EU: opportunities and challenges?

Roberto Zoboli, Rector’s Delegate for Scientific Research and Sustainability at Università Cattolica, Milano, for his speech at the Re-think Circular Economy Forum held in 2020 talked about the general architecture of the European Green Deal identifying different areas of actions: the decarbonization and zero pollution area, the bio economy area – from Farm to Fork to preserve European natural capital and biodiversity, and the transition to a Circular Economy EU area. 

Challenges and Opportunities of the European Green Deal

These areas, he started, can be considered separately but also in a NEXUS approach, which is used by international organizations and think-thanks to study the interactions between the different areas of reality and policies. All these interactions can be in synergy but also in conflict over the different processes and policies. For instance, the circular economy can save bio resources by using biowaste as input such as in green chemistry. In the case of decarbonisation, the biomass-based RES (energy/biofuels) can create possible pressures over virgin bioresources especially after the strong support on renewable energy sources in Europe. Finally, the circular economy can provide waste-based feedstocks for RES, reducing the demand for virgin bioresources. The acknowledgement of these interactions can be beneficial for policy integrations and for the achievement of the European Green Deal (EGD) objectives avoiding potential conflicts. 

Biomaterials in the EU: Waste and Potential Solutions

At the European level, in the NEXUS the focus is on biomaterials. Knowing that there is a great amount of residues in production (442 mt/year), there is a large potential that is partly unexploited. In some cases, there is a high demand pressure on some sectors like wood residues. Looking at the biomaterials flows in the European Union it is possible to notice that these resources are not used properly, a large part of materials are wasted or used in low-value processes: 

  • The energy use is about 72% of total uses and it is four times the material use, with large emissions. 
  • Recycling is just 28% of waste, and 11% of extraction is from nature. 
  • Non-recycled waste is twice the import, and about 38% of domestic extraction. 

Virgin Biomaterials: Exploitation and Innovation in the Circular Era

In front of these inefficiencies, according to Zoboli, one of the problems is the high burning of virgin biomass. The pathway towards massive use of virgin biomaterials for energy brings to not exploiting virgin biomass properly. On the other side, taking the material recovery pathways for biomaterials, innovative business models can be still insufficiently developed and this is an obstacle to overcome. 

Bioplastics from Waste Conversion in the EU Circular Economy

There is a potential for bioplastics from converting residues into bio-based polymers. There is growing industrial interest in non-food 2nd and 3rd generation renewable feedstock like wood residues, dairy, fruit and vegetable by-products, waste streams and algae. An example of integrated business models are biorefineries. Even in this case we are looking for 2nd generation feedstocks from outside the food and feed sector to avoid competition and give high value to the recovery of these bioresources. The case of nutshells in Ferrero, where they use Nutella leftovers to create packaging for its chocolates, is an example of recovering value from very low feedstock.  

Strategies for the Future: Farm to Fork and Circular Economy

In conclusion, he identified the main actions of the Farm to Fork strategy in the perspective of climate change and energy. A critical point is about carbon sequestration in forestry and agriculture, suggesting biogas production from manure, agricultural residues and not virgin materials and dedicated crops. Moreover, the biodiversity strategy is going toward the same direction. The revised RES Directive promotes the shift to advanced biofuels based on residues and non-reusable and non-recyclable waste, minimizing the use of food and feed crops for energy production. 

Maximizing the Potential of Biomaterials in the EU economy

There is a clear policy signal toward this opportunity of giving value to virgin bio resources. Zoboli final message is to not burn value. The maximum value for virgin biomaterial, even residues, is material circularity pathway and not in the energy pathways.

If you want to know more check the recording below or read the final report of the event. 

Francesco Castellano

Francesco Castellano holds a Master degree in Business Administration, and he has gathered almost twenty years of experience in research, finance, consulting, and business management. During this time, he was engaged in different types of projects as a consultant at Bain & Company, launched Uber operations in Turin, and worked in the FP&A department at General Electric.Lately, he founded To... Read more

Francesco Castellano holds a Master degree in Business Administration, and he has gathered almost twenty years of experience in research, finance, consulting, and business management. During this time, he was engaged in different types of projects as a consultant at Bain & Company, launched Uber operations in Turin, and worked in the FP&A department at General Electric.

Lately, he founded Tondo, a cluster of organizations focusing on spreading Circular Economy approaches and concepts, and supporting companies in the transition to a clean and circular future. Francesco is also the ideator and coordinator of the Re-think Circular Economy Forum, a format of events organized in many different locations in Italy showcasing the most relevant Circular Economy solutions.

Francesco has been a guest speaker at different universities and events, like Federico II University, Bocconi University, LIUC - Cattaneo University, Pavia University, Padua University, Catholic University, IPE Business School, 24ORE Business School, Campus Party, Torino Stratosferica, Visionary Days.

Francesco is passionate about Circular Economy, Cleantech Innovations, Venture Building and Entrepreneurship.

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