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Thin Film Composite Polyamide Reverse Osmosis Membrane Technology towards a Circular Economy
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This review examines how circular economy principles can be applied across the full lifecycle of reverse osmosis membrane technology, from biobased manufacturing to end-of-life valorization, as over two million membranes annually reach end-of-life. The authors assess emerging recycling and reuse strategies as alternatives to landfilling, and highlight life cycle assessment as a key tool for evaluating their environmental and economic impacts.
It is estimated that Reverse Osmosis (RO) desalination will produce, by 2025, more than 2,000,000 end-of-life membranes annually worldwide. This review examines the implementation of circular economy principles in RO technology through a comprehensive analysis of the RO membrane life cycle (manufacturing, usage, and end-of-life management). Future RO design should incorporate a biobased composition (biopolymers, recycled materials, and green solvents), improve the durability of the membranes (fouling and chlorine resistance), and facilitate the recyclability of the modules. Moreover, proper membrane maintenance at the usage phase, attained through the implementation of feed pre-treatment, early fouling detection, and membrane cleaning methods can help extend the service time of RO elements. Currently, end-of-life membranes are dumped in landfills, which is contrary to the waste hierarchy. This review analyses up to now developed alternative valorisation routes of end-of-life RO membranes, including reuse, direct and indirect recycling, and energy recovery, placing a special focus on emerging indirect recycling strategies. Lastly, Life Cycle Assessment is presented as a holistic methodology to evaluate the environmental and economic burdens of membrane recycling strategies. According to the European Commission's objectives set through the Green Deal, future perspectives indicate that end-of-life membrane valorisation strategies will keep gaining increasing interest in the upcoming years.
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