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Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: Resource Conservation, Reuse and Recycling
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Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: Resource Conservation, Reuse and Recycling

A special issue of Resources (ISSN 2079-9276).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 10305

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Eveliina Repo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Separation Science, LUT School of Engineering Science, LUT University, Lappeenranta, Finland
Interests: metal recycling; hydrometallurgy; ion exchange; adsorption; metal–organic framework structures; 3D printing; electrochemistry; battery materials; photocatalysis; electrocatalysis; water purification; sludge treatment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Eleni Iacovidou

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
Division of Environmental Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
Interests: environmental governance; environmental management; sustainable management of resources and waste; systems thinking; (bio)plastics and (bio)plastic packaging waste management; circular economy models; food waste prevention and management; construction components reuse; e-waste repair; waste infrastructure; informal recycling systems; decision-making tool development; sustainability assessment and evaluation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue will provide a compilation of all contemporary topics related to resource conversation, reuse and recycling. It will bring together original research articles that present novel findings on the utilization of various resources and waste streams, including technical materials (petrochemicals, sludges, ash, mining tailings, pile arisings and recyclable waste materials), and biological, renewable materials (bio-based materials), with review articles that critically analyse the vast literature, make sense of the realities around resources and waste management and provide radical insights. Studies on novel resource and waste management technologies and novel energy sources (sustainable battery materials and production of green hydrogen) are highly welcome. Topics related to sustainability aspects, including decarbonization, resource efficiency and productivity across the entire lifecycle, will be considered.

Prof. Dr. Eveliina Repo
Dr. Eleni Iacovidou
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. Resources is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1600 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

  • recycling
  • recovery
  • reuse
  • material efficiency
  • energy efficiency
  • green energy
  • urban mining
  • productivity
  • sustainability

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 2073 KiB  
Article
Rigid Polyethylene Terephthalate Packaging Waste: An Investigation of Waste Composition and Its Recycling Potential in Austria
by Viktoria Helene Gabriel, Andreas Schaffernak, Manuel Pfitzner, Johann Fellner, Manfred Tacker and Silvia Apprich
Resources 2023, 12(11), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources12110128 - 31 Oct 2023
Viewed by 1762
Abstract
The need for increased recycling of plastic packaging waste (PPW) is apparent from a legal and waste management perspective and, therefore, further waste streams need to be investigated in detail in terms of their recycling potential. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) PW is already closed-loop [...] Read more.
The need for increased recycling of plastic packaging waste (PPW) is apparent from a legal and waste management perspective and, therefore, further waste streams need to be investigated in detail in terms of their recycling potential. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) PW is already closed-loop recyclable (bottle-to-bottle recycling); however, other rigid PET PW is mainly thermally recovered. Explicit quantitative and qualitative data on rigid PET packaging waste are limited. Therefore, this study investigates the composition and packaging characteristics of rigid PET packaging waste contained in separate waste collection as well as in the mixed PET sorting stream in Austria by conducting a manual sorting analysis. Furthermore, the waste volume is projected, and the recycling potential is extrapolated according to new European recycling rate reporting formats. The results show that approximately 11% of separate collection represents rigid PET packaging waste. Most PW derives from food packaging and is transparent. Contained residues with more than 1% of the total packaging weight might negatively impact the sortability. The applicable net quantity indicator (ALR) amounts to 0.888 at the stage of sorting. The volume of rigid PET PW is extrapolated to 26–36 kt in 2020 with a high-quality recycling rate of 25%, which contributes 2.6% to the Austrian PPW recycling target of 50%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: Resource Conservation, Reuse and Recycling)
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18 pages, 1618 KiB  
Article
Investigating the Potential Adoption of Product-Service Systems in the Luggage Industry to Promote Sustainability
by Donald Wilson and Eleni Iacovidou
Resources 2023, 12(8), 94; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources12080094 - 07 Aug 2023
Viewed by 1148
Abstract
The travel-goods industry is an essential part of the larger travel and tourism sector, but it allegedly creates significant environmental impacts due to resource and energy consumption. This study investigates the potential of the product-service system (PSS) models to promote the transition to [...] Read more.
The travel-goods industry is an essential part of the larger travel and tourism sector, but it allegedly creates significant environmental impacts due to resource and energy consumption. This study investigates the potential of the product-service system (PSS) models to promote the transition to a sustainable travel industry in the future. It explores the drivers and barriers to PSS adoption within the luggage industry from a theoretical perspective and identifies opportunities for value creation using both consumer and luggage industry viewpoints. Four hypothetical PSS models are developed to highlight different pathways to PSS adoption, underpinned with empirical data collected via a consumer survey and semi-structured interviews with industry experts. Even though the analysis revealed shifting consumer attitudes towards servitisation concepts within the travel-goods market, at present, the widespread adoption of PSS is hindered by the fragmented nature of global supply chains and entrenched ownership values. Addressing supply chain issues in a way that empowers end-of-life systems to sustainably manage products beyond their functional obsolescence is critical. In parallel, product-oriented PSS models are more likely to increase, driven by a burgeoning resale market and supported by digital technologies, which in turn can lead to greater prospects for use-oriented PSS adoption in the long-term that would eventually promote sustainability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: Resource Conservation, Reuse and Recycling)
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21 pages, 602 KiB  
Article
Benefits and Limitations of Indicators for Monitoring the Transformation towards a Circular Economy in Poland
by Agnieszka Nowaczek, Ewa Dziobek and Joanna Kulczycka
Resources 2023, 12(2), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources12020024 - 02 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2881
Abstract
More and more attention is paid to the circular economy (CE) and indicators that enable the monitoring and verification of the progress of transformation at various levels (the European Union, countries, regions, companies, etc.). Many analyses of CE indicators for different levels have [...] Read more.
More and more attention is paid to the circular economy (CE) and indicators that enable the monitoring and verification of the progress of transformation at various levels (the European Union, countries, regions, companies, etc.). Many analyses of CE indicators for different levels have been presented in the literature, but the benefits of their implementation and their limitations have not been discussed individually. The aim of the work is to identify and verify, based on the research conducted, CE indicators relating to sustainable production, along with their advantages and limitations. The article presents the selection process as well as the potential benefits and limitations of using indicators to assess the transformation towards a CE as identified for the Polish economy. The practical aim is to apply the indicators identified to different sectors of the economy. An important element of the work is the proposal for the process of selecting CE indicators that monitor the CE transformation based on their advantages and limitations, taking into account the goals and obligations set out in the main strategic documents of Poland and the EU, the process of consultations with industry, and the structure of the economy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: Resource Conservation, Reuse and Recycling)
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Review

