Abstract
The aim of this study is to better understand the recent changes in the feedstocks of anaerobic digestion plants, the driving forces behind these changes and consequent opportunities to strengthen closed-cycle energy production and promote the circular bioeconomy approaches. The study analyses Poland – a country with a highly diversified agrarian structures and with various levels of the development and focus of regional agricultural sectors which belong to the main sources of biosubstrates to be energetically processed in anaerobic digestion (AD) plants. Biowaste, including biowastes originating in agri-food production and in households, is indicated as one of the key sources for a more sustainable biogas generation. Our findings indicate and prove a gradual shift in the mix of substrates, including the growing role of energy processing of biowaste from households and municipalities. It was also ascertained that in the initial phase of the development of Polish biogas market in early 2010s, the AD substrates in most important position were agricultural raw materials (energy crops) and agricultural waste. On the other hand, during the course of time and due to developing legal requirements as well as financial and market conditions, the biowastes from the food industry and of municipal origin have gradually gained significance. An unintentional shift towards the energy processing of the more sustainable AD substrates in Poland is visible despite a rather low environmental awareness of AD operators.
Highlights
Existing energy systems are under scrutiny and pressure to change as environmental policies are becoming stronger and more integrated, seeking to simultaneously address multiple and diverse societal chal lenges related to environmental degradation, and paying more attention to human health, well-being, equity and the need to fundamentally change the ways in which our ‘business as usual’ economic models have been producing negative externalities
Considering that the idea of the circular economy can be explained as a system regenerative by intention and design, shifting towards the use of renewable energy and sustainability, we propose to use a circular bioeconomy, for the purposes of our research
Especially generated from the agricultural substrates, seems to be one of the types of renewable energy with a great potential for the future development due to: a) availability of input materials, b) electricity supplies to the grid, c) provision of jobs for the community, d) waste heat from biogas plants that could be utilised for community purposes, e) the digestate as one of the co-products of anaerobic digestion being used as fertiliser on the local fields [42,78]
Summary
The idea of circular economy implies an economic system that is principally restorative or regenerative by intention and design; it replaces the epistemological concept of waste that is discarded (e.g. in landfill sites) with crucial emphasis on restoration, recycling, shift to wards sustainable energy and food systems, reduction of the usage of toxic chemicals that impair the reuse and harm biosphere. The Circular economy aims to turn waste into a useful resource by applying the su perior design of materials, products, systems, services and business models [3]; this is becoming a focal component of environmental policy and environmental management. Bioeconomy is a concept that is closely related to the circular economy approach [4] and is understood as sustainable utilisation of bioresources as well as the conversion of resources and waste generated during their processing into added-value products, i.e. food, animal feeding stuffs, bioproducts, bioenergy [5]. The bioeconomy is inherently circular with the use of biomaterials (as opposed to finite and non-renewable resources) serving as key elements of circular setting
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