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 is a seasoned business leader and strategist with over 20 years of experience spanning research, finance, consulting, and entrepreneurship. He has held impactful roles, including serving as a consultant at Bain & Company, launching Uber operations in Turin, and working as Managing Director of a Swiss start-up. In recent years, Francesco Castellano founded Tondo, a hub of... Read more

Francesco Castellano is a seasoned business leader and strategist with over 20 years of experience spanning research, finance, consulting, and entrepreneurship. He has held impactful roles, including serving as a consultant at Bain & Company, launching Uber operations in Turin, and working as Managing Director of a Swiss start-up.

In recent years, Francesco Castellano founded Tondo, a hub of organizations dedicated to promoting Circular Economy approaches and supporting companies in transitioning to sustainable and circular practices. He is also the ideator and coordinator of the Re-think Circular Economy Forum, a high-profile event held across Italy to showcase innovative Circular Economy solutions.

Francesco Castellano collaborates with European institutions, serving as an expert for the European Commission’s Circular Cities and Regions Initiative and mentoring startups in the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s (EIT) New European Bauhaus Booster Program. Through these roles, he actively supports the development and scaling of circular economy ventures across Europe.

He is also a sought-after speaker and lecturer, sharing his expertise on Circular Economy, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship at universities and international events. Francesco holds executive education certificates from prestigious institutions such as MIT, Harvard, and the University of Virginia, further solidifying his credentials in strategy, sustainability, and innovation.

Fluent in Italian, English, and Spanish, Francesco Castellano combines his diverse skill set with a passion for Circular Economy, Cleantech Innovations, and Entrepreneurship. His strong background in Corporate Strategy, Sustainability, Innovation Development, and Finance enables him to drive impactful change in every initiative he undertakes.

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