UrbanEnergy wastewater treatment generatesValorization approximately 10 million tons of urban sewage sludgeUrban sewage sludge valorization annually across Europe. This figure is expected to increase significantly, potentially reaching 13 million tons (91/271/EEC) over the next decade. As a result, managing and treating urban sludge in an economically, environmentally and socially acceptable way is one of the major challenges facing modern society. In recent decades, alternative methods of sewage sludge management have been explored based on the principle of resourceResourcerecoveryResource recovery and the minimization of waste to be disposed of. A promising approach to solving this problem is to preserve the chemical complexity of the organic components in urban sludge through sustainableSustainable processes that selectively recover categories of compounds and convert them into marketable products, in line with the principles of the Circular EconomyCircular economy. Innovative scenarios have been recently developed, focusing on cellulose and lipids, outlining recovery and valorizationValorization pathways towards the production of biofuels, biolubricants, and biosurfactants of the new generation. If cellulose and grease in sewage were efficiently separated and valorised, over 2000 ktons of biofuels could be produced on a European scale (approximately 14% of the present continental demand). These approaches also offer significant environmental benefits related to the exploitation of resourcesResource that are typically lost, thereby fully addressing economic sustainabilitySustainability. Over 3850 ktons of CO2 per year would be prevented from being emitted in urban wastewater treatment, which would otherwise be converted into high-value chemicals. These figures demonstrate the promising perspective of this innovative approach towards more sustainableSustainableresourceResource management.
New Sustainable Technologies for Sewage Sludge Valorization: Energy and Resources from Wastewater Treatment in the Sign of the Circular Economy
di Bitonto L.;Angelini A.;D'Ambrosio V.;Locaputo V.;Pastore C.
2025
Abstract
UrbanEnergy wastewater treatment generatesValorization approximately 10 million tons of urban sewage sludgeUrban sewage sludge valorization annually across Europe. This figure is expected to increase significantly, potentially reaching 13 million tons (91/271/EEC) over the next decade. As a result, managing and treating urban sludge in an economically, environmentally and socially acceptable way is one of the major challenges facing modern society. In recent decades, alternative methods of sewage sludge management have been explored based on the principle of resourceResourcerecoveryResource recovery and the minimization of waste to be disposed of. A promising approach to solving this problem is to preserve the chemical complexity of the organic components in urban sludge through sustainableSustainable processes that selectively recover categories of compounds and convert them into marketable products, in line with the principles of the Circular EconomyCircular economy. Innovative scenarios have been recently developed, focusing on cellulose and lipids, outlining recovery and valorizationValorization pathways towards the production of biofuels, biolubricants, and biosurfactants of the new generation. If cellulose and grease in sewage were efficiently separated and valorised, over 2000 ktons of biofuels could be produced on a European scale (approximately 14% of the present continental demand). These approaches also offer significant environmental benefits related to the exploitation of resourcesResource that are typically lost, thereby fully addressing economic sustainabilitySustainability. Over 3850 ktons of CO2 per year would be prevented from being emitted in urban wastewater treatment, which would otherwise be converted into high-value chemicals. These figures demonstrate the promising perspective of this innovative approach towards more sustainableSustainableresourceResource management.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
