Global wine production reached about 226 million hectolitres in 2024, with Europe as the largest producer. The winemaking industry generates substantial amounts of by-products, presenting both economic and environmental challenges, as approximately 30% of processed grapes are discarded as waste. This study evaluates various polyphenol extraction techniques from wine residues, utilising data from the literature. Techniques assessed include subcritical water extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, conventional solvent extraction, and microwave-assisted extraction, each preceded by a suitable pretreatment. Results show that the extraction method, temperature, solvent, and feedstock type have a strong influence on environmental impacts. Microwave extraction from exhausted grape marc had the highest impact due to its low yields and high energy use during freeze drying. In contrast, subcritical water extraction from red wine residues was the most sustainable, benefiting from its high efficiency, use of water as a solvent, and the rich polyphenol content of red grape residues. When included, drying was the primary contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change and energy demand were key impact categories, with a renewable energy scenario potentially reducing impacts by up to 90%. Results demonstrate that no single extraction method is universally best; choices must balance efficiency and energy use. This work supports optimising sustainable polyphenol recovery within circular economy and climate goals.

Climate change demands urgent action to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and explore methods for atmospheric carbon removal. Forest residues, a significant biomass resource, represent a readily available solution. With the use of life cycle assessment (LCA), this study investigates the environmental advantages of thermochemical processes utilizing forest residues to produce valuable energy-dense products, like syngas, bio-oil, and biochar, providing a carbon sink. While slow pyrolysis emphasizes biochar production for carbon sequestration, gasification focuses on bioenergy generation. This research evaluates the environmental performance of both techniques in terms of carbon sequestration and GHG emissions mitigation. This comprehensive analysis aims to identify critical factors influencing the environmental sustainability of thermochemical processes in forest management. The findings aim to contribute to achieving sustainable development goals by highlighting the environmental advantages of biochar in mitigating climate change.

This study proposes a novel integrated biorefinery approach that combines Hermetia illucens (Black Soldier Fly) larvae treatment, anaerobic digestion (AD), and hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) to enhance the valorisation of fat-rich food residues. The process was designed to improve biogas yields while mitigating the inhibitory effects of lipid accumulation in AD systems. Results from larval bioconversion showed effective fat removal and a promising potential for protein and biomass valorisation. Downstream integration with AD and HTC enabled thermal self-sufficiency, enhanced energy recovery, and improved digestate dewaterability. Additionally, HTC process water recirculation to the AD unit was evaluated, considering its acidic nature and impact on biomethane production. A thermally integrated process flow was proposed, enabling efficient heat exchange and reduced external energy input. The overall system allows for multi-product recovery—including biogas, hydrochar, and larval biomass—offering a sustainable pathway for circular bioeconomy applications. This study illustrates the feasibility of a synergetic process chain that maximises energy recovery and resource efficiency from food industry waste streams.

Herbicides play a pivotal role in paddy rice cultivation by effectively controlling weeds, thus ensuring optimal resource utilisation and higher crop yields, making them indispensable for efficient rice production systems. However, herbicide applications could be related to potential environmental impacts such as water contamination and harm to non-target species, requiring special attention in their management to ensure the long-term sustainability of rice farming practices. The development and utilisation of robust risk assessment indicators for pesticides are essential tools in evaluating and mitigating potential environmental and human health hazards associated with pesticide use in agricultural practices. The Environmental Potential Risk Indicator for Pesticides (EPRIP) is not suitable for rice paddy cultivation due to its limitations in accurately assessing pesticide risk in this specific agricultural context. This is primarily attributed to the unique hydrological characteristics and ecosystem dynamics of paddy fields, which significantly differ from other agricultural systems. To address this issue and to enhance the accuracy of pesticide risk assessment in rice paddy fields, EPRIP has been improved and validated in two agricultural seasons. A synergistic approach involving field experiments and enhanced EPRIP model simulations was employed to assess the risk associated with the application of two herbicides in Italian paddy rice systems. The observed and model-predicted surface water (SW) concentrations exhibited a close alignment, though an overestimation was observed for groundwater (GW). In general, the estimated Risk Points (1 for SW and 4 for GW) were largely in accord with those derived from the field experiments (1 for SW and 3 for GW), suggesting that the refined EPRIP model holds promise for conducting reliable risk assessments following herbicide applications in such contexts.

This study investigates the value and impacts of utilising cereal residual biomass according to bioeconomy principles within the Italian context. Cereals are relevant in Italy, accounting for over 60 % of total crop residue production. These residues exhibit uniform energy content, enabling different applications. This study uniquely compares three scenarios for converting straw residues into bioenergy via combustion, slow pyrolysis, and anaerobic digestion, considering residues availability and environmental impacts assessed through attributional Life Cycle Assessment (ISO 14040-44) using 1 GJ of energy obtained as a functional unit. Each investigated scenario is based exclusively on using cereal residual biomasses without adding other residual biomasses and includes both the production of bioenergy and the contribution to carbon stocks, considering the residues left in the field and the potential return of biochar. Among the scenarios, slow pyrolysis emerged as the most promising, with biochar offering additional yet unquantified benefits for carbon-smart management, climate change mitigation, and economic sustainability. The potential benefits of pyrolysis and biochar underscore the positive outcomes of the study, which are instrumental in guiding the development of regulatory frameworks supporting policymakers in making sustainable decisions. By providing a detailed comparison of environmental impacts, this research integrates effective cereal residue management practices into policy and regulatory measures, highlighting promising solutions and directing further research toward maximising environmental and climate benefits through optimised and targeted approaches.

The pursuit of alternative ingredients with improved environmental sustainability, nutritive value, and cost efficiency is crucial for modern pork production systems. Replacing soybean meals has the potential to reduce environmental impacts. This study proposes a substitution framework in which alternative ingredients are introduced to replace a growing proportion of soybean meals based on net energy equivalence. Additionally, an optimisation framework has been proposed that simultaneously addresses multiple objectives, including cost, feed weight, environmental impacts, and essential nutritional requirements. Eighteen feed mixes were obtained by introducing alternative ingredients selected from an extensive, if not systematic, literature review. Therefore, black soldier fly meal (BSF), bakery by-product (BP), and pea (P) have been introduced in feed mixes, and feed mixes were evaluated across ten environmental impact categories via a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach (ISO 14040-44), with two different functional units: 1 kg of feed mix and 1 kg of pig meat at the slaughterhouse. To assess the robustness of the optimised feed mixes under uncertainty, a cost and climate change sensitivity analysis was conducted. The results demonstrated that the introduction of BSF increased costs and environmental impacts at the single-score level (by 280% and 118%, respectively), with differences at the single-impact category level. In contrast, BP and P emerged as the most effective solutions in the substitution and optimisation approaches, respectively. BP contributed to a reduction in environmental impacts of up to 9% in optimised diets, while P achieved economic cost savings of up to 28% compared to the original diet. These findings highlighted the need to strike a balance between environmental benefits and financial viability, underscoring the importance of policy support and market incentives to make sustainable practices more accessible.