Rethinking Waste: Life Cycle Thinking Approaches Towards a Circular and Regenerative Future

Dear Colleagues,

The transition to a circular and regenerative economy requires a fundamental shift in how we perceive and manage waste. Traditional linear models—based on extraction, production, consumption, and disposal—are increasingly unsustainable in the face of resource scarcity, climate change, and environmental degradation. Life Cycle Thinking (LCT) offers a holistic framework to evaluate environmental impacts across the entire life cycle of products, processes, and systems, enabling informed decisions that minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency.

This Special Issue aims to explore innovative strategies, methodologies, and applications of LCT that support circularity and regeneration. Original research articles, case studies or practical examples, and reviews are all welcome. Research areas and topics may include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Design for circularity;
• Responsible consumption;
• Life cycle assessment (LCA);
• Material recovery;
• Industrial symbiosis;
• Systemic approaches to waste prevention.

We encourage contributions from diverse sectors such as manufacturing, energy, construction, and environmental systems, as well as interdisciplinary studies that link technology, policy, and social innovation. By fostering dialogue among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers, with this Special Issue, we seek to advance the current knowledge and solutions driving sustainable transformation and closed material loops.

We look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Ana Ramos
Guest Editor

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