sustainability-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Waste Management and Recycling Innovations for Environmental Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Waste and Recycling".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 250

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Mechanical Engineering, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
Interests: energy; exergy; power plant; environmental sustainability; renewable and low-carbon energy systems

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria
Interests: crop processing; drying technology; solar energy; evaporative cooling

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, Central University of Technology, Bloemfontein, South Africa
Interests: energy management; energy alternatives; thermo-fluids; machine learning; optimization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The production of solid waste by human activity deteriorates both the condition of the environment and the health of the living organisms that inhabit it. Landfills are the most prevalent method of waste disposal worldwide. A large number of landfills remain neglected and highly polluted due to the significant costs associated with its maintenance. Despite the limited nature of natural resources, new policy tools are needed worldwide to maintain the most effective waste recycling systems. Investigating every technological process that underlies the actions of solid waste researchers and professionals is crucial in order to achieve the set objectives. Waste management needs more careful planning as a result of climate change, which has made it increasingly important to find tools that support long-term sustainable development in order to implement industrial policies for the environment. There are growing implications for both natural and built settings, especially for industrial-related activities. Thus, in many nations throughout the world, waste policy now has a stake in the sustainability of human activity.

In addition, a lack of professional health regulations exposes informal landfill workers to a variety of contaminants, infections, respiration and dermatological issues, and other major health concerns that lower life expectancy. Bringing the informal and formal sectors together could help manage waste better while solving these grave concerns regarding employment and health. Solid waste production is an inevitable byproduct of human existence. Policymakers are very concerned about the conversion of garbage into useful resources since it is a crucial step in the direction of green growth and environmentally friendly development. Waste management greatly benefits from technological innovation, so it is important to comprehend how regulations could promote innovation in this area. Although hygiene concerns were first given high priority, in today’s economically stable countries, waste management has become a major concern due to the exponential increase in trash volume and its complexity. Waste management evolved through multiple stages to achieve the high scientific level seen today, coinciding with economic development. This guarantees a comprehensive perspective, confirming that energy is valuable and that dangerous materials are considered from the point of waste management until deposit in conclusive basins. Rapid population expansion and growing industrialization have made solid waste management an increasingly pressing problem.

In future generations, waste management will need to adopt a more systems-oriented methodology that tackles the underlying causes of issues in order to manage resources and waste in a sustainable manner. The creation of better feedback data or statistics on the relationship between trash generation and consumption is a particular issue that has to be addressed.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Hazardous waste management: its extent and sustainability challenge.
  • Public safety, waste management, unofficial recycling, and environmental contamination.
  • Developments and obstacles facing the world’s waste management systems.
  • Bio-waste recycling’s ecological effects on the manufacturing circular economy and sustainability.
  • Sustainable garbage disposal and environmental product development for waste glass reprocessing.
  • Reusing and recovering nutrients through sustainable innovation in wastewater treatment.
  • Solid waste management in developing nations: prospects and obstacles.
  • Indigenous ideas in extreme metropolitan settings: the push for inclusive recycling.
  • Integrity of social enterprises engaged in recycling and waste collection.
  • Solid waste regeneration and reuse in emerging economies: possibilities and challenges.
  • Technology innovation and recycling measures adopted by the automotive industry.

Dr. Fidelis Ibiang Abam
Prof. Dr. Macmanus Chinenye Ndukwu
Dr. Odufuwa Olumuyiwa Yinus
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.

Keywords

  • environmental sustainability
  • waste management
  • wastewater treatment
  • solid waste management
  • reusing and recovering
  • bio-waste recycling

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop