Environment-friendly Products Research Articles

Chitosan application towards the improvement of grapevine performance and wine quality

Intensification of agrochemicals application in vineyards has raised several concerns in Viticulture and Oenology value chain. Efforts have been developed to optimize grapevine health and productivity, assuring that viticulture is sustainable and competitive in today’s wine market. Viticulture practices have constantly been improved for a more sustainable and environment-friendly production, reducing the application of agrochemicals, replacing them by natural compounds that can have a double effect: protect grapevine against pathogens and improve compounds related to grape organoleptic quality. In this context, the development and optimization of alternative strategies to improve and enhance plant defences and grape/wine quality is becoming a necessity. Since the 1980s, chitosan has become a compound of special interest due to its double effect as elicitor and grapevine biostimulant, representing a complement to soil fertilisation, and reducing the negative effects nutrients leaching into the groundwater. The present review aims to present the wide possibilities of chitosan applications on grapevines to prevent and combat the main diseases and to improve wine quality. In this way, relevant studies about chitosan application will be presented as well as some concerns and limitations in order to cover the knowledge gaps inherent to its application in vineyard and wine as well.

THE UNDERLYING CONCERNS DEFYING ORGANIC FARMERS IN THE PHILIPPINES

The shifting trend in the consumption of health and environmentally-friendly products in the market prompted the government and selected farming entities to shift to organic agriculture from conventional farming methods. Hence, the Philippine government conducted programs motivating the local farmers to shift to organic farming, given its potential in the market. Moreover, this study explores the underlying challenges defying the farmers in adopting organic farming and the action taken to counter the issues. The investigation adopted the case study research design, using the validated researcher-made interview guide in data gathering. Using the purposive sampling technique, ten (10) farmers from the selected accredited organic farms in Bohol and Negros Occidental willingly and voluntarily participated in the one-one-interview with the researchers and field investigators. For data analysis, thematic analysis was used. The themes developed from the challenges experienced by the farmers in adopting organic farming in the aspect of production and marketing are Nature’s Devastating Effect to the Crops, Pests, and Insects: Farmers Worst Enemies, Competition in the Market Share of Organic Produce Versus the Non-Organic Products, Ensuring the Health of the Soil, Long Period of Working and Waiting, Cyclical Nature of Farming Challenges. So, to remedy these problems, they realized that Challenges in Organic Farming are Inevitable and needed to Widened their Learning Horizon Through Trainings and Seminars. Further, the challenges they experience in their quest of adopting organic farming in the provision of supporting infrastructure are: Absence of Supporting Infrastructure Needs Self Help, Selective Provision of Government Assistance, No Support Since Time Immemorial. To survive, the actions taken were: Farmers’ Self Reliance Leads to Survival and Financiers Provide Capital to the Farmers. The organic farmer in the Cebu and Negros Occidental, Philippines, has been confronted with various challenging situations that affected their sustainability amid competing with the producers of vegetables, fruits, and livestock using conventional farming methods. The most significant problem the organic farmers face is the reality of the Philippines’ vulnerability to strong typhoons and other calamities that would destroy the crops. Also, because organic farming does not apply commercial chemicals, there were instances that insects and pests would destroy their plants. Also, organic agriculture requires more time to restore the health of the soil that was destroyed after long years of applying harmful pesticides and fertilizers. Hence, the yield that would compensate the farmers’ efforts and capital outlay cannot be recovered immediately after each cropping season.

Investiranje u ciljeve održivog razvoja i ESG izveštavanje - računovodstvena perspektiva

