IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v16y2024i23p10790-d1539926.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Eco Breakthroughs: Sustainable Materials Transforming the Future of Our Planet

Author

Listed:
  • Catalin Popescu

    (Department of Business Administration, Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, 100680 Ploiesti, Romania)

  • Hiranya Dissanayake

    (Department of Accountancy, Faculty of Business Studies and Finance, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka, Lional Jayathilake Mawatha, Kanadulla, Kuliyapitiya 60200, Sri Lanka)

  • Egla Mansi

    (Department of Business Administration, Epoka University, 1000 Tirana, Albania)

  • Adrian Stancu

    (Department of Business Administration, Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, 100680 Ploiesti, Romania)

Abstract

Interest in the sustainable materials sector is growing and accelerated. These materials are designed to reduce the use of non-renewable resources, limit greenhouse gas emissions, and be recyclable or biodegradable, making them highly attractive to both academia and industry. Constantly updating on innovations in this field is essential to speed up the transition to a circular economy and significantly reduce environmental impact. The paper analyzes the current status and future trends of the scientific literature for seven sustainability-related materials categories, such as sustainable materials, green materials, biomaterials, eco-friendly materials, alternative materials, material recycling and material recovery from complex products, and sustainable applied materials. Next, it assesses the impacts, benefits, and challenges associated with sustainable materials from the scientific literature according to six research fields (impact on the environment, performance and durability, economic efficiency, health and safety, social sustainability, and implementation and use). Furthermore, the paper outlines recent advances in sustainable material design, including biomimicry, nanotechnology, additive manufacturing, 3D printing, and sustainable composite materials. Additionally, a bibliometric analysis of 545 studies on sustainable materials published between 1999 and 2023 was conducted based on eight criteria, namely trend, source, author, country, keywords, thematic, co-citation, and content. The findings show that the sustainability-related materials categories have a particular distribution among the domains. Also, the thematic map analysis outlines that biopolymers, nanocellulose, and biocomposites are critical research areas for developing sustainable materials.

