Advancing Sustainability: Membrane Solutions in the Circular Economy

Membrane technology is poised at the forefront of addressing substantial societal needs, particularly within critical sectors such as freshwater supply, food processing, energy generation, and healthcare. The 4th International Congress of the African Membrane Society (AMSIC-4), scheduled to be held in Ethiopia in November 2024, is set to delve into how advanced membrane science can be applied to meet these needs amidst global challenges. The focus will be on using locally sourced materials and advanced manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing, nanofiber formation, and surface functionalization, to develop homegrown membrane filter prototypes. These efforts are critical in the face of persistent global instability, highlighting the need for local solutions that reduce dependency on external resources and technologies.

This Research Topic seeks to advance our understanding of green manufacturing processes by utilizing membrane-based technologies to fulfill regional demands while promoting a sustainable and healthy ecosystem. By integrating bio-sourced materials and renewable energy sources, the research aims to develop sustainable filtration processes that conform to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. These processes are intended to support community needs, particularly in developing regions lacking substantive industrial infrastructure, by fostering scalable, innovative solutions that minimize the environmental footprint.

Given the gaps in membrane-based infrastructures within several southern hemisphere locales, this topic's scope is strategically focused on actionable, scalable membrane applications with a significant positive environmental impact. To gather further insights within these parameters, the following themes are highlighted:
- Transitioning from laboratory advances in membrane and media fabrication to practical, scalable production settings.
- Development of membrane-based green processes, including the adoption of bio-sourced materials and the leveraging of resilient circular schemes.
- Deployment of decentralized and autonomous filtration systems to enable sustainable community services.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Keywords: Membrane fabrication techniques, green processes, circular economy, renewable energy sources, bio-sources materials, autonomous filtration systems

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.