There are less than ten years left to achieve the goals set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. However, it seems that the remaining work on their implementation will take far more time than expected. This is particularly the case in developing countries which face difficulties in providing the necessary sources of finance for the acquisition of new technologies, investment in infrastructure projects, and the development of cleaner and environmentally-friendly production. Objective circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Europe and the subsequent energy crisis, have further slowed down these processes, threatening to undo the positive developments in the implementation of the sustainable development goals. Despite a significant progress made in the field of transparent reporting aimed at supporting the achievement of sustainable development goals, our impression is that a great number of different institutions have invested efforts to make a step forward in this domain, but due to the lack of globally coordinated activities, we are still far from a universal conceptual framework. That path is paved with numerous challenges. First, a high-quality conceptual framework must be compliant with the sustainable development goals to be able to track the global progress in their achievement, which requires an adequate system of performance measurement and monitoring at the global level. Second, the operationalization of sustainable development goals, recognized at the global level, must be followed by the adoption of compatible reporting at the corporate level, bearing in mind that companies are actually most responsible for local and planetary problems. The risks arising from inadequate performance measurement at the corporate level are far from being negligible. They are related to the efficiency in channeling limited capital toward the sectors and companies where it will be possible to produce the most beneficial environmental effects. At the same time, there is a risk of potential abuse with regard to the disclosure of good news or the cover-up of bad news, which casts doubt on the accuracy of information on the progress in achieving the SDGs, increasing risks of the misallocation of resources. In this paper, we investigate the complexity of aligning corporate reporting with the requirements imposed by the SDGs.

Economics of Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) Cultivation under Varying Planting Densities and Pre-planting Soil Solarization Duration

The cost justification of a new cassava production technology could open the alley for quick adoption by cassava farmers and give extra motivation that will attract new farmers. Soil solarization is a promising cassava production technology that may need extra justification if a widespread adoption is to be achieved. A field trial was carried out during the 2019 and 2020 early cropping seasons to evaluate the cost implications of plant density and soil solarization durations on cassava production. The experiment was a factorial combination of three cassava densities: 17,778 plants ha-1 (0.75 m x 0.75 m), 13,333 plants ha-1 (0.75 m x 1 m) and 10,000 plants ha-1 (1 m x 1 m) and four pre-planting soil solarization durations (0, 4, 7 and 10 weeks), laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. To analyze the cost implication of the technology, the production cost, total revenue, net returns, benefit/cost ratio and percentage net returns of each treatment were computed and tabulated. Results showed that the percentage net returns increased as cassava density increased from 10,000 stands/ha to 17,778 stands/ha. Similarly, percentage net returns increased as soil solarization duration increased from 0 to 10 weeks. The lowest percentage net returns of 29.39 % was obtained in 2019 from the unsolarized plot integrated with a lower cassava density of 10,000 stands/ha, while the highest percentage net return of 72.85 % was obtained in 2019 from the plot treated with a longer soil solarization duration of 10 weeks integrated with a higher cassava density of 17,778 stands/ha and could therefore be recommended for cost effective and environmental friendly cassava production method in the tropics.

Sustainable and environmental friendly production practices among the Indian apparel designers

This study’s goal is to ascertain the methods used by various fashion designer’s about environmental friendly, sustainability and incorporates it into their design and production practices, as apparel industry is the world’s second most polluted industry(WEF, Jan 2020).The following research questions serve as a framework for the study: (1) Is there a substantial difference between environmentally friendly, sustainability and production practices in apparel industry and to propose an environment friendly strategic framework for the apparel industry,(2)what is the extent of current designer’s environmental friendly and sustainability knowledge? (3) How effectively are designers implementing their sustainability knowledge in their design and production practice? The present study linked the 63 designers in Delhi and NCR ,sustainable design concerns, to the product lifecycle and design processes, to acquire a better picture of their expertise towards fashion sustainability.

Study on Knowledge and Atittude about Menstrual Cup and its usuage among Medical Students: A Cross Sectional Study

