Does PET trays sorting affect the sustainability of plastic waste? An LCA and cost-revenue approach.

Currently, the management of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) trays waste is still challenging since this packaging affects the consolidate recycling of PET bottles. It is important to separate PET trays from the PET bottle waste stream to avoid its contamination during recycling process and to recover a higher amount of PET. Hence, the present study aims to evaluate the environmental (by means of Life Cycle Assessment, LCA) and economic sustainability of sorting PET trays from the plastic waste streams selected by a Material Recovery Facility (MRF). For this scope, the case of a MRF in Molfetta (Southern Italy) was chosen as reference, and different scenarios have been evaluated by assuming different schemes of manual and/or automated PET trays sorting. The alternative scenarios did not achieve very pronounced environmental benefits over the reference case. Upgraded scenarios resulted in overall environmental impacts approx. 10 % lower as compared to the current scenario, with the exception of the climate and ozone depletion categories where differences in impacts were much higher. From an economic point of view, the upgraded scenarios achieved slightly lower costs (<2 %) than the current one. Electricity or labour costs were necessary in upgraded scenarios, but in this way fines for PET trays contamination in PET streams for recycling were avoided. Implementing any of the technology upgrade scenarios is then environmentally and economically viable, when the PET sorting scheme is performed in appropriate output streams through optical sorting.

Optimization of Lead and Diclofenac Removal from Aqueous Media Using a Composite Sorbent of Silica Core and Polyelectrolyte Coacervate Shell.

The modification of inorganic surfaces with weak cationic polyelectrolytes by direct deposition through precipitation is a fast approach to generating composites with high numbers of functional groups. The core/shell composites present very good sorption capacity for heavy metal ions and negatively charged organic molecules from aqueous media. The sorbed amount of lead ions, used as a model for priority pollutants such as heavy metals, and diclofenac sodium salt, as an organic contaminant model for emerging pollutants, depended strongly on the organic content of the composite and less on the nature of contaminants, due to the different retention mechanisms (complexation vs. electrostatics/hydrophobics). Two experimental approaches were considered: (i) simultaneous adsorption of the two pollutants from a binary mixture and (ii) the sequential retention of each pollutant from monocomponent solutions. The simultaneous adsorption also considered process optimization by using the central composite design methodology to study the univariate effects of contact time and initial solution acidity with the purpose of enabling further practical applications in water/wastewater treatment. Sorbent regeneration after multiple sorption-desorption cycles was also investigated to assess its feasibility. Based on different non-linear regressions, the fitting of four isotherms (Langmuir, Freundlich, Hill, and Redlich-Peterson models) and three kinetics models (pseudo-first order (PFO), pseudo-second order (PSO), and two-compartment first order (TC)) has been carried out. The best agreement with experiments was found for the Langmuir isotherm and the PFO kinetic model. Silica/polyelectrolytes with a high number of functional groups may be considered efficient and versatile sorbents that can be used in wastewater treatment processes.

Life Cycle Assessment as Support Tool for Development of Novel Polyelectrolyte Materials Used for Wastewater Treatment.

This life cycle assessment (LCA) study focused on comparing the environmental performances of two types of synthesis strategies for polyethyleneimine (PEI) coated silica particles (organic/inorganic composites). The classic layer-by-layer and the new approach (one-pot coacervate deposition) were the two synthesis routes that were tested for cadmium ions removal from aqueous solutions by adsorption in equilibrium conditions. Data from the laboratory scale experiments for materials synthesis, testing, and regeneration, were then fed into a life cycle assessment study so that the types and values of environmental impacts associated with these processes could be calculated. Additionally, three eco-design strategies based on material substitution were investigated. The results point out that the one-pot coacervate synthesis route has considerably lower environmental impacts than the layer-by-layer technique. From an LCA methodology point of view, it is important to consider material technical performances when defining the functional unit. From a wider perspective, this research is important as it demonstrates the usefulness of LCA and scenario analysis as environmental support tools for material developers because they highlight environmental hotspots and point out the environmental improvement possibilities from the very early stages of material development.

Removal of Diclofenac and Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous Media Using Composite Sorbents in Dynamic Conditions.

