Linking Bioeconomy to Redevelopment in Contaminated Sites: Potentials and Enabling Factors

Fedra Francocci,Mario Sprovieri,Fabio Trincardi,Andrea Barbanti,Massimo Zacchini

doi:10.3389/fenvs.2020.00144

Abstract

• This article proposes a bioeconomy approach to the management of contaminated sites with the aim to identify actions for the development of a common policy framework for environmental protection and sustainable development; • Among the policies addressing pollution on land and at sea, we identify four main gaps that hamper the implementation of measures for the prevention and management of contaminated sites from local to systemic scales; • We introduce three concepts from bioeconomy - i) value-chain, ii) regional perspective and iii) multi-sector approach - that are potentially conducive to socio-economic and environmental improvement of degraded areas in Europe.

Highlights

The last 70 years of super-exponential growth of the world economy led to the exploitation of not-renewable resources and the increasing production of mismanaged waste (Steffen et al, 2015)
We propose a new approach to the management of contaminated sites, i.e., areas of environmental and ecosystem degradation and resource depletion with consequent socioeconomic loss, by applying bioeconomy principles to help overcome major limits and gaps that prevent the reintegration of these areas into productive chains
If the adoption of the bioeconomy takes place at multiple levels, taking into account existing productions, industrial ecosystems and policy-support systems related to both soil/water/sea protection and management of risk areas, the political framework would evolve in line with the changing demands of a centralized, circular and regenerative model of production

Summary

INTRODUCTION

The last 70 years of super-exponential growth of the world economy led to the exploitation of not-renewable resources and the increasing production of mismanaged waste (Steffen et al, 2015). Even if the European Regional Development Funds (ERFD) and Cohesion Fund (CF) are mentioned among the relevant indirect measures (Payá Pérez and Rodríguez Eugenio, 2017) no further action defining a medium- to long-term plan for development is clearly defined both at regional or European level, reducing the effective adoption of specific and concrete measures This weakness reflects the lack of a strategic economic plan of development based on a new use of contaminated areas, limiting the interest of private stakeholders and investors. Strategies of circular economy are mentioned in the EEA report (Eea Report, 2019) but only in relation to the prevention of plastic pollution at sea and reduction of soil contamination (FrelihLarsen et al, 2016) This analysis reveals that the approaches commonly undertaken at the regional, national, and European scale focus on risk assessment, mitigation, and recovery from pollutants but lack a broader strategic plan for the long-term reincorporation of contaminated areas into productive and sustainable economic activities

A NEW APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF CONTAMINATED AREAS THROUGH BIOECONOMY

Findings

CONCLUSION