ECOVAL consortium meets in Toulouse

 

The National Institute of Applied Sciences of Toulouse (INSA Toulouse) hosted the consortium meeting of the Ecoval Sudoe project in the same French city on Wednesday and Thursday (23 and 24 November, respectively) in order to share and present the progress achieved so far, as well as the next steps to be taken.

 

The kick-off was at nine o’clock in the morning, where CETAQUA made an introduction and presentation of the project, as well as its contribution to it from a biotechnological perspective to valorise organic waste. Subsequently, the rest of the actors (FEUGA, INSA TBI, NEREUS, USC BioGroup, ADTA, FPNCyL and Porto Ambiente) presented their different contributions to Ecoval Sudoe until midday, when there was a break to resume the activity in the afternoon.

 

On Thursday, the consortium visited the Ginestous Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) in Toulouse to observe first-hand how the city’s sewage sludge is currently treated. It also analysed its potential for transformation into a biofactory, as pursued by the Ecoval Sudoe model to promote a more sustainable and circular economy.

 

This consortium meeting is the fifth one held by the project, after the last one organised last June in the city of Porto, hosted by Porto Ambiente. In this type of events, synergies are generated between the different agents and are a key element for the proper functioning of all types of projects, even more so in the case of Ecoval Sudoe due to the multiplicity of actors, interests and challenges faced with the aim of promoting a circular and sustainable business model in a context of green transition.

ECOVAL presents its project for LIFE ECODIGESTION 2.0

 

ECOVAL participated today in an event organised by the Finnova Foundation for the LIFE ECODIGESTION 2.0 project in the framework of the European Week for Waste Reduction. The main objective of this event is the dissemination of projects and organisations committed to waste management and green transition in Europe to raise awareness on sustainable management of resources and waste.

In the meeting, which took place telematically, Ecoval Sudoe presented its project, focused on the valorisation of urban organic waste for the production of high added value compounds such as Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs), together with other innovative initiatives. FEUGA, Ecoval Sudoe’s main partner in charge of communication, also participated in the presentation of the BIOMASA CAP and BIOMASA AP projects, which seek the valorisation of biomass waste through the production of biofuels.

The day began with the presentation by LIFE ECODIGESTION 2.0 of its project, which promotes the maximisation of biogas generation and the increase of energy self-sufficiency of wastewater treatment plants. Other participants to highlight were G2G Algae, focused on the cultivation of microalgae as a solution for the purification of polluted effluents, or LIFE INFUSION, which is responsible for the recovery of nutrients, biogas and water from polluted water.

 

Finnova is a European foundation that supports the financing of companies, regions or municipalities and, among its areas of expertise, includes water and waste management. In this context and as the coordinating body of LIFE ECODIGESTION 2.0, it convened Ecoval Sudoe and the above mentioned innovative projects on the occasion of the European Week for Waste Reduction. This week is the biggest waste prevention awareness raising event in Europe and is therefore of paramount importance for the dissemination of Ecoval Sudoe’s activity.

Participation in events of this kind reinforces Ecoval Sudoe’s commitment to cooperation and knowledge transfer with different agents in the biotechnology sector specialising in waste treatment and the economic recovery of waste, promoting the transition towards a more sustainable and circular society.

ECOVAL puts the brown container on the map

Ecoval Sudoe goes a step further in its commitment to the implementation and correct use of the brown bin by creating a map that allows visualising the first separation bins for the organic fraction installed in different cities of the European Union. This tool is a new commitment of the project to disseminate and raise public awareness of the importance of recycling, and in particular the proper use of the brown bin.

The “treasure map” is a playful tool with which the brown bins can be visualised geographically and was created thanks to the active collaboration with users of social networks. The aim of the map is to disseminate the evolution of the gradual implementation of the fifth container and to familiarise the general public with its presence. The map also shows that the colour code sometimes varies, with this container being blue or green in cities such as London or Oleiros.

The project’s website also contains other materials such as videos and posters or a good practice guide, which allow visitors to answer their questions about the correct separation of waste, as well as interactive games to test the knowledge acquired.

The brown bin is becoming more common in cities as a result of the European Waste Management Directive, as a key element to be able to recycle the organic fraction separately. Its implementation has been irregular so far, as not all cities have brown bins, although it should be present in all European cities by 2024.

The correct separation of waste is extremely important for projects such as Ecoval Sudoe. Without proper separation, innovative processes such as the one implemented by the project could not be carried out.

 

Campaign “Another bin, are you in?”

 

The “treasure map” is a new element of the campaign “Another bin, are you in?”, launched by the Galician University Enterprise Foundation (FEUGA) for the European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) 2021. The campaign focused on raising public awareness of the importance of correct waste separation, with a special focus on organic waste, the brown bin and the inappropriate use of the toilet as a waste bin.

