Wood is an increasingly demanded biomaterial used in many industries, including construction, materials, furniture, packaging and energy production. Consumption trend indicates a significant increase in wood waste production, which could potentially be harnessed in various processes. In Europe, about 53 % of wood waste is incinerated while the 46 % is recycled. In Italy, almost the 95 % of wood waste is used in the production of chipboard and particleboard. There are many other processes available for enhancing wood recycling, but it is crucial to understand how to treat wood waste, depending on its source matrix. Wood waste is a heterogeneous material that may contain contaminants, pollutants and additives. Therefore, effective wood waste management relies on the analysis of its material composition, which provides valuable insights for waste management strategies. To address this need, a decision tool (DT) has been proposed for determining the destiny of wood waste based on its chemical composition. The DT provides quick recommendations by categorizing wood waste into four quality grades, primarily based on pollutant analysis. It assesses cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose content, and Lower Heating Value (LHV) to suggest recycling or incineration options for wood waste. Subsequently, this paper provides a brief overview of wood waste utilization. Finally, a case study is presented in which the DT was applied to wood waste obtained from a local waste management company in Perugia, Italy.

Cigarette butts (CBs) are the most diffuse waste in the world, often abandoned into the environment without proper disposal. They are dangerous because of the numerous harmful chemicals potentially released by them into the environment. In the literature, there are several technological options for CB recycling, but some critical concerns could affect their effectiveness due to the quality and quantity of CB litter that is collected in the proper way. The extended producer responsibility scheme for CBs is proposed at the Europe level as an action to tackle CB litter and encourage sustainable product development. The present paper focuses on analyzing the existing literature to identify critical issues within the policy framework, social behavior, waste collection and transport, and technological processes. The collection and transport of CB waste is a major issue, being a key step for bringing CB to the recycling process. The main concern is the small quantity of CBs collected: 0.06% of the municipal waste and 0.18% of the unsorted waste in the case study’s administrative area of Perugia. Another crucial issue is the need for behavioral interventions to increase education and awareness of citizens that are smokers, addressing the discrepancy between smokers’ behaviors and beliefs. The main results, along with the critical issues related to the topics, are highlighted.

In the upcoming years, the paper industry is expected to rely on containerboard for packaging. Since 2020, containerboard has been made from 80 % recycled fibres. Creating a new supply chain for fibres could help mitigate possible shortages. In this context, wood waste emerges as a valuable resource with the potential to serve as a plentiful and cost-effective reservoir for generating new materials, such as cellulose fibres. This study presents an assessment of the environmental impact associated with the organosolv extraction of cellulose pulp from wood waste based on a previous in vitro study conducted by the authors. The increasing demand for sustainable materials has prompted exploration into alternative methods for cellulose pulp production, with a focus on minimizing environmental footprint. Organosolv extraction, a promising technique, involves the use of organic solvents and acid catalysts to break down lignocellulosic biomass, resulting in high-quality cellulose pulp production. To evaluate the environmental implications of this process, a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) approach was adopted. The LCA framework considers all stages of the organosolv extraction process, from wood waste collection to cellulose pulp manufacture, using a gate-to-gate approach. The functional unit for assessment is set as one metric ton of cellulose pulp. The dataset utilized for the LCA comprises primary data obtained from in vitro experiments that have been scaling-up, complemented by secondary data sourced from literature and the Ecoinvent life cycle inventory database. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the influence of key parameters on the environmental performance of the organosolv extraction process, with a focus on variations in energy consumption to identify potential areas for optimization and improvement. In summary, this study emphasizes the environmental aspects of utilizing organosolv extraction for cellulose pulp production from wood waste. Further research is warranted to explore energy consumption during the organosolv process for obtaining more precise data and optimizing the process. This could be achieved through pilot-scale experiments or utilizing process simulation software.

Retro-reflective (RR) materials, applied to building envelopes, constitute an option to tackle Urban Heat Island phenomenon, thanks to their capability to reflect the sunlight predominantly towards the solar incidence direction. RR coatings are obtained with the deposition of glass beads on traditional diffusive materials. During their lifetime, outdoor aging and soiling affect their optical behavior. In addition, without a proper protection, some glass beads could detach from the paint and disperse in the environment. Hence, a necessity arises for the application of a safeguarding stratum on RR materials to avert the separation of glass beads in RR coatings following the aging process. In this paper, five RR samples were produced, employing a highly reflective paint as foundation, RR glass beads and a protective layer. A diffusive sample, without glass beads, was made for comparison. Samples underwent spectrophotometric and angular distribution analyses. The effect of the protective layer on the optical behavior was assessed comparing the results with those obtained for the same RR materials without the protective layer. RR samples with a protective layer exhibit a higher reflectance with respect to the same RR sample without a protective layer. In the near-infrared (NIR) region, a lower reflectance occurs for all RR samples with a protective layer. A less concentrated angular distribution of the reflected light was observed for all RR samples with the addition of a protective layer.