Beyond the Waste Hierarchy

Dear Colleagues,

Municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the most prominent by-products of urban society and a primary concern of local authorities that directly affects public health, the environment, and the livelihoods of citizens. Rapid urbanization and population growth are placing increasing pressure on solid waste management systems, and the regulatory framework must adapt to meet these challenges. 

In the mid-1970s, the "waste hierarchy principle" was introduced as the dominant principle of European and Member State waste management. It sets priorities for the environmentally sound management of waste by indicating the order of preference for action to reduce and manage waste. The waste hierarchy was established in the first waste framework directive 75/442/EEC, which encouraged the "reduction of quantities of certain wastes, the treatment of waste for its recycling and re-use, the recovery of raw materials and/or the production of energy from certain waste". While it is unanimously agreed that the reduction of waste is essential, as the highest priority of the waste hierarchy, followed by reuse, recycling, and energy recovery, it is nevertheless a subject of debate. 

In the fifty years since the waste hierarchy concept was introduced, technologies have evolved, consumption patterns have changed, and new challenges have arisen (i.e., microplastics, food waste). Thus, we find this to be an opportune moment to re-examine the principle concept of the waste management hierarchy.

The focus of this Special Issue, titled “Beyond the Waste Hierarchy”, is to collect up-to-date manuscripts that explore, examine, and deliver theoretical, methodological, and practical contributions on the waste hierarchy and particularly on solid waste management regulations. 

The guest editors will select high-quality research papers to publish based on blind peer reviews. This Special Issue welcomes contributions addressing the following issues: Waste treatment technologies that might challenge traditional MSW hierarchy; National and regional considerations in applying the current waste hierarchy or a future/suggested new one; Barriers and opportunities in MSW management in light of the current hierarchy or future/suggested new one; Impact of current legislation frameworks on MSW reduction, in light of the waste hierarchy and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs); Legal frameworks supporting re-use initiatives; Prioritizing different technologies and managerial practices in light of current waste hierarchy or future/suggested new one; Targeting specific waste streams (e.g., single-use plastic, food waste) using alternative models and more.

Prof. Dr. Ofira Ayalon
Dr. Efrat Elimelech
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. 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.

• waste minimization
• recycling
• waste recovery
• waste treatment technologies
• waste legislation frameworks
• waste hierarchy