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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
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Izabela Rojek & Dariusz Mikołajewski & Jakub Kopowski & Tomasz Bednarek & Krzysztof Tyburek, 2025. "Energy Efficiency and Sustainability of Additive Manufacturing as a Mass-Personalized Production Mode in Industry 5.0/6.0," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-20, June.
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    3. Viorela Iacovoiu & Mirela Panait & Adrian Stancu & Ștefan Iacob, 2025. "Driving Factors of Final Energy Consumption in the European Union: A Comprehensive Analysis," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-25, March.

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