Planning the Flows of Residual Biomass Produced by Wineries for the Preservation of the Rural Landscape

Canio Manniello,Andrea Di Pasquale,Pietro Picuno,Dina Statuto,Gerardo Giuratrabocchetti

doi:10.3390/su12030847

Abstract

Circular economy aims to create a system that allows an optimal reuse of products and materials. According to an appropriate planning hierarchy, agricultural and agro-food co-products, by-products and wastes should be primarily employed to re-balance soil fertility, and afterwards valorized as new secondary raw materials used in the same agricultural sector or in different industrial chains (e.g., cosmetics, nutraceuticals, etc.). Finally, only at the end of this process, they could be conveyed to energy production through co-generation. In this paper, different residues generated by the wine production chain have been considered with reference to the Basilicata region (Southern Italy). These biomasses have been quantitatively assessed and qualitatively classified, in order to find the most rational and convenient solution for their valorization from a technical, economic and environmental point of view. From the spatial analysis—elaborated by implementing a Geographic Information System—some thematic maps have been obtained, which allow us to highlight the areas with the highest concentration of residues. In this way, focusing the analysis on these areas, some possible strategies for their management and valorization have been proposed, so as to restore soil fertility and contribute to the sustainable preservation of the rural landscape.

Highlights

The concept of circular economy is based on the idea of the re-use, renewal and optimal recycling of products and materials [1,2]
The lack of organic matter prevents the soils to perform their functions properly as it significantly reduces their physical, chemical and biological fertility
Most of the cultivated areas are quite poor in organic matter contents and the available phosphorus and potassium is below the desired level

Summary

Introduction

The concept of circular economy is based on the idea of the re-use, renewal and optimal recycling of products and materials [1,2]. The valorization of biomass generated into the primary sector can play a significant role for the success of a circular bioeconomy. This concept may be conceived through the intersection of bioeconomy—i.e., the production of renewable biological resources and the conversion of these resources and waste streams into new added-value products, such as food, feed, bio-based products and bioenergy [1,6]—and circular economy, based on the use of recycled materials to prolong their useful life and on the transformation of waste into new resources

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion