Composting and Sustainable Organic Waste Recycling

Dear Colleagues,

Composting and sustainable organic waste recycling are key components of a circular bioeconomy, offering environmentally friendly solutions for managing the growing volume of organic residues generated by households, agriculture, and industry. Through biological decomposition processes, composting transforms organic waste into nutrient-rich materials that enhance soil fertility, promote carbon sequestration, and reduce dependence on synthetic fertilizers. The sustainable recycling of organic waste extends beyond composting to include integrated strategies such as anaerobic digestion, biochar production, and nutrient recovery. These methods contribute to lowering greenhouse gas emissions and facilitating more efficient resource use. Advancing knowledge and innovation in this field is essential to achieving global sustainability goals, minimizing environmental impacts, and fostering resilient, low-carbon systems for future generations. 

This Special Issue aims to explore innovative strategies, technologies, and policies for the composting and sustainable recycling of organic waste, emphasizing their role in advancing circular economy principles and reducing environmental impact. It seeks to compile interdisciplinary research addressing biological, technological, socio-economic, and environmental dimensions of organic waste management, from household to industrial scales. 

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and case studies that address interdisciplinary approaches on various topics, including (but not limited to) the following:

• Composting processes, optimization, and innovation;
• Microbial and biochemical dynamics in composting;
• The sustainable management of agricultural, municipal, and industrial organic waste;
• Circular economy approaches in organic waste valorization;
• The lifecycle assessment (LCA) of composting and recycling systems;
• Environmental and socio-economic impacts of composting;
• Nutrient recovery and soil health improvement through compost application;
• The integration of composting with anaerobic digestion and biochar production;
• Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration in composting systems;
• Compost quality, safety, and regulatory frameworks;
• Technological advances in waste sorting, monitoring, and automation;
• Urban and community composting initiatives;
• Policy frameworks and governance for sustainable waste recycling;
• Economic assessment and business models for composting enterprises;
• Education, public engagement, and behavior change in organic waste management.

Dr. Elisabete Nascimento-Gonçalves
Dr. Maria Cristina Morais
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.