Contact Dr Stuart Wagland
- Tel: +44 (0) 1234 750111
- Email: s.t.wagland@cranfield.ac.uk
- ORCID
Background
Professor Wagland is an experienced waste management professional, applying his background in chemistry to understanding waste characteristics, developing novel analysis techniques and developing pathways for the thermochemical conversion of wastes into fuels and chemicals. He has a PhD in waste chemistry from Cranfield University and his other degrees include a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry and an MSc in Display Technology (physics, chemistry and electronic engineering).
Professor Wagland is a Chartered Chemist [CChem], a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry [FRSC], and a Fellow of the Higher Education Association [FHEA]. Since commencing his academic career, Dr Wagland has also obtained a PgCert in Academic Practice (awarded in 2016).
Dr Wagland joined Cranfield in 2009 as a Research Fellow, progressing to academic posts including Academic Fellow, Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader to his current position of Chair in Thermochemical Conversion.
Professor Wagland has expertise in the properties of solid waste materials, thermochemical processes and enhanced landfill mining. His expertise spans waste and fuel characterisation techniques, waste treatment technologies and energy recovery processes (including anaerobic digestion, incineration, gasification and pyrolysis). Professor Wagland's work on UK-wide assessment of waste contributed to substantial government investment in a demonstrator advanced thermal treatment facility aimed at accelerating the development of the UK capability in advanced thermal conversion.
Research opportunities
I am currently recruiting for doctoral research students in the areas of waste management, thermochemical conversion and enhanced landfill mining. Please get in contact if you are interested in pursuing a doctorate in this area.
Current activities
Professor Wagland's research focuses on advancing the scientific understanding and practical application of thermochemical conversion technologies for industrial decarbonisation and sustainable resource management.
He has extensive experience leading and collaborating on research programmes supported by UK Research and Innovation, Innovate UK, the Ofwat Innovation Fund, UK Water Industry Research, European funding programmes and industrial partners. His research places particular emphasis on connecting fundamental scientific understanding with practical engineering challenges, developing specialist experimental facilities and enabling collaboration between academia, industry and policymakers.
His research programme integrates fundamental laboratory investigations with reactor development, process optimisation and pilot-scale demonstration. A particular emphasis is placed on understanding the behaviour of complex and heterogeneous feedstocks, including municipal and industrial wastes, plastics, sewage sludge and wet organic residues.
Advanced thermochemical conversion and reaction diagnostics
A central objective of Professor Wagland's research is to establish a mechanistic understanding of thermochemical conversion processes, connecting feedstock chemistry and material heterogeneity with reaction kinetics, intermediate species and final product distributions.
His research combines advanced characterisation, experimental diagnostics and predictive approaches to investigate how chemical interactions and operating conditions influence conversion pathways. This work aims to develop the scientific foundations for designing more selective, efficient and controllable thermochemical processes.
Wet advanced thermochemical conversion
Professor Wagland is developing research capabilities in hydrothermal processing and supercritical water technologies, particularly for feedstocks that are challenging to treat through conventional thermal processes.
Current activities include the development of a novel continuous-feed supercritical water oxidation reactor, designed to investigate the treatment of wet organic wastes and the destruction of persistent contaminants.
Research also explores hydrothermal conversion pathways for producing sustainable fuels and chemical intermediates from heterogeneous organic resources.
Sustainable fuels and chemicals
Professor Wagland leads and contributes to research investigating the conversion of waste materials into valuable fuels and chemicals.
This includes the thermochemical valorisation of waste plastics, the conversion of organic residues into sustainable fuel precursors and the development of technologies to recover valuable chemical products from materials traditionally regarded as wastes.
A key objective is to understand and control the chemical reactions responsible for product formation, enabling improved selectivity, product quality and resource efficiency.
Sewage sludge valorisation and emerging contaminants
Professor Wagland is involved in major collaborative research programmes investigating advanced thermal conversion technologies for sewage sludge management.
These activities include the development and demonstration of sewage sludge pyrolysis technologies, alongside research examining the fate of microplastics and other emerging contaminants during advanced thermal treatment.
