Waste and Recycling

Sustainable waste management and the recovery of materials from waste (recycling) are one of the pillars of the circular economy, but at the same time many waste management process and technologies can still be considered to be in their infancy; in many countries waste management is still mainly based on its disposal into uncontrolled landfills and open dumps.

There is, therefore, a large need for research in this field to consolidate the acquired knowledge and find new processes as well as technologies that allow for:

1. A more technically efficient, environmentally sustainable and economically feasible recovery of resources from waste whenever possible;
2. Safe and sustainable disposal of waste that cannot be used further.

This Section accepts research papers that present new concepts and laboratory experiments; however, the presentation of field data based on specific case studies of general interest is also particularly welcome. Therefore, the Section aims to be a forum for both researchers and practitioners in the broad field of waste and recycling.

Review papers are also welcome, but it is suggested that potential authors contact the Section Editor-in-Chief when they have a tentative title and a brief outline of the paper in order to verify that the proposed review fits within the Section’s scope.

It is, however, essential that research papers, field studies and reviews consolidate or increase the knowledge in this specific field, and that all the information presented is critically discussed in light of the existing literature.

The major areas of interest of this Section are:

• Minimization of waste at source;
• Waste production and characterization;
• Reuse of waste;
• Treatments aiming at the recovery of materials from waste (e.g., secondary raw materials, compost, digestate);
• Recovery of energy from waste;
• Landfilling.