Energy Recovery, Sustainability and Waste Management

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue invites a broad group of researchers from different sustainability backgrounds to present their research targeted globally to wider sustainability stakeholders. The aim is to understand the current climate change challenges posed by various human and economic activities. Research articles should aim to identify the current challenges and threats to the sustainable development of the world, and what mitigation measures and policies are adapted to tackle these challenges efficiently.

The global increase in energy demand and consumption is a leading cause of the higher use of fossil fuels to meet these demands. Climate change, the mining of fossil fuels, the depletion of natural resources, and the lack of renewable resources are some of the many challenges we currently face [1], [2]. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) alone contributes to 80% of all greenhouse gases (GHG) in the European Union, and there has been an increase in CO₂ in the atmosphere from 280 ppm at the beginning of the industrial revolution to 385 ppm recently [3]. In comparison, human activities driven by energy sources in cities alone contribute to 71% of the CO₂ emissions in cities. Carbon assessment and capture technologies need to be consolidated to identify the best carbon sinks and capture and storage methods as mitigation measures.

There is a need for sustainable solutions and management strategies for resources utilisation, production and consumption, as well as social awareness, education, and environmental policy at various levels [4]. Renewable energy is required to combat fossil-fuel-induced climate change, and there is a need for bio-based materials as an alternative for the treatment and management of waste [5]. Many methods (life cycle assessment, environmental footprint, environmental impact assessment, life cycle costing, cost–benefit analysis) are available to assess the sustainability performance of human activities, and we encourage researchers to propose these or new methods of assessment through their submission to the Special Issue. The topics include but not limited to the following:

Topics/Scopes

1. Waste Management:

• Achieving circular economy through waste management;
• Reuse and recycling of recovered waste;
• Waste management: methodological development;
• Risk assessments of waste management;
• Water management and wastewater treatment using bio-based materials;
• Solid and hazardous waste management.

2. Relevant Topics in Climate Change and Groundwater Engineering:

• Social awareness, behaviour and acceptance;
• Forest ecosystem services;
• Climate change adaptation and mitigation;
• Groundwater resources and modelling.

3. Energy Recovery:

• Energy and materials recovery from industrial waste;
• Energy recovery from wastewater treatment plants;
• Socio-economic analysis of energy recovery from different treatment plants and sources.

4. Sustainability:

• Water–energy–food (WEF) nexus for sustainable development;
• The utilisation of renewable energy resources and indigenous resources;
• Life cycle assessment and environmental footprinting of bioenergy from biomass;
• Energy security, energy policy design and implications;
• Environmental stewardship, governance and policy;
• Renewable energy sources and applications (waste-to-energy technology);
• Carbon capture, utilisation and storage technologies and performance;
• Cost–benefit analysis and life cycle costing;
• Sustainability education and low-carbon society.

Reference

1. Aziz, N.I.H.A., Hanafiah, M.M., Gheewala, S.H., Ismail, H. 2020. Bioenergy for a cleaner future: A case study of sustainable biogas supply chain in the Malaysian energy sector. Sustainability, 12(3213), 1-24. 

2. Saleh Shadman, Marlia Mohd Hanafiah, Christina May May Chin, Eng Hwa Yap, Novita Sakundarini. 2021. Conceptualising the Sustainable Energy Security Dimensions of Malaysia: A Thematic Analysis through Stakeholder Engagement to Draw Policy Implications. Sustainability, 13, 12027.
3. Xu, Z.; Zhao, C.; Feng, Z.; Zhang, F.; Sher, H.; Wang, C.; Peng, H.; Wang, Y.; Zhao, Y.; Wang, Y.; et al. 2013. Estimating realized and potential carbon storage benefits from reforestation and afforestation under climate change: a case study of the Qinghai spruce forests in the Qilian Mountains, northwestern China. Mitig. Adapt. Strateg. Glob. Chang., 18, 1257–1268.
4. Ismail, H., Hanafiah, M.M. 2021. Evaluation of e-waste management systems in Malaysia using life cycle assessment and material flow analysis. Journal of Cleaner Production, 308, 127358. 

5. Woon, K.S., Phuang, Z.X., Lin, Z., Lee, C.T., 2021. A novel food waste management framework combining optical sorting system and anaerobic digestion: A case study in Malaysia. Energy, 232, 121094

Dr. Marlia M. Hanafiah
Dr. Kok Sin Woon
Saleh Shadman
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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.

• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and carbon footprint；environmental stewardship, governance and policy
• renewable energy sources and applications (waste-to-energy technology)
• carbon capture, utilization and storage technologies and performance
• climate change adaptation and mitigation
• solid and hazardous waste management
• water management and wastewater treatment using bio-based materials
• water management and wastewater treatment using bio-based materials
• social awareness, behavior and acceptance
• sustainability education and low-carbon society