Introduction: Millions of women globally experience menstruation every month. It is a normal biological process.Inadequate menstrual management has long been a major health issue in low- and middle-income nations, but ithas only recently become a major public health concern. Females may manage menstruation with non-absorbent,unhygienic, and uncomfortable materials due to a lack of awareness, an unfavorable sociocultural environment,logistical and financial barriers, and a lack of a proper support system. Hence this study was undertaken to assessthe knowledge and attitude among medical students.Methodology: This study was conducted among 200 undergraduate female medical students , who were willingto participate in the study. Informed consent was taken and the oral questionnaire which consisted of sociodemographic data and questions regarding knowledge, attitude and practice was distributed. Descriptive analysiswas done by calculating the percentage.Results: 91% of the students were aware of the menstrual cup. A total of 168(84%) students said menstrual cupto be a safe device. A total of 171 (85.5%) students knew that the menstrual cup could be used among virgins.whereas 29 (14.5%) students were of the opinion that it cannot be used by virgins. 84(42%) of students had no ideaabout its associated with TSS (Toxic shock syndrome). 73(36.5%) of students knew that it is not associated withTSS.143(71.5%) said it can’t be used during postpartum and 112(56%) knew that it is used during bathing andswimming.134(67%) students knew that it can’t be used as contraceptives and 88(44%) told it won’t cause ruptureof hymen.Finally in this study we came to know that none of them are using menstrual cup because majority ofthem said that they had fear of using 92(46%) and 51(25.5%) of them said they don’t have adequate knowledge.Conclusion :In this study all the students used sanitary pads, owing to its popularity and promotion. Therewas lack of awareness about the cup and there exists a huge gap between the knowledge and willingness of thestudents to accept the menstrual cup. So, we conclude that menstrual cup needs promotion in India because itis cost effective, eco-friendly and reusable. So, we boost the adoption rate of menstrual cups, youth should betargeted, who are more open to the idea of environment-friendly products.

Training of the safe and environment-friendly production house at koro benguk tempeh industry in Mertelu Village, Gedangsari District, Gunung Kidul

Food is a basic need for humans need to live and support health. However, foods are needed to be processed safely, so it can fulfill nutritional needs and also maintain human health. Unsafe food processing can endanger humans because of the increased risk of foodborne disease. In Mertelu, Gedangsari, Gunung Kidul there is a small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that produces koro benguk tempeh. Unfortunately, the application of safe production houses and good processing methods have not been fully implemented in this industry. Thus, this program focused on increasing safe production house training which is one of the requirements for obtaining P-IRT certification. The activity was carried out for two days, 6th and 12th February 2020 with activities such as counseling, training, and mentoring in production houses. This activity was attended by Mertelu’s community who was involved in koro benguk tempeh production. After these programs, they was able to increase understanding of the safe management of production houses. However, some physical facilities were still inadequate to fulfill the standard because the resources limitation. Therefore, they are need further programs to improve existing infrastructure to meet the criteria for a safe food production house as a requirement of Household Food Food Industry (P-IRT) certification

Contemporary issues on Eco-friendly consumerism

Environment has been exploited by companies in different ways; it becomes their responsibility to compensate for this damage. Producing environment-friendly products and creating awareness among consumers conserve nature. This study compared the attitudes of consumers in urban and rural reveals that there does not seen any significant difference in attitudes of gender-wise people except after-use features of environment-friendly products. Urban people have more favorable attitude than rural.

Effect of Microparticles on Fungal Fermentation for Fermentation-Based Product Productions

Ranging from simple food ingredients to complex pharmaceuticals, value-added products via microbial fermentation have many advantages over their chemically synthesized alternatives. Some of such advantages are environment-friendly production pathways, more specificity in the case of enzymes as compared to the chemical catalysts and reduction of harmful chemicals, such as heavy metals or strong acids and bases. Fungal fermentation systems include yeast and filamentous fungal cells based on cell morphology and culture conditions. However, filamentous fungal fermentation has gained attention in the past few decades because of the diversity of microbial products and robust production of some of the most value-added commodities. This type of fungal fermentation is usually carried out by solid-state fermentation. However, solid-state fermentation poses problems during the scale-up for industrial production. Therefore, submerged fermentation for value-added products is usually preferred for scaling-up purposes. The main problem with submerged fungal fermentation is the formation of complex mycelial clumps or pellets. The formation of such pellets increases the viscosity of the media and hinders the efficient transfer of oxygen and nutrient resources in the liquid phase. The cells at the center of the clump or pellet start to die because of a shortage of resources and, thus, productivity decreases substantially. To overcome this problem, various morphological engineering techniques are being researched. One approach is the use of microparticles. Microparticles are inert particles with various size ranges that are used in fermentation. These microparticles are shown to have positive effects, such as high enzyme productivity or smaller pellets with fungal fermentation. Therefore, this review provides a background about the types of microparticles and summarizes some of the recent studies with special emphasis on the fungal morphology changes and microparticle types along with the applications of microparticles in filamentous fungal fermentations.

