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Waste Valorization and Management to Increase the Resources Sustainability
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Waste Valorization and Management to Increase the Resources Sustainability

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2025 | Viewed by 2688

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Lisandro Simão

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Postgraduate Program in Environmental Technology, University of Ribeirão Preto (UNAERP), 14096-900, Brazil.
Interests: Waste management, Waste recycling, Circular economy, Sustainability
Prof. Dr. Marcelo Tramontin Souza

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Graduate Program on Science, Innovation and Modeling in Materials (PROCIMM), State University of Santa Cruz (UESC), 45662-900, Brazil
Interests: Waste management; Sustainability; Cementitious materials, alternative binders; 3D printing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable development has been increasingly discussed due to climate change and the other environmental impacts of various production processes regarding waste generation, effluents, and emissions. The extraction of raw materials for the most diverse production sectors has become a significant environmental problem, not only due to the recurring environmental impacts of the extraction process but also due to the inadequate disposal of waste generated in the respective production processes. Waste valorization attempts to reuse and give a more noble destination to these materials that can, depending on their chemical and mineralogical compositions, replace traditional raw materials that are commonly sold, including gains in the product’s properties. In the same way, efficient resource and waste management can reduce the quantities of materials sent to landfills.

This Special Issue aims to collect new ideas of research on the topic of “Waste Valorization and Management to Increase the Resources Sustainability”. In this sense, works that involve waste characterization and the development of programs and actions aimed at waste management are included in this special edition. In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

  • New strategies and guidelines to improve waste management systems;
  • Chemical and physical waste characterization;
  • Waste valorization in new sustainable materials;
  • Implement data analytics to study recycling patterns in waste management;
  • Innovative approaches for the recovery of landfilled wastes;
  • Life cycle and carbon footprint analysis of waste.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Lisandro Simão
Prof. Dr. Marcelo Tramontin Souza
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

  • waste management
  • waste recycling
  • circular economy
  • sustainability
  • life cycle
  • carbon footprint

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 6153 KiB  
Article
Bioleaching of Printed Circuit Board Waste to Obtain Metallic Nanoparticles
by Éllen F. Rodrigues, Beatriz Cesa Rovaris, Alexsandra Valerio, Débora de Oliveira and Dachamir Hotza
Sustainability 2024, 16(22), 9837; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16229837 - 11 Nov 2024
Viewed by 576
Abstract
In this work, a biological recovery of metals (copper and gold) from computer printed circuit board (PCB) waste was carried out by bioleaching using Aspergillus niger. Three bioleaching methods comprising one or two steps or using spent medium were tested in an [...] Read more.
In this work, a biological recovery of metals (copper and gold) from computer printed circuit board (PCB) waste was carried out by bioleaching using Aspergillus niger. Three bioleaching methods comprising one or two steps or using spent medium were tested in an incubator shaker at 30 °C and 160 rpm with different PCB waste concentrations (2.5 to 10 g/L). Glucose was used as the carbon source. The best condition evaluated was carried out in a stirred tank reactor. The FTIR spectrum confirmed the presence of oxalic, citric, and gluconic acids. A. niger showed an efficiency of bioleaching of up to 100% and 42.5% for copper and gold, respectively, using the two-step method with 2.5 g/L PCB waste after 14 days of the process. The efficiency of bioleaching in a stirred tank reactor was 83% for copper and 24% for gold. The mean metallic particle size obtained after bioleaching varied according to the PCB waste concentration (2.5–10 g/L) added in the experiments. A transmission electron microscope analysis confirmed the synthesis of metallic nanoparticles with spherical morphology. The results indicated that the PCBs bioleaching process with A. niger can be an environmentally friendly alternative to current mechanical and metallurgical processes for metal leaching. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste Valorization and Management to Increase the Resources Sustainability)
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18 pages, 1740 KiB  
Article
Technosol Development Based on Residual Fraction of Coal Tailings Processing, Agro-Industrial Waste, and Paper Industry Waste
by Eduarda Fraga Olivo, Alexandre Zaccaron, Juliana Acordi, Manuel Joaquim Ribeiro, Élia Maria Raposo Fernandes, Jairo José Zocche and Fabiano Raupp-Pereira
Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7471; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177471 - 29 Aug 2024
Viewed by 733
Abstract
In order to obtain solutions to the coal mining region demand in southern Brazil for high-performance and low-cost technosols within a concept of mineral circularity and sustainable development of the coal sector, this study aims to evaluate the functional feasibility of the combined [...] Read more.
In order to obtain solutions to the coal mining region demand in southern Brazil for high-performance and low-cost technosols within a concept of mineral circularity and sustainable development of the coal sector, this study aims to evaluate the functional feasibility of the combined use of a residual fraction of coal tailing, waste from the rice and poultry agro-industry, as well as the cellulose industry, as raw materials for technosol development. Characterizations (XRF, LOI, ICP-OES, pH, XRD, and sulfur forms) were performed to adjust the waste proportions used in the constructed soil, as defined based on the clay content of the coal tailing, the organic carbon content of the poultry litter, and technical recommendations for the use of synthetic gypsum in agricultural soils. Based on the characterizations of the residues, a greenhouse experiment was designed, consisting of four technosol formulations (T1–T4). Initially, an ecotoxicity test was conducted with the treatments in contact with Allium cepa L. (onion) to determine the degree of technosol toxicity. Field tests were then carried out, which were replicated three times in a completely randomized block design, with the germination and growth of Lactuca sativa L. (crisp lettuce) as a bioindicator. The fertility of the treatments was analyzed eight weeks after the establishment of the experiment and compared to standard values for agricultural soils. The characterization performed with the individual wastes demonstrated the potential for application in technosols according to current regulations. The ecotoxicity tests showed that the soil was not toxic to the plant in any of the treatments studied. The field experiment demonstrated no difference in germination between the treatments. However, the development of lettuce seedlings occurred only in technosol formulations T2 and T3, highlighting the potential of the studied residues for the construction of technosols. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste Valorization and Management to Increase the Resources Sustainability)
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19 pages, 15927 KiB  
Article
Experimental Combustion of Different Biomass Wastes, Coals and Two Fuel Mixtures on a Fire Bench
by Andrey Zhuikov, Nikolay Zemlyanskiy, Irina Grishina and Stanislav Chicherin
Sustainability 2024, 16(12), 5227; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16125227 - 19 Jun 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 918
Abstract
When designing settlements according to the “Green Building” principle, it is necessary to develop a heating system based on climatic conditions. For example, in areas with a sharply continental climate (cold and prolonged winters), it is sometimes necessary to use solid fuel boilers [...] Read more.
When designing settlements according to the “Green Building” principle, it is necessary to develop a heating system based on climatic conditions. For example, in areas with a sharply continental climate (cold and prolonged winters), it is sometimes necessary to use solid fuel boilers (in the absence of gas). However, to use these, it is necessary to use biomass or biomass-coal blends as fuel to increase their combustion heat. The addition of biomass waste to coal can be aimed at achieving various objectives: utilization of biomass waste; reduction of solid fossil fuel consumption; improvement of environmental performance at coal-fired boiler houses; improvement of the reactivity of coals or to improve the technical and economic performance of heat-generating plants due to the fact that biomass is a waste from various types of production, and its cost depends only on the distance of its transportation to the boiler house. In this work, combustion of various biomass wastes, including sewage sludge, was carried out on a fire bench emulating the operation of a boiler furnace. Fuel particles were ignited by convective heat transfer in a stream of hot air at a velocity of 5 m/s in the temperature range of 500–800 °C, and the experimental process was recorded on a high-speed, color video camera. The obtained values were compared with the characteristics of different coals used in thermal power generation (lignite and bituminous coal). The aim of the work is to determine the reactivity of various types of biomass, including fuel mixtures based on coal and food waste. The work presents the results of technical and elemental analysis of the researched fuels. Scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the fuel particle surfaces for the presence of pores, cracks and channels. It was found that the lowest ignition delay is characteristic of cedar needles and hydrolyzed lignin; it is four times less than that of lignite coal and nine times less than that of bituminous coal. The addition of hydrolysis lignin to coal improves its combustion characteristics, while the addition of brewer’s spent grain, on the contrary, reduces it, increasing the ignition time delay due to the high moisture content of the fuel particles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste Valorization and Management to Increase the Resources Sustainability)
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Review

