Unlocking new value from urban biowaste

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Every year each European citizen produces on average 200 kg of municipal biowaste. This means that between 118 and 138 million tonnes of biowaste arise annually in the EU.

The municipal biowaste management systems that currently exist in Europe, such as landfilling, do not give a second life to materials or resources contained in the biowaste. Other alternatives such as incineration and composting do not allow to take full advantage of the biowaste potential.

Today, one of the challenges for biowaste management is to integrate a valorisation system in a city context, and to recover products with a market value that offsets the global cost of biowaste valorising.

VALUEWASTE proposes an integrated system for urban biowaste valorisation into key strategic products for the EU.

1 November 2018 - 31 October 2022

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ValueWaste Project Progress

RELEVANT ISSUES

Did you know that…?

A European citizen produces on average (?) kg of urban bio-waste annually

A European citizen produces on average 200 kg of urban bio-waste annually.

This means that between 118 and 138 million tonnes of biowaste arise annually in the EU.

The EU imports (?) of the required proteins for feed or food supplies.

The EU imports 77% of the required proteins for feed or food supplies.

There is a need of alternative and sustainable sources of proteins for humans and animals

Food supply depends on the availability of soil nutrients for EU agriculture, such as... (?)

Food supply depends on the availability of soil nutrients for EU agriculture, such as phosphorous and nitrogen.

However, phosphorous sources are depleting, while the production of nitrogen-based fertilisers is highly energy demanding.

IMPACT

For assuring a replicable valorisation system, VALUEWASTE concept will be validated in two European cities: Murcia (South of Spain) and Kalundborg (East Denmark).

Promote urban biowaste collection → 1,800 tonnes of urban biowaste will be annually valorised in Murcia (Spain).
Contribute to EU self-sufficiency on strategic resources → more than 60 tonnes/year of protein will be sustainably produced, and valuable nutrients for EU agriculture will be recovered from residual streams.
Improved perception of citizens on urban biowaste as a local source of valuable materials → citizens will be addressed through several communication campaigns and a citizen & consumer-oriented approach.
Provide scientific and experienced-based data → target indicators such as job creation, reuse of resources or GHGs emissions reduction will lay the basis of future EU policies on waste management.