Bioeconomy Approach Research Articles

Upcycling the anaerobic digestion streams in a bioeconomy approach: A review

Gaseous and liquid anaerobic digestion (AD) streams, currently are at best used for electricity and heat production or simply spreading at the fields, respectively. However, electricity and heat are economically produced from other renewables and advanced fertilizers are needed to avoid leaching and boost nutrients capture. Hence, AD seeks new opportunities to support circular bioeconomy. The overall objective of this review is to present state-of-the-art resource recovery routes for upcycling the AD streams to reduce carbon footprint and formulate alternative products to increase sustainability. Technical barriers and integrated systems to upcycle AD streams through biological means are presented. New technologies and methods to capture CH4, CO2 and nutrients from the digested residual resources are presented, as a) methanotrophs cultivation to be used as feed ingredients; b) CO2 conversion and micro-nutrients capturing from microalgae to be valorized for a wide range of applications (e.g. biofuels, food and feed, fertilizers, bioactive compounds); c) CO2 transformation to biodegradable plastics precursors (e.g. Polybutylene succinate, Polyhydroxyalkanoate); d) digestate valorization for biochar production to support efficient agricultural usage. Moreover, the environmental factors and life cycle assessment perspectives of the novel biorefinery routes are revised highlighting the need for regionalized models or assessments that can reveal the most sustainable routes based on local conditions and requirements. Despite AD poses some positive characteristics related to environmental benefit and emissions reduction, the present work reveals that the novel routes can further enhance sustainability metrics supporting circular bioeconomy.

Changes in feedstocks of rural anaerobic digestion plants: External drivers towards a circular bioeconomy

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.

Anthocyanin Hybrid Nanopigments from Pomegranate Waste: Colour, Thermomechanical Stability and Environmental Impact of Polyester-Based Bionanocomposites.

In the present work, anthocyanin (ACN) hybrid nanopigments were synthetized by using a natural pomegranate dye (PD) and calcined hydrotalcite (HT) and montmorillonite (MMT) nanoclays. A wide colour gamut was obtained with MMT-based nanopigments ranging from reddish to bluish hues caused by structural transformations of ACNs at different pH values. However, a buffer effect was observed with HT obtaining samples a similar final colour regardless of the synthesis conditions. Nanopigments added with a biomordant extracted from pomegranate peels showed a different colour compared to the incorporation of a commercial mordant due to the intrinsic colouring properties of the pomegranate bioadditive. The developed nanopigments were incorporated at 7 wt% loading to produce novel polyester-based bionanocomposites which were characterized in terms of thermal, mechanical and colour properties. The encapsulation of PD into the nanoclays improved its thermal stability, in particular for MMT-based nanopigments. The pH changes observed during the nanofillers synthesis affected the final colour of the MMT-based nanocomposites, inducing a general increase in ∆E* and a decrease in gloss values. Slight improvements were obtained in terms of elastic modulus for MMT-based polymer samples confirming the applicability of the developed bionanocomposites as colouring and reinforcement materials. A very similar environmental profile was obtained for MMT and HT-based nanofillers showing MMT-based nanopigments a slightly better general behaviour. The results of the LCA study evidenced the suitability of the processes used in this work to the circular bioeconomy approach through sustainable food waste management and the production of bioplastics using waste substrates.

Bio-Based Value Chains Potential in the Management of Cacao Pod Waste in Colombia, a Case Study

Agriculture generates 11.4 billion tons of biomass worldwide, including residues from crop production and industrial processing. Improper disposal of agricultural residues results in environmental pollution and the waste of valuable biomass resources. Management of agricultural waste is particularly suboptimal in developing countries where low added-value traditional practices to manage the residues are commonplace. A bioeconomy approach to better manage agricultural waste is to use renewable biological resources from land and sea to produce new materials and energy, allowing the development of bio-based value chains (BBVC). This study explored the potential of BBVC in the management of cacao pod husk (CPH), the primary residual biomass generated from the production of cacao in Colombia. Thus, a literature review on cacao pod husk (CPH) management strategies and a survey for farmers from Caldas State in Colombia between August and November of 2020 were performed to identify the potentials and limitations of BBVC in the management of CPH. Assessment of CPH management strategies suggested variable uses for CPH categorized in energy, food, and miscellaneous. Analysis of surveys indicated farmers are keen to implement strategies to better manage their agricultural waste, but that information is not available to them. Finally, an approach to develop a BBVC from cacao was proposed, which we plan to implement as a future research direction. We expect to impact the economic growth positively in the region with bio-based products in the market.

