Co-processing of mixed bio-based waste streams

The CBE JU scope includes a variety of bio-based waste and side streams from different sectors: residual streams from agriculture and horticulture, forestry, horticulture and from aquatic biomass cultivation, processing, and from fisheries; food and feed waste (from the food and feed production/processing); bio-waste other than food waste from production processes, e.g. textiles, wood, pulp and paper, etc., including post-consumer waste; sewage and wastewater sludge; used cooking oil; construction and demolition waste that include wood-based component, residues and by-products from the bio-based industry. These streams may contain impurities as well as polymers and mineral components (also naturally occurring in bio-based feedstock).

Annual waste generation is projected to increase by 70% by 2050 while global consumption of materials such as biomass, fossil fuels, metals and minerals is expected to double in the next forty years. In the meantime, pressure on raw material and energy resources is increasing. Thus, converting bio-based waste streams in renewable raw materials is more necessary than ever. However, industry sets stringent requirements for the composition and purity of renewable raw materials to ensure proper processing and meet product requirements.

Proposals under this topic should:

• Valorise effectively and sustainably existing mixed residual and/or waste streams from bio-based products and processes from all relevant sectors and processing steps. The focus of this topic is on bio-based feedstock streams that are generated as heterogeneous mixtures, and on bio-based feedstock streams that contain non bio-based impurities (e.g. plastics, minerals, metals – excluding toxic or harmful substances) that hinder their valorisation using currently available technologies. The topic excludes homogeneous side streams from primary production (e.g. agri- or forest biomass residues) and mixed municipal solid waste. The topic also excludes conversion of contaminated biomass (e.g. from bioremediation). The proposal should develop innovative technologies for recycling and upcycling of secondary bio-based feedstock, residues, and bio-based products’ waste, including sorting, separation, pre-treatment and upgrading technologies. Physical, chemical and biotechnologies are in scope.
• Set up and implement innovative and environmentally sustainable processing technologies and apply the cascading approach, when applicable, for example producing high-value bio-based products in the scope of CBE JU, recycling nutrients for agriculture and horticulture use, etc.
• Valorise the polymer and mineral component of bio-based waste streams, waste from bio-based products and processes (e.g. N- P- components in sewage sludge) into products in the scope of CBE JU.
• Demonstrate an integrated processing plant for mixtures of bio-based residues, bio-waste, waste from bio-based products and processes, while implementing symbiotic processes across different industrial operations.
• Apply and/or adapt existing/mature or novel digital technologies, provided that they are instrumental to achieving the project’s outcomes and scope, especially to ensure high standards of resource efficiency and environmental protection. Applications of digital technologies that should be considered in the scope are among the following areas

(Note) i) chemicals, materials and process design & modelling ii) (real-time) process monitoring and optimisation (including environmental performance) iii) predictive maintenance & plant engineering and iv) data analytics and data management of the processing technologies in the scope.

(Note II) Points i)-iv) should consider the contribution to/from data/feedback loops across circular, bio-based value chains but also coordination of processes among different sectors (especially if symbiosis concepts apply in the project).

• Disseminate the outputs and learning outcomes from the project in order to increase the public awareness, and awareness of relevant industry actors, of potential benefits of bio-based solutions.
• Propose recommendations on opportunities/challenges to be addressed to targeted stakeholders, including, where possible, national/regional stakeholders, investors and brand owners[[for a description of the term, see annex Glossary in the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2022 (https://www.cbe.europa.eu/reference-documents)]].

Proposals must implement the multi-actor approach and demonstrate the involvement of all concerned key actors in the bio-based systems, such as researchers, local authorities, bio-based feedstock providers including waste managers, and bio-based processing industries. Please see the section Additional requirements in the CBE JU Annual Work Programme 2022[[https://www.cbe.europa.eu/reference-documents]] for more details.