BBIA is participating in the project RES URBIS (RESOURCES FROM URBAN BIO-WASTE), which began on 1 January.
This project is coordinated by the University of La Sapienza in Rome and it is based on the development of an innovative technological sector for the integrated treatment of various urban solid wastes (such as municipal waste and municipal sewage sludge).
In order to achieve its ambitious objectives, a consortium formed by 21 entities has been created. This consortium is formed by eight European countries representing a population of around nine million people. Among the different entities are eight universities, companies, associations and public administrations.
The project is financed for three years with €3 million approximately under the Horizon 2020 program of the European Community as a part of a programme designed specifically to promote the circular economy. This programme is based on research and development with a dual objective: to minimise the amount of waste that is unused and disposed of and to obtain new environmental-friendly bioproducts using the same waste as a renewable alternative to petroleum resources.
The main objective of RES URBIS (from the Latin, “things of the city”) is transforming urban residues into bioplastics that can be used in packaging (biodegradables and interlayer film), in the production of especially durable goods (such as the chassis of computers, tablets and phones) and environmental remediation (as premium slow carbon‑release material for ground water remediation).
RES URBIS was presented in Rome on 25 January and the high potential for implementation of this project was made evident at the meeting, bearing in mind that more than 300 million Europeans live in urban areas and that the average production per person of residual organic matter is 100 grammes per day.
Current recovery treatments are biomethanisation for energy production and composting that provides products with less added value. The development of innovative technologies such as the proposal allows the transformation of this huge flow of organic material into useful products with a high real market value and with positive impacts on the environment, economy and employment.