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Resource Recovery and Valorisation from Agricultural Products and Wastes
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Resource Recovery and Valorisation from Agricultural Products and Wastes

A Special Issue of Resources (ISSN 2079-9276).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2026) | Viewed by 4574

Editors

Dr. Maria Dimopoulou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Health and Life Sciences, Teesside University, Middlesbrough, UK
Interests: food sustainability; agricultural waste extraction; polysaccharide extraction; physicochemical characterisation; functional applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Athanasios Angelis Dimakis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK
Interests: industrial ecology; waste management; circular economy; life cycle assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Antonia Vyrkou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Chemical Sciences, School of Applied Sciences, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK
Interests: life cycle assessment; waste management; valorisation of agricultural waste

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue positions agricultural products and byproducts primarily as resources within circular, regional, and global systems. We seek contributions that characterise the availability, quality, spatial distribution, and seasonality of agri-resource stocks and flows; compare recovery pathways; and quantify how valorisation improves resource efficiency, security, and circularity across supply chains. Submissions should link extraction, separation, and purification explicitly to resource outcomes—for example, displaced virgin inputs, closed-loop nutrient cycling, solvent and energy recovery, avoided emissions and residues, water savings, land-use relief, and the equitable distribution of benefits to producers and communities.

We welcome studies on resource assessment and mapping (material flow analysis, mass/energy/exergy accounting, geospatial planning, logistics constraints), circular strategies and system design (cascade use, biorefinery integration, industrial symbiosis, modular and distributed processing), and metrics and decision tools (LCA, TEA, LCC, circularity indicators, planetary boundary alignment, risk and uncertainty analysis). Papers may address policy, governance, and market instruments—standards, procurement, EPR, certification, and finance—that enable diffusion and scale-up. We also encourage work demonstrating end-use performance and substitution (functional properties, durability, safety) with clear evidence of displaced fossil, mineral, or land-intensive resources.

Process innovations such as green/benign solvents, including deep eutectic and aqueous systems, supercritical fluids, membranes, adsorption and chromatography, and intensified or hybrid separations are in scope when framed by system-level impacts and scalability (solvent recyclability, energy integration, waste minimisation, safety and regulation, interoperability with existing agri-food infrastructure). Data papers, open models, and transparent inventories that support reproducibility and regional transferability are particularly encouraged. Additionally, analyses addressing equity and just transitions for smallholders and rural economies are encouraged.

Dr. Maria Dimopoulou
Dr. Athanasios Angelis Dimakis
Guest Editors

Dr. Antonia Vyrkou
Guest Editor Assistant

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Resources is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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

  • agricultural resource efficiency
  • circular bioeconomy
  • material flow analysis
  • green separations
  • biorefinery
  • techno-economic and life-cycle assessment
  • nutrient recovery
  • industrial symbiosis
  • policy and governance

