Environmental damage and the resulting global warming are two of the most serious threats to living species. These problems are the result of industrialization in all fields. The textile and fashion industries bear a negative impact on the environment and contribute significantly to water, air, and solid waste pollution. Over the last decades, consumer buying habits have shifted, and clothing purchases have increased dramatically. The manufacturing process of these textiles, from pretreatment to dyeing and finishing, involves the use of numerous chemicals that are harmful to both humans and the planet. Textiles have been identified as unsustainable products due to their entire life cycle, from raw material cultivation to manufacturing, and generate a large amount of toxic waste and greenhouse gases. Therefore, embedding sustainability in strategy is essential to meet evolving investor pressure, consumer demand, and regulatory requirements. More alternatives are available, such as ecofriendly textiles. Governments are promoting the idea of ecolabels and sustainability standards that endorse the textile’s “ecofriendliness”. Ecolabeling stimulates consumers and manufacturers to buy and produce ecotextiles, simultaneously allowing consumers to compare the various products. Consumers are gradually requesting more ecofriendly products. To save our environment and future generations, the textile industry must become more sustainable. Major brands should implement sustainable manufacturing practices. This review paper investigates the requirements of ecofriendly textiles, restricted substances, and ecolabeling in the textile industry and highlights the need to enhance the expertise and information existing in the design process with regard to the sustainability of finished products in order to create a more sustainable textile sector. Such a shift is only feasible if the designers are guided by a clear vision of design for sustainability.

The agri-food industry generates significant quantities of plant-based food waste from processing, which offers a valuable research opportunity aimed at minimizing and managing these wastes efficiently in support of zero waste and/or circular economies. In order to achieve food security, all of these wastes can be valorized using downstream processes in an integrated manner, which results in the conversion of waste into secondary raw materials. Specifically, plant-based food wastes and/or byproducts are recognized sources of bioactive chemicals, including dietary fibers that are beneficial as food additives or functional food ingredients that can meet the technological and functional requirements of health-promoting value-added products. Additionally, cellulosic ingredients can be utilized directly within nonfood industries, such as textiles, resulting in a reduction in the environmental impact of secondary raw materials, as well as an increase in market acceptance compared to those currently on the market. On this basis, the present review was designed to provide an overview of introducing novel concepts for effective reuse, recyclability, and maximal utilization of plant-based food wastes and/or byproducts from food-processing industries, which creates a potential opportunity for the extraction of value-added dietary fiber with potential applications in food and nonfood industries.

The global shift toward renewable energy and circular economy models requires industrial systems that minimize waste and recover value across entire life cycles. This review synthesizes recent advances in by-product recovery technologies supporting renewable energy and circular industrial processes. Thermal, biological, chemical/electrochemical, and biotechnological routes are analyzed across battery and e-waste recycling, bioenergy, wastewater, and agri-food sectors, with emphasis on integration through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), techno-economic analysis (TEA), and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) coupled to process simulation, digital twins, and artificial intelligence tools. Policy and economic frameworks, including the European Green Deal and the Critical Raw Materials Act, are examined in relation to technology readiness and environmental performance. Hybrid recovery systems, such as pyro-hydro-bio configurations, enable higher resource efficiency and reduced environmental impact compared with stand-alone routes. Across all technologies, major hotspots include electricity demand, reagent use, gas handling, and concentrate management, while process integration, heat recovery, and realistic substitution credits significantly improve life cycle outcomes. Harmonized LCA-TEA-MCDA frameworks and digitalized optimization emerge as essential tools for scaling sustainable, resource-efficient, and low-impact industrial ecosystems consistent with circular economy and renewable energy objectives.

The agriculture and agri-food sectors produce substantial amounts of plant-based waste. This waste presents an identifiable research opportunity to develop methods for effectively eliminating and managing it in order to promote zero-waste and circular economies. Plant-based waste and by-products are acknowledged as valuable sources of bioactive compounds, including cellulose fibers. Direct application of these fibers in non-food sectors such as textiles can reduce the environmental impact of secondary raw materials. This review aims to provide an overview of novel concepts and modern technologies for efficiently utilizing plant-based waste and by-products from the agricultural and agro-industrial sectors to extract fibers for a variety of final applications, including the fashion industry. Two major routes are identified to produce cellulose fibers: the extraction and purification of natural cellulose fibers and the extraction and purification of cellulose pulp that is further processed into manmade cellulosic fibers. Scalability of experimental results at the laboratory or pilot level is a major barrier, so it is critical to develop closed-loop processes, apply standardization protocols, and conduct life cycle assessments and techno-economic analyses to facilitate large-scale implementation.

Organic photovoltaic (OPV) technology, namely, organic solar cells (OSCs), have garnered attention as a sustainable and adaptable substitute for traditional silicon-based solar panels. Their lightweight construction, adaptability with various substrates, and capacity for low-energy production techniques make them formidable contenders for sustainable energy applications. Nonetheless, due to the swift advancement of OPV technology, there is increasing apprehension that existing life cycle assessment (LCA) studies may inadequately reflect their environmental consequences. This review aggregates and assesses LCA research to ascertain the extent to which existing studies accurately represent the genuine sustainability of OPVs. This paper conducts a comprehensive analysis of materials, manufacturing processes, device architecture, and end-of-life pathways, identifying methodological deficiencies, emphasizing critical environmental performance metrics, and examining how conceptual product design can improve environmental results. The results highlight the necessity for standardized, transparent LCA frameworks adapted to the changing OPV landscape.

This study investigates the production of high-purity cellulose pulp from peach (Prunus persica) fruit wastes generated during the processing of a Greek compote and juice production industry. A three-step chemical process is used, including alkaline treatment with NaOH, organic acid (acetic and formic) treatment, and hydrogen peroxide treatment, with the goal of cellulose extraction and purification. A fractional factorial design optimized reagent levels, revealing the strong influence of NaOH concentration on α-cellulose content and degree of polymerization. The extraction yield ranged between 9.7 and 12.3%, and a yield of 11.6% was achieved under the optimal conditions (NaOH, 3%w/v; acid-to-solid ratio, 6 l/kg; H₂O₂, 0.5% v/v) of the factorial experiment. The resulting samples were further characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, and TGA techniques. The results of the XRD and FTIR spectra confirmed the presence of cellulose, with a crystallinity index of approximately 57%, balancing strength and reactivity. The SEM analysis demonstrated a strong morphological similarity between the extracted pulp and commercial dissolving-grade pulp (Södra Purple), while images of the raw material confirmed effective purification. Additional evaluations included color, lightness, and lignin content. These findings suggest that cellulose extracted from peach waste is suitable for textile applications, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional cellulose sources and supporting industrial resource efficiency. Graphical Abstract