| Abstract |
The current trends of waste present a global challenge pursuing sustainability. In response, recycling is broadly recognised as a solid strategy and the proper approach to attenuate the impact on the environment and human society. However, despite the current strides in recycling the remaining amounts of disposed products keep on increasing. Reversal of this trend is challenging, given the available recycling technology requires both, materials and energy, thus contributing to the depletion of resources. Therefore, for one aiming to cope with waste through recycling, efficient processes must be carefully selected. The current literature reveals a series of strategies, terminologies, processes and technologies, which may be confusing. The adopted methodology uses a bibliometric literature review to assess the available treatment of waste coming from End of Life (EoL) products, pointed out as successful strategies by recognised literature. The findings will deliver a framework of processes covering the different EoL strategies, their steps and processes. Thus, promoting a more sustainable waste handling due to the adoption of strategies and processes found more efficient, but yet reliable and available. In this sense, disruptive technologies are glimpsed as promising substitute solutions. The main contributions are. First, presents an approach for assessing diverse literature. Second, it identifies, clarifies, prioritises and delivers revised concepts and definitions to cope with waste more efficiently. Finally, summarises a vast amount of recycling processes along the EoL, revealing their precursors, constraints and also, the more efficient recycling processes with opportunities for future research. |