Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Waste Management and Recycling for Sustainability

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 16 June 2024 | Viewed by 7851

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Junjie Shi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. Key Laboratory for Ecological Metallurgy of Multimetallic Minerals (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
2. School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Interests: urban mining; recycling; circular economy; thermodynamics; CALPHAD; metallurgical slag

Dr. Qing Zhao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. Key Laboratory for Ecological Metallurgy of Multimetallic Minerals (Ministry of Education), Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
2. School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Interests: metallurgical slag; carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS); Cr-bearing waste

Dr. Xingbang Wan

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Energy Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China
Interests: recycling; sulfation roasting; smelting; CFD modelling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to announce a new Special Issue of the journal Sustainability titled “Waste Management and Recycling for Sustainability”.

Increasing environmental and societal pressures in recent years have called for more responsible processing of end-of-life (EoL) waste. To achieve the aim of a sustainable future and circular economy, the development of technology to recycle and dispose of waste efficiently is urgently required. Wastes such as WEEE, LIBS, metallurgical slags, CO₂-bearing flue gas, etc. generated in manufacturing processes and industries have been raising concerns recently because of their high potential values and possibilities to be alternative metal resources considering the depletion of high-grade ores.

This Special issue will focus on recent advances in the microstructural properties of waste composites; innovative experimental techniques; analytical methods; and the design, production, and practical applications of disposing of these materials. We are especially interested in theories or technologies related to extracting and recycling metals from various wastes through physical, thermochemical or combined processes. The use of special characterization methods such as X-ray diffraction, SEM-EDS, and other thermal analysis is advisable.

We are pleased to invite scientists in the field of metallurgy, construction, environmental engineering, chemistry, materials engineering, and related fields to publish their own and original research articles and reviews in this Special Issue.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Thermodynamics and kinetics studies;
Innovation recycling technologies and processes;
E-waste recycling;
Spent lithium battery recycling;
Metallurgical slag recycling;
Phase diagram studies for waste oxides systems;
Carbon capture, utilization and storage.

Dr. Junjie Shi
Dr. Qing Zhao
Dr. Xingbang Wan
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

sustainability
metallurgy processes
urban minerals
phase diagram
thermodynamics
CCUS

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 3835 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multiphase Equilibrium Relationships between Copper Matte and CaO-Al₂O₃-Bearing Iron Silicate Slags in Combined Smelting of WEEE and Copper Concentrates

by Miao Tian, Qiongqiong Wang, Songsong Wang, Xingbang Wan, Qinmeng Wang and Xueyi Guo

Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 890; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020890 - 20 Jan 2024

Viewed by 562

Abstract

Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) contains various valuable metals, making it a potential secondary resource for sustainable metal usage. Pyrometallurgical smelting is an efficient technique to recycle WEEE by extracting precious metals into copper matte and removing impurities into slags. The impact of WEEE impurities such as CaO and Al₂O₃ on the phase compositions of the smelting products attracts great attention for industrial metal recovery. This study clarified the impact of CaO and Al₂O₃ on the equilibrium phase compositions of copper matte and SiO₂-saturated FeO_x-SiO₂-Al₂O₃-CaO slags. The high-temperature smelting experiments were taken at a controlled p(SO₂) of 0.1 atm and 1300 °C, followed by quenching and electron probe microanalysis. The results showed that the copper and sulfur in the smelting system were highly deported into copper matte, and their distribution in matte was enhanced by increasing CaO and Al₂O₃ concentrations introduced by WEEE. The chemical copper dissolution in slags increased with increasing matte grade but decreased by adding CaO and Al₂O₃. The iron was preferentially concentrated in slags, and higher matte grades improved the iron distribution in slags. The current experimental results enrich fundamental thermodynamic data and help optimize WEEE smelting operations for efficient recovery of valuable metals. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste Management and Recycling for Sustainability)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 3216 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ozone–Vacuum-Based Decontamination: Balancing Environmental Responsibility and Textile Waste

by Alexandra Bodoga, Andreea Nistorac, Alin Dragomir, Eugen Constantin Ailenei, Arina Seul, Mariana Diaconu, Catalin Dumitrel Balan and Maria Carmen Loghin

Sustainability 2023, 15(22), 16068; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152216068 - 17 Nov 2023

