
Sewage contains valuable substances that can be used circularly as a raw material for biobased products. However, this potential is currently underused. In the European Interreg project WOW! we wanted to change this by demonstrating that it is technically feasible to extract raw materials from sewage, by showing that there is a market these materials and by addressing legal barriers for the market uptake.
Final results WOW!
The potential of raw materials from sewage
We have shown that the recovery of carbon-based elements from sewage results in valuable products such as biodiesel, biochar and PHA. These products can replace items that are currently made from natural resources (i.e. oil, coal). The use of raw materials from sewage therefore contribute to a circular economy in the EU and cost prices proof that extracting them at the right place in the right way is profitable.
Extracting raw materials from sewage successfully done!
Three pilots were preformed at different sewage treatment plants (STP’s):
PHA bioplastics pilot at Buchenhofen STP (GER)
Cellulose pilot at STP Ede (NL)
Lipids pilot at STP Audun le Tiche (Fr)
All pilots were successfully implemented.
Decision support for operators and market organisations
To help sewage treatment plant operators with the circular possibilities at their STP we have developed a Decision Support Tool. Market potential studies have been developed to get insight in market requirements for raw materials from sewage and to get insight in cost prices and market prices.
Download Decision Support Tool
What holds us back?
Currently the re-use of sewage and sludge arising from wastewater treatment is only very limited and a free option to choose. There are barriers that hold back the transition towards a circular water economy. In “calls for action” on national level we have the proof that EU end of waste frameworks are interpreted differently in the member states, resulting in different national rules. In our European policy roadmap we address the need for a clear EU legal framework to reach policy harmonization and a mind shift towards thinking in values instead of waste.

Solar TukTuk eyecatcher for energy transition research and education

Dutch and Finnish students in the Biobased Battle 2023!

Politics is important, including energy transition!

GESCHIKT: energy transition on business parks

Mycelium on Board

From orange waste to a green future

Blueprint of fungal genomes

BioGov.net

Water-resistant mycelium composites

Sustainable Particle Board

Circular Emergency Shelters

FACET

Totally Nuts: Circular Biobased Thermosets from Cashew Nutshells

Biodegradation Coatings Stahl

Green Hub: Information hub value chains green residual flows

Acceleration of nature-inclusive area development

Reflow

Biobased Insulation – Lifespan Determination (BILD)

Setting up and performing biodiesel trials in a coaster ship

Mythic

PyroCHEM: Waste2Chem Innovation Cluster

Membrane Technologies

Flestic

Direct extrusion of PHA-rich biomass

Production of bioplastics from residual streams (WoW! Capitalisation)

Powering Agrifood

Smart Circular Bridge

Fungal Colourants

Learning Network Biobuilders

Orange in the Sea

Amino Acids!

Building on Mycelium

Follow-up S4G

Colour Application Centre

Making disposables disposable

Making shipping more sustainable (Russia – Benelux)

Zircular Seaweed food

Extraction of pectins from onion skins

Growing Leather

Learning Community Renewable fuels

PHA accumulation capacity of Sewage Treatment Plant

NACO – Zero Waste Collective Oosterhout

Bio Iso (RAAK MKB)

Design with RRM (rapidly renewable materials)

Resin biodegradation

Biobased gadgets

Biobased foam

Biobased flocculants for water purification

Viberscrete – biobased concrete

Innovation Traineeships

Building light

BioADD

CurCol

Learning community

Professors’ platform Biobased Economy

Porter’s lodge Delfland

Smart Circular Bridge

Biobased, circular Christmas bauble with packaging

Mycelium boards

Coloring Mycelium

Back to the Materials of the Future

National Biobased Database

Structural Health in Biobased Constructions

Beauti-Fully Biobased Fibers

Coffee Silverskin Biomass Utilization

Sustainable solid biofuels

Biobonding: Improved biocomposites

ZCORE (from Seaweed to COating Resin applications)

Cashing cashew

Material research for 3D printing

Seaweed Sterols

Onion deserves more

Circling in construction

Biomass flows in the province of South Holland

Circular Bio-based Construction Industry (CBCI)

Biodegradability of biopolymer and biopolymer composites

BBM+

Opportunities for composting in Brazil

Stadsjutters Breda

Innovation tables

Tomatozyme

MAA’s from algae

Sensor wise Biobased

Pyrolysis Experimental Garden South

Grassification

REFAWOOD

Valuable ONION

Biobased Network

Living Lab Biobased Brazil

Biopolymer Application Center

Borderless Biobased Education

Living Colors

Mycelium

BioCOLOUR

BioCannDo

Blue Chain

WOW!

Green Growth

Biobased Challenge

Biobased bridge

Pure Nature: 100% Biobased

National Biobased Knowledge Network
