threat to plant crops were evaluated. In vitro experiments revealed the suppressive properties of selected botanical extracts (against certain plant pathogens), such as Cistus spp., which thrives in the Mediterranean region. The biopesticidal properties of Cistus were further examined in planta to assess their effectiveness for reliable application in agriculture. This study indicates that botanical pesticides obtained from aromatic plant species that thrive in the Mediterranean are capable of providing efficient plant protection in the agriculture sector. Acknowledgements: The project entitled “Development of Bio-Pesticides and Herbicides for Sustainable Agricultural Crop Production”, Acronym “BIOPESTICIDES”, is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (funding numbers: 01DH21010A, 01DH21010B, and 01DH21010C), the General Direction of Scientific Research and Technological Development of Algeria (DGRSDT-Algeria), the Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (PRIMA/TN/20/07), the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation of the Ministry of Development and Investments of Greece (ΓΓPRM-0357185 and ΓΓPRM-0357186) and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) (121N251 and 121N259), under the PRIMA Programme. PRIMA is an Art.185 initiative supported and co-funded under Horizon 2020, the European Union’s Programme for Research and Innovation. This project is also partially funded by PerNaturam GmbH, Gödenroth, Germany.

ABSTRACT. The reduction in global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to reach net-zero around mid-century to limit global warming is well established in policy and academic research (Downie & Stubbs, 2013; HM Government, 2021; Jr et al., 2022; Klaaßen & Stoll, 2021; Koffler et al., 2019). This has placed pressure on pressure on manufacturing firms to disclose their GHG emissions leading to declarations by companies to become carbon neutral and even carbon negative (Apple, 2023; MAKE UK, 2020, 2023; Microsoft, 2020). Various initiatives such as the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council on Sustainable Development have proposed a global standard for firms to assess their carbon footprint using the “GHG Protocol”. which distinguishes (Klaaßen & Stoll, 2021) and distinguishes three categories of emissions:, Scope 1 (direct emissions) Scope 2 (emissions from the production of purchased energy, and Scope 3, emissions from the up and downstream activities in the manufacturing supply chain. For OEMs Scope 3 emissions typically account for over 75% of the total GHC emissions (Dahlmann et al., 2023; Huang et al., 2009; Rogelj, 2023), hence the methods used to map, measure and verify are critically important to achieving net zero quantify (Downie & Stubbs, 2013; Rogelj, 2023; Sanchez et al., 2010). Most firms are still at the early stages of quantifying scope 3 emissions, and a diverse range of methods are being developed and applied resulting in non-standardised measures, and confusion amongst stakeholders and researchers (Hazaea et al., 2023). A number of studies have reviewed methods to measure scope 3 emissions in specific sectors such as oil and gas, transportation and cement) (Ellram et al., 2022; Siveter et al., 2016) To date, there are no systematic review of the methods and tools, for Scope 3 emissions measurement and reporting within high value manufacturing. In this sector, early studies have largely focused on demonstrating the potential of calculating Scope 3 emissions (Patchell, 2018; Schmidt et al., 2022), This paper presents a scoping review of the approaches being used or proposed in HVM, compares their scientific foundations, strengths and weaknesses and the variation in outcomes from their application. From this we develop present a framework for high value manufacturers seeking to understand how to assess, organise and reduce their Scope 3 emissions.

ABSTRACT. This study investigates the complex interplay between various economic and environmental factors influencing CO2 emissions in BRICS countries (Brazil, India, China, Russia and South Africa) for the period of 1980-2021. Utilizing CO2 emissions per capita, GDP per capita, renewable and non-renewable energy consumption, value added to GDP for agriculture, and the financial development index as key variables, our analysis employs a diverse array of econometric methods to uncover the intricate relationships within this context. The empirical framework incorporates Cross-sectional dependence and slope homogeneity tests to ensure the robustness of our model. Additionally, we employ Fixed Effects, Fully Modified Ordinary Least Squares (FMOLS), Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS), panel cointegrating tests by Pedroni (1999; 2004) and Kao (1999), as well as bootstrapping techniques by Westerlund (2005). Furthermore, we apply quantile regressions and Granger causality tests to capture nuanced dynamics and causal relationships. Our findings reveal compelling insights into the determinants of CO2 emissions in BRICS nations. Notably, we observe that factors such as GDP growth, non-renewable energy consumption, and the value added from agriculture contribute to increased CO2 emissions. Conversely, renewable energy usage, and financial development exhibit a mitigating effect on CO2 emissions, highlighting the potential of sustainable practices and economic diversification in addressing environmental challenges. Our findings underscore the intricate relationship between economic activities and CO2 emissions in BRICS nations. Specifically, the positive correlation between GDP growth, non-renewable energy consumption, and agricultural value added with CO2 emissions implies that rapid economic development and reliance on fossil fuels contribute significantly to environmental pollution. Conversely, the negative association of renewable energy utilization, trade engagement, and financial development with CO2 emissions signifies the effectiveness of sustainable strategies and diversification in reducing environmental impact. These insights suggest that a transition towards cleaner energy sources, promoting trade practices that prioritize environmental sustainability, enhancing the service sector's role in economic growth, and fostering financial mechanisms that support green initiatives can collectively mitigate CO2 emissions, fostering a more sustainable and resilient future for BRICS economies. Our study's findings carry significant policy implications for policymakers and stakeholders in BRICS nations. Firstly, there is a clear need to prioritize investments and policies that promote renewable energy sources and sustainable practices while simultaneously discouraging reliance on non-renewable energy sources. Governments should consider implementing regulations and incentives that encourage the adoption of clean technologies and the reduction of carbon-intensive activities. Additionally, fostering trade relationships that prioritize environmental sustainability in economic growth can contribute to lowering CO2 emissions. Furthermore, enhancing financial mechanisms that support green initiatives and research in eco-friendly technologies can accelerate progress towards achieving climate targets and promoting sustainable development. Building on our study's findings, future research could delve deeper into the specific mechanisms through which renewable energy usage, trade activities, , and financial development influence CO2 emissions in BRICS countries. Additionally, exploring the impact of policy interventions and regulatory frameworks on environmental outcomes would provide valuable insights into effective strategies for mitigating CO2 emissions.

ABSTRACT. Extending the traditional supply chain, BCT shows tremendous potential for sustainable performance, especially in tackling the increasing recycling crisis. However, much of the current debate on BCT in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) and recycling is conceptual and lacks empirical evidence from real-life case studies. This study is motivated to explore practical use cases of BCT applications in recycling chains through a multiple case-study approach, and to generate midrange theory. This study explores three pioneer cases embracing BCT in recycling chains and the unit of analysis is the BCT use case project, with more than 30 semi-structured interviews of involved multiple stakeholders. The theoretical case sampling method is adopted according to Eisenhardt (1989), with the basis of theoretical replication. The case selection criteria are as follows: 1) must implement the BCT application as the core business function rather than other smart waste management solutions; 2) must engage multiple recycling chain partners and be able to provide research access; 3) must be in the operational phase rather than in the concept or pilot phase. We collected data during 2020-2022, which consisted mainly of semi structured interviews (in Chinese and English, ranging from 30-150 minutes), field visits, archival data and internal company reports. It is an iterative process following the coding procedure by Gioia et al. (2013), including within-case analysis and cross-case analysis (Gong et al., 2018). In within-case analysis, we first comprehend the application context of each case, i.e. recycling chain configuration, information processing needs and BCT-enabled information processing capabilities. In cross-case analysis, we compare the common patterns and operational differences of these cases. The aim of this phase is to categorize open codes, construct theoretical constructs and eventually aggregate dimensions to build the midrange theoretical framework. By applying the organizational information processing and boundary theory, we found that BCT offers information processing capabilities of immutability, integration, transparency, and trust to tackle recycling chain-specific uncertainties. Also, BCT serves as the boundary object to enable knowledge integration. The findings demonstrate that BCT can be naturally embedded in the recycling chain scenario. The most important function is tracking recycling flows to demonstrate transparent recycling chains (Saberi et al., 2019, Xie et al., 2022). In BCT implementation stages, the three cases show an iterative knowledge integration process of transferring, translating, and transforming (Carlile, 2004). This study enriches the empirical research on recycling chains, especially as the main literature currently focuses on SSCM or circular supply chains. it expands on the current lack of empirical research on BCT in SSCM and the governance and trust mechanisms associated with BCT, as most discussions are still in a conceptual framework. This study demonstrates an innovative recycling business model for practitioners. Also, it offers practical governance strategies for real BCT projects. More importantly, it calls the urgent action to tackle the global recycling and sustainability crisis.

ABSTRACT. Renewable materials and material circularity are key priorities for the coming decades. Paper, the most widely used material in the packaging sector, faces limitations in food packaging due to its low barrier properties. When coated with petroleum-based polymer barrier coatings, it becomes unrecyclable both mechanically and biologically. Bio-coated paper, made from or with agricultural waste or by-products, offers environmentally favorable solutions that can enhance the biological cycle of the circular economy.

The main objective of the study was to assess the applicability of grain and beer production by-products in compostable food packaging materials. The study investigates the impact of different grain by-products, such as industrial wheat grain processing residues and wheat bran, at concentrations of 15wt% and 40wt%, as well as the influence of brewer’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) at a concentration of 10wt% on the physical-mechanical and barrier properties of Northern bleached softwood kraft (NBSK) and chemithermomechanical (CTMP) pulps.

The material composites were fabricated using the standard sheet forming method. Physical-mechanical properties were analyzed through tensile strength, strain at break, tear resistance, and bending stiffness tests. Barrier-related properties were assessed through roughness, air permeance, and water contact angle tests.

The results reveal that the majority of physical-mechanical properties decreased with an increase in both types of grain production fillers. Industrial wheat grain processing residues had a lower impact on physical-mechanical properties compared to wheat bran filler. A higher percentage decrease in properties was observed in NBSK pulp than in CTMP. Roughness of CTMP can be improved by adding both industrial wheat grain processing residues and wheat bran. Wheat bran particles can enhance hydrophobicity. While yeast can increase CTMP pulp strength properties, its additive effect on air permeance demonstrated a negative impact. In the case of NBSK pulp, which has higher primary strength properties, the addition of yeast does not bring about significant changes.

The conducted experiments demonstrate that grain production by-products can be applicable and beneficial in the production of compostable food packaging materials by saving raw materials. The pulp type and filler ratio must be evaluated on an individual case basis. Beer production by-product Saccharomyces cerevisiae does not significantly impact the material's physical-mechanical properties but can improve air permeance and resistance to water absorption properties.

