Agro-Industrial Waste Valorization: Advances in Functional Materials and Circular Technologies
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Agricultural Science and Technology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 February 2026
Special Issue Editors
Interests: agri-food waste valorization and active compounds recovery; technologies with low environmental impact; food quality; biocatalitic treatments
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: Valorization of agri-food waste; bioactive compounds and antioxidants; biopolymers and biodegradable packaging; green and sustainable processes; enzymes and bioconversions; food and textile applications of natural products
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
The growing volume of agro-industrial waste worldwide poses both an environmental challenge and a significant opportunity for sustainable development. This Special Issue focuses on innovative valorization strategies for agricultural and agro-industrial residues, emphasizing their conversion into high-value functional materials and sustainable products.
We welcome original research, reviews, and case studies on the development, characterization, and applications of novel agro-waste-derived materials, including biopolymers, biocomposites, biochar, and activated carbons. Contributions exploring advanced circular economy technologies, including green extraction, bioconversion, enzymatic treatments, and integrated biorefineries, are highly encouraged.
Interdisciplinary studies addressing the environmental, economic, and technological aspects of agro-waste valorization are also invited. Our focus is on applied science and engineering solutions that support the practical implementation and scalability of circular technologies across various sectors, including packaging, construction, energy, and agriculture.
This Special Issue will compile cutting-edge research that advances sustainable circular bioeconomies through valorizing agro-industrial waste. Topics include innovative extraction methods, bio-based material development, sustainable packaging design, bioenergy production, life cycle and techno-economic assessments, circular supply chain integration, and industrial-scale case studies demonstrating sustainability impacts.
Dr. Simona Gavrilaş
Prof. Dr. Florentina-Daniela Munteanu
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- agro-industrial waste
- waste valorization
- circular economy
- bio-based materials
- biopolymers
- green extraction technologies
- bioenergy production
- sustainable packaging
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