Periodic Reporting for period 1 - BIOCIRCULARCITIES (Exploring the circular bioeconomy potential in cities. Proactive instruments for implementation by policy makers and stakeholders)
Période du rapport: 2021-10-01 au 2023-09-30
Bioeconomy's reliance on renewable resources alone is not enough. It must be accompanied by the adoption of a Circular Bioeconomy (CBE) approach for the sustainable exploitation of organic resources. Biowaste management is at the core of the transition towards a CBE in the EU. However, most urban biowaste management systems have yet to be aligned with CBE principles. Accelerating the transition towards the CBE requires a profound change into the waste hierarchy together with a change of mindset: perceiving biowaste as a resource, and not a discarded material. The Biocircularcities (BCC) project champions the transition of urban areas towards a circular bioeconomy by exploring the development of economically and environmentally efficient models for organic waste in three pilot areas: (1) forestry residues in the Province of Pazardzhik (PP), (2) agro-industrial organic waste (coffee silverskin) in the Metropolitan City of Naples (MCN), and (3) municipal biowaste in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (MAB). Crucial to these efforts and for society is a policy framework capable of reconciling legislation, waste management, circularity, the bioeconomy and the visions of the different stakeholders involved in the entire value chain of a product. The BCC project employed LCA and LCC methodologies to evaluate the environmental and economic sustainability of biowaste management systems across three bio-based value chains, acting as guidelines for the biowaste management companies and organisations a decision-making tool for local governments. Furthermore, the project results will help to remove barriers to the implementation of sustainable local value chains in the pilot areas and provide evidence-based policy recommendations to promote sustainable waste management and CBE principles. The BCC project has crafted 94 policy recommendations, thereof 30 are general policy recommendations for all three pilot areas which encompass broader principles and strategies that can be adapted and applied in other regions and value chains, including the topics data management, organic waste treatment and sustainable biorefineries, market incentives for bio-based products, public awareness and support, and stakeholder involvement. Although each country and region has its own priorities and framework conditions, the policy recommendations tailored to the local context of the selected bio-based value chains in the BCC pilot areas can serve as a valuable reference. This will ensure the wider adoption of sustainable biowaste management strategies and support the development of a circular bioeconomy in Europe.
The work performed during the timeline of BBC project is reported as follows: i) selection of organic waste chains (municipal biowaste (MAB), agro-industrial biowaste (MCN), forestry residues (PP)) to study in detail and mapping of the relevant stakeholders involved in the 3 pilot areas; ii) overview of the current legal framework and best practices in the field of CBE and bio-waste management at European, national, regional and local level; iii) identification of legal/administrative, technical, economic, environmental and social drivers and barriers that favour or hinder the transition to a more biocircular system for organic waste management; iv) environmental and economic sustainability assessments (Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC)) of the selected organic waste chains comparing the current state with the alternative scenarios in the three pilot areas; v) development of the BCC webtool to provide knowledge about suitable technological pathways for improving circularity in biomass waste management value chains, given a specific context; vi) elaboration of policy recommendations for supporting the circular bioeconomy at local level and expanding it to the European context; vii) organisation of 9 local living labs bringing together key local stakeholders of the 3 value-chains at stake, three peer-review sessions with external experts and three advisory board meetings to build and validate projects outcomes; viii) organisation of 3 local final events to discuss the follow ups of the project and 3 webinars, also mobilising sister European projects on circular bioeconomy, to disseminate the final results of the project. BCC delivered five key exploitable results:
1) LCA & LCC RESULTS: environmental and economic sustainability assessments of the selected organic waste chains valorisation in the 3 pilot areas.
2) BCC WEBTOOL: to support municipalities and industry companies in designing biowaste management strategies by identifying the most suitable bio-circular technologies for a given feedstock and local context.
3) POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS: guidelines including 94 recommendations to implement CBE alternative scenarios at local level.
4) BIOCIRCULARCITIES TRILOGY: 3 series of webinars aimed at disseminating project results and promoting sustainable development and CBE principles in cities. The BCC Trilogy (https://biocircularcities.eu/news/get-your-seat-for-the-biocircularcities-trilogy/) comprising three informative and engaging online resources, serves as a versatile tool for disseminating KERs and offers insights into the project's success, the BCC Webtool, and the transformative journey of the three pilot territories.
5) EXPLOITATION FACTSHEETS: Customized factsheets on the project’s results and pilot activities to facilitate the BCC outcomes dissemination and exploitation by on-going and starting EU-projects and initiatives.
1) LCA & LCC RESULTS: environmental and economic sustainability assessments of the selected organic waste chains valorisation in the 3 pilot areas.
2) BCC WEBTOOL: to support municipalities and industry companies in designing biowaste management strategies by identifying the most suitable bio-circular technologies for a given feedstock and local context.
3) POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS: guidelines including 94 recommendations to implement CBE alternative scenarios at local level.
4) BIOCIRCULARCITIES TRILOGY: 3 series of webinars aimed at disseminating project results and promoting sustainable development and CBE principles in cities. The BCC Trilogy (https://biocircularcities.eu/news/get-your-seat-for-the-biocircularcities-trilogy/) comprising three informative and engaging online resources, serves as a versatile tool for disseminating KERs and offers insights into the project's success, the BCC Webtool, and the transformative journey of the three pilot territories.
5) EXPLOITATION FACTSHEETS: Customized factsheets on the project’s results and pilot activities to facilitate the BCC outcomes dissemination and exploitation by on-going and starting EU-projects and initiatives.
BCC KERs were designed to be a valuable resource for advancing CBE practices for biowaste management and bio-based products in the EU. Blended into a cohesive package the KERs offers a comprehensive approach to sustainable biowaste management, focusing on its scalability and impact, and usefulness after the end of the project. This package combines inspiring case studies and environmental and economic assessments (KER1) of alternative waste management scenarios for public sector, which demonstrate advanced LCA/LCC methodology in terms of regular use (in industrial value chains). Moreover, the proposed policy recommendations (KER3) to the implementation of CBE encompass broader principles and strategies can be adapted and applied in other European regions and value chains. Beyond being a technological achievement, the BCC Webtool (KER3) is an empowerment engine. Its criteria-based approach supports local governments, municipalities, policymakers, and waste management utilities to identify the most suitable technological options for improving biowaste management by screening the socio-economic, political, and environmental context of the territory in which the value chain shall be implemented. As a resource that continues to be accessible post-project, it catalyses local innovation and strategic planning. Moreover, the consortium sees a long-term perspective in BCC’s Webtool, which can be further developed with the help of connections built during the project's lifecycle but also by reaching out to follow-up projects, like-minded investors and collaborators that would like to commercialize it. This strategic expansion would further refine the Webtool's capabilities, cultivate partnerships, and drive its commercial potential, all while staying true to its core mission – transforming waste into opportunity.