Exploring the Interaction Between the ESPR and EU Chemicals Legislation: Regulating Chemicals and the Presence of Substances of Concern in EU Product Legislation

Environmental impacts and benefits of the end-of-life of building materials – calculation rules, results and contribution to a “cradle to cradle” life cycle

The European Union (EU) is currently transitioning towards a CE. An important part of the ‘legal’ transition towards a CE focuses on the legal acts that can roughly be divided into EU chemicals, EU product and EU waste legislation, which together can be said to govern the life cycle of materials and products. At the interface of these areas of law, barriers and (unutilized) incentives for the CE transition can be identified. Achieving coherence in law seems to be suggested to create a legal framework that enables the CE transition. This dissertation contributes to understanding the potential of achieving coherence in law in light of the CE transition, as well as to the aim of developing the ‘right’ legal framework governing the life cycle of materials and products that does not hamper but rather stimulate the CE transition. By means of legal doctrinal and empirical legal research, the notion of coherence in law was analysed, three product value chains (electrical and electronic equipment, plastic packaging and batteries) were examined using a case study approach and, lastly, the results of the case studies were combined to provide more general recommendations. The analysis of these overarching recommendations revealed three overarching themes and accompanying recommendations: 1) the legal framework should better reflect the highest step of the waste hierarchy, or steps when considering the R-hierarchy; 2) the inherent interlinkages between not only all life cycle stages, but also all provisions, legal acts and areas of law that regulate the life cycle of materials and products should better be taken into account; 3) there is a need to continuously pay attention to the possible conflicting objectives, negative trade-offs and unintended consequences that can exist regarding circularity strategies. In the end, this research shows that, considering the CE transition, the focus should not be on the aspiration to achieve ‘full coherence’. Instead, the focus should be directed towards the wide variety of identified barriers and incentives, which could provide the substantial outlines for an improved legal framework that does indeed enable rather than hamper the transition to a CE in the EU.

The paper discusses the relevance of the link between gender and materials, in the framework of a more general reflection on the science-society relationship. In order to do this, the theoretical path is presented that the author and his colleagues followed, with the aim of using some concepts and theoretical and methodological approaches taken from social sciences for a better consideration of society and materials issues. The gender/materials connection does not appear to have been dealt with yet in a systematic way, although there are some interesting studies and insights. This connection instead appears very important in the light of a sociological reflection focusing on the relations among the social actors involved in the cycle of materials. The centrality of social actors within the processes that define the value chain and life cycle of products and materials is presented and, in this framework, the importance of design is stressed, together with other typical phenomena highlighted within social sciences such as closure or negotiation, power relations, etc. Particularly, considerations on gender appear important because they imply the possibility to include the different points of view, approaches and solutions of gender-diverse actors. Gender differences and gender related dynamics emerges as relevant in the definition of research priorities, in the analysis of needs, uses, and social and environmental impacts of materials and products is likely to limit the potential and distort the perspective of materials science. In this framework, existing data are presented that show that materials represent an area of scientific research (both academic and non-academic) where the under-representation of women is presently recorded and probably impacts on the materials sector as a whole. The proposed reflection on the relation between gender and materials is still a very initial one, but further research is advisable in light of the centrality of sustainable policy issues such as the Circular Economy (CE) where it is important to focus the attention on the role of social actors in the entire product cycle and not only in its final part (e.g., the purchase of consumer goods, their use, disposal, re-use, etc.). A further reflection on gender and materials could also be relevant for LCA.

Decision support systems for sustainable manufacturing surrounding the product and production life cycle – A literature review

The assessment of environmental impacts on the life cycle of thermal insulation materials is a complex task that has a significant impact on the market for heaters and the types of structures used. In this case, such important factors as the effective reduction of heat losses due to the use of foam plastics, the nature of raw materials for their manufacture, methods of processing and disposal, as well as possible effects associated with the presence of toxic components at different stages of the life cycle, should be taken into account. In addition to the analysis of generally accepted criteria related to energy costs, the impact on the greenhouse effect, the formation of photochemical smog, the destruction of the ozone layer, the acidification of water and soil, eutrophication, it is interesting to assess the local effects associated with the state of natural and man-made systems at all stages of the life cycle of thermal insulation products made of polystyrene. The article substantiates the need to assess the environmental impacts throughout the life cycle of expanded polystyrene in construction, including through the development of environmental declarations for these products. It is expedient to systematically collect waste heat insulation from expanded polystyrene, as well as to introduce modern methods of processing and disposal, including the use of biologically active living organisms. It has been established that the state of local natural-technogenic systems associated with the life cycle of expanded polystyrene boards correlates with indicators of global impacts in terms of ecological capacity and reproductive capacity for oxygen. Studies of boards made of graphite-containing polystyrene foam have confirmed lower environmental impacts, both by reducing the content of expensive polymer raw materials and by strengthening the structure.

