Waste and Biomass Valorization

Until the 1990s, technology was the main driver when dealing with waste and residues, the objective being the treatment of waste for (landfill) disposal, storage, and in some cases sorting. In the 1990s, depletion of raw materials and socio-economical concerns supported the direct recycling of waste and residues. However, the direct recycling approach is limited when waste/residues contain significant amounts of pollutants such as heavy metals and organics (VOC, PAH), and when the treatment process to remove/stabilize or destruct the pollutant generates emissions. Due to depletion of natural resources, increasing greenhouse emissions, and awareness of the need for sustainable development in terms of safely reusing waste and biomass, the transformation of waste/biomass to valuable materials and energy (i.e. valorization) is emerging as a strong trend

《废物和生物质估价》是国际上第一本专门讨论通过化学、热、生物或电化学处理将废物和生物质转化为材料和能源的期刊，而不是处理废物和生物质以消除/销毁的期刊。在全球迈向更环保、资源效率更高、气候适应性更强的经济的过程中，该期刊探讨如何将生物质、副产品、残留物和废物转化为能源和增值材料，并打算在能源和环境向可持续发展转型的过程中发挥有意义的作用，这与支持联合国可持续发展目标（SDGs）的坚定承诺是一致的。