SESSION C5 / 26 November 2024 / 15:00 - 16:00
Workshop: From waste to wealth: exploring the power of agro-industrial waste
Chair / Presidente: S. Bertolini, S. Silvestri (IT)
The management of biowaste and agro-industrial waste is gaining attention due to them disposal costs and environmental issues. Biorefineries are a promising solution since they combine waste utilization with the production of value-added products, including organic fertilizers. The most crucial component for adding nutrients to the soil and promoting soil fertility and plant growth is fertilizer. Continuous and excessive use of chemical fertilizers to boost agricultural yields causes soil damage in terms of nutrient loss, groundwater and surface water contamination, soil acidity or basicity and microbial population decline. On the other hand, organic fertilizer improves soil fertility, physical and chemical characteristics, water retention capacity, soil pH and soil enzyme activity. In a circular economy framework, the use of organic fractions of municipal waste, agri-based feedstock and byproducts from agro-industrial activities has drawn much attention in terms of environmental sustainability and technological innovation. Such feedstocks can be converted into a spectrum of valuable products like biofuels, biofertilizers and biomolecules for green chemistry using a variety of technologies, including consolidated process like composting and anaerobic digestion and other more innovative like hydrothermal carbonization. The economic and ecological effects of these techniques have been largely documented in the literature and can contribute to many integrated pathways, such as energy production, greenhouse gas emission reduction and byproducts valorization. Given the background, the main task of the workshop will be to discuss and analyze the opportunities and the limits related to biomass valorization in terms of energy, organic substances, nutrients and other molecules recovery minimizing environmental impact.
Agenda:
