Sustainable Environmental Management of Waste Plastic: Purification, Multi-Path Utilization, Contaminant Control, and Governance Policy
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Pollution Prevention, Mitigation and Sustainability".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 7 January 2026 | Viewed by 81
Special Issue Editors
Interests: plastic separation; microplastics control; biochar; solid waste-based materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The global accumulation of plastic waste has reached critical levels, posing severe threats to ecosystems and human health. Conventional waste management systems struggle to address the complexities of mixed plastic streams, inefficient sorting technologies, and the environmental persistence of microplastics. Emerging challenges include the adsorption of toxic pollutants on aged plastic surfaces, the release of hazardous byproducts during thermal recycling, and the lack of sector-specific regulations to drive circular economy transitions. While advancements in material recovery technologies show promise, significant gaps remain in scaling up purification processes, ensuring economic viability for diverse utilization pathways (e.g., construction materials, chemical feedstocks, and alternative fuels), and aligning policy frameworks with technological innovation.
This Special Issue seeks to bridge these gaps by fostering interdisciplinary dialog among researchers in environmental science, chemical engineering, policy analysis, and industrial ecology. We invite contributions that address the full lifecycle management of plastic waste, from advanced sorting systems to cross-sector valorization strategies, while integrating pollution mitigation and governance mechanisms. Particular emphasis will be placed on systemic approaches that harmonize technical feasibility, environmental sustainability, and regulatory enforceability.
The Special Issue accepts review papers, original research articles, communications, and perspective papers. Topics relevant to the scope include, but are not limited to, the following:
- AI-enhanced sorting and contamination removal technologies;
- Chemical upcycling for high-value product synthesis (e.g., catalysts, carbon nanomaterials);
- Energy recovery optimization via pyrolysis/gasification process control;
- Microplastic removal technologies;
- Digitalized extended producer responsibility (EPR) systems;
- Lifecycle assessment of sector-specific utilization pathways;
- Transboundary policy frameworks for plastic waste trade;
- Socioeconomic drivers of plastic recycling in developing economies;
- Policy-population nexus in plastic recycling efficiency.
Dr. Hongru Jiang
Dr. Yawei Xiao
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
- plastic waste valorization
- intelligent sorting technology
- chemical-grade purification
- circular economy policy
- waste-derived construction materials
- microplastic mitigation
- advanced pyrolysis technologies
- transnational governance
- policy–population nexus
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