Pharmaceuticals and heavy metals pose significant risks to human health and aquatic ecosystems, necessitating their removal from water and wastewater. A promising alternative for this purpose involves their removal by adsorption on composite sorbents prepared using a conventional layer-by-layer (LbL) method or an innovative coacervate direct deposition approach. In this study, four novel composite materials based on a silica core (IS) and a polyelectrolyte coacervate shell were used for the investigation of dynamic adsorption of three heavy metals (lead, nickel and cadmium) and an organic drug model (diclofenac sodium salt, DCF-Na). The four types of composite sorbents were tested for the first time in dynamic conditions (columns with continuous flow), and the column conditions were similar to those used in wastewater treatment plants. The influence of the polyanion nature (poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) vs. poly(sodium methacrylate) (PMAA)), maintaining a constant poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI), and the cross-linking degree (r = 0.1 and r = 1.0) of PEI chains on the immobilization of these pollutants (inorganic vs. organic) on the same type of composite was also studied. The experiments involved both single- and multi-component aqueous solutions. The kinetics of the dynamic adsorption process were examined using two non-linear models: the Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models. The tested sorbents demonstrated good adsorption capacities with affinities for the metal ions in the following order: Pb2+ > Cd2+ > Ni2+. An increase in the initial diclofenac sodium concentration led to an enhanced adsorption capacity of the IS/(PEI-PAA)c-r1 sorbent. The calculated sorption capacities were in good agreement with the adsorption capacity predicted by the Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models. The substantial affinity observed between DCF-Na and a column containing composite microparticles saturated with heavy metal ions was explained.

Pesticides Identification and Sustainable Viticulture Practices to Reduce Their Use: An Overview.

The use of pesticides is a necessary practice in the modern era. Therefore, it is impossible to ignore the pesticide market, which has developed into one of the most lucrative in the world. Nowadays, humans are subjected to many potential risks, and significant amounts of toxic compounds enter their bodies through food, drink, and the air itself. Identification and quantification of these hazardous compounds is crucial for the sustainable development of an increasing world population which poses high climatic and political constraints on agricultural production systems. The maximum residue limits for pesticides have been regulated by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and European Union to protect human health. In this review, we have summarized and explained the analytical methods for pesticide extraction and determination. Also, sustainable viticulture practices like organic vineyards, tillage, biopesticides, nanobiopesticides, and precision viticulture are briefly discussed. These new techniques allow wine growers to be more profitable and efficient, while contributing to the reduction of pests and increasing the quality of wines.

Shaping polyelectrolyte composites for heavy metals adsorption from wastewater: Experimental assessment and equilibrium studies.

Design of core/shell composite microparticles for loading/release of organic/inorganic pollutants is of great interest in wastewater treatment. As compared to the classic layer-by-layer strategy, the new approach presented in this study introduced higher organic shell amounts in one-pot deposition step, with less material and energy consumption and lack of toxic by-products formation. Herein, one weak polycation (polyethyleneimine) and two weak polyanions were directly deposited onto silica surface through precipitation of an in-situ formed interpolyelectrolyte coacervate, followed by selective crosslinking with glutaraldehyde and extraction of polyanion chains, confirmed by electrokinetic measurements and FTIR spectra of composites. Twelve composite sorbents were synthesized and tested for adsorption of cadmium, as model heavy metal ion. It was demonstrated that the high sorption occurred onto four newly synthesized composites which is correlated to the deposited shell amount, dependent on the deposition method, polyanion nature and crosslinking ratio. The Cd2+ sorbed amount increased with the polyelectrolyte deposited amount and with the accessibility toward active sorption site, less cross-linked composite shells sorbing higher amounts as compared to strong cross-linked shells, the molar ratio [active site]:[Cd2+] ranging from 16:1 to 26:1. The best fitting of four isotherm (Langmuir, Freundlich, Sips and Toth) and four kinetics (pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, modified Freundlich and Elovich) models was assessed by the sum of normalized errors, based on different nonlinear regression error functions, and by the Hannah-Quinn information criterion. In general, the best agreement with the experimental data was found for Toth isotherm and the pseudo-second order kinetic model. Efficient regeneration of the sorbents was possible at least three times. The competitive effect of Pb2+ and Ni2+ ions was also studied in simulated and real systems. Silica composite sorbents with polyethyleneimine chains as major component of the shell could be very promising in wastewater treatment processes.

Investigating Six Common Pesticides Residues and Dietary Risk Assessment of Romanian Wine Varieties.

