sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Valorization of Renewable Resources for the Production of Biobased Products Through the Implementation of Circular Bioeconomy Principles: Second Edition

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 2481

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Theoretical and Physical Chemistry Institute, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48 Vassileos Constantinou Ave., 11635 Athens, Greece
Interests: biodegradable food packaging materials; oleogelation for the production of fat substitutes; biopolymers and ex situ modification to nanostructures; renewable waste and by-product streams; biomass pretreatment; biorefinery development; bioprocessing, fermentation; fatty acid esters for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

The increasing generation of waste and the reduction of primary resources are major problems faced by contemporary society and are closely interlinked with escalating raw material costs. The efficient management of resources is of outmost importance in terms of meeting sustainability targets. An alternative approach, the circular bioeconomy, would convert end-of-life goods into resources, minimizing waste and replacing production with sufficiency. The transition to a low-carbon economy must be based on the utilization of renewable resources, incorporating novel technologies and bioprocessing to provide clean energy, green chemicals, and biodegradable and safe products of high quality and functionality. Sectors of the EU bioeconomy have been reported to be worth EUR 2 trillion in annual turnover and to account for approximately 9% of the EU workforce. Contributions to this Special Issue may include empirical studies, case studies, and comparative and theoretical studies, and topics of may interest include, but are not limited to: Biomass pretreatment and waste valorization;Biorefinery development for biobased products;Sustainable production of biobased products;Biofuels towards a carbon neutral economy;Sustainable applications in food formulations, packaging, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, etc.;Development of bioeconomy business models;Life cycle assessment for biobased production using renewable resources;Bioinformatics;Genetic tools and approaches; Protein structures and purification; Nanostructures and polymer synthesis. Based on the aforementioned topics, this Special Issue will supplement the existing literature by providing a holistic overview regarding waste valorization and biobased production within a circular bioeconomy era. “State of the art” and “beyond the state of the art” scientific research is anticipated to update the current situation enlightening and giving directions for sustainable future development and innovation. 

Dr. Erminda Tsouko
Guest Editor

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.

Keywords

  • biobased production
  • renewable biomass
  • life cycle assessment
  • carbon neutral bioeconomy
  • pretreatment
  • waste management
  • environmental footprint
  • biofuels
  • genetic approaches
  • transition to biocircularity

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.