ABSTRACT. Although the Circular Economy (CE) is seen as a promising solution to current environmental and social challenges, its implementation faces major challenges – most notably a lack of information, data and knowledge exchange between (potential and often cross-sectoral) circularity partners. Digitization and Industry 4.0, as well as the associated new digital technologies (DT), are enablers for the realization of the CE by overcoming information- and data-related barriers and thus promoting the implementation of circular strategies and practices. The digital platform (DP) is perceived as a key technical enabler to bridge so-called circularity holes and information gaps through providing a virtual marketplace for actors to create circular value together. The convergence of DT and CE and its potentials are still underinvestigated. In addition to that, CE needs to be understood in a broader ecosystem perspective, in which heterogeneous but interdependent actors collectively create circular value.

The aim of this study is to take a step towards filling the elaborated research gaps in the field of CE and therefore, it examines the DP as an enabler of CE in the context of circular ecosystems. This research is thus guided by the following research question: How can digital technologies enhance the industrial symbiosis, and what role does circularity broker play?

In the quest for sustainable resource management, the CE emerges as a transformative paradigm, advocating for the regeneration of materials and minimization of waste. Central to realizing this vision is the new concept of digital platforms acting as circularity brokers, which not only facilitate industrial symbiosis but also promote sustainable production and consumption practices. These platforms address the critical challenge of circularity holes where potential synergies remain untapped due to a lack of interaction or information exchange among stakeholders, resulting in missed opportunities for circular material flows. However, perhaps the greatest benefits of a digital platform as a circularity broker are its ability to enable automated supply-demand matching and the creation of trust, security and privacy while simultaneously ensuring a sufficient level of transparency in a trust-free environment through a decentralized data infrastructure.

An important part of the circular transition are intertwined supply networks (ISNs), which replace conventional linear supply chains. ISNs are defined by their complex structure, which includes open and closed loops, as well as forward and reverse material flows. These elements accommodate new circular material flows and enable a more dynamic supply system, featuring multiple buyer-supplier relations that require orchestration by a DP.

Digital platforms play a pivotal role in this ecosystem, leveraging blockchain technology to enhance data security and enable smart contracts, thus facilitating secure and efficient transactions among diverse actors. In essence, digital platforms as circularity brokers are instrumental in bridging circularity holes by enabling the efficient exchange of materials and information, thereby catalyzing the shift towards a more sustainable, circular economy.

ABSTRACT. Methodology for the construction and demolition waste (CDW) separation and sorting is developed for the case of Greece. The first insights into this methodology based on material flow analysis are presented. With stocks, flows and sinks of CDW fractions modeled, results will be applied for developing strategies for most optimal CDW management in Greece in the context of circular economy and hubs for circularity. Systemic view on opportunities and bottlenecks will allow to provide recommendations on efficient and optimized use of materials, including symbiotic collaborations between stakeholders. Design of the methodology for CDW separation and sorting systems will include aspects like centralized/decentralized management and sorting system specifications, while considering investment costs and logistics needs. Special focus will be given to high-value materials present in CDW, like wood fractions, to increase efficiency of their use through cascade valorization. The presented approach is in line with national and European goals towards sustainable management of CDW, and making use of the its full potential in terms of materials reuse and recovery.

ABSTRACT. The plastics industry is widely recognised as one of the most environmentally damaging industries in today's society. As environmental concerns continue to grow, public authorities in Europe have introduced regulations to tackle plastic pollution, with the aim of moving towards a circular economy. The transition to a circular economy brings about profound changes in the organisational structures and strategies of companies. Transforming business models is therefore an essential step in this transition. While existing research has explored macro-level influences on circular business models, the dynamic interplay between micro, meso and macro levels remains understudied. However, in order to grasp the complexity and facilitate the implementation of a circular economy, several works have highlighted the importance of a systemic approach to examine the three levels simultaneously: micro, meso and macro. To fill this gap, our study examines the dynamic interactions between these three levels that shape the transition to a circular economy in the French plastic food packaging sector. Dynamic interactions between innovative business models, incumbents and policy makers are defining the industry's transition path. At the macro level, public policies and societal movements have disrupted the traditional linear plastic food packaging supply chain, prompting a shift towards circularity. In response, incumbents are forced to innovate, but often opt for incremental changes that maintain the status quo of supply chain organisation. While these incumbents, particularly prominent food brands, are influenced by public policy, they also lobby to shape the direction of change, sometimes to the detriment of authentic circularity. Meanwhile, at the micro level, innovative business models leveraging technologies such as chemical recycling and bio-based plastics have emerged as potential circular solutions. These innovative business models, in turn, are disrupting the functioning of the plastics supply chain to varying degrees, creating a context of uncertainty about the trajectory of the transition. Our findings underscore the complexity of managing sustainability in the plastic packaging industry and highlight the central role of stakeholders in shaping its future trajectory. By elucidating the dynamic interactions between business models, incumbents and policy makers, our study contributes to a deeper understanding of the complexities involved in navigating towards a circular economy paradigm.

ABSTRACT. The EU strives to transition to a circular economy model to reduce the pressure on natural resources, to create sustainable growth and jobs, and to achieve its 2050 climate neutrality target to stop the loss of biodiversity (1). The 2015 Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) outlines the measures to support the transition of the EU in ways that safeguard healthy competition conditions, sustainable economic growth, the opening of new jobs or career opportunities across the EU (2). Circular economy, which is directly connected with the Sustainable Development Goal of responsible consumption and production (3), lies at the heart of the European approach, that has defined the concept as “an economy where the value of products, materials and resources is maintained in the economy for as long as possible, and the generation of waste is minimised” (4). Despite the importance of such a transition and of the existing policies aiming at enabling it, investments in circular economy projects are not yet mainstreamed. In fact, there is a gap between project owners that develop circular economy solutions and investors. The DEFINITE-CCRI approach comes to bridge this gap and to support circular economy projects to become more attractive to potential investors and help them to secure the required funds. The DEFINITE-CCRI approach provides a holistic methodology in order to support the circular economy projects that includes a financial, technical and innovation, and impact potential assessments. Initially interested projects are assessed on their financial viability, on the technical and innovation potential as well as on the impact they have on an environmental, social, and macro-economic level. Then the projects are given recommendations and a set of services to advance their maturity and make them more attractive to investors. Finally, the projects are brought in touch with investors to pitch their circular economy projects and secure funding. Assessing the impact of circular economy projects can be a complex process, due to the interrelations of a broad variety of factors. The scope of the DEFINITE-CCRI methodology is to assess the impact of circular economy projects with regards to their circularity potential, and the environmental, social, and macro-economic impact they have on a local level. The approach to assess the impact is based on the 9R strategies and is in line with the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, the EU bioeconomy strategy, and the EU taxonomy. More specifically, within the DEFINITE-CCRI approach a framework has been developed to assess the impact and innovation potential of circular economy projects (5). The projects that are being assessed are examined regarding factors such as their technological readiness and innovation potential, as well as their circularity performance and their impact potential on environmental, social, and macro-economic domains. To effectively do the assessment a formalized form has been created (part of it can be seen in the following table), that is easy to customise per project regarding the required data input needed for assessing their impact or/and potential impact on the aforementioned domains.

ABSTRACT. The global construction industry is undergoing a transformative shift towards sustainability through the adoption of circular economy (CE) principles, aiming to mitigate environmental impact, promote resource efficiency, and foster economic resilience. This analysis delves into the strategies and regulations across 21 European countries in the COST Action CircularB network, showcasing leading examples and highlighting commonalities and differences in approaches. The methodology involves developing country-specific factsheets by examining public and national documents within the CircularB network to create a global reference repository accessible to stakeholders. Currently, 21 factsheets have been developed, with ongoing efforts to complete the dataset. Findings emphasize the role of policy and regulatory frameworks in guiding businesses towards sustainable practices and circularity. Some countries lack a CE strategy, while others have enacted CE acts mandating regular issuance of strategies, emphasizing stakeholder collaboration and transparency. Platforms facilitate collaboration, knowledge exchange, and collective action among stakeholders, driving progress towards CE goals. They advocate for policy changes and empower stakeholders to work on joint initiatives. Access to funding is crucial for driving innovation and implementing CE projects. The EU offers significant funding mechanisms and initiatives, including recovery and resilience plans implemented by individual member states to address specific challenges in promoting circularity. These funding mechanisms are complemented by government-led initiatives offering grants, subsidies, funds, programs, and tax incentives to support CE practices. In addition to offering funding opportunities, international organizations play a significant role in capacity building and providing technical assistance. The comparative analysis underscores a global momentum towards integrating circular economy principles in construction, marked by shared goals and diverse strategic approaches. Countries like Finland, France, Ireland, Portugal, and the Netherlands showcase innovative practices and legislative actions, offering lessons for others. Despite challenges like labor shortages and regulatory barriers, global collaboration, innovation, and learning from best practices are key to achieving sustainability goals in the construction sector. Ongoing collaboration fostering partnerships and sharing experiences will drive progress towards a fully circular construction industry.

ABSTRACT. The region of East Attica in Greece according to River Basin Management Plan (RBMP) for Attica is characterized as a severely water-stressed region with a high Water Exploitation Index (WEI), well above 40%, caused mainly by agricultural activities and tourism in the summer which is expected to worsen due to climate change with less rainfall during winter and more severe heatwaves during summer. Currently, there is no urban wastewater management infrastructure in most settlements of East Attica Region. Thus, a Master Plan for Effluent Reuse from Eastern Attica WWTPs was carried out by EYDAP in 2018 to identify the best practices of the reclaimed water produced by WWTPs and to define the areas where reclaimed water may be applied. In particular, two major wastewater projects (Rafina/Artemida & Marathon agglomerations) in East Attica region were approved for co-financing by European Union (E.U) Cohesion funds and implementation by the Athens Water Supply and Sewerage Company (EYDAP S.A.), to achieve compliance with 91/271/E.E.C, Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) and produce treated effluent wastewater that complies with the national standards (Joint Ministerial Decision 145116/2011) for unlimited irrigation and urban reuse. Furthermore, another wastewater project, co-financed by EU funds (beneficiary: Attica Prefecture) involving non-compliant agglomerations of Koropi and Paiania, is to be upgraded with advanced tertiary treatment that will also produce quantity of reclaimed water suitable for aquifer recharge to restore the water quality of groundwater bodies. In the context of the above mentioned major wastewater projects, EYDAP S.A. has undertaken the responsibility to develop a Road Map to promote water reuse application in the project areas within the framework of water circularity. To this respect, EYDAP S.A. is carrying out a Feasibility Study (FS) to investigate the sustainability of gradual development of water reuse schemes in East Attica on institutional/technical/environmental/economic and public acceptance grounds according to national and EU regulations (EU 2020/741) in East Attica region. Preliminary results have shown that there is a significant water demand of around 12 M m3 for agricultural/urban-suburban reuse practices in the services’ areas of the three East Attica WWTPs (i.e., Rafina/Artemida, Marathon and Koropi-Paiania WWTPs). However, it should be stressed, that the development of water reuse schemes has the risk of failure due to potential influence from negative public attitudes such as perception of poor water quality as well as due to users’ unwillingness to pay. Following the prioritization of necessary water reuse schemes to be developed in East Attica, the economic analysis through a special Cost-Benefit Analysis, should address the financial viability of the gradual implementation of such schemes in accordance with the relevant legislative framework established in the country and in line with WFD pricing policies. The challenge that still remains is to to transform potential threats to opportunities in water reuse practices. Thus EYDAP SA is designing to develop water reuse schemes in East Attika region as a circular solution in order to reduce the gap between water availability and demand as well as minimize the amount of pollution caused by wastewater.

ABSTRACT. The transition to a circular economy is widely regarded as a critical approach to tackling the multifaceted challenges associated with population growth, climate change, and the need to increase production of food, feed, fiber, and bioenergy while confronting dwindling natural resources. This transition has been receiving increasing attention in academic and policy making circles with the main focus being on the development of methods and processes that enable and facilitate the transition from a linear to a circular economy. This paper argues the need for an increased emphasis on the economics of the circular economy and presents a general framework that illustrates the transition from a linear to a circular economic system and enables the derivation of technical, environmental and economic metrics and indicators of circularity. In addition, the paper highlights the economic issues that arise during the transition to increased circularity and the policy options available to facilitate the successful transition to a more circular economic system.

ABSTRACT. The offshore wind industry is considered a key player combating climate change, but as first-generation offshore wind farms approach their end-of-life, concerns are being raised about sustainable management of incoming waste flows. Researchers, policymakers, and industrial actors are looking at the circular economy (CE) concept as a promising alternative to this growing challenge. The attraction of CE in the offshore wind sector stems from its ability to reduce the use of raw materials in design and manufacturing, extending the lifespan of already operational assets and cycling the materials back into the economy at the end-of-life, thereby offering significant economic, environmental and social benefits. However, despite such a range of benefits, the current implementation of CE practices in the offshore wind industry remains limited. Empirical insights are needed to understand the underlying factors behind the lack of adoption of CE practices and to provide solutions. To achieve this research aim, we conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with relevant offshore wind value chain actors supported by peer-reviewed studies and grey literature. Findings highlighted several credible explanations for the lack of adoption of CE in the offshore wind value chain. Currently, the value chain actors are predominantly focused on developing CE strategies at the end-of-life phase, whereas CE strategies at design and manufacturing and operation and maintenance phase were found to be underdeveloped. This lack of circularity before the end-of-life phase represents a pivotal hurdle in improving the adoption of CE practices in the offshore wind industry. It was also observed that despite its lowest sustainability among CE strategies, recycling was the most developed CE strategy. CE strategies such as repurposing and recycling were also found to be concentrated in specific geographies and were affected by scaling issues, environmental uncertainty due to a lack of waste volumes and inaccurate waste predictions, and a lack of financial and regulatory incentives. Moreover, there is a lack of clarity on who needs to play a central role in improving the adoption of CE practices in the offshore wind industry. To accelerate CE adoption in the offshore wind industry, we argue that there is a strong need for a coordinated system-level change central to two actors – regulatory agencies/ policymakers and wind farm operators/owners. To improve the business case and CE adoption, it is necessary to have strong and relevant policy support with necessary incentives. Wind farm owners/operators are central because of their ability to influence value chain actors involved in the design and manufacturing, operation and maintenance and end-of-life of wind farm assets. For successful adoption of CE strategies, the wind farm operators and regulatory actors have to work hand in hand, i.e., to influence the upstream and downstream actors in the value chain, it is necessary that operators have sufficient regulatory support incentives. Meanwhile, regulators often need help from wind farm operators to enforce regulations. Thus, by having coordinated, synchronous support, these two actors can form system-level change necessary to improve the adoption of CE practices in the offshore wind industry.

ABSTRACT. Research about consumers awareness and behavior related to Circular Economy (CE) has increased recently (Gomes et al., 2022), but there are several remaining knowledge gaps, especially empirical studies on how people perceive this concept. In this research, we explored who the users of food waste reduction platforms (FWRP) are, what they understand by CE, and their motivation for using FWRP (e.g., apps that sell surplus food or close to expiry date). The method was interviews with 26 participants who use the apps in Brazil. We identified and selected 2 apps that are FWRP, adopt circular business models (i.e., digitalization, sharing platform and resource recovery) and are available in Brazil. The results reveal that the main users of these apps are women, aged between 31 to 40 years old, with high income, completed higher education, nor vegetarian or vegan, living with 2 people or more and mainly in Sao Paulo city and metropolitan area. In a previous research in Denmark with people who buy food surplus, similar results were obtained regarding gender and level of education, i.e., more female users than male (72.4 versus 27.6%). Based on the income data, we could raise the question whether the apps have not reached enough the low-income communities who could benefit from the discounts and get affordable and quality food, as stressed by one of the low-income interviewees: ¨There are products that I have never bought in the grocery store and already bought in the app because of the price¨. Strategies to promote these apps among low-income population are needed. The purchase frequency varies between the apps, since it depends on product availability, user interest and need. For the app A (surprise bag of meals and snacks), most of regular users buy once or twice per month (41.6%) or less than once per month (41.6%). For the app B (grocery shops), the frequency of purchase is higher likely because of the type of the product (e.g., food for everyday needs). For the App B, 83.3% of the users make purchases more than once per week, including two that buy daily and work as resellers of these products, as mentioned by one of them: ¨¨I started to resell because I got unemployed and currently the use of this app is the main income of my household¨. Fourteen participants have already heard about CE while twelve have never heard. Half of the participants answered that they know the CE meaning. Interestingly, this outcome diverges between apps. The majority of the users of app A (11) are aware of the meaning of CE, while only two users of app B show the same characteristic. Four main categories were found to represent CE in the participant's view: strategies to avoid waste and keep value, facilitate access to goods, environmental benefits, and conscious consumerism. The awareness is important to encourage circular behavior. We conclude that these apps could play a potential role in promoting circular economy practices and supporting transition towards a sustainable consumption.

ABSTRACT. Wastewater is a source of secondary materials. However, current wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) need to be modified to recover these resources in a marketable form. This study aimed to recover a biopolymer, which has several end-use applications, at a WWTP which employs the NEREDA technology for treating wastewater in an environmentally friendly manner. The WWTP is in Faro-Olhão, Portugal, and the water management company, within the scope of the Water-Mining project is evaluating the possibility of recovering an alginate, called Kaumera, to replace sodium alginate production from seaweed. Therefore, this expansion of the functions of the WWTP needs to be handled with various allocation approaches. System expansion, zero-burden, economic, and mass allocations were applied to solve multifunctionality. The functional unit was one year of operation when system expansion was applied, and one kg of Kaumera biopolymer when the other approaches were applied. The application of the system expansion approach resulted in expanding the scope of the study to include the wastewater treatment processes in the calculations, and as a result, the same processes were included in the sodium alginate system. The other approaches resulted in only comparing Kaumera with sodium alginate. The reference system for system expansion was a conventional wastewater treatment plant and sodium alginate production, while the reference system was limited to one kg of sodium alginate production for the other applied approaches. The assessed environmental impacts were global warming (GWP), mineral (MRSP) and fossil resource scarcities (FRSP). All approaches showed that recovering Kaumera biopolymer from wastewater results in environmental benefits (Figure 1). These benefits ranged between 76% and 92% for the system expansion approach, and between 79% and 99.9% for the other approaches. The largest benefits were found with mass allocation because almost all environmental burden was distributed to the wastewater treatment function. In contrast, the selling price of Kaumera resulted in distributing a higher fraction of the environmental burden to Kaumera than with mass allocation and zero-burden. Last, system expansion considered both functions, and even if it shows large environmental benefits, they were lower than other approaches due to considering entirely the environmental burden of wastewater treatment processes.

Figure 1. Life cycle assessment results with various allocation approaches

Conclusively, recovering secondary resources from wastewater results in environmental benefits. Furthermore, the type of applied allocation also significantly affects environmental performance. Therefore, it is important to investigate if the ISO Hierarchy for handling multifunctionality is still valid in a circular economy where production systems and waste treatment systems will be heavily modified to reduce, reuse, recycle and remove waste.

ABSTRACT. This paper explores hydrogen's transformative potential in steering the global energy landscape towards circular economy and sustainability principles. Hydrogen's multifaceted benefits are investigated across industrial, transportation, and building sectors, highlighting its role in reducing emissions, enhancing energy security, and fostering economic growth. The paper addresses the technical, economic, and infrastructural challenges hindering hydrogen's widespread adoption, proposing integrated solutions to accelerate its deployment in a circular economy.

ABSTRACT. In this work, we investigate the ESG performance of companies within the S&P 500, incorporating significant accounting metrics such as return on total assets, total employee count, Tobin’s Q ratio, book value per share, and the total liabilities per total assets ratio, also considering each company’s NAICS code. More importantly, we integrate companies' social media presence, using their LinkedIn profiles to construct two variables: followers per associate member and followers per staff count. We examine whether companies' ESG performance is influenced by their reputation and social engagement on LinkedIn, and to achieve this, we utilize the ESG index, the ESG controversies index (measuring adverse events), and the combined ESG index, which is a combination of both ESG and ESG controversies indices. Our findings reveal that various accounting variables impact all three ESG indices, while social engagement positively affects the ESG index and negatively impacts the ESG controversies and combined indices. This finding suggests that while social engagement positively influences the ESG index, in the face of adverse events, its significant negative impact on the controversies index outweighs its positive effect on the ESG index, consequently, it negatively impacts the combined ESG.

ABSTRACT. A Hub for Circularity (H4C) represents an emerging model where a cluster of businesses situated in close proximity engages in industrial symbioses to reduce waste streams, repurpose by-products from production processes, and maximize renewable energy use, among other. Optimizing the utilization and exchange of resources within a H4C is complex as it entails coordination across companies, sustainability trade-offs, and the spatiotemporal management of different resource flows in spite of uncertainties in resource availability, demands, and prices. In this work, we first identify and examine the key challenges that hamper the efficient cross-company resource exchange within H4Cs. We then propose a general framework – encompassing the different types of industries and resources that can constitute a H4C – to optimize the flows and logistics of resources in the hub in a collaborative setting by combining predictive and prescriptive analytics.