Patterns of embodied pollutant emissions along the global light industrial chain: A complex network perspective

With the upgrading of consumer goods and accelerating trade globalization, enormous amounts of pollution related to the light industry sector's production are transferred across borders along the global industrial chain, but their network patterns and evolution remain unclear. Here, we developed an analytical framework for trade-embodied pollutant emissions transfer (TPET) network by combining complex network theory and input– output theory to analyze the network of 16 light industries in 43 economies from 2000 to 2014. We revealed the critical economies, key industries, critical paths and their evolution trends. The light industry sector's total TPET was consistently large, but many factors (e.g., upgrading consumer goods, increasing trade volume, the 2008 financial crisis) caused large fluctuations. The network densities remained relatively high, with an obvious small-world property and significant centralization. Large economies (especially the world's top 10 economies with a total GDP exceeding US $1.86 trillion in 2014) were critical nodes due to their stable and dominant importance, but played opposite roles (i.e., net TPET importers vs. net exporters). Due to large differences in domestic demand, and environmental regulations, high-income economies (e.g., the U.S., and Germany) were the leading net TPET exporters, whereas low- or middle-income economies (e.g., China, Russia) were the dominate net importers; TPET therefore primarily flowed from high-income to low- or middle-income economies, with substantial growth over time. The electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply industry, the manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products, the manufacture of basic metals, and the fishing and aquaculture industry together accounted for 81.2 and 89.0% of total trade-embodied NOX and SOX emissions, respectively; they were thus key industries. To reduce emissions, critical economies should consume more environment-friendly products, strengthen technological innovation and pollution control in key industries, and expand environmental cooperation with other countries. Our results provide insights into the global light industry sector's TPET characteristics and reduction strategies. They also provide a reference for adjusting trade patterns and industrial structures.

The antecedents of green purchase behaviour of Indian households

Environmental friendly products and packaging are necessary for survival and competing in the current markets. This paper examines the effect of green skepticism on green purchase intentions in the context of Indian households. The study proposed a model with relationships between the antecedents of green purchase intentions. The primary data (n345) is collected through a structured self-administered questionnaire, establishing validity and reliability through confirmative factor analysis (CFA). The results of structural equation modelling (SEM) support that green skepticism does not affect green purchase intentions directly but through environmental knowledge and concern. Environmental knowledge and concern have a robust direct positive effect on green purchase intentions. The study summarizes consumer skepticism as an essential indirect input to green purchase behaviour. The research contributes to the marketing literature by supporting the contention that consumer skepticism plays a vital role in green purchase behaviour and added further evidence. &nbsp

Photoactive catalysts for treatment of air pollutants: a bibliometric analysis.

In recent years, photocatalysts are becoming attractive to researchers in exploring their application for treatment of air pollutants. Exposure to ultra-violet visible (UV-VIS) light on photocatalysts often makes them active in decomposing various toxic materials into less or environment-friendly products. Thus, identification, as well as simple synthesis and processing of photocatalysts, could ultimately lead to technologies for the cost-effective mitigation of environmental hazards. A bibliometric analysis has been carried out here to understand and assess the development in photocatalyst research. The data retrieved from the Scopus database on the topic for 2000-2020 were analyzed to investigate the research activities of the past to foresight the future. Various facets of bibliometry were investigated to produce this holistic article. The contribution of various countries, institutions, and authors were investigated. Numerous facets of photocatalyst such as types of photocatalysts, their modification through metal and non-metal doping, their pollutants treatment potency, types of reactors for photocatalysis, factors influencing treatment performance, and models used for designing reactors were examined. In brevity, substantial growth was observed in the last two decades. Contribution of China, the USA, Japan, and India were notable. Chinese universities contributed majorly to the research. Applied Catalysis B: Environmental Journal was the topic's main journal and Titanium dioxide was the hotspot in photocatalytic research. The research development, problem disclosure, adopted strategies, and materials explored on the photocatalysis for air pollution treatment over recent years across the world could be insightful to the researchers and eventually will be beneficial to formulate new research strategies.

