Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.7
3.3
Journals
Sustainability
Special Issues
Circular Economy Strategies for Waste Management: Innovations in Resource Recovery...
sustainability-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Circular Economy Strategies for Waste Management: Innovations in Resource Recovery and Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Waste and Recycling".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 September 2025 | Viewed by 6627

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Adriana Gómez-Sanabria

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Pollution Management Research Group. Energy, Climate and Environment Program, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
Interests: waste and resources management; climate change; air pollution; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Haniyeh Jalalipour

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
Interests: waste management; circular economy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Introduction:

Circular economy represents a fundamental shift from the traditional linear economic model of "take, make, dispose" to a more sustainable framework that prioritizes resource efficiency, waste prevention and reduction, and environmental preservation. In a circular economy, materials and products are designed for longevity, reuse, and recycling, creating closed-loop systems that minimize waste and maximize resource utilization. This approach not only reduces the burden on natural resources but also fosters innovation, stimulates economic growth, and addresses pressing global challenges such as climate change and air and water pollution.

Effective waste management practices aim to reduce the amount of waste generated, divert materials from landfills, and recover valuable resources. Traditional waste management methods often focus on disposal, leading to significant environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions and habitat degradation. In contrast, circular economy strategies emphasize the importance of resource recovery, encouraging practices such as recycling, composting, and biogas recovery and use.

Implementing circular economy principles in waste management involves a comprehensive approach that engages stakeholders across all sectors, including government, businesses, and communities. By fostering collaboration and promoting sustainable practices, cities and organizations can enhance their resilience, create economic opportunities, and improve the quality of life for residents.

Scope:

This Special Issue aims to explore and highlight innovative circular economy strategies that advance sustainable waste management. The focus is on solutions that promote resource recovery, minimize environmental impact, and shift from traditional linear economy to more sustainable systems. The goal is to bring together pioneering research, case studies, and practical applications that support the global transition to a circular economy. Additionally, this Special Issue seeks successful financing models that facilitate the implementation of measures to enhance waste management systems, serving as catalysts for decarbonization and providers of valuable materials.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:  

  • Waste prevention;
  • Material circularity;
  • Circularity in the waste management systems;
  • Organic waste diversion from landfills through innovative techniques to reduce methane emissions;
  • Reduction in open burning of waste;
  • Valorization of waste materials (e.g., plastics, textiles, metals, etc.);
  • Financing models to implement waste management systems;
  • Public–private partnerships;
  • Repair initiatives;
  • Just transition and inclusion;
  • Plastic treaty;
  • Wastewater management and nutrient recovery.

I look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Adriana Gómez-Sanabria
Dr. Haniyeh Jalalipour
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

  • waste and materials management
  • circular economy
  • financing models
  • sustainability
  • decarbonization
  • public–private partnerships
  • stakeholders

