Bio-plásticos a partir de lodos procedentes de la industria alimentaria

Abstract

Nearly 40% of chemical energy of food ends up in wastes or in wastewater, wastewater organics are typically concentrated through aerobic wastewater treatment plant (WWT). WWT sludge is actually disposed through land application (56%), incineration (27%) or landfilling (17%), with greenhouse gas emissions, potential biohazard and variable disposal cost (depending on the source of sludge and/or its chemical properties) between 5 and 120 euro per wet ton. Additionally, the residual carbon flow from biosolids and food waste is expected to be increased in the next years due to the increased efficiency of waste management systems, being able to reach up to 20 Kton of carbon annually in Europe based on food waste production. Those can be available for added value applications. Previous studies carried out by the University of Bologna have demonstrated an alternative and cheap strategy than existing commercial alternatives for producing Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) from this waste. These thermoplastic polymers of biologic base and biodegradable are very interesting, and more as today more than ever, there is a requirement to reduce the sludge and the exploitation of its chemical and energetic content. Accordingly, a project is being executed in a Climate KIC Project Called B-Plast for the development of fully automated treatment plant that allows, quickly and cheaply, to convert the food waste, WWT sludge and other organic waste in polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), applicable to packaging, one-use articles, medical applications and 3D printin