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 1021 KB  
Article
Sustainable Corrosion Inhibition of Admiralty Brass Using Plant Waste Extracts: Phytochemical and Electrochemical Screening with Techno-Economic Insights
by María Belén Canchig, Mateo Oleas, Ariel Miranda, Alfredo Viloria, Ruth Oropeza, Paola E. Ordóñez, Marvin Ricaurte and Alex Palma-Cando
Resources 2026, 15(6), 80; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources15060080 - 22 Jun 2026
Viewed by 1046
Abstract
Admiralty brass, commonly used in heat exchangers, is particularly susceptible to corrosion in acidic media such as those used in industrial cleaning. To mitigate this problem, the present study evaluated Musa acuminata (banana) peel and Lupinus mutabilis Sweet (Andean lupine) extracts as sustainable, [...] Read more.
Admiralty brass, commonly used in heat exchangers, is particularly susceptible to corrosion in acidic media such as those used in industrial cleaning. To mitigate this problem, the present study evaluated Musa acuminata (banana) peel and Lupinus mutabilis Sweet (Andean lupine) extracts as sustainable, low-toxicity corrosion inhibitors for admiralty brass in 0.5 M HCl. Six extracts were prepared using different solvents and characterized by qualitative and semi-quantitative phytochemical analyses (phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids). M. acuminata extracts were rich in phenolic compounds, while L. mutabilis extracts contained high levels of quinolizidine alkaloids. A comparative electrochemical screening of the agro-industrial waste-derived extracts revealed that the inhibition efficiency of M. acuminata extracts reached up to 43.6%, whereas the debittering wastewater extract of L. mutabilis (E6) achieved a maximum efficiency of 85.5% at 2000 ppm. A preliminary techno-economic analysis indicated the feasibility of industrial-scale production of the L. mutabilis-based inhibitor, yielding a net present value (NPV) of USD 9.48 million, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 27.3%, and a payback period of 6.7 years. These results demonstrate that agro-industrial residues can be valorized into effective and profitable green corrosion inhibitors, aligning with circular economy and sustainable chemistry principles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resource Recovery and Valorisation from Agricultural Products and Wastes)
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19 pages, 1802 KB  
Article
Integrated Flash Vacuum-Expansion and Cryostructuring for Resource-Efficient Tamarillo Biomass Processing
by Ubaldo Richard Marin Castro, Marisol Castillo-Morales, Guadalupe Luna-Solano, Enrique Flores-Andrade, Marco Antonio Salgado-Cervantes, Manuel Vargas-Ortiz and Adrien Servent
Resources 2026, 15(4), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources15040050 - 26 Mar 2026
Viewed by 1399
Abstract
Tamarillo (Solanum betaceum) processing is characterized by early biomass exclusion and thermal stabilization, which may limit in-process retention of phytochemicals. This study evaluated an integrated sequence combining Flash Vacuum Expansion (FVE) under different processing conditions with whey protein-based cryostructuring as a [...] Read more.
Tamarillo (Solanum betaceum) processing is characterized by early biomass exclusion and thermal stabilization, which may limit in-process retention of phytochemicals. This study evaluated an integrated sequence combining Flash Vacuum Expansion (FVE) under different processing conditions with whey protein-based cryostructuring as a strategy to enhance the redistribution and structural immobilization of tamarillo bioactives. FVE promoted migration of phenolics and pigments prior to mechanical fractionation. Selected FVE-treated puree was incorporated into a whey protein matrix and subjected to cryostructuring and freeze-drying to generate a porous stabilization scaffold. Structural characterization by scanning electron microscopy and gas adsorption confirmed the formation of an interconnected porous matrix. Cryostructuring reduced water activity to 0.17 ± 0.01 and produced high porosity (91.9%) with low bulk density (0.109 g·cm−3). Total phenolic retention exceeded 83%, while anthocyanins showed greater sensitivity (46% retention). No statistically significant additional losses of phenolics or antioxidant activity were observed during cryostructuring relative to gelation. The integrated approach illustrates a process-level stabilization pathway in which redistributed phytochemicals are physically confined within a porous scaffold, providing a structurally differentiated alternative to conventional drying for improved in-stream resource utilization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resource Recovery and Valorisation from Agricultural Products and Wastes)
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24 pages, 3501 KB  
Article
Low-Quality Coffee Beans Used as a Novel Biomass Source of Cellulose Nanocrystals: Extraction and Application in Sustainable Packaging
by Graziela dos Santos Paulino, Júlia Santos Pereira, Clara Suprani Marques, Kyssila Vitória Reis Vitalino, Victor G. L. Souza, Ananda Pereira Aguilar, Lucas Filipe Almeida, Taíla Veloso de Oliveira, Andréa de Oliveira Barros Ribon, Sukarno Olavo Ferreira, Eveline Teixeira Caixeta Moura, Deusanilde de Jesus Silva and Tiago Antônio de Oliveira Mendes
Resources 2025, 14(12), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources14120191 - 18 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1315
Abstract
Most polymeric plastics used as food packaging are obtained from petroleum or made with non-biodegradable synthetic molecules, which slowly degrade and leach into the environment, resulting in the accumulation of microplastics along the trophic chains. To mitigate these impacts, biodegradable packaging derived from [...] Read more.
Most polymeric plastics used as food packaging are obtained from petroleum or made with non-biodegradable synthetic molecules, which slowly degrade and leach into the environment, resulting in the accumulation of microplastics along the trophic chains. To mitigate these impacts, biodegradable packaging derived from agro-industrial biomass residues has emerged as a promising alternative. In this study, bio-based methylcellulose films reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) extracted from low-quality coffee beans were developed and fully characterized. The extracted CNCs presented a needle-like morphology, with an average height of 7.27 nm and a length of 221.34 nm, with 65.75% crystallinity, were stable at pH 7–8, and presented thermogravimetric mass loss of 8.0%. Methylcellulose films containing 0.6% w/w of CNC were produced by casting and characterized in terms of thermal, mechanical, and optical properties. Notably, the incorporation of CNCs resulted in significantly more flexible and less rigid films, as evidenced by the higher elongation at break (57.90%) and lower Young’s modulus (0.0015 GPa) compared to neat methylcellulose film. The tensile strength was not affected (p > 0.05). Additionally, the MCNC 0.6% films effectively blocked UV light in the 200–300 nm range without compromising transparency. Altogether, these findings underscore the MCNC 0.6% film as a flexible, biodegradable packaging material suitable for food industry application. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Resource Recovery and Valorisation from Agricultural Products and Wastes)
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