Viewed by 749

Abstract

This study explores the use of ozone decontamination as a sustainable approach for eradicating pathogens from various environments. Ozone, a highly reactive gas, demonstrates remarkable efficacy in eliminating bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Decontamination of textile materials using an innovative ozone treatment method conducted under vacuum conditions has been investigated. A hybrid apparatus comprising a vacuum and an ozone generator was employed for the decontamination process. Ozone decontamination offers environmental benefits by avoiding harmful by-products and minimising long-term environmental exposure. However, challenges include the need for proper equipment and training to ensure safety and effectiveness. This research underscores the promise of ozone decontamination as a powerful and eco-friendly method for pathogen eradication in textile materials with future developments in diverse settings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste Management and Recycling for Sustainability)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 1222 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste Collection Methods Focusing on Zero-Waste Management Using an Analytical Hierarchy Process

by Ömer Apaydin and Gül Sümeyra Akçay Han

Sustainability 2023, 15(17), 13184; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151713184 - 01 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2716

Abstract

The need to transition from a consumption-based waste hierarchy to a resource-conserving zero-waste management system for sustainable resource management has become unavoidable in today’s world. In this study, five different methods for waste separation at source were analyzed using an analytical hierarchy process based on five commonly used waste disposal methods. As a result of the analytical hierarchy analysis, ratios of 0.347, 0.286, 0.200, 0.101, and 0.066 were obtained for the five separation methods (0.347 for separation with six-parameter separate collection and 0.101 for mixed waste collection). The ratio of 0.286, achieved for the triple-separation method, was chosen to meet the requirements of the zero-waste regulation in Türkiye, and a district in Istanbul was selected as the study area. A model based on the residence density was developed. Within the scope of the model, the neighborhoods in the study area were statistically divided into three classes. By choosing one neighborhood from each class, route optimizations were made for both the existing routes and triple separations. The Network Analyst function in ArcGIS was used to determine the optimal routes based on the traveling distances and operational times of vehicles associated with each route. The results of the route-based analyses show that carbon dioxide emissions will increase by only 1.15% compared to the current situation, but the total amount will decrease in the long term if all waste management processes are carried out within the scope of zero-waste management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste Management and Recycling for Sustainability)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 9310 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Material Characterization and Physical Processing of a General Type of Waste Printed Circuit Boards

by Peijia Lin, Joshua Werner, Jack Groppo and Xinbo Yang

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13479; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142013479 - 19 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1730

Abstract

Due to the rapid development of electronic devices and their shortened lifespans, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), or E-waste, is regarded as one of the most fast-growing wastes. Among the categories of E-waste, waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) are considered the most complex waste materials, owing to their various constitutes, such as plastics, capacitors, wiring, and metal plating. To date, a variety of processing technologies have been developed and studied. However, due to the heterogeneous nature of WPCBs, a thorough study on both material characterization and physical separation was needed to provide a better understanding in material handling, as well as to prepare a suitable feedstock prior to the downstream chemical process. In the present study, integrated size and density separations were performed to understand the liberation of contained metals, particularly Cu and Au, from the plastic substrates. The separation performance was evaluated by the elemental concentration, distribution, and enrichment ratio of valuable metals in different size and density fractions. Further, SEM-EDS on the density separation products was carried out to characterize the surface morphology, elemental mapping, and quantified elemental contents. Moreover, thermo-gravimetric properties of waste PCBs were investigated by TGA, in order to understand the effect of temperature on volatile and combustible fractions during the thermal processing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste Management and Recycling for Sustainability)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

29 pages, 5046 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Stackelberg Game Analysis of E-Waste Recycling Stakeholders under Recovery Time Sensitivity and CRMs Life Expectancy Sensitivity

by Shu-Hao Li and Qiang Sun

Sustainability 2022, 14(15), 9054; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159054 - 24 Jul 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1223

Abstract

In order to discuss the participation selection strategy of relevant subjects in WEEE recycling, a Stackelberg game model of “recyclers—remanufacturers—government” in a WEEE recycling network is constructed, and the system’s stability strategy and conditions are analyzed. Besides this, the direct and indirect effects of recovery time sensitivity, CRMs’ life expectancy sensitivity, and government subsidies on the optimal decision-making of both recyclers and remanufacturers are explored. The results show that the system can achieve a stable and ideal equilibrium, and achieve win–win for all parties, through reasonable profit transfer and cost-sharing. The dual sensitivity of manufacturers’ demand and policy subsidies has the same qualitative impact on the decision variables of the recyclers and remanufacturers. The subsidies vary depending on the CRMs’ recovery effort level of remanufacturers, and these can incentivize the remanufacturers to increase CRMs’ life expectancy. Moreover, a cost-sharing contract between recyclers and remanufacturers can avoid “free-riding” behavior in WEEE recycling. The research can assist in the benefit coordination and behavior adjustment of WEEE recycling members, and provide a theoretical basis for governments to formulate appropriate recycling subsidies to promote the formal recycling of E-waste. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Waste Management and Recycling for Sustainability)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Waste Management and Recycling for Sustainability

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (5 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI