Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Waste and Resource Management, and Sustainability
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Waste and Recycling".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 30
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The interconnected fields of life cycle assessment (LCA), waste and resource management, and sustainability provide a critical framework for evaluating and improving the field of human activity from an environmental perspective. LCA offers a systematic, cradle-to-grave methodology for quantifying environmental impacts across a product’s full life cycle, from resource extraction and manufacturing to use and end-of-life. This perspective is vital for identifying trade-offs and preventing burden-shifting between stages.
Indeed, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) highlights a "triple planetary crisis" comprising climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution that recognizes sound waste management as a critical component of addressing these interconnected challenges.
Informed by LCA, modern waste and resource management moves beyond linear "take–make–dispose" models by applying the waste hierarchies, prevention, reuse, recycling, and recovery. These approaches transform waste into resources, close material loops in a circular economy, and reduce pollution, emissions, and demand for virgin resources.
Ultimately, both disciplines serve the broader goal of sustainability, which seeks to meet present needs without compromising the future: LCA supplies the data for informed decisions, while advanced resource management implements practical strategies. Together, they support the transition toward a circular, regenerative economy that balances environmental protection, economic viability, and social equity—the three pillars of sustainable development.
Dr. Amani Maalouf
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- waste management
- energy
- LCA-emission accounting
- environmental engineering
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