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23 pages, 1916 KiB  
Review
Zero Plastic Drive: A Comprehensive Review on Unveiling Innovative Sustainable Solutions for a Circular Plastics Economy
by Mohammad Shamsuddoha and Mohammad Abul Kashem
Sustainability 2024, 16(23), 10329; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310329 - 26 Nov 2024
Viewed by 107
Abstract
Living in a society where plastic has become a necessity, the over-reliance on these materials is quite disturbing as they have social and economic effects, especially in waste disposal and resource management. Such issues have introduced the circular plastics economy (CPE), which aims [...] Read more.
Living in a society where plastic has become a necessity, the over-reliance on these materials is quite disturbing as they have social and economic effects, especially in waste disposal and resource management. Such issues have introduced the circular plastics economy (CPE), which aims to eliminate plastic waste by focusing on reducing, recycling, and reusing (3R) and designing biodegradable plastic products. Owing to these facts, a systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to analyze the existing literature on circular economy principles and plastic waste management systems in terms of 3R initiatives. Also, this study showcases the CPE by investigating how it is possible to manage plastic within a circular economy instead of a linear system. Additionally, system dynamics modeling (SDM) was applied to examine the inter-relationships between key elements such as plastic production, waste generation, recycling rates, and regulatory actions, along with the cognizance phase of waste diversion and advanced sorting technology to minimize landfill dependency and environmental pollution initiatives, including producer responsibility programs and zero-landfill targets. This study accumulated that zero waste strategies, such as plastic circularity, national waste management, and high-quality recycling, have achieved recycling rates ranging from 30% to 81% across various countries, significantly reducing plastic waste and enhancing resource efficiency. However, the added strategies in countries that are related to policy-driven initiatives can prospectively be useful for increasing recycling capacity to eliminate plastic waste in landfills, promoting a circular economy and sustainable waste management practices. This study also involved the critical stakeholders of the CPE who will make the utilization of plastic waste a reality. Ultimately, this research contributes to the fast-growing knowledge base on plastic waste management by presenting an interdisciplinary framework based on model synthesis and mathematical modeling, which is crucial for decision-makers, industries, and researchers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste Valorization and Management to Increase the Resources Sustainability)
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