Preparation of Composite Reinforced Agent Based on Sweet Sorghum Stalk Fiber through Alkali Pressure Steam Treated Method

Increasing global concern to environmental issues and sustainability related to preservation of non-renewable natural resources has encouraged research to develop new environmental friendly materials and products based on renewable natural resources. Sorghum fiber has potential to be a composite reinforcement because it has a good mechanical properties, environmental friendly and inexpensive. The preparation process of sorghum fiber is needed to improve its compatibility with polypropylene (PP). Thermal alkalization is the method used in conducting fiber preparation. In this study, alkalization-thermal treatment with 0%, 5% and 10% NaOH and pressurized steam for 1 and 3 minutes was carried out to change the hydrophobicity of sorghum fiber. The most optimum result was obtained at 5% NaOH concentration with 3 minutes pressure-soaking, showing cleaner and fibrillated morphology based on FESEM testing. It was less lignin and hemicellulose content as indicated by FTIR testing result, better hydrophobicity as indicated through Sessil Drop testing result that showed contact angle of 120.9◦, as well as significant increase in crystallinity index of 6.3% as indicated through X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) test result. The increase in the hydrophobicity of the modified sorghum fiber indicated the increase of the natural fiber compatibility with polymer matrix.

Green Consumption Behavior and Norms of Adults: A Case from the Mekong River Delta, Vietnam

This research aims at analysing green consumption behaviour of young consumers from Mekong River Delta, Vietnam by applying the extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Data was collected from 342 students in Mekong Delta (MKD) via online platforms. The regression results indicated that four factors affecting students' green consumer behaviour were Attitude to green consumption, Subjective norms, Environmental awareness, and Perceived behavioural control. Attitude to green consumption was the most impactful factor, whereas Availability of green products did not significantly affect green consumption behaviour. Based on the findings, some managerial implications would be proposed to raise consumers' awareness of using more environmental-friendly products.

Bibliometric Analysis of Steelmaking Slag-Related Studies for Research Trends and Future Directions

Although steel slag has been used over the past years, the data-based evidence cannot even be found to indicate the development of steel slag-related technologies. To clarify the leading regions, reveal the research trends, and propose future research directions, a bibliometric and visualization analysis was conducted based on the Web of Science (WOS) core databases. China, the USA, and Italy are the top three eminent countries, and the institution of Tsinghua University and Wuhan University of Technology tied for the first place with an H-index of 27. The research focus of steel slag has changed from mechanical properties, such as durability and strength, to functional applications, pretreatment technology, carbon sequestration, and environment-friendly products. Finally, several research directions were proposed for future investigation. This was the first time steel slag was investigated from a bibliometric perspective. The information obtained could provide scholars with the current recycling situation and the following academic steps.

The Main Areas of Development of Organic Agriculture in the Republic of Kazakhstan

The Republic of Kazakhstan has good potential for developing environmentally friendly agricultural production: extensive agricultural land, a large number of farms, and interest in producing environmentally-friendly products. These factors determined the relevance of the study, the main purpose of which was to investigate the main areas of the development of organic agriculture in Kazakhstan. The statistical data and reports of Research Institute of Organic Agriculture, International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations were analyzed; logical and empirical methods were used; a survey of consumers and producers of environmentally-friendly products in Kazakhstan was conducted. This paper shows the main trends in the development of the organic sector in Kazakhstan and in the world in general. Studies have shown a growing tendency of organic production in the world, however, many countries are still in their infancy regarding this trend. At the moment, the world's land under organic agriculture is 74.9 million hectares, but in Kazakhstan, since 2016, there has been a reduction in such areas. In 2020, they amounted to 114 thousand hectares or 0.1% of all farmland in the country, which is associated with the coronavirus pandemic and the global economic crisis. According to the international organisations Research Institute of Organic Agriculture and International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movement, in 2020, out of 190 countries of the world, Kazakhstan entered the lists of 50 producing countries and 20 exporting countries of organic agricultural products, and the export of these products amounted to about EUR 9 million. It is concluded that the necessary conditions for the introduction of ecological agriculture are gradually being created in the Republic of Kazakhstan, which would improve the economic situation of the country. The practical significance of the study was to conduct a sociological survey of consumers and producers of ecological agricultural products in four regions of Kazakhstan to identify the state and main areas of development of the domestic market of organic agriculture

Sustainable production of biosurfactants via valorisation of industrial wastes as alternate feedstocks

