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• Opportunities in circular agriculture

  17-23

  Marianna Balla

  Marianna Szabó

  Gyula Lakatos

  Views:

  386

  Water is the source of life. For the long-term preservation of water resources it is very important to develop sewerage and sewage treatment. Sewage sludge is not primarily a waste that needs to be disposed of but also a secondary raw material or a renewable energy source. Municipal sewage sludge, and sewage sludge composts, contain relatively large quantities of organic matter, so agricultural utilization can be a major potential of its use. The transition to sustainable agriculture is becoming more urgent and increasingly important as it can provide a solution that looks to the future. Sustainable agriculture should work according to natural law, so it should be self-sustaining, that means, cycles, where in to one process the waste created can be used as raw material in the other process. The beneficial effects of sludge on soil include increasing soil organic matter content, increasing soil fertility, nutritional capacity, microbiological activity, and complex fertilizing effects. However, when is applicated, there is always a problem with the occurrence and accumulation of toxic elements and drug residues. The traditional model of economic activity is the linear model. This model ignores the high economic social, and environmental costs of exploiting, transforming and removing of the resources therefore it is not sustainable in the long term. The circular economy offers an alternative model in which the products materials and resources are maintaned as long as possible and the amount of waste is significantly reduced or lost. It is also possible adapt the overtuned ecological, biological balance of agricultural production systems, with a closed loop circular model. According to this model, the development of tillage technologies and the restoration of organic materials and nutrient supply are possible.

• Advancing Sustainable Waste Management through National Recycling Rate under SDG 12.5.1

  61-72

  Gabi Mustapha Muhammad

  Alexandra Truzsi

  Views:

  337

  Solid waste management remains a pressing environmental challenge in both developed and developing nations. Recycling has been promoted globally as a key pathway to sustainability, yet recycling rates often provide only a partial picture of performance. In many contexts, challenges such as poorly regulated recycling policies, informal sector dominance, and practices that prioritize profit over environmental sustainability limit progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12.5.1, which tracks the national recycling rate. This study investigates the extent to which recycling rates reflect sustainable waste management and identifies the underlying factors that influence their effectiveness. The major objective of this study is to evaluate recycling rates as an indicator of sustainable waste management. This is further specified by: (i) examining recycling practices in selected countries (Germany, South Korea, USA, Brazil, and India), (ii) identifying key drivers and barriers that influence recycling performance, and (iii) assessing the implications of recycling rates for sustainable waste management systems. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, combining secondary data analysis, comparative country assessment, and policy review. Results show that recycling rates are useful but insufficient as a stand-alone measure of sustainability, since they are influenced by broader elements such as policy enforcement, economic incentives, public participation, and market structures. The findings highlight that Nigeria’s recycling rate remains significantly low compared to leading economies, underscoring the need for integrated waste management reforms. This research contributes to environmental management discourse by demonstrating that while recycling rates provide a benchmark for SDG 12.5.1 monitoring, they must be interpreted alongside contextual drivers to ensure meaningful progress towards sustainable waste management.

• R&D infield of “Waste-to-Energy”in Institute of Raw Materials Preparation and Environmental Processing, University of Miskolc

  49-57

  Ljudmilla Bokányi

  Barnabás Csőke

  Imre Gombkötő

  Sándor Nagy

  Ákos Pintér-Móricz

  Views:

  211

  The importance of research and development in the field of „Waste-to-Energy” is vital in our modern society trying to establish the circular economy. Such R&D activity has been carrying out at Institute of Raw Materials Preparation and Environmental Processing for decades in several directions. This paper deals with the main results of research on refuse derived fuel from MSW, biogas production, briquetting of biomass, as well as production of fluid fuels.