Human activities, from industry to daily life, create waste, and the way in which this waste is collected, stored, managed, and disposed of is a cause of concern. There are robust methods for waste management such as composting and landfill, but due to urban sprawl and the precarious environmental conditions caused by leachate and uncontrolled disposal, solid waste and sludge incineration (with energy recovery) is often preferred in industrialized countries. Factors like a high-volume reduction of about 90%, compact spatial requirements, the achievable potential for the decomposition, destruction, and immobilization or capture of any hazardous substances present or formed, and the effective recovery of energy facilitate the use of waste incineration. Due to the increasing consumption of non-renewable raw materials, including those needed for green technologies (batteries, magnets, LEDs, etc.) modern waste management should consider the added value to waste with the potential for resource recovery of secondary raw materials. Many studies have been developed over the past decade regarding the treatment of these residues through physical, chemical, and biological processes or a combination of them in advanced treatment trains.
Various innovative approaches for the treatment of anthropogenic materials are being extensively studied and debated. Nevertheless, nowadays most of the residues downstream of supply chains are still landfilled or scarcely valorized, which leads to a loss of valuable secondary resources. This Research Topic will focus on these types of waste produced, the possibility for the recovery of secondary resources, and cleaner production in the waste cycle. Of particular interest are works that show how valuable materials can be recovered from incineration residues with net environmental (life-cycle) benefits. Works that link urban waste management through incineration to renewable energy supply (e.g. refuse-derived fuel) and materials for green technologies are also of special interest. The final aim is to gather multifaceted research approaches to identify potential new ways for the sustainable treatment and management of incineration residues and the assessment and reduction of environmental impacts.
We welcome submissions on the following themes:
• Thermal processing of municipal waste and the management of incineration residues
• Environmental assessment of processes and anthropogenic materials
• (Bio)hydrometallurgy for remediation and resource recovery
• New technologies for metal/metalloid/trace element stabilization
• Regulation policies and best practices for reuse and recycling of solid waste, by-products, and low-value materials
Human activities, from industry to daily life, create waste, and the way in which this waste is collected, stored, managed, and disposed of is a cause of concern. There are robust methods for waste management such as composting and landfill, but due to urban sprawl and the precarious environmental conditions caused by leachate and uncontrolled disposal, solid waste and sludge incineration (with energy recovery) is often preferred in industrialized countries. Factors like a high-volume reduction of about 90%, compact spatial requirements, the achievable potential for the decomposition, destruction, and immobilization or capture of any hazardous substances present or formed, and the effective recovery of energy facilitate the use of waste incineration. Due to the increasing consumption of non-renewable raw materials, including those needed for green technologies (batteries, magnets, LEDs, etc.) modern waste management should consider the added value to waste with the potential for resource recovery of secondary raw materials. Many studies have been developed over the past decade regarding the treatment of these residues through physical, chemical, and biological processes or a combination of them in advanced treatment trains.
Various innovative approaches for the treatment of anthropogenic materials are being extensively studied and debated. Nevertheless, nowadays most of the residues downstream of supply chains are still landfilled or scarcely valorized, which leads to a loss of valuable secondary resources. This Research Topic will focus on these types of waste produced, the possibility for the recovery of secondary resources, and cleaner production in the waste cycle. Of particular interest are works that show how valuable materials can be recovered from incineration residues with net environmental (life-cycle) benefits. Works that link urban waste management through incineration to renewable energy supply (e.g. refuse-derived fuel) and materials for green technologies are also of special interest. The final aim is to gather multifaceted research approaches to identify potential new ways for the sustainable treatment and management of incineration residues and the assessment and reduction of environmental impacts.
We welcome submissions on the following themes:
• Thermal processing of municipal waste and the management of incineration residues
• Environmental assessment of processes and anthropogenic materials
• (Bio)hydrometallurgy for remediation and resource recovery
• New technologies for metal/metalloid/trace element stabilization
• Regulation policies and best practices for reuse and recycling of solid waste, by-products, and low-value materials
