Valorization of Secondary Resources
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Resources and Sustainable Utilization".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 January 2023) | Viewed by 14772
Special Issue Editors
Interests: valorization of secondary material and energy resources; industrial sustainability; circular economy; industrial symbiosis; environmental impact; modelling and simulation; process integration and optimization; monitoring and control; artificial intelligence; machine learning; chemical and industrial engineering; metallurgy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: metallurgy; steel; modelling; simulation; sustainability; circular economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
We are now more than 30 years from the date in which the Brundtland Report, better known as Our Common Future, introduced the concept of sustainable development. The main aim of a sustainable development is to ensure continuous access to natural resources avoiding permanent damages to the environment. According to this principle, the rate of the exploitation of primary resources must be lower or equal to their regeneration and the waste production rate needs to satisfy the ecosystem capacity to absorb them. Following these philosophies, more than 10 years ago the Circular Economy concept was introduced and became a priority in a society that requests ever more amounts of resources. Through its “take-transform-throw-take-transform-throw” recursive principle, the Circular Economy suggests the importance of resources optimization through the minimization of wastes and the valorization of secondary resources.
Secondary resources derive from wastes and residues of all industrial and public operations. Not only solid wastes are included but also wastewater and process off-gases that can be valorized through the application of process integration and industrial symbiosis solutions involving private and public entities. The valorization of any kind of secondary resource can lead to significant advantages in terms of waste prevention and reduction.
The valorization of secondary resources can be carried out through, for example, ad-hoc treatments and/or processes devoted to the sorting of particular fractions to be used as secondary raw materials or for their conversion in valuable materials/products or energy sources. Noticeable advantages can be obtained in terms of environmental, energetic, economic and social impacts. However, the valorization of secondary resources is sometimes hampered by several factors that are related to the nature and composition of wastes/residues as well as to social and political issues. For instance, the valorization of wastes and residues can be difficult if they contain dangerous or toxic compounds or if the required treatment processes generate significant emissions or are not environmental-friendly.
In addition, public awareness as well as the availability of adequate skills and training activities for the workers of both companies and public bodies can help to create a “culture” concerning by-products reuse and recycling as well as recovery of valuable material from wastes. Finally, progress in existing legislations can support removal of unnecessary obstacles and barriers that can slow the evolution towards a zero-waste society.
This Special Issue is focused on novel treatments, processes, and solutions for a sustainable valorization of secondary resources coming from both industrial and public fields as well as advanced techniques linked to the concept of Industry 4.0, such as innovative machine-learning-based modelling, data analytics tools, and optimization strategies, enabling an interdisciplinary approach to the waste minimization and resource efficiency maximization. In addition, the Special Issue also aims to cover social and political barriers and related pioneering solutions related to the secondary resources management and valorization.
Dr. Ismael Matino
Prof. Dr. Valentina Colla
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- sustainable development
- circular economy
- industrial symbiosis
- innovations on reuse, recycle, recovery and regeneration of wastes and residues
- integrated management of urban waste
- differentiated waste collection chains (e.g., paper, plastics, glass, metals)
- novel technologies for organic waste fraction treatment and for composting
- biomass valorization
- sustainable processes for the management of waste of electric and electronic equipments
- end-of-life batteries management
- rare earth elements recovery
- toxic and hazardous waste management and treatments
- construction and demolition waste recovery
- pioneering solutions for waste sorting
- green innovative systems for waste-to-energy
- wastewater management (e.g. treatment, reuse, recycle)
- industrial and public bodies symbiosis
- process integration
- modelling and simulation tools for improving material and energy resources efficiency
- application of machine learning techniques and data analytics for improving secondary resources management
- advanced optimization strategies for synergic miminization of wastes and maximization of recoveries
- environmental-driven economy platforms
- social and economic impacts of secondary resources valorization
- ground-breaking solutions to social and political barriers for the implementation of resource efficiency and industrial symbiosis solutions
- skills and training activities promoting circular economy and industrial symbiosis-based culture in industry
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