Publicaciones GIII

Closing the Loop Locally: A Systematic Review and Framework for Distributed Recycling of Post-Consumer Plastics with a Focus on HDPE and PP

Autores: Carmen Castaño, Johan Montenegro, María De Los Ángeles Ortega, Max Medina, Ricardo Caballero, Dennis Keiser, Michael Freitag

This systematic review evaluated technical evidence and system-level conditions for Distributed Recycling and Additive Manufacturing (DRAM) of post-consumer high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene (PP). Peer-reviewed journal articles, conference papers, and reviews published from 2020 to 2025 were eligible when they addressed recycled-polymer preparation, feedstock conversion, extrusion-based additive manufacturing, printing performance, or circularity-related implementation; studies focused only on virgin polymers, outside the publication period, or lacking relevance were excluded. Scopus and Web of Science were searched on 17 October 2025 using four thematic strategies. Methodological completeness and applicability were appraised across six domains for the HDPE/PP material-specific evidence. Findings were synthesized narratively and thematically; meta-analysis was not performed because of substantial heterogeneity in feedstock, formulation, equipment, specimens, test methods, and outcomes. The final corpus comprised 119 unique sources: 28 material-specific sources (11 HDPE and 17 PP) and 91 contextual or system-level sources. Of the material-specific subset, 24 provided direct or partially direct recycled experimental evidence and four provided indirect or secondary evidence. Most appraised material-specific sources showed methodological concerns related to feedstock provenance, processing history, parameter reporting, replication, or test conditions. Recycled HDPE and PP could be converted into extrusion-based additive manufacturing feedstocks under study-specific conditions, but the evidence did not support universal processing windows, property ranges, degradation rates, cost competitiveness, environmental superiority, or generalized industrial readiness. Most evidence remained at laboratory or demonstrator scale. The Circular DRAM Viability Framework provides an evidence-informed structure intended to support application-specific diagnosis, monitoring, and qualification.

Developing Sustainability Competencies Through Active Learning Strategies Across School and University Settings

Autores: Bolívar Bernal, Carmen Castaño, Juan Carlos Noguera, María De Los Ángeles Ortega, Miguel Chen, Ricardo Caballero, Antonio Ortega

The transition toward sustainable production requires engineering and science education to adopt active, interdisciplinary, and practice-oriented teaching strategies. This article presents a comparative analysis of two educational initiatives implemented in Panama aimed at fostering sustainability competencies at the university and secondary school levels. The first initiative, developed at the Technological University of Panama, integrates project-based learning and circular economy principles into an extracurricular module focused on production planning, sustainable design, and quality management. Students created prototypes using recycled HDPE and additive manufacturing technologies within a simulated startup environment. The second initiative, carried out in two public secondary schools, applied project- and challenge-based learning through the Design Thinking framework, supporting teachers and students in addressing real-world sustainability challenges. Both programs emphasize hands-on learning, creativity, and iterative development, embedding environmental awareness and innovation in both formal and informal educational settings. The article identifies key opportunities and challenges in implementing active methodologies for sustainability education. Challenges such as limited infrastructure and rigid schedules were identified, along with lessons learned for future implementation. Students connected local issues to global goals like the SDGs and saw themselves as agents of change. These initiatives offer practical models for advancing sustainability education through innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.

AI-Enhanced Manufacturing in Latin America: Opportunities, Challenges, Applications, and Regulatory Policy Frameworks for Intelligent Production Systems

Autores: Carmen Castaño, Juan Carlos Noguera, María De Los Ángeles Ortega, Max Medina, Ricardo Caballero, Romas Lescure, Antonio Ortega

As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes production, its integration into manufacturing offers gains in precision, efficiency, and sustainability. Globally, AI supports additive, subtractive, and forming processes through optimization, monitoring, defect detection, and design innovation. In Latin America, however, adoption is limited and uneven, with most evidence from surveys, policy reports, and pilot projects rather than large-scale implementations. This review addresses that gap by examining the global landscape of AI in manufacturing and the specific conditions influencing its adoption in the region. The study is guided by the question: What structural conditions are required to enable successful and sustainable AI integration in Latin American manufacturing? To answer, it applies the Triadic Integration Framework, which identifies three pillars: digital infrastructure, policy and governance, and socio-industrial capacity. The analysis highlights barriers, including fragmented regulation, skills shortages, cybersecurity risks, and cost–benefit uncertainties, while also pointing to opportunities in various industrial sectors. To translate insights into practice, a phased roadmap is proposed, outlining short-term, medium-term, and long-term actions, along with the responsible stakeholders and the necessary resources. As an integrative review, the study synthesizes existing knowledge to build a framework, defining directions for future research, emphasizing that successful adoption requires technical progress, inclusive governance, and regional coordination.

Enhancing Engineering Competencies through Sustainable Design: A Project- and Problem-Based Learning Approach for Industrial Engineering Students

Autores: Bolívar Bernal, Carmen Castaño, Juan Carlos Noguera, María De Los Ángeles Ortega, Miguel Chen, Ricardo Caballero

En: LACCEI 2024

In contemporary engineering education, the conventional subject-focused structure often falls short in fostering the necessary problem- and project-based approaches to build necessary competencies. This paper proposes a five-subject modular concept integrating different departments to develop transdisciplinary skills without compromising on content. It links different modern teaching methods to test their eight students’ interaction potential and productivity. This proposed concept encourages collaborative supervision by professors from diverse higher education centers, challenging students to participate in a semester-long simulation where two groups emulate start-up companies. Tasked with competing in planning, designing and developing a sustainable solution from plastic waste (HDPE), students delve into hands-on experiences, learning how to integrate the requirements and approaches of sustainable production. During the module, knowledge and fundamental skills in the field of engineering were qualitatively measured before and after to compare with the skills learned through the module.

Solid Waste Flux in Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Review on Modeling Approaches

Autores: Carmen Castaño, Miguel Chen, Alessandra Torrente Stabile, Daphni Mora

En: LACCEI 2024

Abstract– With rising environmental concerns, effective SolidWaste Management (SWM) at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)has emerged as a critical part of global sustainability efforts. Theseinstitutions are not only education and research environments, butthey are also major generators of specific types of waste, requiringinnovative SWM strategies. This review explores current SWMmethods, focusing on the role of statistical modeling in helping toimprove these strategies, due to their ability to identify trends in wastegeneration. Utilizing VOSviewer for a detailed bibliometric analysis,the study identifies current scenarios and strategies in this researcharea. The unique characteristics and resources of HEIs show theimportance of designing specialized SWM models. A significantoutcome is the importance of social elements; comprehensive surveysthat may include demographic and socioeconomic data areimportant in establishing competent SWM programs. It suggests thatthese surveys can provide significant data about behavioral patternsthat may affect SWM. These models can offer relevant information,allowing HEIs to successfully adjust their programs, making asignificant contribution to campus sustainability and broaderenvironmental goals.