International Journal of Sustainable Energy

Recent Innovations in Waste Valorization for Sustainable Energy: Technological Advances, Circularity, and Life-Cycle Perspectives

The rapid depletion of global fossil fuel reserves and the massive increase in waste generation due to population growth have received considerable attention in recent years. The attention towards the circular economy model over the linear disposal model has emerged as a key approach for addressing the growing challenges of resource depletion, waste generation, and environmental degradation. Recent developments in circular economy practices focus on converting waste into high-value products, energy, and other platform chemicals using advanced technologies and sustainable processes. With the rise in demand for energy sources, waste-to-energy strategies have gained significant attention in recent years for economic and municipal solid waste management. The biological conversion of solid waste and wastewater for the production of energy sources such as biohydrogen, biogas, bioethanol, etc., offers an environmentally friendly approach. Further innovations in this area, including the implementation of biorefinery systems, artificial intelligence-based technologies, IoT-based monitoring, etc., have significantly improved the process efficiency while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on landfills. These technological advancements not only promote sustainable production and consumption but also support economic growth.

This Article Collection invites submissions that align with the International Journal of Sustainable Energy's scope, focusing on the intersection of waste conversion for biofuel, circular energy systems, cleaner fuel production, techno-economic/LCA assessment of energy recovery pathways, etc.

We welcome original research articles, comprehensive review articles, and case studies that address, but are not limited to, the following subtopics:

• Advanced Waste-to-Energy Technologies
• Bioenergy and Biofuel Production from Waste
• Energy Recovery from Wastewater and Sewage Sludge
• Hydrogen Production from Waste-Derived Resources
• Circular Energy Systems and Industrial Symbiosis
• Life-Cycle Assessment and Environmental Sustainability
• Emerging Waste-Derived Fuels and Energy Carriers

Keywords: Waste Conversion for Energy; Green Energy; Cleaner fuel; Energy efficiency valorization; Circular energy system

­­All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is July 31, 2027.

Please contact [Zhan Yu] at [zhan.yu@taylorandfrancis.com] with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

Please be sure to select "Recent Innovations in Waste Valorization for Sustainable Energy: Technological Advances, Circularity, and Life-Cycle Perspectives" from the drop-down menu in the submission system.

Dr. Pritam Kumar Dikshit is currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biotechnology at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jalandhar, Punjab, India. He earned his Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati. Dr. Dikshit has published numerous peer-reviewed research papers in reputed journals. He is the recipient of the 7th National Award from the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Government of India, and the Young Scientist Award from the International Society for Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (ISEES) in recognition of his contributions to research and academia.

Dr. Prangya Ranjan Rout is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biotechnology at Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, India. His research work integrates experimental biotechnology with process intelligence, and translational sustainability solutions, with particular emphasis on scalable bioprocesses. Dr. Rout has authored over 150 scholarly contributions, including 66 peer-reviewed journal articles, 1 international and 2 national granted patents, 5 published patents, 3 books, 35 book chapters, and numerous invited conference contributions at national and international levels.

Dr. Manoj Kumar is currently serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biotechnology at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT) Jalandhar, Punjab, India. He completed his Ph.D. in 2022 from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati. He pursued postdoctoral research at the University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy, where he primarily worked on energy recovery from waste streams. Dr. Kumar’s research interests lie at the intersection of biotechnology, environmental sustainability, and nanotechnology, with a focus on developing innovative solutions for wastewater treatment and resource recovery.