ABSTRACT. In alignment with EU sustainable development priorities, the concept of Hubs for Circularity (H4C) emerges as a promising solution for advancing industrial symbiosis (IS) on a large scale. However, the development of DigitalH4C, a digital collaboration platform facilitating H4C implementation, faces challenges in design and integration. This research addresses the gap by proposing a Reference Architecture for a Digital Collaboration Platform for Hubs for Circularity.

The proposed architecture aims to tackle challenges related to multi-stakeholder collaboration, multi-functional integration, and multi-stage development. It offers a comprehensive representation of the components necessary for a coherent and effective information system. Using a design science research methodology adapted for information systems, the architecture encompasses modules for IS identification, coordination, and evaluation.

This research presents a high-level overview of the reference architecture, including process-based data collection, secondary material/resource market development, resource optimization and matchmaking, and multi-stakeholder coordination and monitoring. This architecture serves as a foundation for envisioning DigitalH4C, facilitating multidisciplinary discussions, and guiding future development and evaluation efforts.

This research is a preliminary step towards developing a design theory for IS-oriented digital platforms. Beyond collaboration, it aims to provide a holistic design manual for practitioners to customize DigitalH4C in various contexts, fostering robust cross-case learning. Ultimately, this work contributes to the effective transition from IS to H4C in the digital era, advancing sustainable development goals in industrial zones and surrounding urban-rural ecosystems.

ABSTRACT. More and more people tend to become both producers and consumers, therefore a notion emerges known as prosumers. This notion is known to contribute to sustainable practices, especially regarding energy and electricity, while environmental and other dimensions also exist. This work examines the sustainability dimensions of prosumerism, arguing on the most important directions within this link, some of which are related to energy and electricity efficiency, solar panel utilization, and renewable resources optimization. The literature also demonstrates several case studies for specific countries, especially within the European Union, while socio-economic aspects are also identified and characterized. This can be better illustrated in Figure 1, which shows that the countries that cite the highest article production are Italy, United States, China, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, Spain, India, Australia, Portugal, Netherland, South Korea. Therofore, many European countries indicate an interest in sustainability and prosumerism.

ABSTRACT. This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the role of hydrogen technologies in the advancement of sustainable hubs for circularity, emphasizing the importance of integrated energy systems for sustainable industrial symbiosis networks. It begins by identifying and classifying key technologies within the system boundaries of various hubs for circularity (H4C), focusing on maximizing potential symbiotic synergies among traditionally disengaged industries through technology mapping. The research delves into the development of hydrogen technologies, to explore its production, storage, transportation, and utilization both as an energy resource in multi-vector energy systems and as a material in production of various circular products in H4C. In the context of industrial symbiosis, the paper addresses the use of by-products of hydrogen technologies as a loop-closing strategy such as use of waste heat and oxygen derived from electrolysis for heating purposes and in wastewater treatment, respectively. The study addresses also integrated use of produced hydrogen with other process industry wastes such as captured CO2 to produce eco-methanol or circular polyurethane. The paper identifies potential risks and mitigation strategies, emphasizing the need for regular stakeholder consultation, collaboration with industrial partners, and expert guidance. The research aims to contribute to the symposium's goal of bridging engineering, management, and economic knowledge to support circular and sustainability principles, ultimately guiding policy-making and industrial practices towards eco-efficient and sustainable solutions in H4C.

ABSTRACT. Hubs for circularity (H4C) is a concept to reduce the carbon emissions, increase resource efficiency and sustainability of process industries (e.g. chemical, pharmaceutical, steel, cement, paper) based on the concept of industrial symbiosis and circular economy. Energy plays a significant role in H4C since the involved industries are often energy intensive. Urban/rural areas and other companies in the hub pose additional energy demand. Furthermore, H4C often include renewable energy sources and storage technologies as additional assets. When managing the energy production, consumption and flows efficiently, environmental impact and energy cost of the H4C can be reduced. However, energy management in H4C has some additional requirements and challenges compared to traditional energy management problem that need to be considered. In this work, we discuss the aspects influential to the operational energy management in H4C and how they are related to other energy management problems. We propose a framework for operations research methodologies to optimize the energy flows in H4C on an operational planning level.

ABSTRACT. Public procurement holds significant importance within the European Union (EU), influencing various sectors crucial for societal well-being and economic development. Annually, the EU witnesses a substantial engagement in public procurement, with over 250,000 public authorities allocating approximately 14% of the Gross Domestic Product (equivalent to roughly €2 trillion per annum) towards the acquisition of services, works, and supplies. Literature has emphasized the importance of public procurement in driving circular economy (Kristensen et al., 2021; Rainville, 2021). To the best of our knowledge, it does not acknowledge the vital importance of additional skills needed when public procurement is pursuing circularity goals. The study provides novel combination and nuance insights of the competences needed to achieve circularity in public procurement in the form of a competency matrix. It illuminates the intricate interplay between competencies and circularity in public procurement, offering a comprehensive understanding of the skills and attributes necessary for navigating the transition towards circular public procurement practices. By elucidating these competencies, this research contributes to the advancement of circular economy agendas, fostering a paradigm shift towards more resilient and resource-efficient procurement systems.

ABSTRACT. Waste management in the glass fiber industry is an immense problem. The problem with the glass fiber is that it cannot be destroyed. At present, tons of glass fiber waste is being buried underground, creating environmental problems. Therefore, many research efforts in Northern Europe (Baltic region) have been focused on finding solutions to this problem. Therefore, there is a need for innovative and sustainable solutions to address the same. The circular economy concept is one such direction that can help rethink, redesign, and reuse glass fiber material/resources in building new products, services, and sustainable ecosystems in a closed-loop manner to achieve zero waste. However, this requires fundamental process and operational knowledge, associated events, and data, as well as enabling digital technologies to support different decisions in different phases of the life cycle of the circular economy of glass fiber waste management. To deal with this problem, this study has conducted a business survey to identify the footprints of the glass fiber industry in the Baltic region and try to identify the scale of operations in the glass fiber industry running in a geo-distributed manner. This business point of view sets the foundation for exploring data-enabled decision support system to manage glass fiber life cycle operations efficiently. This study has also introduced a digital circular economy for glass fiber waste management through Dataspace enablement among stakeholders to support various glass fiber operational events that align with the circular economy objective. This study also aspires to build a prototype dataspace semantics model as the basis for a digital product passport ontology in a glass fiber waste management context. Here, the role of convergence of technologies such as blockchain, Artificial Intelligence (AI), IoT, and edge supporting the waste management supply chain-related functions and enabling decisions are also significant. This is expected to enable data openness, traceability, and transparency for different stakeholders to build collaborative value chain networks. This will also be helpful for government authorities and policymakers aimed at promoting a green and sustainable environment for all. In addition, this can also serve as the basis on which innovative and circular economy business models around recycling and reuse can be developed. To deal with the problem of Glass fiber waste, it is imperative to know the existing footprints of the glass fiber industry (GFI) in the European Baltic Region (EBR). Therefore, we have collected data for the GFI in EBR over the internet using online tools, e.g., web crawling, LinkedIn, etc. The data was cleaned after collection, followed by pre-processing and visualization to provide relevant analytical information.

ABSTRACT. This paper aims at providing a method to assess climate transition plan in accordance with the new definition of greenwashing provided by ESMA and to integrate it in the financial valuation model. The first step of the research will the presentation of a specific method able to understand the different climate transition plans and a comparison with a set of other existing methods. ESMA redefined greenwashing, not only as a mis-selling information or lack of information but also as any misleading action or information in order to distort the decision of investor towards climate transition. After an overview of the different methods, we explain our choice of AMF framework, that has been built after the new ESMA definition. Compared to other methods, this questionnaire seems accurate to understand the reality of climate transition plans. Its results that would be granular enough to provide results that could be integrated in different assessment perspectives. Indeed these results are split in two major steps, targets setting and implementation, making it possible to assess relevance of the target setting and consistency of the implementation. Based on this first set of result, we need a second tool to hierarchise the results of the AMF We then draw from a recent perspective on greenwashing analysis, using Habermas philosophy to deliver a multidimensional assessment of greenwashing. Habermas concept of communicative action changes the perspective of analysis of sustainable finance. Instead of asking whether it is a good or a bad action, it aims at analysing whether it is well understood and therefore could contribute to the collective well-being. It is based on the analysis of four conditions of communicative action: understandability, truthfulness, credibility, appropriateness. This perspective has been explored and a first attempt of application has been provided on EU taxonomy. As the AMF framework is aiming at a regulation, it may be an opportunity to use it as an analytical framework.

ABSTRACT. Climate change, with its effects such as heat, extreme drought, forest fires, pollution and flooding, not only affects our habitat, but also our lives themselves and puts a strain on our psyche. Climate change therefore has an impact on all dimensions of sustainability. From an economic point of view, there is a loss of resources and a financial burden to build up resistance. With regard to the environmental dimension, the loss of habitat, ecosystems and extreme weather events should be mentioned. Social aspects are the negative influences on physical and mental health. Resilience plays an important role in the various disciplines and can also be applied to all dimensions of sustainability. This presentation will use a literature review to explore how resilience can be strengthened and the benefits of doing so across all dimensions of sustainability. The aim is to develop a guide that provides advice on how to strengthen the resilience of employees to cope with climate change and create an all-round sustainable and healthy company. The gap between current knowledge and implementation in companies is to be closed through teaching and awareness-raising. In this article, the initial findings from the interface between research and teaching are used to plan the next steps and thus strengthen all three dimensions of sustainability and, in particular, the health of employees by aligning objectives.

ABSTRACT. In light of the current challenges of sustainable development goals achievement (SDGs), the circular economy (CE) implementation, and the key role of education, the present study focuses on three innovative ideas for entrepreneurship from vocational education. The teachers coordinated students from various disciplines to participate in activities to create virtual enterprises under the umbrella of the NGO JA Greece. They thought critically and applied creativity to solving local environmental, economic, and societal problems embedding the SDGs and the CE principles in innovative ideas. The rural prefecture Evros is affected by high unemployment and part-time employment. Therefore, the profitable use of local agro-products, by-products, and processing residues of small industries in the design of new products, and the sustainable management of resources are market opportunities and claims for entrepreneurial activities.

ABSTRACT. The transition to a Circular Economy (CE) demands a holistic understanding and collaborative effort from various stakeholders including companies, consumers, and governments. However, existing educational approaches often fall short in providing a comprehensive understanding of CE beyond organizational boundaries. This research addresses the gap in CE education by introducing the Circular Economy Transition City Game (CET-City Game), an innovative platform designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills necessary for navigating the complexities of CE transition.

