In the chemical industry and in the manufacturing sector, the adsorption properties of porous materials have been proven to be of great interest for the removal of impurities from liquid and gas media. While it is acknowledged that significant progress and literature production have been developed in this field, there have been adsorption studies that failed to further advance our knowledge in generating a better understanding of the prevailing sorption types and dominant adsorption processes. Therefore, this review study has focused on porous materials, their sorption types and their adsorption properties, further investigating the adsorption properties of porous materials at either solid–gas and solid–liquid interfaces, underscoring both the properties of the materials, the characterization and the correlation between the porosity and the adsorption capacity, as well as the emergent interactions between the adsorbent and adsorbate molecules, including the adsorption mechanisms, the types of sorption and the kinetic and thermodynamic information conveyed.

Over the last several decades, the European Union (EU) has championed recycling and sustainable waste management through Directives 2008/98/EC and 2018/851, shaping practices across its member states. Currently, 30% of the EU’s municipal waste is recycled, 19% composted, 23% incinerated, and 23% landfilled. However, regional variations exist within the EU, with Greece and other Mediterranean/Balkan nations favoring landfilling, while Germany and other Western/Central EU nations prioritize recycling and composting, and Nordic countries lean toward incineration. To address these differences, a new sustainability point system was created in order to evaluate and compare all different municipal waste management strategies of EU members. Notably, countries like Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden score the highest due to low municipal waste generation, high recycling rates (>35%), minimal landfilling (<1%), and significant incineration. In contrast, Cyprus, Malta, and Greece score lower due to landfill reliance and lower recycling rates. Therefore, this study introduces a novel sustainability point system to mitigate disparities, highlighting the need for targeted interventions and policy initiatives at the national and EU levels. By leveraging these insights, policymakers can allocate resources effectively, foster collaboration, and motivate citizens to achieve common environmental goals as well as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Since 2019, the NextGen pilot wastewater treatment unit—also known as the NextGen Sewer Mining concept—has been operating at the Athens Plant Nursery, transforming sewage from Athens’ central network into irrigation water and compost. This unit produces resources for plant growth through membrane bioreactors (MBRs) and aerobic sludge digestion. This study experimentally evaluates the effects of NextGen reused water and compost on two common ornamental plant species in Athens, Pittosporum tobira (Angelica) and Myrtus communis (Common Myrtle), compared to the use of tap water and red soil without additional fertilization. The results indicate that NextGen reused water combined with compost significantly promotes both height and weight growth in these plants. However, by the end of the experiment, compost fertilization had a greater effect on the height and weight growth of both Angelica and Myrtus plants when applied independently and watered with tap water, compared to the use of NextGen reused water combined with red soil. Notably, none of the 96 plants withered throughout the experiment, indicating that promising and sustainable technologies like the concept of Sewer Mining can effectively replace conventional and environmentally outdated methods of plant nutrition and irrigation by producing reused water and compost.

Mountainous Mediterranean rivers provide essential ecosystem services but are increasingly affected by land-use change, hydraulic works, and inadequate wastewater management. This study investigates the links between geomorphological transformation and river water quality in the Central Eurytania drainage basin (Greece) over the past two decades, within the institutional framework of European and Greek environmental legislation, with emphasis on the protection and restoration of aquatic ecosystems. Georeferenced satellite imagery from 2003/2010 and 2023, Google Earth Engine (GEE, Python Earth Engine API: 1.7.20)-based spatial analysis, high-resolution UAV orthomosaics, and seasonal spectrophotometric analyses were integrated to assess spatial and temporal dynamics. Results indicate that land-use changes, including the construction of solar parks, expansion of tourism infrastructure, and partial agricultural abandonment, reflect ongoing socio-economic shifts influencing fluvial processes. Water-quality analyses further showed that channel alteration and wastewater inputs jointly degrade ecological conditions. The findings highlight the need for integrated watershed management focused on riparian buffer restoration, improved wastewater control, and systematic monitoring of hydromorphological change. The proposed interdisciplinary framework contributes to the assessment of environmental resilience in Mediterranean mountainous watersheds, which are increasingly vulnerable to climatic and socio-economic pressures.