Greenwashing and sustainable fashion industry

The fashion industry is now in the eye of the storm for what concerns sustainability because of the enormous impact that such a business area has on the environment. To exploit the full potential for circular economy implementation, the fashion industry requires urgent changes adapting much more conscientious business practices, driving consumers to change their perceptions and behaviors toward circular products and services. The renunciation of greenwashing practices and the use of strategy focused on regaining consumer's trust will increase the positive sentiment toward the fashion brands. This work demonstrates to what extent greenwashing may jeopardize the fashion industry in addressing challenges related to the implementation of more sustainable circular economy in the context of designing with intention of recycle, reduction of by-products, lower energy consumption, and wise purchase habits.This study provides guides for fashion brands about the risks and gains related to the greenwashing practices and sustainable fashion industry. This study sketches also future research opportunities in more sustainable holistic approach of a products’ life cycle and how this can be translated into clear, transparent, or reliable certification schemes to prevent the misleading and dishonest marketing strategies helping the consumers to make a responsible choice.     

Laser and ozone applications for circularity journey in denim manufacturing - A developing country perspective

Denim is recognized across the globe for its vintage worn out effect, rough, and tough look along with comfort. Its market share is growing tremendously due to its popularity in all segments of consumers. Despite several advantages, denim manufacturing negatively impacts the environment as it is associated with the use of large amount of water, energy, chemicals, and emission of greenhouse gases. This paper highlights the potential of digital laser technology and waterless ozone technology to promote sustainable chemistry by reducing environmental pollution in denim manufacturing. Using the extant literature and collecting data from two different companies, this paper highlights the sustainable technologies in denim chemical processing and their significance in circular fashion (CF). It was found that the use of digital laser technology in denim patterning, color fading, and surface engraving reduced energy and water consumption; saved a significant amount of chemicals; and prevented effluents from getting discharged to the water bodies. Similarly, the application of ozone in denim washing and color fading helped to resolve the above-mentioned issues in denim manufacturing. The findings from two Vietnamese fashion companies showed that using laser and ozone technologies not only help to achieve sustainability but also lead toward fashion circularity.     

基于环状DNA-银纳米簇荧光探针对微囊藻毒素-LR的传感检测

以新型环状DNA为模板, 制备了环状DNA-银纳米簇(Circular DNA-AgNCs)荧光探针, 构建了一种无酶无标记检测微囊藻毒素-LR(MC-LR)的荧光传感分析方法. 设计的环状DNA由MC-LR适体链(Apt)和适体链的互补链(cDNA)杂交形成, 且cDNA可作为DNA模板用于合成AgNCs. 利用透射电子显微镜(TEM)、 紫外-可见光谱(UV-Vis)和荧光光谱(FL)表征了AgNCs的形貌和光学特性.结果表明, 当存在目标物MC-LR时, 由于MC-LR与环状DNA中Apt高特异性和高亲和力结合, 导致环状DNA解体, 释放出的cDNA-AgNCs在610 nm处呈现强荧光. 在优化实验条件下, 环状DNA-AgNCs荧光探针对MC-LR检测的线性范围为0.005~500 μg/L, 检出限为1.7 ng/L(S/N=3). 该荧光探针具有制备简单、 无需任何标记和灵敏度高等特点, 为环境水样中微囊藻毒素-LR的快速和准确测定提供了一种简单、 可靠和有效的方法.     

Hybrid Monomer Design Synergizing Property Trade-offs in Developing Polymers for Circularity and Performance

Current search for more sustainable plastics seeks to redesign polymers possessing both chemical recyclability to monomer for a circular plastics economy and desirable performance that can rival or even exceed today's non-recyclable or hard-to-recycle petroleum-based incumbents. However, within a traditional monomer framework it is challenging to optimize, concurrently, contrasting polymerizability/depolymerizability and recyclability/performance properties. Here, we highlight the emerging hybrid monomer design strategy to develop intrinsically circular polymers with tunable performance properties, aiming to unify desired, but otherwise conflicting, properties in a single monomer. Conceptually, this design hybridizes parent monomer pairs of contrasting, mismatching, or matching properties into offspring monomers that not only unify the above-described conflicting properties but also radically alter the resultant polymer properties far beyond the limits of what either parent homopolymers or their copolymers can achieve.     