The food and environmental safety debate extends to the use of pesticides in agriculture including the wine sector, which is one of the most intensive pesticide users across the agricultural sector. Pesticide utilisation is a common agricultural practice to protect fruits and plants from pathogens and insects while maintaining high production levels. Grapevine is generally a crop that is subject to intensive phytosanitary treatments, and therefore, it can be assumed that pesticide residues will accumulate in the vine-shoots and, later on, end up in the grapes and wines. The aim of this study was to determine the pesticide content in red, rosé, and white wines after phytosanitary treatments applied in the vineyard and their impact on long-term dietary risks. The following six pesticides were analysed: oxathiapiprolin, myclobutanil, iprovalicarb, tebuconazole, chlorantraniliprole, and acetamiprid. Samples were extracted using the QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe) method and analysed for the residues of pesticides by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Results indicated that the observed pesticides in the wine samples ranged between 0.05 and 0.75 ng/g. Dietary risks due to pesticide residues for women and men were evaluated using the estimated daily intake (EDI), hazard quotient (HQ), and hazard index (HI) of wines. The HQs and HIs did not surpass the 1 value (HQ, HI < 1) for both women and men, denoting that the concentrations of pesticide residues in these wine samples do not pose any immediate risk to consumers. Moreover, a pesticide residue intake model (PRIMo) model analysis was conducted, and the results suggest that European adult consumers have a low pesticide residue intake due to moderate wine consumption. However, pesticide residue intakes have been associated with several human health problems and high toxicity levels, therefore reliable analytical methods to monitor their presence in horticultural crops is crucial for clean and safe food products and healthy consumers.

Using Fly Ash Wastes for the Development of New Building Materials with Improved Compressive Strength.

Fly ash wastes (silica, aluminum and iron-rich materials) could be smartly valorized by their incorporation in concrete formulation, partly replacing the cement. The necessary binding properties can be accomplished by a simple procedure: an alkali activation process, involving partial hydrolysis, followed by gel formation and polycondensation. The correlations between the experimental fly ash processing conditions, particle characteristics (size and morphology) and the compressive strength values of the concrete prepared using this material were investigated by performing a parametric optimization study to deduce the optimal processing set of conditions. The alkali activation procedure included the variation of the NaOH solutions concentration (8-12 M), temperature values (25-65 °C) and the liquid/solid ratio (1-3). The activation led to important modifications of the crystallography of the samples (shown by powder XRD analysis), their morphologies (seen by SEM), particle size distribution and Blaine surface values. The values of the compressive strength of concrete prepared using fly ash derivatives were between 16.8-22.6 MPa. Thus, the processed fly ash qualifies as a proper potential building material, solving disposal-associated problems, as well as saving significant amounts of cement consumed in concrete formulation.

An Overview on Composite Sorbents Based on Polyelectrolytes Used in Advanced Wastewater Treatment.

Advanced wastewater treatment processes are required to implement wastewater reuse in agriculture or industry, the efficient removal of targeted priority and emerging organic & inorganic pollutants being compulsory (due to their eco-toxicological and human health effects, bio-accumulative, and degradation characteristics). Various processes such as membrane separations, adsorption, advanced oxidation, filtration, disinfection may be used in combination with one or more conventional treatment stages, but technical and environmental criteria are important to assess their application. Natural and synthetic polyelectrolytes combined with some inorganic materials or other organic or inorganic polymers create new materials (composites) that are currently used in sorption of toxic pollutants. The recent developments on the synthesis and characterization of composites based on polyelectrolytes, divided according to their macroscopic shape-beads, core-shell, gels, nanofibers, membranes-are discussed, and a correlation of their actual structure and properties with the adsorption mechanisms and removal efficiencies of various pollutants in aqueous media (priority and emerging pollutants or other model pollutants) are presented.

Polyelectrolyte Multilayers: An Overview on Fabrication, Properties, and Biomedical and Environmental Applications.

Polyelectrolyte multilayers are versatile materials that are used in a large number of domains, including biomedical and environmental applications. The fabrication of polyelectrolyte multilayers using the layer-by-layer technique is one of the simplest methods to obtain composite functional materials. The properties of the final material can be easily tuned by changing the deposition conditions and the used building blocks. This review presents the main characteristics of polyelectrolyte multilayers, the fabrication methods currently used, and the factors influencing the layer-by-layer assembly of polyelectrolytes. The last section of this paper presents some of the most important applications of polyelectrolyte multilayers, with a special focus on biomedical and environmental applications.

Response of aquatic macroinvertebrates communities to multiple anthropogenic stressors in a lowland tributary river.