Existing educational initiatives focusing on circularity and sustainability often remain isolated and fail to integrate diverse perspectives and disciplines. The CET-City Game aims to bridge this gap by offering students hands-on experience in tackling CE challenges within a simulated urban environment. Developed as part of a 15-credit CET minor program at the University of Twente, the game involves participants from various academic backgrounds, including Industrial Engineering, Business Information Technology, and Psychology.

The game is structured around theoretical lectures covering topics such as Circularity Management & Technology, Psychology, Communication for Sustainable Change, and Elements of Environmental Economics. Participants assume different stakeholder roles within a hypothetical city, including households, companies, and the municipality. Through decision-making processes and problem-solving activities, students collaborate to address sustainability and resilience challenges at micro, meso, and macro levels.

The game environment simulates real-world resource scarcity, requiring students to adopt sustainable and circular practices to ensure the survival of the CET city. Participants face a series of challenges related to resource management, waste reduction, and regulatory compliance, forcing them to think critically and creatively to achieve collective goals. By experiencing the complexities of CE implementation firsthand, students gain valuable insights into potential CE practices and develop a deeper understanding of the principles underlying the transition to a circular economy.

The CET-City Game represents a significant innovation in CE education, offering a dynamic and immersive learning experience that goes beyond traditional classroom settings. By integrating theory with practical application, the game empowers students to become visionary problem-solvers capable of driving sustainable change in diverse contexts. As the need for CE literacy continues to grow, the CET-City Game serves as a valuable tool for fostering a new generation of CE leaders with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle global sustainability challenges.

ABSTRACT. The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) is Europe’s largest network of environmental citizens' organisations. We bring together over 180 member organisations from 40 countries. We stand for sustainable development, environmental justice & participatory democracy. Based on my previous day’s keynote on the European Green Deal (EGD) with a special focus on circular economy (CE), the second presentation will dig deeper into some parts of the European Commission’s circular economy packages. The presentation will focus on EEB’s advocacy work on: • The new European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation 2025 (PPWR): The new EU Packaging Regulation updates the EU legal framework for packaging and packaging waste. It was heavily criticised by member states, CSOs and many other stakeholders. Some of the most regressive actors in the packaging value chain, such as single-use paper packaging producers like McDonald’s, have been conducting a massive lobbying campaign to greenwash single user paper as a sustainable alternative to single-use plastics. A new report exposes why this is a false solution and warns decision makers of the risks associated with an uncontrolled growth of paper-based packaging. Main positive elements of the PPWR from EEB perspective: o Binding packaging reduction targets for Member States (-5% by 2030, -10% by 2035 and -15% by 2040). o Reuse targets for beverages, transport and sales packaging + reuse & refill requirements for restaurants. o Packaging minimisation: new rules set a maximum empty space ratio of 50% in grouped, transport and e-commerce packaging. o Bans for certain single use plastic packaging formats from 2030 o Member States must set up deposit and return systems for plastic bottles and metal cans by 2029 o Ban on “forever chemicals” (PFAS) in food contact packaging. o All packaging will have to be recyclable, fulfilling strict criteria to be defined through secondary legislation.

Negatives from EEB perspective: o Initial proposal was watered down by a series of exemptions and derogations adopted under the pressure of throwaway lobbies. o The scope of restrictions for unnecessary packaging is limited only to single-use plastics and not to all single-use formats (thus exempting single-use paper-based packaging). o Cardboard packaging is excluded from the reuse targets for transport. o The definition of composite packaging has been changed to greenwash plasticised single-use paper packaging creating a loophole from the restrictions of single-use plastics packaging. Other EU legislations that will be briefly covered: • Green Claims Directive New criteria to stop companies from making misleading claims about environmental merits of their products and services. • Proposal for a Directive on empowering consumers for the green transition This proposal amends the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive and the Consumer Rights Directive to empower consumers for the green transition through better protection against unfair commercial practices and better information.

ABSTRACT. Food loss and waste (FLW) is a global challenge recognised by international governments and organisations. Reducing FLW is key to sustainably ensure nutritional food security for an increasing world population. It is a target of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, and the Farm to Fork Strategy of the European Green Deal. The FoodWaStop COST project addresses these challenges and aims to: (i) build an interdisciplinary and multi-actor European Network that is also connected with non-EU Mediterranean countries, to promote knowledge on FLW beyond the state of the art; (ii) determine incidence of FLW in the critical points of the fruit and vegetable value chain; (iii) foster technological innovations and sustainable management strategies to reduce and prevent FLW; and (iv) valorise agrofood waste to promote a circular bio-economy. The experience of the Coordinators and Participants gained from other related projects (e.g., PRIMA, H2020, HE, other COST Actions), the background from diverse EU and extra-EU countries, and the involvement of stakeholders and industry partners contribute to increase awareness of this problem, to determine its incidence, to seek strategies for its management through exploitation of the potential of innovative technologies, and to define good practices to prevent FLW. The FoodWaStop Network provide benefits to various stakeholders and end-users, including all actors in the agrofood value chain, from farmers (Farm) to consumers (Fork). FoodWaStop COST CA22134 Action started on 21 September 2023 and currently involves over 400 working group (WG) members from 53 countries (Figure 1), joining one or more of the 6 WGs. Interested people are welcome to contribute sharing their knowledge applying for WGs at the link FoodWaStop. The first plenary meeting was hold in Ancona on 24-25 January 2024 (see https://stopmedwaste.net/#postharvestancona2024) and opportunity for young students were planned, with a short term scientific missions (STSM) call opened in November 2023, with 5 granted young researcher innovators (YRI), a Training school on quantification of food loss and waste organized in Cranfield on 9-11 July, and further STSM calls are in progress to be open. All information is mainly published on Facebook FoodWaStop page (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551787798541), as well as on X (https://twitter.com/CostFoodwastop) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/foodwastopcostaction2023/) accounts, and on LinkedIn profile (https://www.linkedin.com/company/foodwastop-cost-action-ca22134/?viewAsMember=true&success=true). The video of the first plenary meeting are available on the YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ8PLeRL_OK9PYMVv1Dou_A). Any contribution is welcome, and the FoodWaStop COST Action aims to create a knowledge platform that will promote innovation, deliver guidelines, and favor dialogue with policymakers, to focus their attention on the social and economic implications of FLW.

ABSTRACT. This project was aimed at finding a sustainable solution to the important need of many companies to replace plastic packaging with alternative materials, according to the directive reported by European Regulation. An example of synergy between universities and industries from different countries is shown, leading to a multidisciplinary approach developed with the aim of realising innovative materials within the context of circular economy. An important goal was also to reduce food waste, by prolonging products shelf-life. A producer of canned vegatables, Greci Industria Alimentare (Parma) was interest in finding useful applications of agro-industrial byproducts rich of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and antibacterial properties,1 but usually discarded. Tomato by-products were selected after tomato season of 2023, and the effect of storage after a drying process on the amount of active compounds was investigated using different packaging materials. New systems of sample extraction were investigated at the CIAL Institute of Madrid, and the chemical characterization of active compounds (i.e lycopene, β-carotene) was achieved by LC-MS in collaboration with the University of Messina. Colorimetric assay and Oxitest measures2 were performed to check the antioxidant power (% TAC, Total Antioxidant Content) and the oxidative stability of the extracts, respectively. Innovative and active packaging systems were realised in form of films, spray formulations and coating to be applied on paper and wood. Studies to assess their stability during shelf-life were also performed. In addition, safety assessment experiments based on AMES tests were carried out at the FH Campus of Wien. A new strategy of application of coatings on paper was developed using a pressing machine, exploiting a combination of high temperature and pressure. An interesting application was the production of hydrophobic paper, developed with the collaboration of a German company allowing to obtain prototypes of new packaging. The research shows that a synergy between academic research and companies can lead to successful outcomes, and can be a source of technological progress, providing solutions to global needs. The project was conducted in collaboration with the interdepartmental centre for Packaging, CIPACK, belonging to the Technopole of Parma. It promotes technology transfer aimed at scientific and technological progress through research, providing researchers with the opportunity to translate their ideas into effective solutions.

ABSTRACT. The BILLA Sustainability-Strategy is a comprehensive approach to sustainability and responsible business practices, with a particular focus on reducing food waste and improving packaging solutions. The strategy is based on data-driven decision making and a commitment to transparency, with the aim of significantly reducing food waste: By implementing of specific initiatives, BILLA aims to create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly shopping experience for its customers, while reducing its carbon footprint and contributing to a more circular economy.

ABSTRACT. The topic of circular economy has generated significant interest in research and industry and implies the transition of the traditional linear business model of production-consumption-disposal to a sustainable process of make-use-reuse-remake-recycling (Mhatre et al., 2021). Ever-increasing human consumption, and therefore also packaging, present challenges for the environment and society. Unsustainable packaging and consumption practices have become a threat to sustainable development and the transition to a circular economy (Meherishi et al., 2019). In several countries, packaging accounts for 15-20% of total municipal solid waste (Tencati et al., 2016), leading to extreme potential for improving the environmental footprint by optimizing current packaging solutions and introducing circular economy practices. This work is based on social media data from LinkedIn as derived from 1260 company profiles specializing in “Sustainable Packaging”; this was the keyword used as filter to select those companies as described in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Data mining process

Then company profiles were visited to look into innovative sustainable packaging Re- practices and principles. For this we used an updated version of the Re-s as described by Tsironis et al. (2024) who report the 21 most practiced RE-s of the circular economy as follows: Recycle, Reduce, Renew, Reuse, Recover, Regenerate, Return, Repair, Refurbish, Rent, Replace, Remove, Restore, Repurpose, Refine, Rethink, Redesign, Resell – Resale, React, Remanufacture, and Reclaim. The aim of this paper is to shed light on how companies approach sustainable packaging innovations and challenges and examine the role that circular economy strategies fulfil.

