Management of organic waste materials in a territory with a circular economy approach: issues and challenges

Resumo

Municipal bio-waste can be recovered through various technologies. Some may be industrial-scale, others may be neighborhood-scale or even individual. Moreover, geographical, demographic and socio-economic characteristics present a high degree of territorial variability. The intersection of these technological and socio-economic diversities leads us to define two meta-scenarios for the management of these bio-waste: either decentralized management that avoids costly collection but leads to low added value co-products, or centralized management that requires collection and transport of bio-waste to an industrial recovery unit but leads to higher added value co-products. Both meta-scenarios reveal environmental and economic tensions, coupled with social considerations. Finally, pending a circular economy, it is necessary to verify the circularity of economic and material flows within the territory. As a result, the management scenarios must be adapted to the specific characteristics of the territory and assessed environmentally, economically and socially. The life cycle analysis provides a comprehensive assessment of these impacts. In the context of a circular economy, it is also necessary to analyze and review the economic models of the sector and the structural relationships between players. These objective elements of analysis are intended to help decision-makers choose the appropriate system for managing municipal bio-waste on a territory in a logic of circular economy.