In the current study the response of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities to multiple anthropogenic stressors in a typical lowland river that crosses pristine sectors situated toward headwaters, as well as densely populated urban areas was assessed. We wished to develop an effective bioassay procedure for assessing water and sediment quality in lotic ecosystems from Romania with the aid of macroinvertebrate organisms correlated with physico-chemical parameters and pollutants in both dissolved fractions and material bonded to sediment. A fast scanning approach of the river, from springs to the mouth, was employed. We found significant changes in physico-chemical parameters along a longitudinal gradient, the highest values being registered within the urban area and heavily agriculturally developed areas. The macroinvertebrates showed affinities for certain abiotic factors, emphasising their potential use for future studies as reliable ecological indicators, shaped by a synergic combination of urban effects and magnitude of type of land use.

Environmental monitoring and impact assessment of Prut River cross-border pollution.

The cross-border rivers management is a challenge for the involved countries, especially if they do not have the same type of legislation. The negative effects on water quality are quantified by using environmental impact assessment tools. Thus, the quantification of impacts that could affect the human health, ecosystem equilibrium, and biodiversity is based on monitoring of the water quality indicators. An increased attention should be paid to the toxic pollutants resulted from various activities that may affect the aquatic environment and human health on short and long term. This study approaches the cross-border impact assessment of heavy metals, organic, and nutrient pollution in the case of two countries (Romania and Republic of Moldova), the Prut River being the natural border. The methodology considered a specific area of the Prut River on both river sides, based on specific water quality indicators. The studied area covers sampling points from North to South within Iasi County and Republic of Moldova, in the Prut River cross-border section. To assess the pollutants' impacts, the improved Leopold Matrix and the Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix were adapted and applied. The results offered an overview on water pollution level and impacts on the Prut River cross-border area, for the 5-year period (2015-2019). There is a major negative impact generated in the Southern part of the studied area, in the case of the following indicators: copper, selenium, organic substances, with an increased level of pollution recorded in the last 2 years (2018, 2019). The conclusion of this research is that even if both countries follow the international protocols concerning cross-border pollution, they still have to comply to different environmental standards which approach differently the pollution levels and the significant impacts on water quality.

Life cycle assessment of polyphenols extraction processes from waste biomass.

Waste biomass from forestry and wood processing industries is a source to obtain fine chemicals, and its processing is a good example of circular economy, but it generates secondary environmental impacts. The main objective of this study was to analyse the environmental performances of laboratory scale processes for polyphenols extraction from spruce bark by means of life cycle assessment (LCA) and to simulate and evaluate the scale-up possibilities of the most favourable alternative. The assessed extraction processes were: a classic Soxhlet extraction using ethanol as solvent (SE), a high-temperature extraction in 1% NaOH solution (NaOH-SLE) and an ultrasound assisted extraction process (UAE). The functional unit was 1 mg of extracted polyphenols, measured as gallic acid equivalents (mg GAE)/g spruce bark. The life cycle inventory has included specific laboratory scale operations and extraction processes (infrastructure and transport processes were not considered). Life cycle impact assessment was performed with ReCipe 2016 at midpoint. For all extraction processes, the environmental profiles were dominated by the electricity use for heating and this has generated the highest impacts in most of the impact categories, followed by the production and use of ethanol as solvent. For the ultrasound assisted extraction, a scale-up scenario has proven that by raising capacity to a 30 L extraction vessel and by changing the heating source to a biomass-fired boiler, environmental impacts may be greatly diminished. The paper discusses also the uncertainty of lab-scale generated data for LCA. A sensitivity analysis has proven that for this case, the energy efficiency of different lab-scale equipment induce acceptable degrees of uncertainty for the LCA results.

Sustainable design of large wastewater treatment plants considering multi-criteria decision analysis and stakeholders' involvement.

The typical treatment scheme of a large municipal wastewater treatment plant (LWWTP) is almost always the result of design based on technical and economic criteria. Once a threshold in terms of population equivalent (PE) is reached, it is possible that additional sludge thermal treatment might be required. Aspects such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and land use for the construction of the WWTP or the service landfill are considered marginal in current design practice; in a world that requires increasingly attention to the environment, these criteria cannot be ignored when defining the treatment scheme of a LWWTP. With the intent of providing a sustainable approach to design, this study aims to identify the best treatment scheme for a LWWTP with a 720,000 PE size. Methodologically, the study involves the development of an approach based on multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). Six alternative treatment schemes were considered; two simplified schemes, without primary sedimentation, with extended aeration activated sludge processes and aerobic sludge stabilization; four full schemes, with primary sedimentation and anaerobic sludge digestion. Some schemes differ for the organic loading rate applied; others for the use of sludge incineration. Subsequently, six evaluation criteria (ECs) such as GHG emissions, electricity consumption, running costs, WWTP planimetric area, surface for the service landfill, as well as WWTP as biorefinery have been considered. The weighting of the ECs involved the participation of the main stakeholders in such a decision-making process, following a bottom-up approach. The resolution of the MCDA problem allowed the identification of the full scheme based on primary sedimentation, biological activated sludge at low organic load (0.210 kgBOD5/kgVSS/d) and anaerobic sludge digestion as the best solution. The sensitivity analysis, able to indirectly take into account the multitude of decision makers involved, allowed corroborating the results. The obtained treatment scheme was different from that generally adopted in current design practice for LWWTPs.