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

20 pages, 2874 KB  
Article
Improving Shrimp Preservation Quality Through Edible Coatings Based on Starch Modified with Aqueous Plant Extracts
by Magda Morawska, Joanna Brzeska, Anita Kukułowicz, Jakub Karczewski and Marta Prześniak-Welenc
Sustainability 2025, 17(23), 10592; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172310592 - 26 Nov 2025
Viewed by 223
Abstract
The problems of food waste and packaging waste production currently force us to search for new solutions that are safe for people and the environment. Applying edible coatings directly onto food offers a sustainable method of maintaining shrimp freshness, eliminating the need for [...] Read more.
The problems of food waste and packaging waste production currently force us to search for new solutions that are safe for people and the environment. Applying edible coatings directly onto food offers a sustainable method of maintaining shrimp freshness, eliminating the need for artificial preservatives and avoiding the high energy demands of conventional chemical or physical preservation techniques. In this study, starch materials modified with natural extracts from plants with proven health-promoting and antibacterial properties—rooibos and garlic—were obtained and tested. The structure, hydrophilicity, water vapor permeability, and thermal and mechanical properties of the obtained starch films were determined. The study further revealed that Escherichia coli was absent in all shrimp samples coated with starch-based films following seven days of refrigerated storage, in contrast to uncoated samples. For Staphylococcus aureus, coatings with rooibos extract resulted in a significant reduction in bacterial counts. Coatings with garlic extract showed a marginally reduced antibacterial effect. The effect of the coatings on the overall numbers of lactic acid bacteria and aerobic mesophilic bacteria was evaluated as well. Coatings enriched with rooibos were more effective in the early days of storage, while garlic-based coatings exhibited a less intense but more enduring antimicrobial effect. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 3238 KB  
Article
Design and Evaluation of a Compact IoT-Enabled Microfarm for Decentralized Urban Agriculture Applied to the Cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster Mushroom)
by Marlon O. A. Foffano, Ricardo C. Michel, Denise M. G. Freire and Elisa D. C. Cavalcanti
Sustainability 2025, 17(22), 10332; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172210332 - 18 Nov 2025
Viewed by 536
Abstract
We developed and evaluated a compact mushroom fruiting chamber equipped with Internet of Things technologies, designed to support decentralized urban agriculture. The system was constructed from a retrofitted glass-door refrigerator and integrated with Internet-connected sensors and a custom microcontroller to monitor and regulate [...] Read more.
We developed and evaluated a compact mushroom fruiting chamber equipped with Internet of Things technologies, designed to support decentralized urban agriculture. The system was constructed from a retrofitted glass-door refrigerator and integrated with Internet-connected sensors and a custom microcontroller to monitor and regulate temperature and humidity continuously. The control unit managed key variables, including temperature and relative humidity, during the cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus mushrooms. Experimental trials assessed the effectiveness of the IoT-based system in maintaining optimal growth conditions by dynamically adjusting parameters tailored to the fungus’s specific physiological requirements during fruiting. The prototype successfully maintained a stable cultivation environment, achieving an average temperature of 25.0 °C (±0.7 °C) and relative humidity of 90% (±8%). Under optimized conditions (18 °C, with the cultivation block plastic cover preserved), mushroom yield reached 230 ± 2 g per block, corresponding to a biological efficiency of 44% and an estimated productivity of up to 612.04 kg m−2 per year. Furthermore, the system achieved a water footprint of only 4.39 L kg−1 of fresh mushrooms, significantly lower than that typically reported for conventional cultivation methods. These results demonstrate the feasibility of an efficient, compact, and water-saving controlled environment for mushroom cultivation, enabled by IoT-based technologies and organic residue substrates. Remote monitoring and control capabilities support urban food security, reduce transport-related emissions, optimize water use, and promote sustainable practices within a circular economy framework. The system’s adaptability suggests potential scalability to other crops and urban agricultural contexts. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

20 pages, 1707 KB  
Article
Assessing the Environmental Impacts of the Valorization of Creole-Antillean Avocado via an Extractive-Based Biorefinery in the Montes de María Region
by Stefany A. Valdez-Valdes, Lesly P. Tejeda-Benitez and Ángel D. González-Delgado
Sustainability 2024, 16(24), 11057; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162411057 - 17 Dec 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1089
Abstract
In recent years, the environmental evaluation of biorefineries has become critical for ensuring sustainable practices in bio-based production systems. This study focuses on the application of the Waste Reduction (WAR) Algorithm to assess the environmental impacts of an Extractive-based Creole-Antillean Avocado Biorefinery located [...] Read more.
In recent years, the environmental evaluation of biorefineries has become critical for ensuring sustainable practices in bio-based production systems. This study focuses on the application of the Waste Reduction (WAR) Algorithm to assess the environmental impacts of an Extractive-based Creole-Antillean Avocado Biorefinery located in Northern Colombia, aimed at producing bio-oil, chlorophyll, and biopesticide from avocado pulp, peel, and seed, respectively. The environmental impacts were evaluated using the WAR algorithm, which quantifies the potential environmental impacts (PEI) of different process streams. The following four scenarios were developed: (1) considering only waste, (2) including waste and products, (3) including waste and energy sources, and (4) incorporating waste, products, and energy consumption. This study analyzed global impacts focusing on atmospheric and toxicological categories, with a detailed assessment of the most critical scenario. The results indicated that Scenario 4 had the highest PEI, particularly in the atmospheric and toxicological categories, driven by emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), greenhouse gases (GHGs), and the presence of heavy metals. However, the avocado biorefinery process demonstrated a net reduction in overall environmental impacts, with negative PEI generation rates across all scenarios, suggesting that the biorefinery transforms high-impact substances into products with lower global impact potential. Energy consumption emerged as a significant contributor to environmental impacts, particularly in acidification potential (AP) and Atmospheric Toxicity Potential (ATP). Using natural gas as an energy source had a relatively lower environmental impact compared to coal and liquid fuels, emphasizing the need to optimize energy use in biorefinery design to improve environmental performance. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop