Conventional synthetic sorbents for oil spill removal are the most widely applied materials, although they are not the optimal choices from an economic and environmental point of view. The use of inexpensive, abundant, non-toxic, biodegradable, and reusable lignocellulosic materials might be an alternative to conventional sorbents, with obvious positive impact on sustainability and circular economy. The objective of this paper was to review reports on the use of natural-based adsorbing materials for the restoration of water bodies threatened by oil spills. The use of raw and modified natural sorbents as a restoration tool, their sorption capacity, along with the individual results in conditions that have been implemented, were examined in detail. Modification methods for improving the hydrophobicity of natural sorbents were also extensively highlighted. Furthermore, an attempt was made to assess the advantages and limitations of each natural sorbent since one material is unlikely to encompass all potential oil spill scenarios. Finally, an evaluation was conducted in order to outline an integrated approach based on the terms of material–environment–economy.

A circular economy (CE) is conceptualized under different rounds of materials and energy cycling flows and is a matter of a three-level deployment: inter-enterprise circulation, regional circulation, and social circulation. Regarding them, the aim of this research was to get an update on the current technological advances and the perspectives of its implementation. Thus, a multi-parametric approach has been conducted to analyze the functionality of technologies in wastewater treatment, organic waste management, agrarian development, and food waste in the context of CE. Beside the narrative of the technological view, a critical approach assimilates the environmental, marketing, economic, governmental, and procedural viewpoints and leads to key indicators which are subject to positive and negative externalities. Due to this co-existence, we denoted the complexity of CE principle implementation and the need for specific envisage in each case, while proposing strategies are formulated in the light of social-environmental impact. Finally, further research gaps were proposed for deeper consideration.