References: Meherishi, L., Narayana, S.A., Ranjani, K.S., 2019. Sustainable packaging for supply chain management in the circular economy: A review. Journal of Cleaner Production 237, 117582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.07.057 Mhatre, P., Panchal, R., Singh, A., Bibyan, S., 2021. A systematic literature review on the circular economy initiatives in the European Union. Sustainable Production and Consumption 26, 187–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2020.09.008 Tencati, A., Pogutz, S., Moda, B., Brambilla, M., Cacia, C., 2016. Prevention policies addressing packaging and packaging waste: Some emerging trends. Waste Management 56, 35–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2016.06.025 Tsironis, G., Daglis, T., Tsagarakis, K.P., 2024. The 21 most practiced RE-s of circular economy from LinkedIn company profiles on a global scale. Resources, Conservation & Recycling Advances 21, 200202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rcradv.2024.200202

ABSTRACT. The present study investigates 516 LinkedIn profiles of entities registered as “companies” including the term “Sustainable Packaging” in any section of their profiles. We perform a qualitative analysis utilizing Machine Learning (ML) models to shed light on the most prominent topics related to the concept of sustainable packaging. More precisely, we used the “description” profile field where each company describes its activities in free text. We applied two distinct topic modeling approaches, BERTopic and Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), to analyze a dataset of company descriptions focusing on the sustainable packaging sector. Our aim was to uncover underlying themes or topics within these descriptions, providing insights into the predominant narratives and focus areas within the industry. This method considers the entire text, allowing for the contextual nuances of the descriptions to influence the clustering outcome. With BERTopic, we identified two primary clusters of companies, suggesting a bifurcation in the industry's approach to sustainable packaging. On the other hand, LDA operates on a bag-of-words assumption, treating documents as collections of tokens without regard to word order or context. This probabilistic model was employed to generate 2, 5, and 20 topic solutions, with the 2-topic model yielding the highest coherence score. This indicates a thematic distinction within the corpus, aligning with the bifurcation observed in the BERTopic analysis. The LDA model's two topics reveal concentrated themes within the sustainable packaging sector, reflecting the industry's priorities and areas of focus. The first topic is characterized by a broad emphasis on sustainability across various aspects of business operations and product development. Words like "solution," "material," "design," "innovation," and "technology" suggest a focus on developing new and innovative approaches to sustainable packaging. The mention of "food" indicates a significant concern for packaging in the food industry, likely driven by the need for biodegradability and reduced waste. Additionally, the presence of terms like "UK" and "market" hints at geographical specificity and market-driven approaches to sustainability. The second topic shares many core terms with the first, such as "packaging," "sustainable," and "product," indicating a general thematic overlap. However, the inclusion of "cosmetic," "ingredient," "organic," "film," and "natural" suggests a more focused narrative on branding and product identity within the realm of sustainable packaging. This topic appears to highlight how companies leverage sustainability as a key component of their brand identity, particularly in markets like cosmetics and organic products. The emphasis on "experience," "unique," and "quality" reflects a consumer-oriented approach, where sustainability is not just a production criterion but a core brand value that enhances customer experience and distinguishes products in competitive markets. The alignment of these LDA topics with the two clusters identified through BERTopic suggests a sector-wide dichotomy between overarching sustainable innovation and sustainability as a branding strategy. While BERTopic captured this bifurcation through semantic clustering, LDA provides a complementary token-based perspective, highlighting specific areas of focus within each narrative. Together, these models offer a dual-lens through which to examine the sustainable packaging industry. BERTopic highlighted topics 0,1 and -1 which are depicted in word clouds.

ABSTRACT. The global production of fruits in 2022 reached >850 million tons, with citrus fruits accounting for nearly 18% of the total output. Oranges, the most produced citrus fruit, are rich in various bioactive compounds, making them valuable not only for the juice industry but also for applications in perfumery, cosmetics, and medicine. However, the citrus industry generates significant amounts of peel and seed waste, constituting up to 50% of the total fruit weight. The disposal of orange peels poses environmental challenges, as conventional methods like landfilling, incineration, composting, or animal feed utilization face limitations. These limitations include low nitrogen content for composting, low pH and anti-nutritional properties for animal feed, and high moisture content for incineration. Efficient waste valorization requires sustainable biorefinery processes incorporating green chemistry principles, and a promising approach is the cascade biorefinery, which maximizes the yield of products and benefits from organic wastes. Citrus peels, due to their composition, offer a renewable and sustainable resource for producing various value-added bioproducts. In this work, the integral valorization of orange peel (OPW) was developed using a multi-product cascade biorefinery approach. This process allowed obtaining bioactive extracts from OPW, demonstrating the suitability of 100% ethanol as the most efficient solvent (8.55 mg GAE/g OPW and 7.40 TEAC). The use of this solvent in ultrasound-assisted extraction at 80 °C allowed obtaining the bioactive extract with the same characteristics but reducing the extraction time to 30 min, compared to the 5 h needed for Soxhlet extraction. The extract-free OPW was used to obtain cellulose nanofibers (CNF), which showed excellent characteristics (low lignin content and high specific surface area) for use as reinforcement in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) films for food packaging. The reinforced films increased their mechanical strength due to the inherent stiffness of the CNF chain, its homogeneous distribution in the PVA matrix and the high compatibility between the polymers. In addition, its barrier capacity against water vapor increased (>50% compared to neat PVA). The addition of polyphenol-rich extracts conferred interesting bioactive properties of particular interest for food packaging. The antioxidant properties of the films increased as the extract content in the formulation increased (100% for 30% extract). The ultraviolet light blocking capacity also increased, reaching values of 100%. The synergistic effect of the joint addition of CNF and polyphenols resulted in bioactive films with high UV light blocking capacity that maintained the structural and mechanical properties of neat PVA films.

Participation in Food packaging – eco-design in a circular economy special session and workshop.

ABSTRACT. Food losses and waste, along with the threat of food-borne illnesses, present significant challenges to both society and the food industry. These challenges underscore the pressing need for innovative solutions, particularly in packaging, which plays a crucial role in preserving food quality and safety. Packaging not only shields food from external factors but also enhances its nutritional content by incorporating health-promoting compounds like antioxidants. In meat packaging, absorbent pads help manage moisture, but the synthetic polymers traditionally used raise environmental concerns, prompting a shift towards sustainable alternatives such as chitosan-based materials derived from biomass. This study delves into utilizing bay tree pruning waste (BTPW) to extract polyphenolic compounds and nanocellulose for the development of chitosan-based aerogels. The focus lies on the role of cellulose micro/nanofibers as reinforcing agents, considering the residual effects of lignin. By functionalizing these aerogels with bay leaves extract, their antioxidant capacity is enhanced, making them suitable for meat preservation. Initially, chitosan aerogels reinforced with varying proportions of lignocellulose and cellulose micro/nanofibers from BTPW were prepared to optimize absorbent pad formulations. The study examined the impact of residual lignin on the material's properties, demonstrating that the inclusion of 5% micro/nanofibers significantly improved mechanical performance and water uptake, particularly in the presence of lignin. Subsequently, the aerogels were bioactivated by integrating bay leaves extract. New bioactive aerogels were formulated with increasing amounts of the extract, maintaining the beneficial characteristics achieved by the nanofibers. Radical scavenging activity assays indicated prolonged release capacity of bay leaves extract, influenced by the presence of residual lignin in the fibers. As a proof of concept, these bioactive aerogels were employed as absorbent pads for fresh meat to mitigate color loss due to lipid oxidation. The proportion of myoglobin forms in the meat was assessed, revealing that the use of bioactive aerogels (with ≥2% extract) preserved meat freshness for up to 10 days by delaying food oxidation during storage. In summary, this study underscores the potential of utilizing waste materials for sustainable packaging solutions and highlights the efficacy of bioactive aerogels in preserving food quality and safety. By harnessing natural compounds and sustainable materials, such innovations offer promising avenues for addressing food-related challenges while mitigating environmental impact in the food industry.

In have the intention to contribute to the Special Session and Workshop relate to Food packaging – eco-design in circular economy (co-organized with the COST Circul-a-bility project).

ABSTRACT. Over the past decade, the field of smart food packaging has been widely researched, driven by its potential to reduce food waste. Unlike conventional packaging, which acts as a physical barrier to protect food, smart packaging aims to preserve food for longer periods while informing the consumer about its quality. Fish is highly prone to spoilage, characterized by the release of volatile basic nitrogen compounds (TVB-N). As these molecules are responsible for an increase in the environment’s pH, anthocyanins have been used as colorimetric indicators for intelligent packaging, due to their color changing properties with pH. However, packaging integrating anthocyanins is usually obtained via high-cost and low scalable techniques, unlike screen-printing which is affordable and adaptable. Printable anthocyanins-based inks were explored as colorimetric sensors for the detection of spoiled fish. Anthocyanins were extracted from red cabbage via ultrasonication for 20–60 minutes using different ethanol concentrations (60–90%). The extraction yield ranged between 45.6–84.42 mg/100 g fresh weight (FW), the highest corresponding to 80% ethanol, 50 minutes. Antioxidant activity was tested with the ABTS method, showing values of 1.53–2.13 mmol TE/100 g FW. The anthocyanins were then integrated, in 20% w/v, with different ratios of carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) and starch to formulate inks and print sensors on paper using screen-printing. The color change of the sensor was tested using a solution of ammonium hydroxide, which rapidly evaporates, creating a basic environment similar to the packed fish. The color changed from violet to green indicating its suitability for the detection of TVB-N. To assess color stability, colorimetric tests were performed for 21 days under air, no humidity and N2, on the ink with the best ratio, 4:2, and three concentrations of anthocyanins, 10, 20 and 30% w/v. Significant color loss, ΔE*, was seen for the sensors exposed to air, 14.14–15.24, however, it greatly decreased to 2.54 and 4.61, under N2 and no humidity, respectively, resulting in a slight color difference not even noticeable to the naked eye. This indicates the exposure to humidity and air were the cause for the color’s deterioration. Moreover, as fish is usually packed in a rich CO2 atmosphere, the sensor was tested in different atmospheres. Its original color was retained throughout the 21 days, showing a ΔE* of only 2.04. For O2-rich environments a small ΔE*, 2.22, was also observed, meaning the sensor may be suitable for packed meat as well. Fish was packed together with the sensor in a closed environment at 4°C for 4 days, and the sensor changed from violet to green.

This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020, UIDP/50011/2020 & LA/P/0006/2020, financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC (PIDDAC). Also, this work was funded by national funds, through FCT, IP, in the scope of the framework contract foreseen in the numbers 4, 5 and 6 of the article 23, of the Decree-Law 57/2016, changed by Law 57/2017. FCT is acknowledged by the PhD fellowship funded with the 2022.11211.BD grant, who also thanks the cost action CA19124.