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38 pages, 4244 KiB  
Review
A Review on the Recovery and Separation of Gallium and Indium from Waste
by Joanna Kluczka
Resources 2024, 13(3), 35; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources13030035 - 01 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1575
Abstract
Gallium and indium are crucial metals in various industries, such as the medical and telecommunication industries. They can find applications as pure metals, alloys and alloy admixtures, oxides, organometallic compounds, and compounds with elements such as nitrogen or arsenic. Recovery of these two [...] Read more.
Gallium and indium are crucial metals in various industries, such as the medical and telecommunication industries. They can find applications as pure metals, alloys and alloy admixtures, oxides, organometallic compounds, and compounds with elements such as nitrogen or arsenic. Recovery of these two metals from waste is an important issue for two main reasons. First, gallium and indium are scattered in the Earth’s crust and their minerals are too rare to serve as a primary source. Second, e-waste contributes to the rapidly growing problem of Earth littering, as its amount increased significantly in recent years. Therefore, it is essential to develop and implement procedures that will enable the recovery of valuable elements from waste and limit the emission of harmful substances into the environment. This paper discusses technological operations and methods that are currently used or may be used to produce pure gallium and indium or their oxides from waste. The first step was described—waste pretreatment, including disassembly and sorting in several stages. Then, mechanical treatment as well as physical, chemical, and physicochemical separations were discussed. The greatest emphasis was placed on the hydrometallurgical methods of gallium and indium recovery, to be more precise on the extraction and various sorption methods following the leaching stage. Methods of obtaining pure metals or metal oxides and their refining processes were also mentioned. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: Resource Conservation, Reuse and Recycling)
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10 pages, 499 KiB  
Review
Food Waste in Public Food Service Sector—Surplus and Leftovers
by Carla Gonçalves, Sónia Saraiva, Fernando Nunes and Cristina Saraiva
Resources 2023, 12(10), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources12100120 - 08 Oct 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2258
Abstract
Food waste occurs at various stages of the food supply chain, starting from the production stage on farms to processing, distribution, and consumption. It is an important global problem that has social, environmental, ethical, and economic costs. The present work aims to discuss [...] Read more.
Food waste occurs at various stages of the food supply chain, starting from the production stage on farms to processing, distribution, and consumption. It is an important global problem that has social, environmental, ethical, and economic costs. The present work aims to discuss the differences in waste generated from surpluses or leftovers, the monitoring systems of food waste in public food services, and the good practices to reduce food waste. Besides the accessible knowledge about reducing waste, tonnes of food were daily discarded and wasted. To achieve a sustainable food system, food waste must be reduced significantly. Collaborative efforts are necessary to achieve significant reductions in food waste for achieving SDG 12.3 in public food services. Thus, policies that support or enforce larger implementation of best practices are needed. Knowledge about food waste is important to change attitudes and behaviors toward surplus food and leftovers. Some best practices can include promoting awareness campaigns to educate staff about the impact of food waste and the best practices to reduce it, including information on proper storage, portion control, and meal planning; implementing inventory management systems; donating surplus food via collaboration with food banks and charities; optimizing portion sizes, ensuring they are adequate and manageable for customers, reducing the likelihood of leftover food on the plate; allowing customers to order smaller quantities or share a meal; providing packaging to allow customers take their leftovers home for later consumption. The procedures to be adopted by public food services should provide guidance for the selection of products that can be donated. However, specific temperature requirements depending on the food category should be complied with. This paper enlarges the understanding of surpluses and leftovers and the best practices that could be implemented in public food services to minimize food waste. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Editorial Board Members' Collection Series: Resource Conservation, Reuse and Recycling)
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