Dear Colleagues,

The transition to a circular economy is being spearheaded by China and the European Union, where legislative measures are being introduced to eliminate excessive waste. At the same time, it is important to encourage the reuse, recycling, and renewal (e.g., biodegradation) of products. The development of new materials and the redesign of components are important to extend the lifespans of products, permit the separation of composites, and allow the complete biodegradation of plastics that cannot otherwise be recycled. The appropriate usage of resources is also important, making use of renewable materials and wastes to create sustainable products.

This Special Issue will bring together researchers from different disciplines with the purpose of accelerating the advances that will enable a circular economy. Contributions are welcome from chemistry, biology, material science, product design, policy, and the environmental sciences. We welcome submissions of original research and reviews if they address waste reduction (including the use of waste to make chemicals and materials), or eco-design of (composite) materials and products, or the simplification or improvement of end-of-life treatments.

References:

J. Sherwood, J.H. Clark, T.J. Farmer, L. Herrero-Davila and L. Moity. Recirculation: A New Concept to Drive Innovation in Sustainable Product Design for Bio-Based Products. Molecules, 2017, 22, 48.

J.H. Clark, T.J. Farmer, L. Herrero-Davila and J. Sherwood. Circular economy design considerations for research and process development in the chemical sciences. Green Chemistry, 2016, 18, 3914.

V.G. Zuin, Circularity in green chemical products, processes and services: Innovative routes based on integrated eco-design and solution systems. Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry, 2016, 2, 40.

Dr. James Sherwood
Dr. Thomas J. Farmer
Prof. James H. Clark
Guest Editors

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• Circular economy
• eco-design
• sustainable chemistry
• green chemistry
• renewable resources
• waste valorization
• biodegradable materials
• biomass cascading
• self-healing polymers