ABSTRACT. The global decline in resources and raw-materials, challenges to the waste management and a rise of greenhouse gas concentrations forces companies to search for more sustainable and circular business models. According to the subject literature (Kirchherr et. al, 2017; Vermunt et al. 2019) one of the barriers in transition to circular business models is the information and knowledge failure. Therefore, digital platforms may play a key role in the development of the Circular Economy. Digital platforms, as centers of information flows, constitute the main coordination center for the circular production and services systems. Industrial symbiosis is a form of Circular Economy where exchanges of waste, by-products or other resources between firms and local organizations generate competitive advantages (Martin M. and Harris S. 2018). The online information-sharing platforms is one of such models that enhances the symbiotic resource exchange, and improves the valorisation of waste, resource efficiency and reduction of environmental impact (Schwanholz and Leipold, 2020). The exchange of information provides companies with easy and fast finding partners tools, to create the industrial symbiosis networks (ISNs). For single companies it means a reduction of transaction costs, maximization of their economic benefits, while for the whole society it contributes with smart, sustainable and responsible communities (i.e. van Capelleveen et al., 2018; Aid et al., 2015; Kincaid and Overcash, 2001; Chertow, 2007). Despite the rising awareness of the role of these platforms in sustainability the environmental and economic benefits of these platforms are not in-depth investigated. Hence, the application of digital platforms in Circular Economy require enhanced and detailed understanding with regard to the realization of these benefits. The study aims to fill the literature gap by examining the digital platforms developed specifically for ISNs and their role in the transition to the smart and sustainable communities. The study addresses the four major research questions: 1) How do different digital platforms match the theoretical principles and political objectives of the Circular Economy? 2) What is the impact of the digital platforms on the bottom-up ISNs networks formation? 3) What are the barriers and drivers in the application of digital platforms in the circular and ISNs models? 4) What can we learn from the practice of existing platforms and ICT tools in order advance business circular models and their impact on sustainable and smart communities? The study applies the case study research methodology. The paper consists of three major sections, followed by conclusions and implications, structured as follows. The first section starts with the literature review to discuss the link between ICT technologies, knowledge management and transition into a circular business model. Next section explores the role of digital platforms enabling companies and organizations to quickly access and utilize information. It discusses the major drivers and barriers in enhancing symbiotic resource exchanges and re-utilisation of waste or by products via digital platforms; as well as successful, and unsuccessful examples of such models. The last but not least it gives business and policy recommendations on how to build digital platforms to promote sustainability.

ABSTRACT. Plastic food packaging is essential for the protection and quality of food products. However, conventional (i.e. single use) plastic food packaging solutions constitute a pollution threat for the environment. While packaging recycling rates have increased, recycling alone cannot keep up with the increase of the total amount of packaging waste generated. Extending the use and value of plastic food packaging before final disposal is a potential way for supporting further the food packaging waste reduction. Consumer-led packaging reuse is one particular way to achieve this. In general, consumers seem to be positive toward packaging food and drink packaging reuse (e.g. thermal bottles and warm-drink cups) and associate it with environmental sustainability, expressed as a “warm glow” feeling. However, little is known about the extent that consumers’ food product choices, taste expectations and willingness to pay are influenced by conventional (e.g. single-use) and environmentally sustainable alternatives, such as recyclable and reusable packaging. This paper reports findings from an online experiment with Finnish (N=107), German (N=104) and UK (N=105) consumers regarding their choices, willingness to pay, taste expectations and warm glow evaluations of food products commonly sold in mass retail environments. Results regarding consumers’ choices show that in all three countries food products in single-use packaging were chosen by fewer consumers whereas recyclable packaging was the most common choice. In terms of taste expectations, results show a slight tendency among consumers from all countries of high taste expectations for products in reused plastic packaging. With respect to willingness to pay, no significant differences between packaging types were observed in Finland and Germany. Regarding warm glow feeling, in all countries food products in reused plastic packaging received the highest warm glow evaluations. Results referring to taste expectations and warm glow evaluations suggest that reused packaging seems to have an intangible – yet hidden – brand value for consumers, which deserves further study.

ABSTRACT. This study delves into the transition towards a sustainable Circular Economy (CE), highlighting the critical move from traditional linear models to circular approaches to tackle environmental, economic, and social challenges. At the center of this transition is the concept of Industrial Symbiosis (IS), which encourages the sharing of resources across industries to improve efficiency and minimize waste. This study examines how IS evolves into wider Hubs for Circularity (H4C), prompting the need to reassess business and financial models amid dynamics of coopetition—where companies simultaneously cooperate and compete. Utilizing data analytics and Machine Learning (ML) techniques, this study evaluates the effectiveness of various business models in enhancing circularity, optimizing resource flows, and ensuring the financial sustainability of IS initiatives. The main objectives include identifying critical data inputs for ML, honing financial forecasts, and aiding strategic decision-making, thereby showcasing the role of ML in shaping business and financial strategies within CE frameworks. ML models contribute to better decision-making within H4Cs by predicting outcomes and improving operations, steering strategic choices towards sustainability. Thus, this research emphasizes the fusion of technology and innovative practices to promote a resilient and sustainable future, stressing the need to address both techno-economic and socio-ethical dimensions as we progress towards a more inclusive and environmentally conscious future.

ABSTRACT. The paper introduces a framework for assessing stakeholder engagement and success in Hubs for Circularity (H4C), essential in transitioning to a Circular Economy (CE). It stresses the necessity of collaboration among stakeholders and the need for a structured approach to evaluate the efficacy of H4C endeavours. This framework comprises several key elements: Firstly, it emphasizes the importance of analysing the diverse stakeholder groups involved in H4C initiatives. Secondly, it advocates for a comprehensive examination of the factors influencing the implementation of H4C through a Drivers, Barriers, and Enablers Analysis (DBE). Thirdly, it underscores the development of metrics aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Societal Readiness Level (SoReL) to measure the success of H4C initiatives. Lastly, it outlines future research directions, highlighting the potential use of social network analysis (SNA) and regional input-output (RIO) modelling to explore the socio-economic impacts of H4C initiatives. In essence, the paper highlights the significance of stakeholder engagement and measurement frameworks in driving the success of H4C initiatives and advancing sustainability goals.

ABSTRACT. Hubs for Circularity (H4C) present an innovative model wherein enterprises collaborate via Industrial Symbiosis (IS) to enhance resource efficiency and minimize waste within regional ecosystems. While large industries predominantly engage in H4C, the role of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) remains unclear despite their potential as agents of innovation and sustainable development. This study investigates the impact of SMEs on H4C effectiveness through Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a non-parametric method evaluating the efficiency of decision-making units. In the context of the circular economy, SMEs are vital due to their agility and innovation capabilities. DEA provides a robust framework to assess H4C efficacy by analyzing inputs (e.g., resource consumption) and outputs (e.g., waste reduction), shedding light on efficient practices and regions. The research explores the influence of sustainability indicators and SME presence on regional efficiency, aiming to identify patterns that inspire improvements in less efficient areas.

ABSTRACT. The transition to a circular economy (CE) is a vital step towards sustainable development, promising to reduce environmental impact by optimizing the reuse of resources and minimizing waste. However, the realization of a CE is contingent upon effective stakeholder collaboration and data exchange, which are hampered by concerns over information security, privacy, and competitive disadvantage. This study aims to elucidate the role of information security in facilitating a CE by conducting a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of literature from 2005 to 2024, sourced from the Scopus database. We examine 272 articles that intersect the domains of information security and CE, focusing on industrial symbiosis, circular value chains, and the integration of blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Our analysis reveals three distinct clusters of research focus: waste management optimization, blockchain and AI applications in CE, and material flow optimization. The findings highlight the criticality of information security in enabling trust and cooperation among CE stakeholders, suggesting that robust information security measures are foundational to the development of effective data sharing platforms and information systems. This study contributes to the understanding of the interplay between information security and CE, providing insights into how secure information management can propel the circular economy forward.

ABSTRACT. Peer-to peer interactions can be an important source of social influence in the diffusion of ideas and behaviours in both physical and digital social networks. The quality characteristics of interpersonal ties and interactions (for example strength, direction, frequency, locality) among the members of the network determine the magnitude of peer-pressure exerted by one peer on another and eventually the size of social influence in the network. Network induction or alteration interventions can achieve behavioural change by changing or fixing some of these quality characteristics. Social Biking is an internet-based project based on a mobile tracking app for bikers, the BikePrints app. The app, developed by the Joint Research Centre, European Commission, was designed to collect primary data on cycling and social networks and to test different social-based incentives for increasing cycling in cities. The app was promoted to 25 different cities through the “European Mobility Week” network of the European Commission. The respective local authorities or bike associations were responsible for the local promotion of the S-b Challenge and the organization of small local prizes. The app was installed by 1273 participants and actively used by 693 users who recorded in total more than 79000 km during the 3 weeks of the intervention. The app allowed users to form interactive groups and track their rides to collectively earn points which are eventually exchanged with prizes. S-bikers participated in all the following three different stages (in random order): Individual Stage in which points were earned based on individual performance (1km=1point) and the Pair and Group Stages in which bikers formed pairs and 4-member groups to collectively earn and share points with their partners. To incentivize social behavior and grow social capital among users, extra bonus points were assigned to the users when biking via the same routes within a 48h time window (double points) or simultaneously side by side (triple points). Preliminary results show that social-based incentives significantly increased the use of bikes by making people cycling more kilometers. Bikers who paired/grouped with other bikers to participate in the pair and group stages recorded significantly more kms (p<0.01) as compared to bikers who never paired/grouped in one of the different stages. More importantly, the same paired/grouped bikers, performed significantly worst (p<0.01) when participating in the individual stage. Social based incentives had also a positive effect on the degree of engagement of the participants and in the duration of the effectiveness of the incentive. The results indicate that network interventions might be a powerful tool to positively change lifestyle behaviours of people. Changing usual behaviour and habits is complex, and this achievement may signal that this approach may have different applications in tasks of equal complexity. Carefully designed network interventions based on the specific characteristics of the social networks and the nature of the bilateral relations and interactions may constitute a powerful tool for achieving behavioural change.

ABSTRACT. The present paper takes a deep dive into the impact of mega infrastructure projects on sustainable development in Greece, with a special focus on social acceptance, understanding, and satisfaction. The study scrutinises 12 mega infrastructure projects in Greece, which are typically intricate and expensive and shape the social, economic, and environmental aspects of the areas they impact, both directly and indirectly. The research examines these mega infrastructure projects from a social perspective, looking beyond their primary purpose to consider sustainable development, which the Brundtland Commission defined in 1987 as combining economic growth with environmental protection and social equity. The findings of this research are not just academic exercises but practical tools that can guide future mega infrastructure projects and policy decisions, ensuring that they are aligned with the principles of sustainable development. Given the current state of sustainable development, it is crucial to comprehend how mega infrastructure projects affect sustainability and how society and project users perceive them. Sustainable development is a multifaceted concept based on the foundations of economy, society and environment. Sustainable development depends on these three pillars, which are equally important and work interactively to support each other. The study aims to explore the extent to which societal perspectives align with and require the principles of sustainable development. This paper introduces ground-breaking research that lays the foundations for a predictive model to assess the reception and integration of key principles of sustainable development in society and the shared beliefs of users of mega infrastructure projects. The ultimate goal of this research is to promote sustainability effectively. Recognising that achieving real, sustainable progress is impossible without broad societal input is important. In this light, the study examines the interaction between the key components of sustainable development and mega infrastructure projects from a societal perspective, inviting the academic community, policymakers, and professionals to contribute their insights and perspectives. The primary objective of this research is to present a predictive statistical model of best practices for the state's policy framework for sustainable development. This model, based on a specific methodology, aims to achieve the specific goal of the model. Bridging theoretical models with empirical realities, the thesis underscores the importance of mega infrastructure projects for sustainability. While theoretical frameworks and potential cases of these sustainability projects have been studied, there is still a gap in comprehensive empirical research on the social perceptions and acceptance of these projects about the fundamental pillars of sustainable development. This research fills that gap, examining societal perceptions and assessing how well these projects align with sustainability principles. It provides insights and empirical evidence to strengthen the sustainable development discourse and seeks to clarify the complex network of interactions between the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability. Finaly, by emphasising their intrinsic interconnection through the prism of society, this research underscores the practical implications of mega infrastructure projects for sustainable development.

