Is Journal of Cleaner Production a Good Journal? Impact Factor, Scope, and Fit Guide
Journal of Cleaner Production (IF 10.0) is one of the highest-impact sustainability journals. This guide covers its editorial scope, how it compares to Resources Conservation & Recycling and MDPI Sustainability, and when it fits.
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Journal fit
See whether this paper looks realistic for Journal of Cleaner Production.
Run the Free Readiness Scan with Journal of Cleaner Production as your target journal and see whether this paper looks like a realistic submission.
Journal of Cleaner Production at a glance
Key metrics to place the journal before deciding whether it fits your manuscript and career goals.
What makes this journal worth targeting
- IF 10.0 puts Journal of Cleaner Production in a visible tier — citations from papers here carry real weight.
- Scope specificity matters more than impact factor for most manuscript decisions.
- Acceptance rate of ~~20-25% means fit determines most outcomes.
When to look elsewhere
- When your paper sits at the edge of the journal's stated scope — borderline fit rarely improves after submission.
- If timeline matters: Journal of Cleaner Production takes ~~45 day. A faster-turnaround journal may suit a grant or job deadline better.
- If OA is required: gold OA costs ~$3,900 USD. Check institutional agreements before submitting.
How to read Journal of Cleaner Production as a target
This page should help you decide whether Journal of Cleaner Production belongs on the shortlist, not just whether it sounds impressive.
Question | Quick read |
|---|---|
Best for | Journal of Cleaner Production is a major journal for sustainability, industrial ecology, and cleaner. |
Editors prioritize | Clear cleaner production or sustainability framing - not general environmental science |
Think twice if | Submitting general environmental science without a production or consumption system link |
Typical article types | Research Article, Review Article, Short Communication |
Journal of Cleaner Production (JCP) is one of the highest-impact journals in sustainability research, with an IF of 9.7 and Q1 ranking in both Environmental Sciences and Green/Sustainable Technology. It publishes over 5,000 papers per year and has become the default target for researchers working on sustainability systems, circular economy, and industrial ecology.
But that popularity creates a specific problem: many papers submitted to JCP are general environmental science dressed in sustainability language. Understanding the journal's actual editorial scope - and whether your paper fits it - is worth more than knowing its impact factor.
JCP at a glance
Metric | Value |
|---|---|
Impact Factor (2024 JCR) | 10.0 |
CiteScore (2024) | 17.1 |
Publisher | Elsevier |
APC (gold OA) | ~$3,800 (OA option available) |
Subscription publication | Available |
Acceptance rate | ~20-25% |
Annual volume | 5,000+ papers/year |
Quartile | Q1 in Environmental Sciences; Q1 in Green & Sustainable Technology |
Scope | Cleaner production, circular economy, industrial ecology, sustainability systems |
The editorial distinction: "cleaner production" is not a synonym for "environmental"
JCP's scope is narrower than many authors assume. The journal wants research that improves how production, consumption, or industrial systems operate from a sustainability perspective. The operative word is systems.
Papers that fit JCP well typically answer one of these questions:
- How does this change make a production process cleaner or more resource-efficient?
- How does this intervention improve a supply chain's environmental performance?
- How does this policy, technology, or design reduce the environmental footprint of consumption?
- What does this life cycle assessment reveal about system-level sustainability improvements?
Papers that struggle at JCP are those that study an environmental phenomenon without connecting it to production or consumption. Measuring pollutant levels in a river is environmental science. Showing how a factory redesign reduces those pollutant levels by 40% is cleaner production. The journal wants the second type.
How JCP compares to realistic alternatives
Feature | JCP | Resources Conserv. Recycling | J. Environmental Mgmt | Sustainability (MDPI) | J. Industrial Ecology |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IF (2024) | 10.0 | 11.2 | 8.0 | 3.3 | 5.1 |
CiteScore | 17.1 | 18.0 | 13.7 | 5.8 | 9.8 |
APC (OA) | ~$3,800 | ~$3,600 | ~$3,400 | ~$2,400 | ~$3,500 |
Acceptance rate | ~20-25% | ~20% | ~25-30% | ~50-60% | ~25-30% |
Editorial focus | Cleaner production systems | Resource management, circular economy | Broad environmental management | Broad sustainability (MDPI) | Industrial ecology methodology |
Selectivity signal | Strong | Strong | Moderate | Weak | Good |
Four comparisons that matter:
JCP vs. Resources, Conservation and Recycling: RCR (IF 11.2) is actually higher-IF and focuses specifically on resource management and circular economy. If your paper is primarily about material flows, recycling systems, or resource efficiency, RCR may be the stronger target. JCP is broader and better for papers that span production, consumption, and policy dimensions.
JCP vs. J. Environmental Management: JEM (IF 8.0) is broader in environmental scope but lower-IF. It is often the better fit for environmental management studies that do not have a strong production-system angle.
JCP vs. Sustainability (MDPI): This is not a close comparison. JCP (IF 10.0, ~20-25% acceptance) and Sustainability (IF 3.3, ~50-60% acceptance) serve very different markets. If your paper can compete at JCP, it should not be at Sustainability. If it cannot, the question is whether the paper needs more work or a different Elsevier-tier journal - not whether to drop to MDPI.
