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Sustainability
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Treatment, Recycling, and Utilization of Secondary Resources
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Treatment, Recycling, and Utilization of Secondary Resources

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (22 April 2025) | Viewed by 3367

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xiangping Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
Interests: secondary resource treatment and recycling; environmental chemical engineering; hydrometallurgy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Qing Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, China
Interests: metal recycling; separation; interface science; surfactant chemistry
Dr. Jinhe Pan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Chemical Engineering and Technology (SCET), China University of Mining and Technology (CUMT), Xuzhou, China
Interests: mineral processing; trace element occurrence; hydrometallurgy; critical raw materials; utilization of coal combustion waste
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Xin Ma

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: surface chemistry; froth flotation; molecular design; mineral resource utilization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Secondary resources are important components of municipal solid wastes, primarily comprising plastics, metals, electronic devices, and organic waste. By effectively developing and utilizing these secondary resources, it is possible to mitigate environmental pollution from waste, reduce resource consumption, foster the development of a circular economy, and achieve sustainable resource utilization. For instance, organic matter can be sorted, processed, and converted into auxiliary coal fuels or biogas and high-quality fertilizers through microbial degradation. Additionally, discarded electronic devices contain reusable materials such as metals, plastics, and glass, which, through recycling, can reduce the demand for natural resources and extend their utilization cycle. Therefore, advancing the treatment, recycling, and resource utilization of secondary resources in municipal solid waste is essential for environmental sustainability, efficient resource utilization, energy efficiency, economic development, and reducing waste emissions.

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

  • Characteristics of secondary resources (e.g., spent batteries, minerals);
  • Secondary resource treatment technologies;
  • Recycling and resource utilization;
  • Materials from secondary resources;
  • Environmental impacts.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Xiangping Chen
Dr. Qing Sun
Dr. Jinhe Pan
Dr. Xin Ma
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

  • secondary resources
  • municipal solid wastes
  • spent battery recycling
  • plastic recycling
  • mineral processing
  • green and sustainable technologies

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 2711 KiB  
Article
Sustainable Metal Recovery from Electroplating Sludge: Bridging Technology and Environmental Regulation
by Jinfei Ma and Zhenfeng Xiong
Sustainability 2025, 17(11), 4957; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114957 - 28 May 2025
Viewed by 95
Abstract
Electroplating sludge, a hazardous waste generated from the electroplating industry, contains significant quantities of heavy metals such as Cu, Cr, and Ni. Improper disposal of these metals poses severe environmental and health risks. This study proposes a comprehensive resource recovery process for Cu, [...] Read more.
Electroplating sludge, a hazardous waste generated from the electroplating industry, contains significant quantities of heavy metals such as Cu, Cr, and Ni. Improper disposal of these metals poses severe environmental and health risks. This study proposes a comprehensive resource recovery process for Cu, Ni, and Cr from electroplating sludge, involving leaching, solvent extraction, stripping, and precipitation. The extraction efficiency of three extractants (P507, LIX984, and M5640) was evaluated, with M5640 demonstrating superior performance in Cu recovery (near 100%) at pH 3.0–4.0. Multi-stage extraction and stripping experiments further optimized metal recovery, achieving high efficiencies for Cu, Cr, and Ni. The recovered metals were precipitated as CuCO3, CrPO4, and Ni(OH)2, with wastewater discharge meeting environmental discharge standards. This study not only enriches the technical approaches for the selective recovery of high-value metals from electroplating sludge with complex components, but also closely aligns with the laws, regulations, and policies of the Chinese government regarding environmental governance. It serves as a driving force for promoting the construction of “waste-free cities” and the establishment of a closed-loop circular economy industrial chain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Treatment, Recycling, and Utilization of Secondary Resources)
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Review

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30 pages, 7059 KiB  
Review
Global Regulations for Sustainable Battery Recycling: Challenges and Opportunities
by Dan Su, Yu Mei, Tongchao Liu and Khalil Amine
Sustainability 2025, 17(7), 3045; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17073045 - 29 Mar 2025
Viewed by 2609
Abstract
With the rapid expansion of transportation electrification worldwide, the demand for electric vehicles (EVs) has increased dramatically, creating new and sustainable growth opportunities for the global economy. However, as the most expensive component of EVs, lithium-ion batteries pose significant sustainability challenges due to [...] Read more.
With the rapid expansion of transportation electrification worldwide, the demand for electric vehicles (EVs) has increased dramatically, creating new and sustainable growth opportunities for the global economy. However, as the most expensive component of EVs, lithium-ion batteries pose significant sustainability challenges due to raw material consumption and supply chain constrains, as well as the complexities of end-of-life battery disposal and recycling. To address these concerns, many countries are actively establishing regulations to promote sustainable pathways for battery reuse and recycling. Despite these efforts, existing battery recycling regulations remain often inefficient and vary significantly across different countries in legal enforcement, producer responsibility, waste classification, recycling targets, design standards, public engagement, and financial incentives, particularly given the complexities of the global supply chain and resource distribution within the battery industry. Understanding these regulatory differences and establishing a unified framework are therefore crucial to ensuring sustainable and efficient battery recycling. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the necessity of establishing robust regulations for sustainable development of battery recycling industry. The evolution and refinement of battery recycling regulations are deeply reviewed to identifying persistent gaps and challenges in key countries. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges associated with regulatory enforcement and propose strategies for developing a more cohesive legislative framework to ensure the effective utilization of retired batteries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Treatment, Recycling, and Utilization of Secondary Resources)
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