Globally, the rapid increase in the human population has given rise to a variety of industries, which have produced a variety of wastes. Due to their detrimental effects on both human and environmental health, pollutants from industry have taken centre stage among the various types of waste produced. The amount of waste produced has therefore increased the demand for effective waste management. In order to create valuable chemicals for sustainable waste management, trash must be viewed as valuable addition. One of the most environmentally beneficial and sustainable choices is to use garbage to make biosurfactants. The utilization of waste in the production of biosurfactant provides lower processing costs, higher availability of feedstock and environmental friendly product along with its characteristics. The current review focuses on the use of industrial wastes in the creation of sustainable biosurfactants and discusses how biosurfactants are categorized. Waste generation in the fruit industry, agro-based industries, as well as sugar-industry and dairy-based industries is documented. Each waste and wastewater are listed along with its benefits and drawbacks. This review places a strong emphasis on waste management, which has important implications for the bioeconomy. It also offers the most recent scientific literature on industrial waste, including information on the role of renewable feedstock for the production of biosurfactants, as well as the difficulties and unmet research needs in this area.

Chemiresistor gas sensors based on conductive copolymer and ZnO blend – prototype fabrication, experimental testing, and response prediction by artificial neural networks

Nitric oxide(NO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and their derivatives generally known as nitrogen oxides (NOx) are primary pollutants in the atmosphere originated from natural and anthropogenic sources. The paper presents investigation of electric performance of novel chemiresistor NOx gas sensors. A novel material was utilized for active sensing layer-conductive copolymer and zinc oxide blend. The main advantage of the presented solution is low-cost and environment-friendly production. A series of this type of sensors was manufactured and tested experimentally. During the tests, the gas flow was controlled and signals of sensor responses, temperature, and humidity were computer-acquired using LabVIEW program. Sensor behavior for different thicknesses of the active layer has been investigated and interpreted. The research revealed that the electrical resistance of the sensors has changed in predictable manner depending on the gas concentrations. A recurrent artificial neural network architecture is proposed as a mathematical model to classify sensor responses to gas concentrations variation in a time-dependent regime. In this research, an enhanced method for gas concentration prediction is proposed using non-linear autoregression model with exogenous input (NARX). The performed simulations show good agreement between simulated and experimental data useful for predictions of sensor gas response.

Characterization of wild type yeast isolated from Sabah soil for environmental friendly biofuel production

Biofuel production by utilizing yeast during fermentation process is one of the main concern to maximize the ethanol productivity. In this study, a total of 20 soil examples were collected from 4 sampling site around Kota Kinabalu. They were selected due to their potential habitat of yeast S. cerevisiae. The purpose of this study was to isolate and characterize S. cerevisiae from soil for bioethanol production. A total of 6 strains of yeast were isolated with the use of yeast-extract peptone agar medium. The isolated strains were identified by morphological, physiological and molecular characterization, resulting in discovery of the S. cerevisiae from the samples. In physiological characterization by fermentation of six different carbohydrates showed that the yeast isolates P2A have potential to ferment maltose, glucose and galactose. The strain P2A was evaluated further for their ethanol tolerance capacity. The strain can tolerate up to 12.5% concentration of ethanol. Pure strain of P2A was inoculated in anaerobic conditions with 200 rpm for 48 h at 30°C to be used for ethanol. The concentration of glucose after 72 h of fermentation for P2A was found to be 0.982 mg/mL.

Identification of the Right Environmental KPIs for Manufacturing Operations: Towards a Continuous Sustainability Framework.

Sustainable manufacturing has grown into a major subject of discussion between individuals and organisations around the world. This is attributed to the recognition of the urgency in advancing sustainable manufacturing due to the diminishing non-renewable resources, stricter regulations related to environmental impacts and the increasing consumer preference for environmental-friendly products. However, manufacturing companies have been confronted with a decision on which KPIs to select for appraising their processes, and how they should interpret these KPIs in transforming their processes towards a sustainable future. This paper presents a structured framework for the manufacturing industries to identify the right environmental KPIs. It includes building a database for environmental KPIs, categorising, ranking, and composing a final KPI set for specified targets. The developed method allows for the selection of the most effective KPI in representing a specified target as well as identifying unmonitored environmental aspects. The framework has been corroborated by subject matter and industry experts in which the potential benefits have been verified.