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Sustainable Control and Management of Pollution from Solid Waste: New Technologies and Advancements for Waste Characterization and Processing

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Development Goals towards Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 795

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Ce.R.S.I.Te.S Research and Service Center for Sustainable Technological Innovation, Sapienza-University of Rome, Latina, Italy
Interests: characterization and classification of materials; advanced photonic techniques; spectroscopy; chemometric techniques
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical Engineering, Materials and Environment, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, Italy
Interests: characterization of materials; primary and secondary raw material quality control; waste recycling; hyperspectral imaging techniques
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The escalating volume of solid waste produced in recent years has raised significant concerns, highlighting the urgent need for a robust and efficient valorization chain based upon reuse and recycling.

The efficient conversion of waste into secondary raw materials relies on the development of low-cost, rapid, effective, and environmentally friendly techniques capable of detecting, characterizing, and sorting solid waste products. An optimal performance in material identification necessitates technological cost-effectiveness and reliability, underscoring the critical role of optical–digital and sensor-based techniques, particularly in the recycling and pollution-control domains.

In this context, the primary purpose of our Special Issue is to foster an exchange of insights, tackle challenges, and propose solutions aimed at enhancing sustainability in pollution control, solid waste management, and strategies for the efficient utilization of solid waste resources through technological innovation and advancements. We encourage submissions with the following purposes:

  • providing in-depth analyses of emerging technologies and advancements in waste characterization and processing;
  • offering insights into integrating socio-economic and scientific approaches to sustainable development into the context of pollution control and solid waste management;
  • addressing key challenges and presenting practical solutions aligned with sustainability goals.

We welcome manuscripts presenting original research, reviews, mini-reviews, short communications, and perspectives.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Riccardo Gasbarrone
Dr. Roberta Palmieri
Guest Editors

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. Sustainability 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

  • eco-friendly technologies
  • solid waste management
  • waste characterization
  • waste processing
  • sustainable development
  • pollution control
  • circular economy
  • waste utilization
  • resource recovery

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

27 pages, 2690 KiB  
Article
Advancing Circular Economy Through Optimized Construction and Demolition Waste Management Under Life Cycle Approach
by Muhammad Hassan Javed, Anees Ahmad, Mohammad Rehan, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Farhan, Muhammad Amir Raza and Abdul-Sattar Nizami
Sustainability 2025, 17(11), 4882; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114882 - 26 May 2025
Viewed by 281
Abstract
The construction industry significantly impacts the environment, consuming 50% of natural resources and generating 20% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In developing countries, managing construction and demolition (C&D) waste is a growing challenge due to rapid urbanization and inadequate waste management practices. [...] Read more.
The construction industry significantly impacts the environment, consuming 50% of natural resources and generating 20% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In developing countries, managing construction and demolition (C&D) waste is a growing challenge due to rapid urbanization and inadequate waste management practices. This study employs life cycle assessment and life cycle costing to compare landfill and recycling scenarios for C&D waste using ISO 14040 (Environmental Management—Life Cycle Assessment—Principles and Framework) and ISO 14044 (Environmental Management—Life Cycle Assessment—Requirements and Guidelines). The study’s system boundary encompasses the entire life cycle of C&D waste management, with one ton of C&D waste as the functional unit. The results demonstrated that landfilling C&D waste is harmful due to negative impacts from transportation and landfill emissions. Recycling shows promising potential by significantly reducing environmental impacts and lowering the demand for new raw materials. The recycling scenario substantially decreased GHG emissions, saving 37 kg of CO2 equivalents per ton of waste. Economically, recycling C&D waste proved more viable, with favorable indicators. Implementing a recycling plant in Lahore could save USD 2.53 per ton in resource costs and mitigate significant environmental impacts. This study recommends that policymakers in developing countries prioritize C&D waste recycling to enhance sustainability and support the transition to a circular economy. The findings provide valuable insights for developing effective waste management strategies, contributing to environmental conservation and economic efficiency. These recommendations guide future initiatives for sustainable C&D waste management, promoting a greener and more resilient urban environment. Furthermore, this study underlines the potential of C&D waste recycling to contribute significantly to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly sustainable cities (SDG 11), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), and climate action (SDG 13). Full article
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