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Sustainability
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Solid Waste Management and Sustainable Environmental Remediation
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Solid Waste Management and Sustainable Environmental Remediation

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2026 | Viewed by 7496

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Xinyuan Zhan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230002, China
Interests: solid waste reutilization; geopolymers; heavy metal; thermal treatment; hazardous waste
Dr. Binhai Cheng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230002, China
Interests: resource recovery and safe disposal of solid waste; thermochemical treatment; biochar; biomass energy ; CCUS
Dr. Rui Deng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230002, China
Interests: sediment remediation; heavy metal; microbial community mechanism; advanced oxidation processes; bio-char

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Solid waste generation is inevitable with human activities, and harmless methods for recycling materials or energy should be developed for solid waste treatment. Solid waste is often complex and has limited reutilization ability. Thus, the process mechanism of recycling valuable products from solid waste must be further explored. Additionally, the waste–waste disposal collaboration enables a practical cost for recycling. Therefore, the co-disposal method of solid waste should be further developed in relation to recycling valuable resources. To date, considerable research has been conducted regarding co-disposal, including municipal, metallurgical, mining, and agroforestry solid waste. The aims of co-disposal recycling are to encourage their reuse as building materials (geopolymers and aggregates), as well as to improve energy production and environmental functional materials for waste gas/water/solid treatment (bio-char, catalysts, and zeolite). The transport and transformation behavior of pollutants in solid waste has been addressed, ecological and human health risk assessments have been performed, and the recycling process mechanism has been explored. Therefore, this Special Issue focuses on the co-processing of solid waste and its conversion into valuable products using cost-saving methods. As such, the performance of the resulting products was optimal and enhanced, and pollutants have been explored in order to determine their transport and transform mechanisms.

Dr. Xinyuan Zhan
Dr. Binhai Cheng
Dr. Rui Deng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • co-disposal process
  • solid waste reutilization
  • heavy metals transport
  • building and cementitious materials
  • thermal treatment
  • geopolymer
  • pyrolysis oil or gas
  • phase change material
  • risk assessment

