Circular Plastic Technologies: From Materials Design to Environmental Management

This Special Issue addresses the growing environmental challenges and technological opportunities associated with plastics across their full life cycle, from material design and production to use, recovery, recycling, and environmental management. The topic is important because plastic-related systems are increasingly linked to resource depletion, pollution, and sustainability concerns, while also offering major opportunities for circular innovation. The issue covers conventional plastics, bioplastics, and microplastics in environmental compartments such as water, air, soil, sediment, and biota, together with strategies for mitigation, recovery, and sustainable use.

The aim of this Special Issue is to provide an interdisciplinary platform for recent advances in plastic-related technologies that support environmental sustainability. The scope includes plastic synthesis, modification, and functionalization, bioplastic production from agricultural, food, and industrial residues, microplastic occurrence and monitoring, recycling and upcycling, conversion of plastic waste into fuels, char, biochar, and other value-added products, and treatment or control approaches for emissions and waste streams associated with plastic production, use, and recycling. Contributions applying life cycle assessment, circular economy analysis, techno-economic evaluation, and sustainability assessment are especially welcome, including studies on manufacturing systems, plastic waste management, and wastewater treatment related to plastic processing and recycling activities.

Suggested themes include innovations in plastic materials, bioplastic development, microplastic monitoring, waste valorization, circular production and recovery systems, life cycle assessment, and sustainable management approaches.