Selected Papers from the 6th International Conference Wastes 2023, 6-8 September 2023, Coimbra, Portugal

WASTES: Solutions, Treatments and Opportunities IV contains selected papers presented at the 6th edition of the International Conference Wastes: Solutions, Treatments and Opportunities, that took place on 6-8 September 2023, in Coimbra, Portugal. The Wastes conference, which takes place biennially, is a prime forum for sharing innovations, technological developments and sustainable solutions for waste management and recycling sectors worldwide, with the participation of experts from academia and industry. The papers included in this book cover a wide range of topics, including:

- Management of waste streams

- Environmental, economic and social aspects in waste management

- Logistics, policies, regulatory constraints and markets in waste management

- Waste-to-energy technologies

- Life cycle assessment and carbon footprint

- Biological treatment techniques

- Waste treatment and valorization technologies

- Circular economy and industrial symbioses

- Smart technologies and digital tools in waste management

- Recycling of wastes and resources recovery

- Wastes refineries

- Food waste management and bioeconomy

- Plastic waste impacts, management strategies and solutions

- Wastes as critical raw materials resources

WASTES: Solutions, Treatments and Opportunities IV is aimed at academics and professionals involved in waste management and recycling sectors globally.

Cândida Vilarinho is an Associate Professor at University of Minho, Department of Mechanical Engineering, in the disciplinary area of Materials / Mechanical of Materials. Her R&D activity is developed at Metrics - Center for Mechanical Engineering and Resource Sustainability, in the fields of materials science and technology, eco-materials, waste management and treatment, life cycle analysis and circular economy. Her research activity resulted in different scientific papers as well as in the coordination or participation in national and international research projects. She is the Chairman of the Administrative Board of CVR - Center for Waste Valorization since 2012. She is also the Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the International Conference Wastes: Solutions, Treatments and Opportunities, since its first edition.

Fernando Castro is a Full Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Minho. With background as metallurgical engineer (1982), he devoted the research activities to metal processing, metallic alloys properties and treatment of industrial wastes. He is the Director of the Chemical Analysis Laboratory of TecMinho, in Guimarães, Portugal and promoted the formation of CVR – Centro para a Valorização de Resíduos, being the leader of this university/companies interface from 2002 till 2012. He is author of more than 200 scientific papers and directed more than 70 research projects, some of them at international level.

Margarida J Quina is an Associate Professor in the Chemical Engineering Department of the University of Coimbra. She obtained her PhD degree in 2006. Since 2022, she is the Director of the Research Centre of Chemical Engineering Processes and Forest Products (CIEPQPF). Currently, she coordinates/participates in Courses for Bachelor, Master, and Ph.D. degrees related mainly to Sustainability and Industrial Ecology, Environmental Protection, Circular Economy and Carbon Management. Her research activities have been devoted mainly to applying Chemical Engineering approaches to environmental protection, sustainable development, and circular economy. She participated in several R&D Projects and published more than 110 research papers (H-index 28 in Scopus).