Suggested Citation

  • Catalin Popescu & Hiranya Dissanayake & Egla Mansi & Adrian Stancu, 2024. "Eco Breakthroughs: Sustainable Materials Transforming the Future of Our Planet," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(23), pages 1-38, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:23:p:10790-:d:1539926
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/23/10790/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/23/10790/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yunqing Zhu & Charles Romain & Charlotte K. Williams, 2016. "Sustainable polymers from renewable resources," Nature, Nature, vol. 540(7633), pages 354-362, December.
    2. Amir Ali & Anas Issa & Ahmed Elshaer, 2024. "A Comprehensive Review and Recent Trends in Thermal Insulation Materials for Energy Conservation in Buildings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-42, October.
    3. Han Zhang & Shiying Shi & Fangfang Zhao & Mingming Hu & Xiao Fu, 2024. "Integrated Benefits of Sustainable Utilization of Construction and Demolition Waste in a Pressure-State-Response Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-24, September.
    4. Kelsey L. Snapp & Benjamin Verdier & Aldair E. Gongora & Samuel Silverman & Adedire D. Adesiji & Elise F. Morgan & Timothy J. Lawton & Emily Whiting & Keith A. Brown, 2024. "Superlative mechanical energy absorbing efficiency discovered through self-driving lab-human partnership," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-9, December.
    5. Dai, Yijia & Chen, Xuanyuan, 2023. "Evaluating green financing mechanisms for natural resource management: Implications for achieving sustainable development goals," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 86(PB).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tana Tana & Pengfei Han & Aidan J. Brock & Xin Mao & Sarina Sarina & Eric R. Waclawik & Aijun Du & Steven E. Bottle & Huai-Yong Zhu, 2023. "Photocatalytic conversion of sugars to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural using aluminium(III) and fulvic acid," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    2. Andreas Schneider & Thomas B. Lystbæk & Daniel Markthaler & Niels Hansen & Bernhard Hauer, 2024. "Biocatalytic stereocontrolled head-to-tail cyclizations of unbiased terpenes as a tool in chemoenzymatic synthesis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    3. Konrad, Kai A. & Lommerud, Kjell Erik, 2021. "Effective climate policy needs non-combustion uses for hydrocarbons," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    4. Amy Fitzgerald & Will Proud & Ali Kandemir & Richard J. Murphy & David A. Jesson & Richard S. Trask & Ian Hamerton & Marco L. Longana, 2021. "A Life Cycle Engineering Perspective on Biocomposites as a Solution for a Sustainable Recovery," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-25, January.
    5. Puck Bos & Linda Ritzen & Sonja van Dam & Ruud Balkenende & Conny Bakker, 2024. "Bio-Based Plastics in Product Design: The State of the Art and Challenges to Overcome," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-18, April.
    6. Daniel H. Weinland & Kevin van der Maas & Yue Wang & Bruno Bottega Pergher & Robert-Jan van Putten & Bing Wang & Gert-Jan M. Gruter, 2022. "Overcoming the low reactivity of biobased, secondary diols in polyester synthesis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    7. Haomin Zhang & Huan Gao & Xiaobo Wang & Huixing Dai, 2024. "Preparation, Characterization and Application of Sustainable Composite Phase Change Material: A Mineral Material Science Comprehensive Experiment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-16, December.
    8. Nicholas M. Holden & Andrew M. Neill & Jane C. Stout & Derek O’Brien & Michael A. Morris, 2023. "Biocircularity: a Framework to Define Sustainable, Circular Bioeconomy," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 3(1), pages 77-91, March.
    9. Xiaoqian Wang & Yang Huang & Xiaoyu Xie & Yan Liu & Ziyu Huo & Maverick Lin & Hongliang Xin & Rong Tong, 2023. "Bayesian-optimization-assisted discovery of stereoselective aluminum complexes for ring-opening polymerization of racemic lactide," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    10. Aaldering, Lukas Jan & Leker, Jens & Song, Chie Hoon, 2019. "Uncovering the dynamics of market convergence through M&A," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 95-114.
    11. Erfan Oliaei & Peter Olsén & Tom Lindström & Lars A. Berglund, 2022. "Highly reinforced and degradable lignocellulose biocomposites by polymerization of new polyester oligomers," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.
    12. Xun Zhang & Ximin Feng & Wenqi Guo & Chengjian Zhang & Xinghong Zhang, 2024. "Chemically recyclable polyvinyl chloride-like plastics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    13. Hua Zhou & Yue Ren & Bingxin Yao & Zhenhua Li & Ming Xu & Lina Ma & Xianggui Kong & Lirong Zheng & Mingfei Shao & Haohong Duan, 2023. "Scalable electrosynthesis of commodity chemicals from biomass by suppressing non-Faradaic transformations," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    14. Mousavi-Avval, Seyed Hashem & Sahoo, Kamalakanta & Nepal, Prakash & Runge, Troy & Bergman, Richard, 2023. "Environmental impacts and techno-economic assessments of biobased products: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    15. Xun Zhang & Wenqi Guo & Chengjian Zhang & Xinghong Zhang, 2023. "A recyclable polyester library from reversible alternating copolymerization of aldehyde and cyclic anhydride," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-8, December.
    16. Deshraj Deepak Kapoor & Shilpi Yadav & Ravi Kr. Gupta, 2024. "Comprehensive study of microbial bioplastic: present status and future perspectives for sustainable development," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 26(9), pages 21985-22011, September.
    17. Luo, Chunyang & Liu, Yang & Pan, Lu & Yang, Fucheng, 2024. "Navigating mineral policy development challenges in the global south using analytic hierarchy process," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C).
    18. Jinbo Zhang & Lihang Jiang & Shaofeng Liu & Junhao Shen & Pierre Braunstein & Yong Shen & Xiaohui Kang & Zhibo Li, 2024. "Bifunctional and recyclable polyesters by chemoselective ring-opening polymerization of a δ-lactone derived from CO2 and butadiene," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    19. Rizki Rinanda & Yunan Sun & Keke Chang & Rini Sulastri & Xiaoqiang Cui & Zhanjun Cheng & Beibei Yan & Guanyi Chen, 2023. "Plastic Waste Management: A Bibliometric Analysis (1992–2022)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-19, December.
    20. Dawei Wang & Chuanming Du & Dongdong Feng & Yuting Li & Yu Zhang & Yijun Zhao & Guangbo Zhao, 2019. "The Thermal Swelling Properties of Plant Chemical Alcohol Waste Liquid," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-11, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:23:p:10790-:d:1539926. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.