Evaluation of Aroma Compounds in the Process of Wine Ageing with Oak Chips.

Many modern alcoholic beverages are subjected to ageing processes during which compounds extracted from wood contribute decisively to the overall beverage character. Wines represent a perfect example of beverage in which ageing is a crucial technological manufacturing step. During winemaking, producers accelerate chemical changes in wine composition by traditional and alternative methods, such as the use of oak wood barrels and/or oak wood chips. Our research aimed to investigate the overall volatile composition and sensory quality of red wines aged for two timeframes, namely, 1.5 and 3 months, and with two technological variants, i.e., American and French oak wood chips. Red grapes from the Feteasca neagra (Vitis vinifera) variety were harvested from a vineyard in the North-East region of Romania. Stir bar sorptive extraction and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (SBSE-GC-MS) was used to extract minor aromas present in wine samples. The results showed clear differences between wines treated with American and French oak chips. Furthermore, ageing for 3 months increased the concentration of cis-whiskey lactone and guaiacol in American oak-treated wine samples. For wines aged with French oak chips, we observed higher concentrations of furfural, 5-methylfurfural, 4-vinylguaiacol, and trans-whiskey lactone. The increased presence of chemical compounds in wine aged with French oak chips generated prominent smoky, licorice, and toasty aromas, whereas in wines aged with American oak chips, notes of vanilla, toasty, and cacao aromas were noticed. Moreover, red wines aged with American and French oak chips were discriminated by chemometric analysis, which confirmed the evolution of aroma compounds.

Improving waste electric and electronic equipment management at full-scale by using material flow analysis and life cycle assessment.

This work has as main objective the analysis of waste from electric and electronic equipment (WEEE or e-waste) management through material flow analysis and life cycle assessment of a full-scale Italian facility that is significant about the e-waste flows treated (9900 t/y) and representative of a developed EU country about the industrial process outline, based on manual dismantling phases and physic-mechanical automatic processes. Three WEEE categories (i.e. R1-Cooling equipment, R2-Large household appliances and R3- TVs and screens) have been chosen with the reason that they are the most abundant in EU. The methodology was based on two end-of-life scenarios: S0-partial recycling of valuable fractions and landfilling of the rest, which is conventional e-waste processing in Italian facilities; S1-complete recycling of valuable fractions, limited incineration and landfilling of the rest, which describes what happens in the considered case study. Mass balance of the three treatment lines showed recycling rate (RR) values equal to: for R1 40% for S0 and 80% for S1; for R2 65% for S0 and 99% for S1; for R3 86% for S0 and 91% for S1, with significant fractions incinerated or landfilled only for R1 treatment line. Life cycle assessment considered transport (post-consumer collection), treatment, recycling, incineration and disposal. As main results, eco-toxicity aquatic potentials referring to marine and fresh water were the most relevant impact categories. In conclusion, recycling (mostly of metals) played a crucial role for environmental benefits, and transport and polyurethane plus rubber incineration for the environmental impacts.

Discussion paper: Sustainable increase of crop production through improved technical strategies, breeding and adapted management - A European perspective.

During the next decade it will be necessary to develop novel combinations of management strategies to sustainably increase crop production and soil resilience. Improving agricultural productivity, while conserving and enhancing biotic and abiotic resources, is an essential requirement to increase global food production on a sustainable basis. The role of farmers in increasing agricultural productivity growth sustainably will be crucial. Farmers are at the center of any process of change involving natural resources and for this reason they need to be encouraged and guided, through appropriate incentives and governance practices, to conserve natural ecosystems and their biodiversity, and minimize the negative impact agriculture can have on the environment. Farmers and stakeholders need to revise traditional approaches not as productive as the modern approaches but more friendly with natural and environmental ecosystems values as well as emerging novel tools and approaches addressing precise farming, organic amendments, lowered water consumption, integrated pest control and beneficial plant-microbe interactions. While practical solutions are developing, science based recommendations for crop rotations, breeding and harvest/postharvest strategies leading to environmentally sound and pollinator friendly production and better life in rural areas have to be provided.

