Large-scale
membrane technology has been widely implemented and
rapidly growing for roughly 40 years. However, considering its entire
life cycle, there are aspects being characterized by low sustainability,
and this industry certainly cannot be defined as green. In the membrane
manufacturing process, raw materials mainly rely on nonbiodegradable
petroleum-based polymers and hazardous solvents. These materials are
thus associated with the energy crisis and with disposal burdens at
the end of their lifetime, and they pose risks to workers and the
environment. Therefore, biobased polymers and green solvents should
be employed within the membrane preparation process and replace traditional
ones. Moreover, the wastewater generated from membrane fabrication
processes contains an important amount of organic solvents and should
be efficiently treated or recycled before discharge. The application
of artificial intelligence in membrane manufacturing and use processes
can also improve efficiency significantly. Finally, a large number
of spent membrane elements should also be reused and recovered, rather
than landfilled. This review critically evaluates the recent advances
in methods to improve the sustainability of membrane technology, specifically
emphasizing the progresses made, with regard to the above aspects.
This review thus analyzes the needs for membrane industry transformations
in the light of circular economy.