The biobleaching potential of laccase produced from mandarin peelings: Impetus for a circular bio-based economy in textile biofinishing

The quest for circular bioeconomy has been on the rise in recent years, and it is anticipated to fulfil the environmental sustainability aspect of the sustainable development goals (SDG 2030). In this regard, our investigation attempted the biotechnological appraisal of an enzymatic derivative of bacterial (Pseudomonas sp. HRJ16) mandarin peelings (MP) fermentation as a vehicle for an environmentally benign and sustainable textile bioscouring. Production of the bacterial exudate (HRJ16 laccase) was optimized by response surface methodology (RSM), using the common low-cost agroindustrial waste (MP). HRJ16 laccase was further assessed for its advantageous biochemical and catalytic properties, and then applied in synthetic dye decolorization and denim bleaching. Results emphasized the extremotolerance of the exudate to temperature, pH, salts, cations and surfactants, when at least ca. 80 % residual activity was recollected after exposure to the different extreme operating conditions. The interesting capabilities of the HRJ16 in this study culminated in its successful bioscouring of denim fabric over 6 h and the spontaneous decolorization of the resultant effluent. This constitutive properties of HRJ16 might make it a crucial catalyst for achieving a circular bioeconomy in the textile industry.     

Building a new mind set in tomorrow fashion development through circular strategy models in the framework of waste management

Energy, food, and clothing are the three main components of humanity. Each one individually and all together contribute to climate change and CO₂ emissions, to the consumption of natural resources, as well as influencing social attitude and behaviour. The global trends of the fashion industry are projected to expand in value from $1.5 trillion in 2020 to about $2.25 trillion by 2025, presenting that the fashion request is on continual growth. As natural resources (e.g., water) to produce clothes and shoes are limited nowadays, more resource-efficient production pathways must be identified; moreover, natural materials must replace plastic fibres, natural colours must replace synthetic ones, and ‘buy-and throw-way philosophy’ must turn into ‘buy-less-and-these-are-needed’ as so to reduce the environmental footprint of the fashion sector. This work emphasized the necessity of developing a new business circular model for the fashion industry with the potential of providing plethora of economic opportunities in the framework of waste management. Clear vision and new strategy development in the fashion sector is proposed, including the involvement of customers, businesses and policy makers, driven by the promotion of circular economy through knowledge exchange, education as well as regulatory relief measures for a synergic transition towards the circularity of the fashion industry.     

Sustainable Design of Structural and Functional Polymers for a Circular Economy

To achieve a sustainable circular economy, polymer production must start transitioning to recycled and biobased feedstock and accomplish CO₂ emission neutrality. This is not only true for structural polymers, such as in packaging or engineering applications, but also for functional polymers in liquid formulations, such as adhesives, lubricants, thickeners or dispersants. At their end of life, polymers must be either collected and recycled via a technical pathway, or be biodegradable if they are not collectable. Advances in polymer chemistry and applications, aided by computational material science, open the way to addressing these issues comprehensively by designing for recyclability and biodegradability. This Review explores how scientific progress, together with emerging regulatory frameworks, societal expectations and economic boundary conditions, paint pathways for the transformation towards a circular economy of polymers.     

Flexible antenna design on PDMS substrate for implantable bioelectronics applications

In the current field of biomedical engineering, the research on implanted antennas has attracted more and more attention. This paper presents a flexible terrestrial radiating antenna with circular polarization characteristics that satisfy various requirements for biomedical implantable antennas. The new type of flexible material is adopted and a novel model is proposed. The square ground with small gap is implemented in the proposed antenna. The passive components can match the impedance and meet the requirements of the circular polarization wave. Simulation is carried out in a single layer tissue model to estimate the performance of the antenna and compared with multilayer tissue model. In addition, the flexible circularly polarized antenna has low profile characteristics and a wide axial ratio bandwidth of 250 MHz, ranging from 2.28 to 2.53 GHz. This paper uses pork to simulate single‐layer and multi‐layer tissue model. The flexible circular polarized antenna prototype is placed in the organization model for performance simulation test, and the measurement impedance bandwidth of 500 MHz is realized in the industrial scientific medical frequency band of 2.4–2.48 GHz.     

Selective Monitoring of Stern-Volmer Quenching of Chiral Molecules Via Fluorescence Detected Circular Dichroism

Abstract

The use of fluorescence detected circular dichroism (FDCD) for monitoring the quenching of chiral molecules is described. This technique combines the specificity for chiral centers of circular dichroism (CD), the sensitivity and selectivity of the fluorescence measurement with the additional chemical information provided by fluorescence quenching. Spectra are acquired using a multidimensional FDCD spectrometer which obtains a FDCD matrix of spectral data as a function of multiple excitation wavelengths (CD information) and multiple fluorescence emission wavelengths. This combination of FDCD and fluorescence quenching produces a very selective monitor for chiral fluorophores.     

