Advancing the Circular Economy: A Life Cycle Perspective on Waste Valorization
A special issue of Recycling (ISSN 2313-4321).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 52
Special Issue Editor
Interests: life cycle assessment (LCA); material flow analysis (MFA); input–output analysis; circular economy; waste valorization; bioenergy systems; resource policy
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The global transition towards a circular economy necessitates a fundamental shift in our perception of waste, reimagining it as a valuable secondary resource. This Special Issue examines four defined valorization pathways where robust, system-level comparison is essential. We invite contributions employing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Material Flow Analysis (MFA), or Life Cycle Costing (LCC). Each paper should compare the proposed pathway with (1) a linear alternative, such as landfilling or incineration without recovery, and/or (2) the most established recycling method currently available.
The target pathways include the following:
- Secondary metals—metal scrap dismantling and sorting followed by secondary smelting and refining.
- Sludge-derived carbon materials—production of activated carbons or graphitic materials from textile or wastewater sludge.
- Carbon dioxide mineralization or alkali activation—utilization of incineration bottom ash or steel slags as binders or aggregates, with durability and leaching evaluations.
- Waste-to-chemicals and fuels—thermochemical and biochemical conversion of plastics and organics, such as pyrolysis to fuels, gasification to methanol, anaerobic digestion to biomethane, and fermentation to ethanol or lactic acid.
- Sustainability impact assessment—comprehensive evaluation of economic viability, environmental consequences, and social implications of the proposed valorization technologies, ensuring alignment with circular economy principles that prioritize sustainable outcomes.
Submissions are expected to clearly define system boundaries, functional units, allocation or substitution methods, and uncertainty analysis. The use of consequential or dynamic modelling is encouraged where relevant. This collection aims to provide a critical, data-driven foundation to support academics, policymakers, and industry leaders in advancing sustainable circular economy strategies that balance technical feasibility with environmental and social responsibility.
Dr. Sébastien M. R. Dente
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
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. Recycling 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 1800 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
- circular economy
- waste valorization
- upcycling
- life cycle assessment (LCA)
- material flow analysis (MFA)
- secondary raw materials
- resource efficiency
- recycling systems
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