Sequencing batch biosorption of micropollutants from aqueous effluents by rapeseed waste: Experimental assessment and statistical modelling.

Rapeseed (RS) waste was used for sequential biosorption from aqueous solutions of two target micropollutants: lead ions and Reactive blue 19 (Rb19) dye, through an integrated approach, combining experimental assessment and statistical modeling. In both cases of sequential biosorption, a pseudo-second order kinetic model fitted the biosorption data well. Intraparticle diffusion proved to be the rate-limiting step in the sequential retention of both micropollutants. A selective desorption of metal ions and anionic dye at pH 2.5 and 10.5, respectively was observed. The quadratic models generated by response surface methodology (RSM) adequately described the sequential biosorption process and the desorption process, respectively. XPS and FTIR analysis indicated the mechanisms involved in the retention of target pollutants.

Patterns of toxic metals bioaccumulation in a cross-border freshwater reservoir.

In freshwater ecosystems toxic metals can follow different routes of bioaccumulation in the organisms' body mass, routes that are similar to electronic circuits, but far more complex due to their hierarchy levels. Reservoirs located on river courses have positive impacts on economic and social development because they concentrate large water volumes used for electrical energy production, water supply, irrigation, industry, aquaculture, providing ecosystems for migratory birds and aquatic species. The aim of the study was to assess the contamination with copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni) of a cross-border reservoir located on River Prut (border between Romania and Republic of Moldova) in a temperate climate zone. Several aspects were considered: seasonal variation of water parameters and toxic metals, bioconcentration in eight fish species and transfer from prey to predator through the food chain, bioaccumulation by two freshwater molluscs separated in size groups and their role as bioindicators of toxic metals pollution. Metals concentrations were measured with an atomic absorption spectrometer (HR-CS GF-AAS). Cadmium, lead, nickel and chromium concentrations limits in water samples were below the detection limits (0.005 µg L-1Cd, 0.013 µg L-1Pb and 0.011 µg L-1Cr) during the monitoring period, suggesting that anthropogenic contamination was insignificant in the studied ecosystem. Fish liver and kidney had specific selectivity for copper (0.9-55.56 µg g-1) and cadmium (0.097-1.031 µg g-1) in case of pike-perch and bighead carp. The separation of molluscs in size groups did not prove that toxic metals increase in concentration with the organism age.

Assessment of the waste electrical and electronic equipment management systems profile and sustainability in developed and developing European Union countries.

The assessment of waste management systems for electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) from developed economies (Germany, Sweden and Italy) and developing countries (Romania and Bulgaria), is discussed covering the period 2007-2014. The WEEE management systems profiles are depicted by indicators correlated to WEEE life cycle stages: collection, transportation and treatment. The sustainability of national WEEE management systems in terms of greenhouse gas emissions is presented, together with the greenhouse gas efficiency indicator that underlines the efficiency of WEEE treatment options. In the countries comparisons, the key elements are: robust versus fragile economies, the overall waste management performance and the existence/development of suitable management practices on WEEE. Over the life cycle perspective, developed economies (Germany, Sweden and Italy) manage one order of magnitude higher quantities of WEEE compared to developing countries (Romania and Bulgaria). Although prevention and reduction measures are encouraged, all WEEE quantities were larger in 2013, than in 2007. In 2007-2014, developed economies exceed the annual European collection target of 4 kg WEEE/capita, while collection is still difficult in developing countries. If collection rates are estimated in relationship with products placed on market, than similar values are registered in Sweden and Bulgaria, followed by Germany and Italy and lastly Romania. WEEE transportation shows different patterns among countries, with Italy as the greatest exporter (in 2014), while Sweden treats the WEEE nationally. WEEE reuse is a common practice in Germany, Sweden (from 2009) and Bulgaria (from 2011). By 2014, recycling was the most preferred WEEE treatment option, with the same kind of rates performance, over 80%, irrespective of the country, with efforts in each of the countries in developing special collection points, recycling facilities and support instruments. The national total and the recycling carbon footprints of WEEE are lower in 2013 than in 2007 for each country, the order in reducing the environmental impacts being: Germany, Italy, Sweden, Bulgaria and Romania. The negative values indicate savings in greenhouse gas emissions. In 2013, the GHG efficiency shows no differences of the WEEE management in the developed and developing countries.