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 3411 KiB  
Article
Study on China’s Plastic Consumption Trend and Sustainable Development Countermeasures
by Shan Chong and Huawen Xiong
Sustainability 2025, 17(9), 4218; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094218 - 7 May 2025
Viewed by 753
Abstract
The global plastic pollution control process has put forward higher requirements for waste plastic reduction and recycling. This study evaluated the plastic demands by 2030 and 2050 in China based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, identified the four consumption terminals, [...] Read more.
The global plastic pollution control process has put forward higher requirements for waste plastic reduction and recycling. This study evaluated the plastic demands by 2030 and 2050 in China based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, identified the four consumption terminals, and put forward countermeasures for the sustainable development of the plastics industry. The results show that based on the analysis of China’s low-carbon transition and global plastic pollution control policies, the reasonable demands for plastic will reach 118 and 110 million tons by 2030 and 2050, respectively. The packaging, construction and decoration, electronics and appliance, and automobile areas are the four major terminals of plastic consumption in China, accounting for more than 80% of the total plastic consumption. The enhanced implementation of the policy of banning and restricting plastic bags will lead to a significant drop in the consumption of disposable packaging plastics, while the low-carbon transformation of the whole society will promote the realization of low-energy consumption in the field of construction, the automobile industry toward lightweight materials, and electronics and appliance products toward high quality, thus further stimulating the related plastics demand. Finally, countermeasures for the sustainable development of plastic are proposed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy Strategies for Waste Management: Innovations in Resource Recovery and Sustainability)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 7267 KiB  
Article
Enhancing the Dielectric Properties of Recycled Polyolefin Streams Through Blending
by Iman Shirzaei Sani, Nicole R. Demarquette and Eric David
Sustainability 2025, 17(9), 4123; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17094123 - 2 May 2025
Viewed by 360
Abstract
The extensive use of polyolefins, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), has led to a substantial accumulation of plastic waste, raising growing concerns about environmental impact and sustainability. In this study, the dielectric, thermal, and chemical properties of recycled materials were investigated, [...] Read more.
The extensive use of polyolefins, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), has led to a substantial accumulation of plastic waste, raising growing concerns about environmental impact and sustainability. In this study, the dielectric, thermal, and chemical properties of recycled materials were investigated, and blending with virgin polyethylene was examined as a sustainable strategy to enhance their electrical performance and promote material reuse. Dielectric analysis demonstrated that blending recycled materials with virgin polyethylene effectively reduced dielectric losses. With the addition of only 15% virgin HDPE, the dielectric loss was significantly lowered by 40% for recycled HDPE (rHDPE) and 30% for the recycled PE-PP blend (r(PE-PP))—compared to their unblended forms. Although the original recycled materials exhibited much higher dielectric losses than virgin HDPE—24 and 28 times greater for rHDPE and r(PE-PP), respectively, at 60 Hz—the blending approach clearly improved their electrical behavior. Overall, the results highlight blending as a practical and sustainable strategy to improve the dielectric performance of recycled polyolefins, enabling their reuse in applications such as electrical cable insulation while contributing to plastic waste reduction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy Strategies for Waste Management: Innovations in Resource Recovery and Sustainability)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 3476 KiB  
Article
Towards a Circular Economy in Jordan: Selecting Organic Waste Treatment Options Using a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach
by Hani Abu-Qdais, Sarah Al-Omoush, Haniyeh Jalalipour and Abdallah Nassour
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 2146; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052146 - 1 Mar 2025
Viewed by 1330
Abstract
Solid waste management in Jordan is still following a linear model, where more than 90% of solid waste, including organic waste, is collected and disposed into landfills. Such practices are not sustainable and may lead to adverse public health and environmental impacts. Therefore, [...] Read more.
Solid waste management in Jordan is still following a linear model, where more than 90% of solid waste, including organic waste, is collected and disposed into landfills. Such practices are not sustainable and may lead to adverse public health and environmental impacts. Therefore, there is a pressing need to look for alternative organic waste management by adopting circular economy principles through which the adverse impacts are minimized and the benefits from the resources are maximized. The main objective of this study is to select the appropriate treatment technology for organic solid waste management in Jordan. To achieve this objective, an analytical hierarchy process was used as a decision making tool. A hierarchy model that consists of four levels was employed with 3 main criteria and 10 sub-criteria to assess 4 alternatives of organic waste treatment. Based on the experts’ opinions and the pairwise comparison, the AHP model results showed that the environmental and public health criterion is the most important. On the other hand, the most sustainable treatment option of the organic waste treatment is composting with a weight of 0.373, followed by landfilling with a weight of 0.203. Anaerobic digestion ranked third as an alternative, with a weight of 0.201, while the least-preferred treatment technology was found to be the mechanical biological treatment, with a weight of 0.193. Sensitivity analysis based on varying the main criteria weights under different scenarios showed the robustness of the AHP model, where composting continued to be the first ranked under most of the considered scenarios. Since the national solid waste management strategy is currently subject to review, the findings of the current study provide a valuable information for the decision makers in Jordan to update their strategic plans and move towards a circular economy option. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy Strategies for Waste Management: Innovations in Resource Recovery and Sustainability)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 5101 KiB  
Article
Promoting Sustainability in the Recycling of End-of-Life Photovoltaic Panels and Li-Ion Batteries Through LIBS-Assisted Waste Sorting
by Agnieszka Królicka, Anna Maj and Grzegorz Łój
Sustainability 2025, 17(3), 838; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17030838 - 21 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1350
Abstract
To promote sustainability and reduce the ecological footprint of recycling processes, this study develops an analytical tool for fast and accurate identification of components in photovoltaic panels (PVs) and Li-Ion battery waste, optimizing material recovery and minimizing resource wastage. The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy [...] Read more.
To promote sustainability and reduce the ecological footprint of recycling processes, this study develops an analytical tool for fast and accurate identification of components in photovoltaic panels (PVs) and Li-Ion battery waste, optimizing material recovery and minimizing resource wastage. The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique was selected and employed to identify fluoropolymers in photovoltaic back sheets and to determine the thickness of layers containing fluorine. LIBS was also used for Li-Ion batteries to reveal the elemental composition of anode, cathode, and separator materials. The analysis not only revealed all the elements contained in the electrodes but also, in the case of cathode materials, allowed distinguishing a single-component cathode (cathode A containing LiCoO2) from multi-component materials (cathode B containing a mixture of LiMn2O4 and LiNi0.5Mn1.5O4). The results of LIBS analysis were verified using SEM-EDS analysis and XRD examination. Additionally, an indirect method for identifying fluoropolymers (polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)) employed to prepare dispersions of cathode materials was proposed according to the differences in wettability of both polymers. By enabling efficient material identification and separation, this study advances sustainable recycling practices, supporting circular economy goals in the renewable energy sector. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy Strategies for Waste Management: Innovations in Resource Recovery and Sustainability)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 2581 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Lignin-Based Slow-Release Nitrogen Fertilizer
by Yiru Zhang, Gaojie Jiao, Jian Wang and Diao She
Sustainability 2024, 16(23), 10289; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310289 - 25 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1978
Abstract
Slow-release nitrogen fertilizer technology is essential for sustainable agriculture, reducing field pollution and enhancing fertilizer efficiency. Lignin, a natural polymer derived from agricultural and forestry waste, offers unique benefits for slow-release fertilizers due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability and low cost. Unlike conventional biochar-based [...] Read more.
Slow-release nitrogen fertilizer technology is essential for sustainable agriculture, reducing field pollution and enhancing fertilizer efficiency. Lignin, a natural polymer derived from agricultural and forestry waste, offers unique benefits for slow-release fertilizers due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability and low cost. Unlike conventional biochar-based fertilizers that often rely on simple pyrolysis, this study employs hydrothermal activation to create a lignin-based slow-release nitrogen fertilizer (LSRF) with enhanced nutrient retention and controlled release capabilities. By incorporating porous carbon derived from industrial alkaline lignin, this LSRF not only improves soil fertility, but also reduces nitrogen loss and environmental contamination, addressing key limitations in existing fertilizer technologies. We studied the hydrothermal carbonization and chemical activation of IAL, optimizing the conditions for producing LSRF by adjusting the ratios of PC, IAL and urea. Using BET, SEM and FT-IR analyses, we characterized the PC, finding a high specific surface area of 1935.5 m2/g. A selected PC sample with 1923.51 m2/g surface area and 0.82 cm3/g pore volume and yield (37.59%) was combined with urea via extrusion granulation to create the LSRF product. Soil column leaching experiments showed that LSRF effectively controls nutrient release, reducing nitrogen loss and groundwater contamination, ensuring long-term crop nutrition. This research demonstrates LSRF’s potential in improving fertilizer efficiency and promoting sustainable agriculture globally. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Circular Economy Strategies for Waste Management: Innovations in Resource Recovery and Sustainability)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-5
Back to TopTop