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 3381 KB  
Article
Trace Element Supplementation Enables Sustainable High-Straw Dry Anaerobic Digestion by Suppressing Acidification and Boosting Biogas via Microbial Network Rewiring
by Wenguang Liang, Gang Li, Yigao Dai, Hanbao Zhou, Yeyu Wang, Yingcai Han, Yiheng Qi, Dongmei Wang, Keyang Jiang and Qiuheng Zhu
Sustainability 2026, 18(3), 1395; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18031395 - 30 Jan 2026
Viewed by 385
Abstract
The global output of organic solid residues (e.g., crop straw) is substantial, creating an urgent sustainability need for low-impact pathways that avoid open burning or disposal while recovering renewable energy. Dry anaerobic digestion (AD) offers a water-saving, high-solids valorization route for straw-rich substrates, [...] Read more.
The global output of organic solid residues (e.g., crop straw) is substantial, creating an urgent sustainability need for low-impact pathways that avoid open burning or disposal while recovering renewable energy. Dry anaerobic digestion (AD) offers a water-saving, high-solids valorization route for straw-rich substrates, but its deployment is often constrained by acidification that suppresses methanogenesis, reducing reliability and limiting practical adoption. Here, at laboratory scale, we formulated a co-digestion substrate dominated by wheat straw (50%) with swine manure and household organic waste, and evaluated whether co-supplementation of trace metals (Fe, Ni, Co) can enhance process stability and energy recovery, thereby strengthening the sustainability of high-solids straw treatment. System performance was assessed by pH, biogas production, volatile fatty acids (VFAs), functional genes, and microbial community profiles to elucidate micronutrient effects and microbial responses. Micronutrient addition stabilized pH (minimum 6.5) and enhanced biogas output. Specific yields in the supplemented digester were 260.64 ± 11.83 mL g−1 TS and 319.89 ± 14.27 mL g−1 VS, compared with 220.31 ± 9.45 mL g−1 TS and 270.33 ± 11.72 mL g−1 VS in the control; cumulative gas production was higher by 18.33%. Community analyses showed marked enrichment of Methanosarcina, increasing from 7.28% on day 10 to 44.00% on day 30. Molecular ecological network analysis indicated a transition from a sparse, fragmented configuration to a highly connected, centralized one: the number of nodes decreased from 74 to 70; the number of edges increased from 46 to 223 (a 4.85-fold rise); network density increased from 0.0170 to 0.0923; mean degree increased from 1.24 to 6.37; the number of modules declined from 39 to 5; and the proportion of positive versus negative links shifted from 85%/15% to 70%/30%, evidencing stronger interspecies coupling and functional robustness. Consistently, methyl-coenzyme reductase subunit A gene copy numbers were about 1.60-fold higher on day 30 and about 1.51-fold higher on day 50 than in the control. Overall, Fe-Ni-Co co-supplementation enhances methane potential and suppresses acidification in straw-rich dry anaerobic digestion, providing a low-input and practical strategy to stabilize high-solids systems. By improving microbial robustness, this approach enables efficient renewable energy recovery with reduced water demand and lower risk of process failure, thereby supporting scalable straw valorization and advancing circular bioeconomy pathways for agricultural and organic solid residues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Management and Sustainable Environmental Remediation)
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20 pages, 2204 KB  
Article
Co-Pyrolysis of Sewage Sludge and Zeolitic Basalt: Physicochemical Characterization, Stability and Carbon Sequestration Potential
by Maíra Lopes D`Ávila, José Ferreira Lustosa Filho, Éder de Souza Martins, Giuliano Marchi, Giovanna Trindade, Camila Rodrigues Costa, Marcela Granato Barbosa dos Santos, Delvio Sandri and Cícero Célio de Figueiredo
Sustainability 2026, 18(1), 258; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18010258 - 26 Dec 2025
Viewed by 698
Abstract
Mining and sewage treatment wastes have been accumulating at growing rates in urban areas. Recycling these wastes can be used to generate safe products for various agro-environmental uses, including the synthesis of fertilizers with the potential to sequester carbon (C) in the soil. [...] Read more.
Mining and sewage treatment wastes have been accumulating at growing rates in urban areas. Recycling these wastes can be used to generate safe products for various agro-environmental uses, including the synthesis of fertilizers with the potential to sequester carbon (C) in the soil. Therefore, this study evaluated the physicochemical characteristics and C sequestration potential of biochar obtained by co-pyrolysis (500 °C) of sewage sludge (SS) individually or combined at a 1:1 (w:w) ratio with zeolitic basalt (ZB), referred to as SS + ZBBC. Subsequently, the raw materials and biochars were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis, proximate analysis, elemental analysis, and FTIR spectroscopy, as well as pH and electrical conductivity (EC) determination. The results show that pyrolysis optimized material properties, especially SS biochar (SSB), which exhibited high stability with the highest fixed C content (13.6%) and thermostable fraction (TSF) of 43%. On the other hand, ZB had a higher pH and a lower EC than SS. Co-pyrolysis promoted complementary effects on the chemical and C stability properties of the SS + ZBBC combination. The combination raised the pH to a value close to neutrality (6.5), indicating potential corrective action for acidic soils. Furthermore, after co-pyrolysis, the TSF remained high (25.2%) and was classified as a high-longevity material (>1000 years), indicating high aromaticity and C condensation. Therefore, the co-pyrolysis of SS and ZB optimized the individual characteristics of the materials, thereby providing a promising and sustainable alternative for agro-environmental use that addresses the need to reduce C emissions and promote waste recycling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Management and Sustainable Environmental Remediation)
