Sustainable Waste Management: Recycling for a Green Environment
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Waste and Recycling".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 May 2026 | Viewed by 29
Special Issue Editors
Interests: waste management; circular economy; biowaste; recycling; hazardous waste management; food waste management
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
In the context of climate instability, environmental degradation, and increasing pressure on natural resources, sustainable waste management is more important than ever. At the heart of this transition lies recycling—both material and organic—which reduces pollution, conserves raw materials, saves energy, and helps build more circular and resilient societies.
Recycling plays a central role in shaping what we call a green environment—not just a cleaner ecosystem, but a regenerative system where resources flow in closed loops, waste is minimized, and environmental, economic, and social benefits are achieved together. From recovering plastics and metals to composting organic waste, recycling is essential in terms of reducing landfill dependency and enabling low-emission development pathways.
This Special Issue aims to bring together contributions that examine recycling as a key strategy of the circular economy and resource efficiency, supporting the long-term vision of climate-resilient, inclusive, and green environments. We invite original research and reviews with interdisciplinary, applied, or systems-based perspectives on sustainable recycling practices.
We look forward to your submissions and to showcasing innovative solutions that drive sustainability forward—both locally and globally.
Topics of interest for this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Material recycling strategies for plastics, metals, textiles, paper, and construction waste;
- Organic waste treatment and valorization (e.g., composting, biogas, and nutrient recovery);
- The life cycle assessment (LCA) and environmental impact evaluation of recycling systems;
- The role of recycling in climate change mitigation and GHG reduction;
- The integration of recycling systems into urban design and sustainable infrastructure;
- Metrics and tools for circularity and resource efficiency (e.g., MFA and circularity indicators);
- Eco-innovation and technological advancements in recycling and recovery processes;
- Policy instruments supporting recycling and the circular economy (e.g., EPR, landfill bans, taxes, etc.);
- The social and economic dimensions of recycling, including inclusive models and behavioral change;
- The contributions of recycling systems to biodiversity protection, pollution reduction, and green job creation.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Anna Rolewicz-Kalińska
Dr. Krystyna Lelicińska-Serafin
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
- sustainable waste management
- recycling
- circular economy
- green environment
- resource efficiency
- material recovery
- organic waste valorization
- climate change mitigation
- environmental sustainability
- life cycle assessment (LCA)
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