Érika Celestino is a full researcher at CEGIST, at the Instituto Superior Técnico of the University of Lisbon, and holds a PhD in Sustainability Sciences from the University of Lisbon (2026), awarded unanimously with distinction and honours. Her research focuses on the circular economy, the management of household organic waste, and the environmental and economic assessment of separate collection strategies, using life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost analysis (LCC). She is the author of scientific articles published in international journals, including the Journal of Cleaner Production and Sustainable Development.

She contributed to the drafting of Portugal’s National Circular Economy Plan, in a collaboration between the Portuguese Environment Agency and the Instituto Superior Técnico. As part of the ISLANDS Atlantic project, funded by the GEF and implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme, she carried out consultancy work in the field of chemicals and hazardous waste management, including train-the-trainer programmes and materials tailored to the institutional, legal and socio-environmental contexts of the participating countries.

Between 2024 and 2026, she was a guest lecturer on the ‘Global Challenges’ module at the Instituto Superior Técnico, where she taught on the Sustainable Development Goals and was awarded the Diploma for Excellence in Teaching. Her career combines training in communication and marketing with experience in team management and human resources, helping to bridge the gap between research, public policy and the involvement of different stakeholders. She also takes part in initiatives to raise awareness and promote selective waste collection, food waste reduction, composting and the circular economy.