The global textile industry generates substantial volumes of pre- and post-consumer waste, creating significant environmental, economic, and resource-efficiency challenges. Traditional recycling faces several challenges due to fiber degradation, blended materials, and susceptibility to contamination. Over the past fifteen years, rapid advancements in recycling technologies have expanded the potential for textile waste valorization through mechanical, chemical, biochemical, and biological recycling to produce value-added products, recover materials, and generate energy. These materials are introduced as composites, insulation materials, adsorbents, biofuels, and other functional materials. Closed-loop recycling, eco-design, digital product passports, etc., circular economy (CE) strategies provide techniques for better resourcing and traceability across textile value chains. However, several limitations, such as technological barriers, economic feasibility, contamination, and reverse logistics, limit the wider implementation of strategies. Overall, coordinated technological development, improved infrastructure, and supportive policy can accelerate the transition toward textile circularity.
The transition towards a circular economy requires sustainable solutions for converting waste streams into value-added resources. In this context, nanomaterial incorporation into polymers can significantly enhance material properties, resulting in composites with superior performance compared to conventional materials. However, the energy intensive production and high cost of most nanomaterials remain barriers especially for sustainable applications. Despite widespread recognition of these issues, comparisons of organic and inorganic nanomaterials alongside their virgin and waste-derived counterparts remain limited from the perspective of production-related energy demand and cost. Furthermore, the economic performance of different nanomaterials for the valorization of recycled plastics has not been widely investigated, leaving uncertainty regarding the economic viability of nanocomposite processing as a recycling route. Here, we provide a cradle-to-gate assessment of the energy demand and production cost of various nanomaterials to be used for polymer composites. The results of this study emphasize the superior environmental and economic performance of inorganic nanomaterials, namely nanoclay and a filler processed from construction and demolition waste, over organic cellulose nanofibers. Furthermore, recycled feedstock for nanomaterial production offered both economic and environmental advantages over their virgin representatives, supporting the transition towards a circular economy. Although composites filled with nanomaterials increased the production cost and energy consumption of pure polymers, the impact of using inorganic nanomaterials remained modest. Further research should focus on functionality-based environmental and economic assessments to enable a comprehensive evaluation of different nanomaterials for their intended applications.
The global transition toward net-zero manufacturing is increasingly urgent as industrial sectors face mounting regulatory pressures and severe resource constraints. While isolated advances in digital optimization and renewable energy integration have been achieved, existing operational frameworks suffer from critical shortcomings. Predominantly, previous systems rely on siloed, fragmented methodologies that treat digitalization, circularity, and chemical decarbonization as separate operational tracks, leading to systemic inefficiencies. This review critically evaluates current green manufacturing pathways, systematically adhering to PRISMA guidelines to synthesize recent high-impact literature. The scope encompasses the expanded 10R circular framework, Industry 5.0, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) mandates, and deep decarbonization technologies. A vital component of modern compliance is rigorous Scope 1, 2, and 3 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) accounting, which provides the mathematical foundation for tracking embedded carbon throughout the complex supply chain. Analysis indicates that while digital twins and Artificial Intelligence (AI) optimize immediate energy efficiency, long-term net-zero targets require capital-intensive structural pivots to technologies such as Hydrogen-based Direct Reduced Iron (H2DRI) and Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS). To address the limitations of existing, fragmented models, this manuscript proposes a novel Integrated Framework for Green Manufacturing. By tightly coupling human-centric Industry 5.0 cyber-physical systems with advanced circular ecosystems and rigorous ESG validation, the framework offers a cohesive roadmap for industrial decarbonization. The unique contribution of this manuscript lies in mathematically and operationally bridging the gap between digital efficiency tools and structural chemical decarbonization, ensuring scalable, long-term planetary sustainability.
This study evaluates the effects of solvent extraction and thermal treatment on the structural, mineralogical, and physicochemical properties of spent bleaching earth (SBE) from a palm oil refinery, aimed at sustainable reuse strategies. The SBE was subjected to Soxhlet extraction using n-hexane, as well as another process through calcination between 300 and 1000°C. Products were characterized by XRF, XRD, TGA/DSC, laser granulometry, SEM/EDS, and FTIR. The raw industrial bentonitic material exhibited a typical aluminosilicate composition: montmorillonite, illite, and kaolinite. Solvent extraction virtually removed residual oil from the bleaching process of palm oil, without significant changes in chemical composition or crystalline structure, preserving lamellar morphology, although with an increase in amorphous content. In contrast, thermal treatment promoted transformations, including structural collapse of montmorillonite, dehydroxylation of clay minerals, and formation of thermally stable phases, as well as particle agglomeration. Thermal analysis along with chemical extraction indicated approximately 25 wt.% residual oil content, and mass loss of about 40 wt.% from volatile materials. Results show that solvent extraction favors partial reactivation for adsorptive applications, whereas calcination produces a structurally modified material with potential for ceramic applications, possibly contributing to circular economy practices in vegetable oil refining.
The growing need for energy throughout the world has made it even more important to find new materials that can generate and store energy efficiently. Smart photocatalysts made from polymer composites (PCs) are one of the new solutions that have gotten a lot of interest since they are very stable chemically, strong mechanically, conduct electricity well, and can be used in a variety of ways. The goal of this analysis is to look at the most recent changes in polymer composite-based materials that can be used to make hydrogen using photocatalysis. In particular, it looks at composites made by mixing nanoscale particles with a polymer matrix. These composites get over the problems that individual materials have and make energy conversion more efficient. The paper also talks about the uses and characteristics of conducting polymer composites in energy systems. The article talks about new materials and composites that can repair themselves and be printed in 3D. These materials might have higher energy density, better conductivity, and better photocatalytic activity. Lastly, the paper talks about the main problems that are getting in the way of photocatalytic hydrogen generation and offers ideas for how sustainable energy technologies might go forward in the future.
