Circular household waste management

: a study about the transition from a linear to a circular waste management system and the potential for commercial opportunities in Europe through the example of Brussels Capital Region

Abstract

As the worldwide population increases, along with consumption trends, our current global waste generation has become a real environmental and health concern. The way governments, cities and municipalities decide to manage solid waste has a major impact on our society, our economies and the earth’s climate. The subject of municipal solid waste management is a complex and multilevel issue that needs to be extensively analyzed if ever to be improved. Nevertheless, solutions are available as the EU aims to evolve within the spectrum of a Circular Economy to tackle this predicament. By doing so, European countries are inevitably shifting their behavior from a linear model, consuming and disposing products without any regards for the environmental impact, to a circular approach, where waste streams are reintroduced inside the economy and appreciated as valuable materials. Thus, there will be lucrative commercial opportunities for the entire waste management circle in the years to come. The European Environment Agency estimates value generation between 245 billion and 604 billion euros by 2030 for this industry. The aim of this paper is to, first, highlight the main characteristics of a circular waste management system. Secondly, it will consider how necessary are Waste to Energy incineration technologies when it comes to residual waste treatment from household. Finally, by looking at the example of Brussels Capital Region, this paper will explore upcoming commercial opportunities which promote such a circular scheme.

Date of Award	29 Jun 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Rui Nuno Tavares de Almeida Moreira da Cruz (Supervisor)