In June 2022, the campaign was awarded the European Special Prize in Brussels in recognition of its impact, creativity and participatory nature. The European Week for Waste Reduction is the biggest waste prevention awareness-raising event in Europe, which was an important media boost for the Ecoval Sudoe project and confirms its good work in the field of communication and public awareness-raising.

 

ECOVAL organises a waste collection on Tambo Island as part of Let’s Clean Up Europe 2022 campaign

 

On the 15th of November, the ECOVAL SUDOE project will carry out a waste collection campaign in which second year students from Los Sauces secondary school will participate. The activity will take place in Tambo Island (Poio, Pontevedra), on the occasion of the European Week of Waste Reduction and framed in the initiative Let’s Clean Up Europe 2022, which aims to clean the largest number of sites on the European continent while raising awareness among citizens about the volume of waste present in their localities. One of the objectives of this activity from ECOVAL is to educate new generations about the importance of recycling and preserving a healthy and clean environment, as well as to join forces between different groups to generate synergies around the project.

 

The event, jointly organised by FEUGA and CETAQUA with the collaboration of VIAQUA and the Council of Poio will start at 9:30 am and, after the cleaning of the island, those responsible for the activity will give a talk on the importance of the correct separation of waste at source and the brown bin for organic matter, without which the ECOVAL project could not be carried out. Indeed, proper waste separation is essential for innovation and economic projects to be carried out, as organic waste and sewage sludge are the raw material on which the ECOVAL Sudoe project feeds, transforming this waste into high added value products such as Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs), valuable resources for the plastics and agrochemical industries.

 

Back on land, the students will finally visit the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) of Os Praceres (Pontevedra), managed by Viaqua, where the key process of urban wastewater treatment will be explained to the students, emphasizing the individual responsibility of each citizen in this project and the benefits it brings to society as a whole. It is vitally important that young people are aware of this process and, consequently, of the problems caused by improperly flushing waste down the toilet, such as clogged sewers and treatment plants and the degradation of the oceans’ wealth.

 

This activity is included in ECOVAL’s awareness campaign on the separation of organic waste aimed at the new generations, joining those previously carried out in six schools in Castilla y León by the Natural Heritage Foundation of Castilla y León, as well as the four carried out by FEUGA and CETAQUA in four schools in Galicia. In this way, ECOVAL reaches the figure of approximately 450 students aware of this issue, bringing science closer to citizens and helping to build a sustainable future based on the principle of circular economy.

ECOVAL participates in the Green Technology Expo ECOMONDO

 

ECOMONDO is a platform that aims to bring together all sectors of the circular economy to foster synergies and collaborations, from materials and energy recovery to sustainable development. The ECOMONDO exhibition is the European benchmark event for technological and industrial innovation in the Mediterranean basin, organised by the Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), and will be attended by ECOVAL.

 

It will take place at the expo centre in Rimini, between 8 and 11 November. ECOVAL will participate in it with the presentation of a poster, which summarizes the activity of the project focusing on the innovative technologies it provides for the recycling and recovery of waste. It also provides information on the initial problems and how the project works, who the partners are and what role they play in the development of the project, the funding available and the expected results.

 

The exhibition groups its themes into four main blocks: waste and resources, water, circular bioeconomy and recovery of contaminated sites and hydrogeological risk. ECOVAL’s poster is part of the first of these, which focuses on integrated waste management, processing technology, waste transport and machinery. Its session is entitled “Waste as Resources: Innovative  technologies  for  recycling and recovery” and will take place on Tuesday 8 November between 09:30 and 17:30hrs. ECOVAL’s contribution will coexist with other talks and posters from other related European projects such as BIOBESTicide, Circular Biocarbon, MED4WASTE or CISUFLO.

 

Leading the ecological transition.

ECOMONDO offers an extensive programme of conferences, workshops and seminars to present national and international success stories and trends in the circular economy, including, in addition to the fields mentioned above, the construction, packaging, electronics and automotive industries. Supporting the development of sustainable businesses, fostering networking in an innovative and circular ecosystem and providing tools and information on research and development regulations for existing companies are its central objectives.

 

In the last edition, the ECOMONDO exhibition accumulated almost 70,000 attendees from multiple countries and brought together 1,116 diverse companies in its 500 total hours of events, with great repercussion in the media and social networks. This year’s edition dedicates special spaces to innovation start-ups, food waste, the textile industry and environmental protection.

 

The presence of the European Commission through various related bodies is noticeable, with a dedicated exhibition stand and participation in various CINEA, EISMEA and REA activities. Thus, participants will be given the possibility to catch up with the latest European funding opportunities for the circular economy.