The Circular Economy as a Promoter of Sustainability

Dear Colleagues,

A circular economy encourages sustainability and competitiveness in the long term. The recognized scarcity of key natural resources and the growing volume of industrial and urban waste are the basis of the recognition that a circular economy approach is the pathway for sustainable development.

On 4th March 2019, the European Commission adopted a comprehensive report on the implementation of a Circular Economy Action Plan. The report presents the main achievements under the Action Plan and sketches out future challenges to shaping our economy and paving the way towards a climate-neutral, circular economy where pressure on natural and freshwater resources as well as ecosystems is minimized. 

This Special Issue of Sustainability, with the theme “The Circular Economy as a Promoter of Sustainability”, aims to publish research or review articles dealing with the topics related with (i) sustainable development strategies based on the circular economy concept, (ii) exploring the role and progress of production and consumption to waste management, including energy, (iii) market for secondary raw materials, (iv) closed loop product lifecycles, (v) recycling and re-use, and (vi) support consumers choosing sustainable products and services.

We welcome original contributions that can address any of these challenges.

Prof. Nelson Martins
Prof. Naim Afgan
Prof. Carlos Borrego
Prof. Marta Ferreira Dias
Prof. Maria Isabel Nunes
Prof. Carlos Felgueiras
Prof. Nídia Caetano
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-anonymized 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.