SCALIBUR’s modern and sustainable methods that aim at the recovery of bio-urban waste require the replacement of traditional linear waste management with new production chains of biomaterials. This will result in a new business model. The EU-funded project will be carried out in the municipalities of Albano Laziale (Italy), Kozani (Greece), Madrid (Spain). The team will perform an integrated study of the quality, logistics and management plans for municipal solid waste (MSW) and urban sewage sludge.

SCALIBUR creates a holistic consortium to cut urban biowaste and replace it with a new production chain of biomaterials, forming a partnership of end users to recover and transform biowaste from the three municipalities into value added products. During SCALIBUR a complete study of the quality, logistics and management schemes for municipal solid waste (MSW) and urban sewage sludge (USS) will be performed, to integrate innovative systems and technologies and obtain high-value biobased products. In SCALIBUR, HORECA waste will be transformed to proteins, lipids, and chitin (from insect rearing). The organic fraction of MSW will generate biopesticides and bioplastics by high-solid enzymatic hydrolysis followed by fermentation. The resulting biogas from MSW and USS will be upgraded by bio-electrochemical treatment to produce commodity chemicals and bioplastics, such as PHBV.

By cutting traditional linear waste management, new business models are created for the resulting circular value chains, applying a sustainable approach to generate new activities and benefits. These new profit sources will be created from a baseline analysis of existing waste management data and business models for each municipality, generating social innovation and favouring the adaptation and uptake of new opportunities along the entire urban value cycle. Continuous tests and development along SCALIBUR will create and fine tune new business models based on innovative processes, and feedback will be obtained from all stakeholders, in order to improve the definition, performance and integration of value, to minimise waste and maximise its benefit. With social engagement strategies, key communities will participate in all aspects of the new value creation, calibrating the returns of the project both for the generation of jobs and improved urban welfare, such as reducing the dependence from outside materials and the environmental impacts.

The project engages stakeholders along the value chain – from waste generators to collectors and processors – to support the integration of innovative biowaste management practices in three pilot cities. In order to help these cities to improve their management of biowaste, the project will identify and develop best practices for selective collection, transport, sorting and pre-treatment, and characterisation of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), HORECA (waste from hotels, restaurants and catering), retail waste and sewage sludge. A value chain-wide and multi-stakeholder impact is expected due to the following developments/assessments:

• Partners will identify technical best practices in terms of containerisation and depositing/collection of waste. Attention will also be paid to citizen awareness campaigning and the most effective incentive schemes.
• A start to end process for sorting and pre-treatment of OFMSW will be developed, including an innovative biowaste monitoring system. Best practices for sorting and pre-treating sewage sludge will also be sought.
• Transport and logistics of urban biowaste will be optimised during the project by identifying the best methods and algorithms to reduce collection times, avoiding transport steps and optimising the time needed to reach the treatment plants.
• Partners will develop a characterisation protocol for the biowaste fractions. This will help to optimise the feedstocks for conversion to high added value products.

Overall, the valorisation of the following biowaste streams is considered: household food waste; retail food waste; sewage sludge.

Programme(s):

• H2020-EU.3.2.: SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Food security, sustainable agriculture and forestry, marine, maritime and inland water research, and the bioeconomy (Main programme)
• H2020-EU.3.2.4.1.: Fostering the bio-economy for bio-based industries
• H2020-EU.3.2.2.1.: Informed consumer choices

Topic(s):

• CE-SFS-25-2018: Integrated system innovation in valorising urban biowaste

€ 11 728 483.61 (EU contribution: € 9 999 391.39)

Instituto Tecnologico Del Embalaje, Transporte y Logistica
Contact the project: https://scalibur.eu/

• Aeris Tecnologias Ambientales SL
• ASA Spezialenzyme Gmbh
• Fundacion Cener
• Cluster Viooikonomias Kai Perivallontos Dytikis Makedonias
• Collaborating Centre On Sustainable Consumption And Production Ggmbh
• Greenovate ! Europe
• Kour Energy SRL
• Anci Associazione Regionale Comuni Italiani Lazio
• Lunds Kommun
• Ayuntamiento De Madrid
• Novamont SPA
• Nutrition Sciences
• FCC Aqualia SA
• Universita Degli Studi Di Modena E Reggio Emilia
• Iris Technology Solutions Sociedad Limitada
• Stichting Wetsus
• European Centre Of Excellence For Sustainable Water Technology
• Waterschap Brabantse Delta
• Zetadec BV
• FCC Medio Ambiente SAU