Consumers and producers are becoming more open to the usage of natural cosmetics. This can be seen in them using a variety of natural cosmetic resources and materials. This fact is further supported by the trend of environmental and health awareness. These phenomena can be found within both the producers’ and the consumers’ behavior. Our research supports that green or natural products’ role in the cosmetics industry is getting more and more pronounced. The role of science is to determine the variables suggesting the consumer to change to natural cosmetics. The primary aim of our research is to find out to what extent the characteristics of the consumption of organic foods and natural cosmetics differ. We would like to know what factors influence consumer groups when buying green products. The novelty of the analyses is mainly that consumers were ordered into clusters, based on consuming bio-foodstuffs and preferring natural cosmetics. The cluster analysis has multiple variables, namely: Consumer behavior in light of bio-product, new natural cosmetics brand, or health- and environmental awareness preferences. The data was collected using online questionnaire, exclusively in Hungary during April–May of 2018. 197 participants answered our questions. The results of descriptive statistics and the cluster analysis show that there are consumers who prefer natural cosmetics, whereas some of them buy traditional ones. A third group use both natural and ordinary cosmetics. The results suggest that on the market of cosmetic products, health and environmental awareness will be a significant trend for both producer and consumer behavior, even in the future. However, it will not necessarily follow the trends of the foodstuffs industry, as the health effect spectrum of cosmetics is far shorter. In the future, the palette of natural cosmetics will become much wider. The main reason for this will be the appearance of green cosmetics materials and environmentally friendly production methods (mostly for packaging). The consumers will also have the possibility to choose the ones that suit them the most.

Circular solutions are essential to tackle the imminent challenges of depleting resources and emerging environmental problems. The complex nature of material and energy systems and the changing economic and technological conditions depend on regional settings and accordingly result differently in developed and rapidly developing countries of the world. A wide variety of theoretical approaches can be used to facilitate a shift from the linear use of resources to circular systems, e.g., circular product planning, zero waste management, service-based repairing, refurbishing, and remanufacturing, to name just a few. The introduction and examination of circular solutions can be based on theoretical models in order to guarantee and ensure a successful application. The successful application of innovative technology approaches, business solutions, and organizational development can be facilitated through theoretical models and new scientific results that support innovation processes. The presented article focuses on sustainable and innovative methods that help and enable the proper use and recovery of resources.

Heavy metal contamination of natural rivers and wastewaters is a problem for both the environment and human society. The accumulation and adsorption of heavy metals could happen with several organic and inorganic matters, but the most used adsorbents are (biological and chemical) organic compounds. This review article presents the basics of heavy metal adsorption on several organic surfaces. There are many organic matters, which seem to be useful as agents for heavy metal adsorption. All of the cited authors and articles present the adsorption kinetics by the most used isotherm models (such as Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms). By comparing several research results presented by a pre-selected assortment of papers, we would like to give an overview of the microbiological, organic chemical, and other surface adsorption possibilities. We draw conclusions for two new adsorption fields (adsorption with biosorbent and artificial materials). We present an optional possibility to study adsorption kinetics, efficiency and regeneration methods to successfully conclude the heavy metal treatment process, and we make some recommendations about the efficient water usage calculations using the water allowance coefficient (WAC) indicator.

According to decision no. 491/QD-TTg signed in 2018 by the Vietnamese Prime Minister approving adjustments to the national strategy for the general management of solid waste until 2025 with a vision toward 2050, Vietnam has committed itself to move toward collecting, transporting, and treating 100% of non-household waste by 2025 and 85% of waste discharged by households by 2025. This paper aims to determine which is the best sustainable solid waste management system out of those that have been formulated by World Bank experts for Hanoi until 2030 for implementing the national strategy. The paper compares four distinct solid waste management enhancement alternatives, namely, “Improving the current system for waste collection and transportation”; “Reducing, reusing, and recycling waste at source”; “Mechanical–biological treatment (MBT) plants for classifying, composting, and refuse-derived fuel (RDF) for the cement industry”; and “MBT plants for classifying, composting, and RDF for waste-to-energy/incineration plants”. The comparison was made using an analytic hierarchy process. As a result, the research indicated that “MBT plants for classifying, composting, and RDF for waste-to-energy/incineration plants” has the highest ranking in terms of a sustainable solution for the municipal solid waste management system. Therefore, it should be applied for managing the current situation in Hanoi. At the same time, the sustainable development of the system must seek to decrease the waste-to-energy ratio continuously and significantly through the planned reuse of materials that can be recycled to industry. According to the literature, in major cities in Asia and Africa, development programs are moving toward waste-to-energy solutions. The EU’s circular innovation programs and action plan may be in the opposite direction to this trend.

Organic farming is functionally integrated and serves as the foundation for circular agriculture. It guarantees resource efficiency in the deployment of nature-based initiatives to mitigate climate change. Organic farming is the most cost-efficient strategy for fighting climate change. Primarily the intensive generation of waste due to strong urbanization effects, the expression of consumer response is particularly powerful while purchasing organic items. This analysis’s major purpose is to examine which various aspects may be applied to consumers’ perspectives towards circular agriculture when buying organic foods. In this research, a well-constructed questionnaire was produced. Of the 1030 participants who participated in the survey, 1001 samples were examined. The major study question was, “Would the customer purchase organic food product that is good environment?” The second issue is, how do eco-label foods, knowledge about climate change, consumer education, and specific socio-demographic features impact the value of organic food consumption? According to the study’s findings, in the case of the studied customers, people’s concerns about climate change, trust, and eco-labels demonstrate a stronger preference for purchasing organic food. It is also a surprise that customer trust has a big effect on consumer buying intention. The new scientific result of the research is that, in the case of emerging countries, due to the significantly lower price level difference between organic products and traditional foods, the healthy properties of foods with an eco-label, as well as the communication of knowledge about climate change, have a significant effect on the level of consumption of organic foods.

Least-developed countries face many challenges regarding their plastic waste management systems. In 2017, Kenya imposed a selective ban targeting manufacturers and consumers of plastic carrier bags. However, this selectivity does not avoid the continuous use of other plastic products. The present paper states that circular priorities, which have been defined to advanced economies, would not be entirely valid for the rest of the world. While high-income countries face only the impacts of their own consumption, developing nations must endure the externalities of these developed economies. Thus, the focus of the least developed part of the world must not be on reducing its relatively normal (or even low) consumption, but to manage its surplus material flow. According to the employed circular evaluation methodology (CEV—Circular Economic Value), the circularity level in Kenya’s plastic material flow stands on a rather low stage with 32.72%. This result outlines the linear deficiencies of the plastic waste management system and urges the prevention of further material leakage (such as energy use). Through the Business Model Canvas (BMC) approach this study offers a holistic business solution which can improve the system’s sustainability.