Working with water industry partners and research organisations, this research aims to provide the scientific and engineering evidence needed to evaluate alternative sludge management pathways and support future technology adoption.
Resource recovery and enhanced landfill mining
Professor Wagland has an established research record in the characterisation and recovery of valuable resources from legacy wastes, landfills and industrial residues. His work has included the development of advanced waste characterisation techniques, investigations into the recovery of metals and critical raw materials, and research into the conversion of excavated plastics into fuels and chemicals.
Through international collaborative projects, including SMART GROUND, NEW-MINE and REGENERATIS, he has contributed to research addressing the technical and environmental challenges associated with recovering resources from historic waste deposits.
Clients
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
- Innovate UK
- UK Water Industry Research
- Ofwat Innovation Fund
- Horizon 2020
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Xu S, Bajón Fernández Y, Winter P & Wagland ST. (2026). Rethinking sewage sludge valorisation options and pathways via thermochemical output upgrading: a product-oriented analysis. Water Science & Technology, 93(5)
- Pan H, Yan X, Wagland ST & Liu Q. (2026). Reaction mechanisms and early-stage properties of sustainable calcium carbide residue-granulated blast furnace slag-fly ash alkali-activated composites. Materials, 19(11)
- Farid A, Alaghemand A, Alam MK, Estrada D, Evans DL, .... (2026). Vadose zone interfacial dynamics dictating per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) detection, transport, and remediation: a review. Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology, 25(3)
- Cheng X, Jiang D, Zhu W, Xu H, Ling Q, .... (2025). Iron and nitrogen co-doping biochar for simultaneous and efficient adsorption of oxytetracycline and norfloxacin from wastewater. Industrial Crops and Products, 226
- Rocamora I, Wagland ST, Hassard F, Villa R, Peces M, .... (2025). Supplementation strategies to control propionic acid accumulation resulting from ammonia inhibition in dry anaerobic digestion: osmoprotectants, activated carbon and trace elements. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 13(2)
- Marsay N, Wagland ST, Campo Moreno P & Alamar MC. (2025). Development and optimisation of ex situ portable X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for heterogenous post-metallurgical sites. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 47(8)
- Wagland ST, Canopoli L, Coulon F, Turner DC & Morgan GH. (2025). Unlocking circular economy potential: evaluating high-value chemical production from pyrolysis of plastics recovered from landfilled municipal solid waste. Waste Management, 206
- Zheng Y, Liu C, Wang J, Pan H, Yan X, .... (2025). High-dosage carbide slag-based cementitious material: workability, mechanical strength, and carbonation behavior with the performance enhancement. Case Studies in Construction Materials, 23
- Tezyapar Kara I, Wagland ST & Coulon F. (2024). Techno-economic assessment of bioleaching for metallurgical by-products. Journal of Environmental Management, 358
- Tezyapar Kara I, Huntington VE, Simmons N, Wagland ST & Coulon F. (2024). Extracting metal ions from basic oxygen steelmaking dust by using bio-hydrometallurgy. Heliyon, 10(11)
- Huntington VE, Coulon F & Wagland ST. (2024). Assessing metal extraction from metalliferous waste: A study using deep eutectic solvents and chelating agents vs. ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Journal of Environmental Management, 363
- Lee H, Coulon F & Wagland ST. (2023). The influence of humic acid on metal(loid)s leaching in landfill leachate for enhancing landfill mining. Science of the Total Environment, 896(October)
- Tezyapar Kara I, Kremser K, Wagland ST & Coulon F. (2023). Bioleaching metal-bearing wastes and by-products for resource recovery: a review. Environmental Chemistry Letters, 21(6)
