Waste Management Practices and Renewable Energy Pathways for Sustainable Urban Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Urban areas are at the forefront of today’s sustainability challenges, as rapid population growth, industrialization, and consumption patterns result in escalating volumes of municipal solid waste while simultaneously driving an urgent demand for clean, renewable sources of energy. These twin pressures place immense stress on existing infrastructure and governance systems, requiring new approaches that not only address waste management as an environmental necessity but also recognize its potential as a resource for energy generation and urban resilience.

This Special Issue aims to explore the diverse ways in which waste management practices can be integrated with renewable energy pathways to foster circular economies, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and support resilient and sustainable urban development. Waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies, ranging from anaerobic digestion, biogas, and biomass conversion to incineration and emerging thermochemical methods, offer valuable opportunities to transform urban waste streams into reliable sources of electricity, heat, or fuels. Similarly, innovative recycling and resource recovery strategies can complement renewable energy adoption, minimizing landfill reliance while contributing to a low-carbon energy transition.

We are particularly interested in interdisciplinary studies that combine technical, economic, environmental, and social perspectives. Submissions may address modeling and simulation approaches, techno-economic and life cycle assessments, policy and governance frameworks, or citizen-driven initiatives that promote behavioral change. Digital technologies, including the use of artificial intelligence, IoT, and blockchain, are also reshaping both waste management and renewable energy sectors, enabling smarter decision-making, predictive analytics, and more transparent supply chains.

In addition to theoretical models and methodological innovations, this Special Issue strongly encourages empirical contributions and comparative case studies from both developed and developing urban contexts. Such evidence is critical to understand how local policies, cultural factors, and economic realities shape the success or limitations of integrated waste–energy systems. Attention to inclusivity, social justice, and the distributional impacts of waste-to-energy strategies will also be highly valued, as sustainable solutions must not only be technically viable but also equitable and socially acceptable.

By bringing together diverse contributions, this Special Issue seeks to highlight cutting-edge research and practical experiences that advance urban sustainability. We aim to provide a platform for dialog across disciplines, connecting researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and urban stakeholders, and to showcase how waste and renewable energy integration can serve as a cornerstone for greener, smarter, and more resilient cities.

We invite contributions that address the following (non-exhaustive) themes:

• Waste-to-energy (WtE) systems for renewable energy generation in cities.
• Circular economy strategies, resource recovery, and closed-loop urban systems.
• Digital technologies (AI, IoT, blockchain, digital twins) for waste and energy management.
• Techno-economic, life cycle, and environmental assessments of waste–energy systems.
• Policy frameworks, governance models, and regulatory approaches.
• Social inclusion, citizen engagement, and behavioral aspects in waste–energy integration.
• Case studies and comparative analyses from developed and developing urban contexts.

Dr. Diego Gabriel Rossit
Dr. Vanessa De Almeida Guimarães
Dr. Balasubramanian Sambasivam
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. Urban Science is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1600 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.

• waste-to-energy
• circular economy
• renewable energy integration
• smart waste management
• techno-economic analysis
• life cycle assessment
• urban sustainability
• environmental governance
• sustainable cities