Development Of Sustainable Concepts Research Articles

Research on Reusable Express Packaging Design in the Ecological Ethical Perspective

With the emergence and development of sustainable concepts, ecological ethics has gradually become a crucial topic in modern art and design. Based on the principles of sustainable development, reusable express packaging is envisioned as the mainstream form of future express packaging, offering a vital avenue for achieving green development in express packaging. This paper explores the issues in the current express packaging domain that contradict green and environmental principles and their underlying causes from the perspective of ecological ethics. It provides principles and methods for the design of reusable express packaging based on ecological ethical viewpoints, employing theoretical analysis and literature review. By optimizing structures and materials, the study aims to promote the green and cyclical development of express packaging, steering express packaging design towards sustainable development.

Projected number of osteoarthritis patients in Austria for the next decades \u2013 quantifying the necessity of treatment and prevention strategies in Europe

BackgroundThe present study aimed to predict the expected number of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) in Austria up to the year 2080.MethodsDemographic data and population projections between 2019 and 2080 were obtained from European authorities. Information about recent age- and sex-stratified prevalence of patients with self-reported physician-diagnosed OA was obtained from the Austrian Health Interview Survey (n = 15,771). Projections were stratified by age and sex; sensitivity analyses were performed based on aging, main (most likely), and growth scenarios of the population.ResultsBased on the projection, the overall increase in the total number of patients with OA from 2019 to 2080 will be 38% for men and women. In 2019, the highest number of OA-patients nested in the groups of persons aged 70-79 (n = 238,749) and 60-69 (n = 237,729) years. In 2080, the 80+ age group is predicted to have the highest number of OA with 421,548 individuals (i.e. factor 3.45 and factor 2.48 increase in the male and female group, respectively, compared to 2019), followed by the group aged 70-79 with 314,617 individuals (factor 1.45 and factor 1.28 increase in the male and female group, respectively, compared to 2019). Similar trends were found in the ageing and growing scenarios.ConclusionsThe projected increase in the occurrence of OA will likely lead to a substantial socioeconomic burden for the Austrian healthcare system in the near and far future. The current findings plead for the development of sustainable concepts for the treatment and prevention of OA by European authorities.

The Effect of Surface Modified Coir Geotextiles on Environmental Resources

ABSTRACT Growing awareness on the environment has picked up momentum in the recent years. This has led the world towards the development of sustainable concepts and designs using locally available, natural materials. Natural fibers in the original as well as in the modified forms find immense applications in the field of engineering. Most of the surface modification compositions commonly adopted for the enhancement of fiber properties utilize harmful and expensive chemicals. This ultimately turns the fibers into potential source of leachates. The possibility of leachate formation and its effect on the environment need to be investigated in the case of surface-modified natural geotextiles. The effect of a newly devised surface modification formulation for coir geotextiles on the surrounding environment under various experimental conditions has been studied. The results of the study confirm that the coating is toxic-free and eco-friendly in terms of chemical concentrations and microbial growth. The promising results obtained from this study indicate the possibility of application of surface-modified geotextiles as a sustainable solution for a wide range of geotechnical engineering problems.