- Lee H, Coulon F, Beriro DJ & Wagland ST. (2023). Increasing recovery opportunities of metal(loid)s from municipal solid waste via landfill leachate recirculation. Waste Management, 158(March)
- Huntington VE, Coulon F & Wagland ST. (2023). Innovative resource recovery from industrial sites: a critical review. Sustainability, 15(1)
- Rocamora I, Wagland ST, Hassard F, Villa R, Peces M, .... (2023). Inhibitory mechanisms on dry anaerobic digestion: Ammonia, hydrogen and propionic acid relationship. Waste Management, 161(April)
- Kumar M, Bolan S, Padhye LP, Konarova M, Foong SY, .... (2023). Retrieving back plastic wastes for conversion to value added petrochemicals: opportunities, challenges and outlooks. Applied Energy, 345(September)
- Wagland S. (2023). Editorial. Environmental Geotechnics, 10(7)
- Beik F, Williams L, Brown T & Wagland ST. (2023). Development and prototype testing of a novel small-scale pyrolysis system for the treatment of sanitary sludge. Energy Conversion and Management, 277(February)
- Tezyapar Kara I, Simmons N, Wagland ST & Coulon F. (2023). Unlocking the hidden value of industrial by-products: Optimisation of bioleaching to extract metals from basic oxygen steelmaking dust and goethite. Chemosphere, 343(December)
- Tezyapar Kara I, Marsay N, Huntington VE, Coulon F, Alamar MC, .... (2022). Assessing metal recovery opportunities through bioleaching from past metallurgical sites and waste deposits: UK case study. Detritus, 21(21)
- Rocamora I, Wagland ST, Rivas Casado M, Hassard F, Villa R, .... (2022). Managing full-scale dry anaerobic digestion: semi-continuous and batch operation. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 10(4)
- Nkulikiyinka P, Wagland ST, Manovic V & Clough PT. (2022). Prediction of combined sorbent and catalyst materials (CSCM) for SE-SMR, using QSPR and multi-task learning. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 61(26)
- Lee H, Coulon F, Beriro DJ & Wagland ST. (2021). Recovering metal(loids) and rare earth elements from closed landfill sites without excavation: leachate recirculation opportunities and challenges. Chemosphere, 292(April)
- Lee H, Coulon F & Wagland ST. (2021). Influence of pH, depth and humic acid on metal and metalloids recovery from municipal solid waste landfills. Science of The Total Environment, 806(February)
- Beik F, Williams L, Brown T & Wagland ST. (2021). Managing non-sewered human waste using thermochemical waste treatment technologies: a review. Energies, 14(22)
- Rocamora I, Wagland ST, Villa R, Simpson EW, Fernández O, .... (2021). Use of inoculum, water and percolate as strategy to avoid inhibition on dry-batch anaerobic digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste. Waste and Biomass Valorization, 13(1)
- Canopoli L, Coulon F & Wagland ST. (2019). Degradation of excavated polyethylene and polypropylene waste from landfill. Science of The Total Environment, 698
- Wagland ST, Coulon F & Canopoli L. (2019). Developing the case for enhanced landfill mining in the UK. Detritus, In Press(0)
- Burnley S, Wagland ST & Longhurst PJ. (2019). Using life cycle assessment in environmental engineering education. Higher Education Pedagogies, 4(1)
- Vrancken C, Longhurst PJ & Wagland ST. (2019). Deep learning in material recovery: Development of method to create training database. Expert Systems with Applications, 125
- Rocamora I, Wagland ST, Villa R, Simpson EW, Fernández O, .... (2019). Dry anaerobic digestion of organic waste: a review of operational parameters and their impact on process performance. Bioresource Technology, 299
- Jurado Pontes N, Somorin T, Kolios AJ, Wagland ST, Patchigolla K, .... (2018). Design and commissioning of a multi-mode prototype for thermochemical conversion of human faeces. Energy Conversion and Management, 163
- Dino GA, Rossetti P, Perotti L, Alberto W, Särkkä H, .... (2018). Landfill mining from extractive waste facilities: The importance of a correct site characterisation and evaluation of the potentialities. A case study from Italy. Resources Policy, 59