JCP vs. J. Industrial Ecology: JIE (IF 5.1) is methodologically focused and excellent for LCA and material flow analysis. JCP is better when the paper has both methodology and system-level implications.
Submit if
- Your paper demonstrates a measurable improvement in a production, consumption, or supply-chain system's sustainability performance
- The work uses a recognized sustainability assessment framework (LCA, material flow analysis, eco-efficiency analysis) with proper uncertainty and sensitivity treatment
- The implications are actionable - a firm, policymaker, or system designer could use the findings
- The paper integrates multiple sustainability dimensions (environmental, economic, social) rather than reporting one narrow technical result
- Your work fits the cleaner-production, circular-economy, or industrial-ecology framing naturally, without forcing the language
Journal fit
See whether this paper looks realistic for Journal of Cleaner Production.
Run the scan with Journal of Cleaner Production as the target. Get a manuscript-specific fit signal before you commit.
Think twice if
- The paper is environmental monitoring, ecology, or pollution measurement without a production-system connection - JCP will desk-reject this
- The sustainability framing is a paragraph in the introduction rather than the organizing logic of the entire paper
- The LCA or sustainability assessment lacks uncertainty analysis, sensitivity testing, or system boundary justification - JCP reviewers flag this consistently
- The study is purely qualitative or conceptual without quantitative evidence of environmental improvement
- The real audience is environmental engineers or ecologists rather than sustainability systems researchers
What strong JCP papers share
The highest-cited JCP papers follow a recognizable structure:
- Problem framed as a system gap: not "pollutant X is harmful" but "the current production process for Y wastes Z% of input materials"
- Intervention with measurable outcomes: a technology, policy, design change, or supply-chain reconfiguration that improves the system
- Quantified improvement: LCA results, efficiency gains, emission reductions - with uncertainty ranges
- Comparison against baseline and alternatives: not just "better than before" but "better than the three leading approaches in the literature"
- Actionable implications: what should practitioners, firms, or policymakers do differently based on these findings
The volume and reputation question
JCP's rapid growth (from ~2,000 papers/year in 2018 to 5,000+ today) has led some researchers to question whether it is becoming a "mega-journal." The evidence says no - the IF has remained stable around 9-10 during this growth, acceptance rates have held at 20-25%, and CiteScore has actually increased. The editorial team has actively tightened scope requirements to maintain quality.
That said, the high volume means your paper competes with many others for attention. Strong framing and clear, quantified results matter more here than at a smaller journal.
Bottom line
Journal of Cleaner Production is one of the best venues in sustainability research for papers that demonstrate real, measurable improvements in production and consumption systems. Its IF of 9.7 and strong citation metrics reflect a journal that has maintained quality despite growth. The fit test is straightforward: does your paper make a system cleaner, and can you prove it with numbers?
If you are unsure whether your sustainability framing is strong enough for JCP, a JCP submission readiness check can evaluate your system-level argument and suggest whether JCP, RCR, or another venue is the best strategic fit.
Before you submit
A JCP submission readiness check identifies the specific framing and scope issues that trigger desk rejection before you submit.
- Journal of Cleaner Production journal profile, Manusights.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. JCP is one of the leading sustainability journals with an IF of 9.7 and Q1 ranking in Environmental Sciences and Green Technology. It publishes research on cleaner production, circular economy, industrial ecology, and sustainability systems. The journal has grown substantially in recent years and now publishes over 5,000 papers annually.
JCP has an acceptance rate of approximately 20-25%. The journal has tightened its editorial screen in recent years, particularly against papers that use sustainability language without demonstrating a real production or consumption system improvement.
JCP (IF 10.0) and Sustainability (IF 3.3) occupy very different positions. JCP is a selective Elsevier journal with strong indexing, rigorous review, and high citation rates. Sustainability (MDPI) has a much higher acceptance rate, lower IF, and less selectivity signal. For career purposes and research visibility, JCP is substantially stronger.
JCP covers cleaner production processes, circular economy, industrial ecology, sustainable supply chains, life cycle assessment with system implications, clean energy technology deployment, sustainable consumption, and environmental policy with production-system consequences. The common thread is that research must connect to how production or consumption systems become more sustainable.
JCP typically returns a first decision in 6-10 weeks. The journal uses Elsevier's editorial system with an initial editorial screening phase. Desk rejections are common for papers outside the cleaner-production scope, which means a fast no is better than a slow mismatch at another journal.
Sources
- 1. Journal of Cleaner Production homepage, Elsevier.
- 2. Journal of Cleaner Production guide for authors, Elsevier.
- 3. Clarivate Journal Citation Reports (released June 2025).
Final step
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Run the Free Readiness Scan with Journal of Cleaner Production as your target journal and get a manuscript-specific fit signal before you commit.
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Where to go next
Same journal, next question
- Journal of Cleaner Production Submission Guide
- How to Avoid Desk Rejection at Journal of Cleaner Production
- Journal of Cleaner Production Review Time: Time to First Decision and Publication
- Journal of Cleaner Production Acceptance Rate: How Hard Is It to Get Published?
- Journal of Cleaner Production Impact Factor 2026: 10.0, Q1, Rank 23/374
- Chemical Engineering Journal vs Journal of Cleaner Production
Supporting reads
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