Sustainable Materials and their Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A Critical Review Based on an Italian Example
Open Access
- 5 March 2021
- Vol. 26 (5), 1407
- https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26051407
Abstract
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been proposed to give a possible future to humankind. Due to the multidimensional characteristic of sustainability, SDGs need research activities with a multidisciplinary approach. This work aims to provide a critical review of the results concerning sustainable materials obtained by Italian researchers affiliated to the National Interuniversity Consortium of Materials Science and Technology (INSTM) and their contribution to reaching specific indicators of the 17 SDGs. Data were exposed by using the Web of Science (WoS) database. In the investigated period (from 2016 to 2020), 333 works about sustainable materials are found and grouped in one of the following categories: chemicals (33%), composites (11%), novel materials for pollutants sequestration (8%), bio-based and food-based materials (10%), materials for green building (8%), and materials for energy (29%). This review contributes to increasing the awareness of several of the issues concerning sustainable materials but also to encouraging the researchers to focus on SDGs’ interconnections. Indeed, the mapping of the achievements can be relevant to the decision-makers to identify the opportunities that materials can offer to achieve the final goals. In this frame, a “Sustainable Materials Partnership for SDGs” is envisaged for more suitable resource management in the future.Funding Information
- Ministero dell'Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare (CUP: D71I18000170008)
This publication has 83 references indexed in Scilit:
- An Efficient CuxO Photocathode for Hydrogen Production at Neutral pH: New Insights from Combined Spectroscopy and ElectrochemistryACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 2016
- Nanoscale Engineering in the Development of Photoelectrocatalytic Cells for Producing Solar FuelsTopics in Catalysis, 2016
- Catalytic Performance of γ-Al2O3–ZrO2–TiO2–CeO2 Composite Oxide Supported Ni-Based Catalysts for CO2 MethanationIndustrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2016
- Hydrolyzable Tannins from Sweet Chestnut Fractions Obtained by a Sustainable and Eco-friendly Industrial ProcessNatural Product Communications, 2016
- Effect of hydroxytyrosol methyl carbonate on the thermal, migration and antioxidant properties of PVA‐based films for active food packagingPolymer International, 2016
- Advanced nanostructured titania photoactive materials for sustainable H2 productionMaterials Science in Semiconductor Processing, 2016
- N-Doped Food-Grade-Derived 3D Mesoporous Foams as Metal-Free Systems for CatalysisACS Catalysis, 2016
- Cellulose nanocrystals in nanocomposite approach: Green and high-performance materials for industrial, biomedical and agricultural applicationsAIP Conference Proceedings, 2016
- Waste silica sources as heavy metal stabilizers for municipal solid waste incineration fly ashArabian Journal of Chemistry, 2014
- Materials selection and design for development of sustainable productsMaterials & Design (1980-2015), 2007