ABSTRACT. Starch-rich potato wastewater and lignin-rich pine nut residues are significant byproducts generated and often discarded by potato chips and dry fruits processing industries. Potato wastewater-derived starch has been explored for flexible bioplastics development [1], as alternative to traditional non-biodegradable plastic packaging materials. While blending starch with poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) has shown promise in enhancing starch blown extrusion processability, its application in rigid packaging materials remains relatively unexplored. In this work, the feasibility of incorporating pine nut peels (PNP) to improve the thermoforming processability of potato wastewater-derived starch/PBAT formulations was studied. The influence of varying PNP amount (2.5 to 7.5% wt.) on melt fluidity, moisture content, water tolerance, thermoforming ability and mechanical performance was evaluated. The biodegradabity and cherry tomato packaging performance of the most promising materials were also studied and compared to the trays without PNP and PET trays. Results revealed that PNP addition decreased melt fluidity of starch/PBAT granulates, while reducing the water sensibility of the materials, evidenced by lower moisture content (up to 7.4%) and increased water contact angle (up to 96.2°). All starch/ PBAT formulations revealed to be compatible with the thermoforming processing (Figure 1). Enhanced mechanical performance was achieved with 5% PNP incorporation, as indicated by a higher storage modulus. Biodegradability studies revealed that starch/ PBAT-based trays, with or without PNP, exhibited degradation rates of 17.6 and 16.8 % in soil and 41.1 and 36.9 in compost, respectively, after 118 days. Cherry tomato packaging performance was comparable between starch/PBAT-based trays and starch/PNP/ PBAT-based trays, showing higher weight loss (up to 4%) and similar coloration, water activity, and firmness when compared to PET trays. Therefore, potato wastewater and pine nut residues emerge as promising raw materials for developing bioplastic trays suitable for fruit packaging applications, offering a sustainable solution for valorizing these agrifood by-products within a circular economy approach.

Acknowledgments This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDB/50011/2020, UIDP/50011/2020 & LA/P/0006/2020), financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC (PIDDAC). FCT is also thanked for the Investigator FCT program (PF) and Scientific Employment Stimulus program (IG). JS also thank FCT for funding the SFRH/BD/145660/2019 grant and the cost action CA19124 grant.

ABSTRACT. Fish freezing is a common practice for seafood conservation. The main limiting factor in frozen seafood shelf-life is sensory degradation and consumer rejection. A suitable packaging is crucial for minimizing freezer burn and extending product quality during storage and distribution. In this study, seaweed-based films were developed using extracts of the invasive seaweed Grateloupia turuturu. These films were evaluated insalmon (Salmo salar), octopus (Octopus vulgaris), and cod (Gadus mohrua). Compared to traditional plastic packaging, the seaweed-based films had a better performance in maintaining physico-chemical properties, color, and water holding capacity during long-term storage. The inclusion of aqueous extracts enhanced film transparency and reduced water vapour permeability, potentially enhancing protection against freezer burn. Additionally, the films exhibited antimicrobial efficacy, with lower total viable counts compared to plastic-packed samples in defrosted samples kept in refrigerated conditions. Seaweed-based films offer a sustainable alternative to conventional plastic packaging, providing extended shelf-life and improved product quality, highlighting its potential impact on sustainable food packaging practices and the circular economy.

Note: we intend to submit this abstract to the special session and workshop 'Food packaging – eco-design in a circular economy workshop'.

ABSTRACT. This study contributes to research into consumer behavior in the food sector and examines the de-terminants of willingness to pay for organic products such as milk, meat, apples, potatoes and wine, which are permanently available on German markets for the fast-moving consumer goods sector. The aim of the study is to determine the willingness to pay and to show the influence of selected socio-economic variables on the preference structure. The authors conducted a discrete choice ex-periment to validly determine willingness to pay and socioeconomic determinants. 400 interviews were conducted with eight selection cards each, resulting in 3,200 data sets. The use of a multinomial and a latent class model provides information about the heterogeneity of variables within and be-tween classes by creating classes based on statistically weighted sociodemographic characteristics. The results show significant influences of most attribute levels on the utility function in both models and a highly heterogeneous distribution of willingness to pay between the two classes. According to the authors' knowledge, the results provide information about the German market for intensively used organic products and can be used to optimize marketing concepts for grocery stores, especially on the German market.

ABSTRACT. The transition to a circular economy has become of paramount importance and is at the basis of numerous policies and initiatives at international and European level. Still, the transition to a circular economy is not a policy objective in itself. The social, economic and environmental benefits of this transition are the real driving force behind policies to promote the circularity of materials and the efficient use of resources. One of the most widely cited benefits of these policies is that the activities that will make this transition possible will also be drivers of reindustrialisation, job creation and economic growth.

Considering that policies to promote circularity and efficiency in the use of resources imply significant structural changes, which will lead to the expansion of some production sectors and the contraction/disappearance of others, the aim of this research is to contribute to deepening scientific knowledge about the economic and environmental impacts of these policies and, ultimately, their contribution to the fulfilment of SDG, notably SDG 8 - Decent work and economic growth, SDG 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure and SDG 12 - Sustainable production and consumption.

In particular, this research analyses the impacts of circularity in one of the priority value chains where to intervene - the food industry, considering its potential for the substitution of chemical products (such as fertilizers and phytosanitary) by organic byproducts (e.g. waste valorization). Thus, industrial symbiosis may create a closed-loop system through recycling and reducing waste (e.g., the waste treatment sector - thereby valuing its output and promoting circularity). Simulations will be performed according to EU Green Deal and Farm to Fork goals, which have been the focus of recent farmers protest along all Europe.

Using Portugal as a case study, we apply a computable general equilibrium model that captures the interconnections, feedbacks and indirect effects triggered by transition policies towards the circular economy. Simulated impacts include, e.g., those on sectoral output and GVA, demand prices, international trade, GDP, unemployment.

Despite the growing interest in the use of general equilibrium models to the study of the implications of the transition to a circular economy, there are not consensual conclusions on the impacts, neither in terms of magnitude, nor in terms of whether this transition results in a beneficial situation in the economic, social and environmental spheres at the same time. For all these reasons, our research makes an important contribution to the literature on the transition to a circular economy, and the simulated impacts can be an important contribution to the design of more effective policies fostering circularity and the efficient use of resources and materials.

ABSTRACT. Background The agricultural sector in Albania, transitioning from a centrally planned to a market-based economy, predominantly consists of small, fragmented farms. This fragmentation poses significant challenges, including limited economies of scale and access to modern technologies, which hinder productivity and market integration. This context shapes the necessity for strategic interventions to enhance productivity and sustainability in Albanian agriculture. The Problem of Research and Justification Understanding the determinants of innovation adoption among Albanian horticulture farmers is crucial at two levels. On the policy level, it helps to navigate the growing trends in vegetable exports and the saturated domestic apple market. On the theoretical level, it tests the explanatory power of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) in a small-scale agricultural context, addressing the gap in research within Albania and the Western Balkan region. Research Questions The study aims to explore how key constructs of the UTAUT model—Performance Expectancy, Effort Expectancy, and Social Influence—interact to influence Behavioral Intention among Albanian horticulture farmers. It also examines how demographic factors like age, education, and farm experience moderate these relationships. Methods The study utilized a structured questionnaire based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model to collect data from 206 Albanian horticulture farmers. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted to identify and validate the underlying constructs of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and social influence. The EFA revealed three distinct constructs with high factor loadings, indicating strong relationships between the items and their respective constructs. Subsequently, a multiple regression analysis was employed to assess the impact of these constructs on the behavioral intention to adopt new technologies. The regression model included interaction terms to explore how demographic factors such as age, education, and farm experience moderated these relationships.

Study Results The study found that Effort Expectancy significantly influences farmers' Behavioral Intention to adopt new technologies, underscoring the importance of ease of use. Social Influence also plays a role but is less pronounced compared to Effort Expectancy. Interestingly, Performance Expectancy did not show a statistically significant impact, suggesting that perceived benefits might not be as influential in this context. Demographic factors like age and education moderate these relationships, with older farmers showing resistance to new technologies and more educated farmers displaying a marginally higher openness to adoption. Implications The findings suggest that policy interventions should focus on making new agricultural technologies more accessible and user-friendly. Tailored educational programs are essential to address the diverse needs of farmers based on their age and education levels. Moreover, leveraging social networks can enhance the adoption process, indicating a need for community-driven support mechanisms to encourage sustainable farming practices.

ABSTRACT. Given the increasing use of plastics in a variety of agricultural works during the recent decades, the agricultural sector, despite not being the most deleterious one, seems to be adding insult to injury. Indeed, the use of plastics in agriculture is especially widespread since they are utilized in a plethora of agricultural applications. In 2019, 12.5 million tons of plastics were used in plant and animal production and 37.3 million tons in food packaging globally. Beyond the significant benefits resulting from the use of agroplastics, global data suggest that their management at the end of their life cycle is insufficient. Only 10% of agricultural plastics are recovered for recycling, mainly in developed economies. There is evidence that most plastics are burned, buried, or dumped, although record-keeping is generally nonexistent BLOCK AGROWASTE attempts to accommodate this need by developing a state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly and economically viable innovative agri-plastic waste management system. The project focuses on the development of a decentralized platform based on Blockchain technology, providing continuous communication between contract farmers and collectors of agri-plastic waste. In particular, the objective of the project is to create a highly reliable information network for all stakeholders, through which farmers will be able to inform the collectors about the type, quantity, date of placement, and geographical location of agri-plastics in their greenhouses, using an online distributed ledger. At a later stage and after the end of the useful/functional service life of the agri-plastics, the registered quantity will be able to be declared available for recycling, while the collectors will be notified accordingly through a specially designed mobile application. The latter will collect the waste and transport it to suitable units for further processing, recycling and energy utilization, thus successfully completing its management cycle.