Imagine if the food scraps and garden waste from cities didn't just end up in a landfill, but became a high-quality 'vitamin boost' for tired soil. This project finds the best ways to turn that waste into products that make land fertile again. It's like creating a recipe book for cities to turn trash into treasure for farmers.
EU cities waste 80% of bio-waste through landfilling or incineration while 70% of their soils are unhealthy. This creates a lost economic opportunity to produce sustainable soil improvers.
A scoring system to select the best bio-waste solutions, a toolbox of 20 engagement tools, and circular business models for soil improver value chains.
If you are a waste collector dealing with the fact that 80% of bio-waste is landfilled or burned — this project developed a scoring system and business models that turn this waste into sellable soil improvers.
If you are a fertilizer producer dealing with soil erosion and loss of organic matter — this project developed a toolbox of validated bio-waste valorization pathways to create sustainable soil enhancers.
If you are a city official dealing with unsustainable waste charging and poor soil health — this project developed policy roadmaps and collection schemes to implement circular bio-waste systems.
Based on available project data, specific pricing is not listed, but the project uses Techno-Economic Assessment (TEA) to monitor pre-market processes and ensure economic viability.
The project focuses on scaling up local initiatives through 3 Living Labs in Amsterdam, Hamburg, and Egaleo to test real-life valorization pathways.
Based on available project data, there is no specific mention of patents or licensing terms, though it aims to support the creation of 40 start-ups.
The project develops local, national, and EU policy roadmaps, specifically focusing on waste charging policies to support the transition.
The project runs from September 2023 to August 2026, providing a timeline for the development and validation of the scoring system and business models.
The consortium is well-balanced for commercialization, featuring a 33% industry ratio with 4 industrial partners and 3 SMEs. With 12 partners across 7 European countries, the group combines academic research (2 universities, 4 research centers) with practical application, ensuring that the technical soil science is matched with market-ready business model development.
Contact CONSORZIO ITALBIOTEC in Italy for details on the soil improver scoring system.
Contact us to find a partner among the 40 upcoming bio-waste start-ups.