- Canopoli L, Fidalgo B, Coulon F & Wagland ST. (2018). Physico-chemical properties of excavated plastic from landfill mining and current recycling routes. Waste Management, 76
- Pastre G, Griffiths Z, Val J, Tasiu AM, Camacho-Dominguez EV, .... (2018). A decision support tool for enhanced landfill mining. Detritus, 1(March)
- Zhang J, Fidalgo B, Wagland ST, Shen D, Zhang X, .... (2018). Deoxygenation in anisole decomposition over bimetallic catalysts supported on HZSM-5. Fuel, 238
- Al-Badri SB, Jiang Y & Wagland ST. (2018). Possible interactions and interferences of copper, chromium, and arsenic during the gasification of contaminated waste wood. Energies, 11(8)
- Särkkä H, Kaartinen T, Hannus E, Hirvonen S, Valjus T, .... (2018). Investigation of municipal solid waste (MSW) and industrial landfills as a potential source of secondary raw materials. Detritus, 1(March)
- Darabkhani HG, Jurado Pontes N, Prpich G, Oakey JE, Wagland ST, .... (2017). Design, process simulation and construction of a 100 kW pilot-scale CO2 membrane rig: Improving in situ CO2 capture using selective exhaust gas recirculation (S-EGR). Journal of Natural Gas Science and Engineering, 50
- Vrancken C, Longhurst PJ & Wagland ST. (2017). Critical review of real-time methods for solid waste characterisation: Informing material recovery and fuel production. Waste Management, 61
- Onabanjo T, Kolios AJ, Patchigolla K, Wagland ST, Fidalgo B, .... (2016). An experimental investigation of the combustion performance of human faeces. Fuel, 184
- Hanak DP, Kolios A, Onabanjo T, Wagland ST, Patchigolla K, .... (2016). Conceptual energy and water recovery system for self-sustained nano membrane toilet. Energy Conversion and Management, 126
- Onabanjo T, Patchigolla K, Wagland ST, Fidalgo Fernandez B, Kolios A, .... (2016). Energy recovery from human faeces via gasification: A thermodynamic equilibrium modelling approach. Energy Conversion and Management, 118
- Frank RR, Cipullo S, Garcia J, Davies S, Wagland ST, .... (2016). Compositional and physicochemical changes in waste materials and biogas production across 7 landfill sites in UK. Waste Management, 63
- Frank RR, Davies S, Wagland ST, Villa R, Trois C, .... (2016). Evaluating leachate recirculation with cellulase addition to enhance waste biostabilisation and landfill gas production. Waste Management, 55
- Garcia J, Davies S, Villa R, Gomes DM, Coulon F, .... (2016). Compositional analysis of excavated landfill samples and the determination of residual biogas potential of the organic fraction. Waste Management, 55
- Onabanjo T, Kolios AJ, Patchigolla K, Wagland ST, Fidalgo Fernandez B, .... (2016). An experimental investigation of the combustion performance of human faeces.
- Cook E, Wagland S & Coulon F. (2015). Investigation into the non-biological outputs of mechanical–biological treatment facilities. Waste Management, 46
- Emkes H, Coulon F & Wagland ST. (2015). A decision support tool for landfill methane generation and gas collection. Waste Management, 43
- Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez SC, Coulon F, Jiang Y & Wagland S. (2015). Rare earth elements and critical metal content of extracted landfilled material and potential recovery opportunities. Waste Management, 42
- Peddireddy S, Longhurst PJ & Wagland ST. (2015). Characterising the composition of waste-derived fuels using a novel image analysis tool. Waste Management, 40
- Velis CA, Wagland ST, Longhurst PJ, Robson B, Sinfield K, .... (2013). Response to comment on "solid recovered fuel: Materials flow analysis and fuel property development during the mechanical processing of biodried waste". Environmental Science & Technology, 47(24)
- Philips KJO, Longhurst PJ & Wagland ST. (2013). Assessing the perception and reality of arguments against thermal waste treatment plants in terms of property prices. Waste Management, 34(1)
- Wagland ST, Dudley RA, Naftaly M & Longhurst PJ. (2013). Determination of renewable energy yield from mixed waste material from the use of novel image analysis methods. Waste Management, 33(11)