In modern realities, it is necessary to increase the efficiency of production and use of high-tech products of industrial enterprises. This becomes possible thanks to the implementation of a cost management system for the full life cycle of high-tech products. This system allows for a significant reduction in both financial and material costs at all stages of the life cycle of high-tech products. At the same time, the main attention is paid to the cost of the full life cycle of the sample. The purpose of the publication is to develop conceptual approaches to the construction of cost management systems at the stages of the life cycle of high-tech industrial products to minimize total (total) costs. Based on the analysis of theoretical and methodological approaches in the field of life cycle management of high-tech products, as well as foreign experience in managing the cost of high-tech products at various stages of its life cycle, the authors have developed a conceptual model of a cost management system for the life cycle of high-tech products. The proposed concept will contribute to the reform of the management system of the full life cycle of high-tech products. This will solve problems in the field of providing financial and material resources for all stages of the life cycle of high-tech products, starting with its development and ending with disposal, as well as increase the efficiency of using the life cycle management system of high-tech products of industrial enterprises. The novelty of the presented results lies in the fact that the authors for the first time from the standpoint of systematic and integrated approaches describe conceptual approaches to building a cost management system for the full life cycle of high-tech products, identify the problems of managing the operating costs of high-tech products and show the tools to solve them. This will allow a systematic approach to managing the full costs of all stages of the life cycle of high-tech products in order to minimize them.

Chapter 33 - Company perspectives on sustainable circular economy development in the South Karelia and Kymenlaakso regions and in the publishing sector in Finland

The transition towards a circular economy in the EU requires that the legal framework does not create (legal) barriers, but rather enables or stimulates this transition. At this moment, however, the existing literature argues that the current legal system that governs the life cycle of materials and products—EU chemicals, product and waste legislation—might hamper the transition. This article looks into the legal framework for the transition of the product stream of electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and more specifically into the general and specific applicable EU chemicals, product and waste legislation, as well as its implementation in the Netherlands. By means of both doctrinal and empirical legal research, this article identifies legal barriers, gaps and incentives in the current legal framework that governs the life cycle of EEE in light of the transition towards a circular economy (CE). To enable or stimulate the CE transition in the EEE chain, it appears that it would be desirable to improve the interaction within this legal system and better align it with the objectives of the CE and life cycle thinking. Moreover, this research shows that a different approach within EU chemicals, product and waste legislation could be beneficial for the CE transition. With regard to EEE, a holistic approach could enable a more circular EEE chain, either within the current sector-approach, or with a more product-specific or material-specific approach within the EU chemicals, product and waste legislation governing EEE.

Synchrotron-based engineering science covers a large field of applications. However, they are all connected in two ways. First, the very synchrotron techniques employed to study the various applications all work in the same way in that they determine structural parameters on the atomic and microscopic scale. Secondly, the portfolio of applications discussed here describes the complete life cycle of an engineering material, starting with processing of the base material—often from the melt—then the characterization of material properties, followed by the forming and joining into components, then component characterization during service, material aging, damage and failure and, finally, recycling or decommissioning. The structural problems which occur during the different stages in the life cycle of a material are complex, due to the advanced material technology of today's devices. We have created alloys for special applications, compound materials with novel properties, sophisticated bulk and surface treatments, and new forming and joining techniques. We are also concerned with the effect of the material on the environment after it has ended its service.

Using Material Flow Analysis for Sustainable Materials Management

This article examines the (lack of) coherence between the legislative fields that govern the life cycle of materials and products and thus are relevant to the transition towards a circular economy in the EU: EU chemicals, product and waste legislation. After examining the notion of coherence in law, it provides insight into the role of coherence in EU chemicals, product and waste legislation in light of the transition towards a circular economy. The article examines the (possible) issues that exist at the interface between these three legislative fields by reviewing literature and EU policy documents and looks into the relation between these issues and the (lack of) coherence between EU chemicals, product and waste legislation. It is argued that, when looked at in light of the transition towards a circular economy, several issues might be related to a lack of coherence. Nonetheless, the aspiration to achieve full coherence should be looked at critically.

Regional development that is truly sustainable depends on the adoption of systematic and long-term criteria for decision-making at different levels, taking into account the full life cycle of raw materials and products, as well as of infrastructure projects. This session invited the presentation of life cycle management applications from both a scientific and a practitioner point of view, highlighting examples and case studies at regional level. The applications are relevant to private actors from different economic sectors as well as for public representatives responsible for regional planning and administrative procedures.

Building exterior wall full life cycle assessment is the whole life cycle of various building materials, components production, planning, design, construction, operation and disposal phases in the material energy flow generated by the economic benefit, social benefit and environmental benefit,which is the sum of the evaluation. Full life cycle assessment is a very broad concept, it is to do the comprehensive analysis of the life cycle process, including the environmental systems, energy systems, natural resources, human health and so on. various aspects are to assess the influence of the potential, and ultimately to find ways to improve. Exterior wall full life cycle of economic evaluation model is established, the core content is a comprehensive economic evaluation of the scheme of building external wall structure, economic benefit evaluation of different exterior design, which provides the strong basis for the adoption of reasonable solution.

Chapter 14 - How to advance sustainable and circular economy-oriented public procurement—A review of the operational environment and a case study from the Kymenlaakso region in Finland

This article examines the regulations concerning fishery products and presents information on traceability to improve them. A method called system-analytic research is used, which involves logical analysis, comparing things, grouping them together and drawing general conclusions. The collection of information in the manufacture of caviar products is studied and given. The process of converting raw materials into the final product and selling it is described. Analyzed the process of tracing and reporting fish products at each stage of their life cycle to ensure transparency. An effective traceability system will help to determine the safety and quality control of fish products at all stages of production, storage, transport, processing and marketing of products, taking into account the requirements of national and international regulations. Traceability system allows to determine the life cycle of raw materials or products, in case of unreliability or instability helps to identify the problem, and exclude it from the chain of technological process. It has been found that the use of an internal traceability system will enhance and improve production, as well as improve the quality and safety of finished products.