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22 pages, 4132 KB  
Article
Sustainable Stabilization of Clay Soil Using Lime and Oryza sativa-Waste-Derived Dried Solid Digestate
by Arunthathi Sendilvadivelu, Balaji Dhandapani, Sivapriya Vijayasimhan and Surya Prakash Pauldurai Kalaiselvi
Sustainability 2025, 17(18), 8447; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17188447 - 20 Sep 2025
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2813
Abstract
Clay-rich soils are stabilized using fly ash, cement, lime, or solid waste with chemical activators to improve strength and reduce moisture-induced settlement. This study explores the stabilization of clay using lime and dried solid digestate (DSD) derived from food waste to improve its [...] Read more.
Clay-rich soils are stabilized using fly ash, cement, lime, or solid waste with chemical activators to improve strength and reduce moisture-induced settlement. This study explores the stabilization of clay using lime and dried solid digestate (DSD) derived from food waste to improve its strength. A clay sample was treated with varying proportions of DSD (1–5%) along with 4.5% lime, by dry weight of soil. Samples were compacted at optimum moisture content and cured for periods of 0, 7, 14, and 28 days. The improvement in geotechnical behavior was assessed through Atterberg limits, unconfined compressive strength (UCS), and microscopic analyses, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Compared with untreated clay (62.03 kPa), the results show that adding 2% DSD and lime significantly increased compressive strength (446.5 kPa) and decreased plasticity by 69%. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis revealed that the lime contained 81% of high calcium oxide (CaO), which supports pozzolanic and carbonation processes, whereas DSD served as a supplementary additive. Hence, the integration of DSD in soil stabilization offers a dual benefit: enhancing geotechnical performance and promoting environmental sustainability by diverting food waste from landfills and supporting circular resource use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Management and Sustainable Environmental Remediation)
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29 pages, 13314 KB  
Article
Development of Unfired Clay Bricks with Alumina Waste from Liquid Nitrogen Production: A Sustainable Alternative for Construction Materials
by Noppadol Sangiamsak, Nopanom Kaewhanam, Meesakthana Puapitthayathorn, Seksan Numsong, Kowit Suwannahong, Sukanya Hongthong, Torpong Kreetachat, Sompop Sanongraj and Surachai Wongcharee
Sustainability 2025, 17(14), 6424; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146424 - 14 Jul 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2898
Abstract
A major breakthrough in environmentally friendly building materials is the development of sustainable unfired clay bricks including alumina waste produced during liquid nitrogen generation. Though used extensively, conventional fired clay bricks require energy-intensive manufacturing techniques that produce significant amounts of CO2 and [...] Read more.
A major breakthrough in environmentally friendly building materials is the development of sustainable unfired clay bricks including alumina waste produced during liquid nitrogen generation. Though used extensively, conventional fired clay bricks require energy-intensive manufacturing techniques that produce significant amounts of CO2 and aggravate environmental damage. By removing the need for high-temperature firing and allowing for the valorization of industrial byproducts including alumina waste and lateritic soil, unfired clay bricks offer a reasonable low-carbon alternative. High silica and alumina contents define the alumina waste, which shows pozzolanic reactivity, thus improving the physicomechanical performance of the bricks. With alumina waste substituting 0–8.57% of the cement content, seven different formulations showed improvements in compressive strength, reduced water absorption, and optimal thermal conductivity. Especially, the mechanical performance was much enhanced with alumina waste inclusion up to 30%, without sacrificing thermal insulation capacity or moisture resistance. Further supporting the environmental and financial sustainability of the suggested brick compositions is the economic viability of using industrial waste and regionally derived soils. A comparative analysis of the conventional fired bricks shows that the unfired substitutes have a much lower environmental impact and show better mechanical properties, including greater compressive strength and modulus of rupture. These results support the more general goals of circular economy systems and low-carbon urban development by highlighting the feasibility of including alumina waste and lateritic soil into sustainable building materials. Using such waste-derived inputs in building fits world initiatives to lower resource consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and build strong infrastructure systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solid Waste Management and Sustainable Environmental Remediation)
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