Katarzyna Cheba

This study proposes a novel framework integrating Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) and Material Flow Analysis (MFA) within the Deming Cycle framework to address this gap. While valuable tools, ERA and MFA offer limited perspectives on environmental impact when used alone. The framework aims to provide policymakers and decision‐makers with insights into developing sustainable waste management strategies. By combining ERA and MFA, this research offers a comprehensive approach to evaluate the environmental impacts of healthcare waste, identify potential risks, and optimize waste management practices. A case study of an Italian private healthcare clinic is conducted to demonstrate the practical application of the proposed framework. Through a SWOT analysis, the benefits and challenges of integrating ERA and MFA in healthcare waste management are revealed, providing guidance for future research and implementation efforts.

The purpose of this chapter is to identify customers’ behaviour changes after the Covid-19 pandemic, to investigate how those changes influenced the implementation of sustainable and innovative last-mile delivery by CEP companies, and what lessons were learned from it. The following methods were used in the analyses: quantitative study among e-customers in Brazil and Poland, multidimensional statistical analysis and qualitative study among CEP representatives. The study shows increased e-purchases delivered at home in Brazil and to parcel lockers in Poland. Also, clusters of e-customers were identified regarding their delivery choices: the Poland e-customers choose more environmentally friendly delivery methods, while in Brazil there is no relation between the buying frequency and the delivery method. The chapter contributes to the research on e-customers’ and CEP companies’ behaviours in vulnerable situations that have never been observed before. The research results also reveal the CEPs companies’ motivations for introducing more environmentally friendly deliveries.

Analiza porównawcza wyników badania preferencji konsumenckich w zakresie dostaw ostatniej mili w e-handlu w Polsce The main aim of the paper is a comparative

The European Union’s climate policy aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. One of the instruments for achieving these climate goals is the development of offshore wind energy. Unfortunately, Poland, as one of the few European Union countries with access to the sea, does not have offshore wind farms yet. The purpose of this article is to determine the importance of offshore wind energy for the development of Poland based on the example of two sea regions: the West Pomeranian and Pomeranian Voivodeships. This article uses the input–output method to determine the economic effects of offshore wind power. The region’s share in the supply chain was determined based on the location of the offshore wind energy sector. A comparative analysis with the Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm in France made it possible to show the differences between the studied locations. The supply chain share of the regions surveyed was 2.28% and 6.00% in the CAPEX phase and 5.98% and 8.23% in the OPEX phase. The annual average global value in the CAPEX phase at the country level was EUR 2793 million, and at the regional level, EUR 243 million and EUR 663 million. In the OPEX phase, the corresponding values are EUR 2106 million, EUR 223 million and EUR 663 million. The average annual employment in the CAPEX phase at the national level amounted to 26,323 jobs and at the regional level, 1953 and 5804. In the OPEX phase, employment amounted to 4790, 558 and 751 jobs, respectively. On the other hand, the average annual value added in the CAPEX phase at the national level was EUR 1221 million, and at the regional level, it was EUR 106 million and EUR 290 million. In the OPEX phase, it was EUR 920 million, EUR 97 million and EUR 239 million, respectively. While not all of the findings are conclusive, in general, the domestic offshore wind industry has weaker economic linkages and lower wage levels than the location adopted for comparison. It uses more labour-intensive economic sectors with lower OPEX value added. The results of the analyses presented in this paper are of crucial importance not only for Poland, as their advantage is the possibility to present, from an economic point of view, the profitability of this type of investment in general.

The Hydrogen Valleys concept is growing in importance in the political landscape. Numerous national strategies dedicated to hydrogen, published internationally in recent years, recognize its advantages. The article aimed to check the scale of researchers' and scientists' interest in this topic, especially in relation to the importance and significance attached to this concept by policymakers. The study used the bibliographic method. In the first stage of the study, papers that contained the term 'hydrogen valleys' in the title, abstract or keywords were selected from the publications available in the Web of Science (WoS) database. A quantitative analysis of the collected publications was carried out in the second phase. The third stage focused on an in-depth content analysis of the publications. Bibliographic research was conducted using VOSviewer software. The WoS database identified only 284 publications dealing with hydrogen valleys. There is a systematic increase in the number of cited papers. However, the research result shows that the most frequently cited publications are studies presenting different types of technological solutions and concepts. The study indicates the existence of a significant research gap in the field of research on the creation and development of Hydrogen Valleys. Despite the growing interest in creating and operating hydrogen valleys, it can be assumed that this is still an under-explored area in the literature, especially in economic and social research. Authors' interest in publishing in this area is expected to increase with the development of hydrogen technologies in the coming years.

Research background: In the last few years, e-commerce market has increased in population shares, but the situation has changed dramatically since the Covid-19 pandemic. Electronic marketplaces have changed due to rapid digitalization and shopping. Online services offer the possibility to choose a different delivery method such as home delivery or out-of-home delivery. This aspect of the e-commerce market faces an increased interest among practitioners and academia in the field of sustainable last mile deliveries. Interestingly, the subject literature consists of papers analyzing the e-commerce impact on the last-mile delivery. However, the identification of factors for choosing a delivery method and factors that motivate e-customers to choose an eco-friendly delivery method is still an unrecognized field of research. Purpose of the article: The authors of the paper focused on the e-customer perspective on sustainable deliveries in cities. Thus, the main purpose of the paper is to compare factors among the generations that motivate e-customers for choosing a delivery method. Methods: The research was conducted among 1.110 e-customers in Poland in 2021. The paper aims to answer the following research question: what factors motivate each generation for choosing a delivery method? To answer the above-mentioned question, the correspondence analysis (MCA) is prepared that help to identify and compare factors in each generation. Findings & value added: The original research procedure focused on the use of multivariate statistical methods in the study of e-customers’ preferences. The analysis revealed three clusters of e-customers in terms of pro-sustainable factors: (a) aged 65+ without pro-sustainable tendency, (b) aged 18–64 with pro-sustainable attitudes, and (c) mixed with no identified delivery preferences. As a result of the research, it can be concluded that the parcel price and the possibility of free return are still the most important factors in choosing the delivery method. From a business/practical perspective, the research results can be used by companies that are the main stakeholders in last mile deliveries, including mainly forwarders and transport companies.

Sustainability is understood as a balanced integration of economic, ecological, and social aspects. Sustainable manufacturing can be considered one of the most important issues to address in the pursuit of sustainable development. The main purpose of the paper is to identify the most important directions of research to date and to indicate new and emerging areas of research concerned with the usage of decision-making methods in sustainability assessment in steel manufacturing companies. A systematic review was based on the publications indexed in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. In the analysis, the correspondence analysis and log-linear model were applied. To sum up, this study examines decision-making modalities and sustainable performance in terms of approaches that influence sustainability in steel manufacturing. Firstly, the study determined key decision-making aspects, such as the appropriate material identification for the manufacturing process and material labeling for the manufacturing process, which is essential for sustainable metal products. Secondly, the identification of sustainability indicators is considered vital in the hierarchical process as their integration is essential for the decision-making process and its outcome. Furthermore, system efficiency and productivity, alongside increasing attention to environmental protection, have led to significant changes in all production systems. In addition, many factors play an important role in the selection of suppliers, such as increasing the importance of the environment, increasing the recycling rate of the products, and ensuring sustainability performance. However, companies in the steel manufacturing industry rely little on the application of decision-making to assess sustainability.