Circularly Polarized Light Probes Excited-State Delocalization in Rectangular Ladder-type Pentaphenyl Helices

Ladder-type pentaphenyl chromophores have a rigid, planar π-system and show bright fluorescence featuring pronounced vibrational structure. Such moieties are ideal for studying interchromophoric interactions and delocalization of electronic excitations. We report the synthesis of helical polymers with a rigid square structure based on spiro-linked ladder-type pentaphenyl units. The variation of circular dichroism with increasing chain length provides direct evidence for delocalization of electronic excitations over at least 10 monomeric units. The change in the degree of circular polarization of the fluorescence across the vibronic side bands shows that vibrational motion can localize the excitation dynamically to almost one single unit through breakdown of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. The dynamic conversion between delocalized and localized excited states provides a new paradigm for interpreting circular dichroism in helical polymers such as proteins and polynucleic acids.     

The Second Life of Citrus Fruit Waste: A Valuable Source of Bioactive Compounds

Citrus fruits (CF) are among the most widely cultivated fruit crops throughout the world and their production is constantly increasing along with consumers’ demand. Therefore, huge amounts of waste are annually generated through CF processing, causing high costs for their disposal, as well as environmental and human health damage, if inappropriately performed. According to the most recent indications of an economic, environmental and pharmaceutical nature, CF processing residues must be transformed from a waste to be disposed to a valuable resource to be reused. Based on a circular economy model, CF residues (i.e., seeds, exhausted peel, pressed pulp, secondary juice and leaves) have increasingly been re-evaluated to also obtain, but not limited to, valuable compounds to be employed in the food, packaging, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. However, the use of CF by-products is still limited because of their underestimated nutritional and economic value, hence more awareness and knowledge are needed to overcome traditional approaches for their disposal. This review summarizes recent evidence on the pharmacological potential of CF waste to support the switch towards a more environmentally sustainable society.     

Recent Advances in Recovery of Lycopene from Tomato Waste: A Potent Antioxidant with Endless Benefits

Growing attention to environmental protection leads food industries to adopt a model of “circular economy” applying safe and sustainable technologies to recover, recycle and valorize by-products. Therefore, by-products become raw material for other industries. Tomato processing industry produces significant amounts of by-products, consisting of skins and seeds. Tomato skin is very rich in lycopene, and from its seeds, high nutritional oil can be extracted. Alternative use of the two fractions not only could cut disposal costs but also allow one to extract bioactive compounds and an oil with a high nutritional value. This review focused on the recent advance in extraction of lycopene, whose beneficial effects on health are widely recognized.     

紫外圆二色光谱预测蛋白质结构的研究方法

介绍了蛋白质紫外圆二色性(CD)产生的原理及其与蛋白质结构的关系。评述了用远紫外CD预测蛋白质二级结构的方法原理、参考蛋白、拟合算法和拟合程序,以及方法存在的问题。近紫外CD与蛋白质的三级结构密切相关,近紫外蛋白质CD反映芳香氨基酸残基、二硫键等微环境的变化,表征着丰富的蛋白质三级结构的信息。     

From Fish Waste to Value: An Overview of the Sustainable Recovery of Omega-3 for Food Supplements

The disposal of food waste is a current and pressing issue, urging novel solutions to implement sustainable waste management practices. Fish leftovers and their processing byproducts represent a significant portion of the original fish, and their disposal has a high environmental and economic impact. The utilization of waste as raw materials for the production of different classes of biofuels and high-value chemicals, a concept known as “biorefinery”, is gaining interest in a vision of circular economy and zero waste policies. In this context, an interesting route of valorization is the extraction of omega-3 fatty acids (ω-3 FAs) for nutraceutical application. These fatty acids, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have received attention over the last decades due to their beneficial effects on human health. Their sustainable production is a key process for matching the increased market demand while reducing the pressure on marine ecosystems and lowering the impact of waste production. The high resale value of the products makes this waste a powerful tool that simultaneously protects the environment and benefits the global economy. This review aims to provide a complete overview of the sustainable exploitation of fish waste to recover ω-3 FAs for food supplement applications, covering composition, storage, and processing of the raw material.     

Comparison of recovery behaviors of thermally aged SBR composite from compressed and circular deformations

Recovery behaviors of the SBR composite from the compressed and circular deformations after thermal aging were compared. Instantaneous recovery and target recovery time to describe the sealing properties of a sealant were obtained from the recovery variation with the measuring time. For the compressed deformation, the recovery decreased at the initial measurement time and then increased. Since the recovery from the compressed deformation showed a local minimum and the minimum point varied in accordance to the thermal aging conditions, the linearity of the recovery variation was very low. For the circular deformation, the recovery continuously increased as the measurement time elapsed, the linearity was very high, and the instantaneous recovery of less than 0.1 s could be obtained from the extrapolation method. The circular deformation method was found to be suitable for study of recovery behaviors of a rubber article. The recovery behaviors varied with the thermal aging conditions and the difference was explained with the crosslink density change by the thermal aging.     

Ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor for specific detection of DNA based on molecular beacon mediated circular strand displacement polymerization and hyperbranched rolling circle amplification

Using a cascade signal amplification strategy, an ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensor for specific detection of DNA based on molecular beacon (MB) mediated circular strand displacement polymerization (CSDP) and hyperbranched rolling circle amplification (HRCA) was proposed. The hybridization of MB probe to target DNA resulted in a conformational change of the MB and triggered the CSDP in the presence of bio-primer and Klenow fragment (KF exo⁻), leading to multiple biotin-tagged DNA duplex. Furthermore, the HRCA was implemented to product amounts of double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA) fragments using phi29 DNA polymerase via biotin-streptavidin interaction. After the product of HRCA binded numerous biotinylated detection probes, an ultrasensitive electrochemical readout by further employing the streptavidin-alkaline phosphatase. The proposed biosensor exhibited excellent detection sensitivity and specificity with a log-linear response to target DNA from 0.01 fM to 10 pM as low as 8.9 aM. The proposed method allowed DNA detection with simplicity, rapidness, low cost and high specificity, which might have the potential for application in clinical molecular diagnostics and environmental monitoring.     

Electrokinetic flow and electric conduction of salt-free solutions in a capillary

The electrokinetic flow and accompanied electric conduction of a salt-free solution in the axial direction of a charged circular capillary are analyzed. No assumptions are made about the surface charge density (or surface potential) and electrokinetic radius of the capillary, which are interrelated. The Poisson–Boltzmann equation and modified Navier–Stokes equation are solved for the electrostatic potential distribution and fluid velocity profile, respectively. Closed-form formulas for the electroosmotic mobility and electric conductivity in the capillary are derived in terms of the surface charge density. The relative surface potential, electroosmotic mobility, and electric conductivity are monotonic increasing functions of the surface charge density and electrokinetic radius. However, the rises of the relative surface potential and electroosmotic mobility with an increase in the surface charge density are suppressed substantially when it is high due to the effect of counterion condensation. The analytical prediction that the electroosmotic mobility grows with increases in the surface charge density and electrokinetic radius agrees with the experimental results for salt-free solutions in circular microchannels in the literature.     

Recent Trends in Green and Sustainable Chemistry & Waste Valorisation: Rethinking Plastics in a circular economy

The review presents the recent trends in green and sustainable chemistry, as well as waste valorization and their applicability to understand and realize the concept of a circular economy. It also provides a comprehensive global perspective of the linear plastics economy and makes the case for its transformation into a circular plastics economy. Furthermore, bioconversion in a food waste biorefinery to produce fructose as an example of a high value-added product is given as a case study to demonstrate the feasibility of a circular economy.     

Enantioselective sensing of carboxylic acids with a bis(urea)oligo(phenylene)ethynylene foldamer

The development of molecular probes for optical sensing of chiral compounds has received increasing attention in recent years, in particular because of the potential to accelerate asymmetric reaction analysis. In this study, we prepared conformationally flexible oligo(phenylene)ethynylene foldamers carrying peripheral bis(trifluoromethyl)phenylurea units that undergo hydrogen bonding with chiral carboxylic acids. This interaction results in a chiral amplification process across the stereodynamic sensor scaffold which coincides with characteristic circular dichroism signals at high wavelengths. The induced chiroptical signals allow quantitative determination of the enantiomeric excess of the substrate which was demonstrated with nonracemic samples of tartaric acid. The chirality sensing assay is fast, sufficiently accurate for high-throughput screening purposes and adaptable to parallel analysis with multiwell plate readers.     

Wastewater To Resource: Design of a Sustainable Phosphorus Recovery System

To enable a more sustainable wastewater treatment processes, a transition towards resource recovery methods that have minimal environmental impact while being financially viable is imperative. Phosphorus (P) is a finite resource that is being discharged into the aqueous environment in excessive quantities. As such, understanding the financial and environmental effectiveness of different approaches for removing and recovering P from wastewater streams is important to reduce the overall impact of wastewater treatment. In this study, a process-systems modelling framework for comprehensively evaluating these approaches in terms of both economic and environmental impacts is developed. Applying this framework, treatment pathways are designed, simulated and analysed to determine the most suitable approaches for P removal and recovery. The purpose of this methodology is not only to assist with plant design, but also to identify the principal economic and environmental factors acting as barriers to implementing a given technology, incorporating the impact of waste recovery. The results suggest that the chemical and ion-exchange approaches studied deliver sustainable advantages over biological pathways, both economically and environmentally, with each possessing different strengths. The assessment methodology developed enables a more rational and environmentally sound wastewater plant design approach to be taken.