A Review of the Key Findings from the Special Issue on “Life Cycle Sustainability Analysis of Resource Recovery from Waste Management Systems in the Context of Circular Models of the Economy and the Bioeconomy”

This special issue (SI) arises with the aim of addressing further the concern that sustainable waste management from the perspective of the Circular Economy (CE) can contribute towards a just and sustainable post-fossil carbon society. The time has come for CE-based societies in which responsible and sustainable ways of dealing with waste will be implemented and pursued. A successful transition will require the planning, design, testing and implementation of waste-based products that meet the three dimensions of sustainability or the 17 UN Sustainable Development Objectives. The SI further contributed to the awareness that waste can be valorised as a zero-burden resource and sustainably transformed into value-added material and energy commodities. It has also allowed to understand that CE principles can be applied to a wide range of sectors and issues, and that there are several scientifically based methodologies, such as LCA and related others. These methodologies were confirmed by this SI’s articles to be quite effective in scientifically assessing the impacts of CE measures on the systems to which they are applied. Finally, the SI confirmed the importance of academic research for assessing and stimulating the integrated sustainability of waste recovery systems from a CE point of view. In this way, the SI could serve as a platform for the advancement of knowledge on new methodologies, practical applications, state-of-the-art analysis, findings and lessons learned in such an important and up-to-date research field.