New Call for Abstracts

Thank you to all authors who submitted their abstracts by the official deadline of 17 February. We are pleased to share that the response to the Call for Abstracts has been outstanding, with over 300 high-quality submissions received from 48 countries across the globe. You can explore the list of accepted papers and workshops.

In light of emerging hot topics and critical new challenges, we are pleased to announce that the Call for Abstracts has been reopened and the submission deadline extended to 16 June 2025. We warmly welcome additional contributions, with particular interest in submissions addressing these newly identified themes, while also continuing to consider proposals covering the full range of previously listed topics.

Topics of particular interest for additional paper submissions, workshop proposals, interactive labs, and focus sessions, are the following:

• Design and production of sustainable products in alignment with circular economy (CE) strategies, promoting reuse, remanufacturing, recycling, and sustainable end-of-life management.
• Circular integration of energy, solid, and liquid waste flows in eco-city models.
• Reuse and repair strategies: Evaluating their real-world impact on the circular economy—are current initiatives sufficient, and how can they be scaled?
• Emerging pollutants in waste management: Analytical challenges and implications for circular economy systems.
• Pharmaceutical residues and other contaminants in sewage sludge: Current understanding and treatment approaches.
• Artificial Intelligence applications in waste management: Specific tools and case studies tailored to different sectors.
• New EU regulations: Is the policy landscape moving in the right direction for a circular and sustainable future?
• Sustainable management of hazardous asbestos-containing materials: Technologies for containment, stabilization, inertization, land use considerations, and health/environmental protection.
• The role and design of waste deposition in circular economy: What types of residues should be accommodated into the soil, how should these deposits be engineered, and how can they be integrated into circular systems? Should such deposits be temporary (recoverable at later stage) or final? Sustainable landfilling, sink on soil, closing the material loops in circular economy: differences, environmental targets, need of regulations, etc.

Additionally, the following topics, proposed for the opening session, may inspire new abstract submissions or dedicated sessions:

• The future of Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and challenges for environmental,sustainable and circular applications.
• Chemicals in consumer products: Food, cosmetics, detergents, toys – emerging risks and regulatory perspectives.
• Pharmaceutical residues in urine and sewage treatment plants: A growing concern for water and waste management systems.
• Trends in sustainable tourism.
• Media and the circular economy: The role of journalism in shaping public awareness and policy discourse.
• Recovery of strategic resource by landfill mining: real technical and economical feasibility.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and continuing to foster a vibrant, global dialogue on the future of waste management and the circular economy.

Read the submission guidelines and submit your abstract!