- Velis CA, Wagland S, Longhurst P, Robson B, Sinfield K, .... (2013). Solid Recovered Fuel: Materials Flow Analysis and Fuel Property Development during the Mechanical Processing of Biodried Waste. Environmental Science & Technology, 47(6)
- Velis C, Wagland S, Longhurst P, Robson B, Sinfield K, .... (2012). Solid Recovered Fuel: Influence of Waste Stream Composition and Processing on Chlorine Content and Fuel Quality. Environmental Science & Technology, 46(3)
- Wagland ST, Veltre F & Longhurst PJ. (2012). Development of an image-based analysis method to determine the physical composition of a mixed waste material. Waste Management, 32(2)
- Wagland ST, Kilgallon P, Coveney R, Garg A, Smith R, .... (2011). Comparison of coal/solid recovered fuel (SRF) with coal/refuse derived fuel (RDF) in a fluidised bed reactor. Waste Management, 31(6)
- Black I, Seaton R, Chackiath S, Wagland ST, Pollard SJT, .... (2011). The ‘bankability’ of the new waste technologies: an econometric method for risk sharing in private finance waste contracts. Environmental Technology, 32(15)
- Wagland ST, Godley AR & Tyrrel SF. (2011). Investigation of the application of an enzyme-based biodegradability test method to a municipal solid waste biodrying process. Waste Management, 31(7)
- Wagland ST & Tyrrel SF. (2010). Test methods to aid in the evaluation of the diversion of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) from landfill. Waste Management, 30(5)
- Wagland ST, Tyrrel SF, Godley AR & Smith R. (2009). Test methods to aid in the evaluation of the diversion of biodegradable municipal waste (BMW) from landfill. Waste Management, 29(3)
Conference Papers
- Al-Badri SB, Jiang Y & Wagland ST. (2018). Interactions and interferences of Cu, Cr and As during contaminated waste wood gasification: A thermodynamic equilibrium study
- Dino GA, Rossetti P, Lorenzi A, Mister I, Cazzaniga A, .... (2018). Exploiting secondary raw materials from extractive waste facilities: A case study
- Canopoli L, Fidalgo Fernandez B & Wagland ST. (2018). Characterisation of excavated plastics for thermochemical upcycling to platform chemicals and liquid fuels
- Al-Badri SB, Jiang Y & Wagland ST. (2018). Reduce toxic emissions of As, Cr, and Cu phases during woody biomass gasification: A thermodynamic equilibrium study
- Särkkä H, Kaartinen T, Hannus E, Hirvonen S, Valjus T, .... (2017). Assessing the opportunities of landfill mining as a source of critical raw materials in Europe
- Jurado N, Harradine M, Gomm S, Anthony EJ & Wagland ST. (2017). Prediction of syngas composition from pyrolysis of waste-derived feedstocks in the UK using Aspen Plus
- Dino GA, Rossetti P, Biglia G, Coulon F, Gomes DM, .... (2016). SMART GROUND Project: SMART data collection and integration platform to enhance availability and accessibility of data and information in the EU territory on secondary raw materials
- Wagland ST & Longhurst PJ. (2012). Monitoring of renewable energy yield of mixed wastes by image analysis of input residual waste materials
- Wagland ST, Smith R, Godley AR, Tyrrel SF & Blakey N. (2008). The development of a novel biodegradability test method based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose
- Wagland ST, Smith R, Godley AR, Tyrrel SF & Blakey N. (2007). Development and application of an Enzymatic Hydrolysis test to assess the biodegradability of organic waste material
- Wilson SL, Cranton WM, Ranson R, Koutsogeorgis DC, Mosley A, .... (2005). P‐169: Optimization of the Electrical and Optical Properties of Ink‐Jet‐Printed SnO(2):Sb using Thermal Annealing and Excimer‐Laser Processing
Books
- Wagland ST. (2019). Waste collection, sorting, and pretreatment In Substitute Natural Gas from Waste. Elsevier.
- Wagland ST. (2019). 3 Waste collection, sorting, and pretreatment In Substitute Natural Gas from Waste. Elsevier.
- Wagland ST & Pollard SJT. (2013). Treatment of Toxic Wastes In Pollution: Causes, Effects and Control. The Royal Society of Chemistry.