Waste to wealth: A sustainable circular bioeconomy approach of chicken manure powder for increasing productivity of Lanchester’s freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium lanchesteri)

A biorefinery is ideal because it can combine many processes to produce multiple bio-products from organic solid waste. Moreover, in view of socially rising energy demands and biodiversity conservation, biorefinery contributed as a sustainable strategic tool for the emerging circular bio-economy. In this research objective was to study some techniques to increase the productivity of Lanchester’s freshwater prawn in earthen ponds. The experiment using a completely randomized design was conducted. In six Nattearthen ponds, different amounts of chicken manure were applied to produce different amounts of phytoplankton (green algae). The first pond was control, then, the 2nd to 6th ponds were applied with chicken manure in 30, 60, 90, 120 and 150 kg/rai/week, respectively. The prawns were fed twice daily with 5% of total body weight using 40% protein diet. The results of the study showed that feeding with different densities of phytoplankton (green algae) affected the productivity of Lanchester's freshwater prawn significantly. The highest productivity of Lanchester's freshwater prawn was 566.30 ±4.88 g from the pond applied with chicken manure of 120 kg/rai/week. The productivity of Lanchester’s freshwater prawn applied with 90, 30, 60, 150 and 0 kilograms/rai/week of chicken manure was 416.53 ± 9.89, 295.43 ± 5.46, 281.13 ± 4.63, 275.39±4.78 and 265.86 ±4.79 g, respectively. In conclusion, the effect of different densities of phytoplankton (green algae) increased the productivity of Lanchester's freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium lanchesteri).

Innovative Circular Business Models in the Olive Oil Sector for Sustainable Mediterranean Agrifood Systems

Considering the large amounts of harmful waste produced in the Mediterranean olive sector, entrepreneurial initiatives creating value from olive waste and by-products via circular bio-economy approaches are reviewed. These circular business models aim to enhance the functionality use of olive trees beyond traditional patterns for value creation. The study focuses on business drivers and value creation mechanisms, and specifically on conversion pathways of olive waste towards new value propositions. In total, 41 cases are analyzed mainly according to the Business Model Canvas components with NVivo, based on data gathered from an extensive online search mainly of company websites and reports, online articles, research project reports, professional websites, and newsletters. Results indicate that some innovative businesses have emerged specializing in the domain of olive waste valorization, driven by environmental concerns and mainly focusing on bioenergy production. However, the overall olive biomass potential yet seems to be under-valorized. A more radical and systemic change will be needed for effective implementation of circular business models contributing to sustainable development in the Mediterranean olive sector, with adequate subsidies, common regulations, more collective actions for creating economies of scale, and marketing strategies to increase consumer awareness for bio-based products.

Circular Bioeconomy Research for Development in Sub-Saharan Africa: Innovations, Gaps, and Actions

The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has applied the concept of ‘circular bioeconomy’ to design solutions to address the degradation of natural resources, nutrient-depleted farming systems, hunger, and poverty in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Over the past decade, IITA has implemented ten circular bioeconomy focused research for development (R4D) interventions in several countries in the region. This article aims to assess the contributions of IITA’s circular bioeconomy focused innovations towards economic, social, and environmental outcomes using the outcome tracking approach, and identify areas for strengthening existing circular bioeconomy R4D interventions using the gap analysis method. Data used for the study came from secondary sources available in the public domain. Results indicate that IITA’s circular bioeconomy interventions led to ten technological innovations (bio-products) that translated into five economic, social, and environmental outcomes, including crop productivity, food security, resource use efficiency, job creation, and reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Our gap analysis identified eight gaps leading to a portfolio of five actions needed to enhance the role of circular bioeconomy in SSA. The results showcase the utility of integrating a circular bioeconomy approach in R4D work, especially how using such an approach can lead to significant economic, social, and environmental outcomes. The evidence presented can help inform the development of a framework to guide circular bioeconomy R4D at IITA and other research institutes working in SSA. Generating a body of evidence on what works, including the institutional factors that create enabling environments for circular bioeconomy approaches to thrive, is necessary for governments and donors to support circular bioeconomy research that will help solve some of the most pressing challenges in SSA as populations grow and generate more waste, thus exacerbating a changing climate using the linear economy model.

Life cycle assessment of biodiesel production utilising waste date seed oil and a novel magnetic catalyst: A circular bioeconomy approach

The utilisation of waste biomass in biodiesel production as a sustainable energy source can lead to the incorporation of circular bioeconomy principles in the current economic systems. Herein, we synthesised a magnetically recyclable solid acid catalyst for the esterification of waste date seed oil. The catalysts possessed superparamagnetic behaviour and high saturation magnetisation, allowing them to be easily separated from the reaction mixture using an external magnetic filed. The esterification reaction was modelled and optimised by RSM (Design Expert program) and parametric study. The magnetic solid acid catalyst showed high catalytic performance with 91.4% biodiesel yield with optimum conditions of residence time, catalyst loading and temperature of 47 min, 1.5 wt %, and 55 °C, respectively. The solid catalyst was easily recovered by simple magnetic decantation and reused five consecutive times without significant degradation in its catalytic activity. This approach of using waste date seed coupled with cheap magnetic solid acid catalyst has the potential to create more sustainable and cost-effective catalytic systems for biodiesel production. This will complete the full cycle of waste date seed sustainably and facilitate the development of circular bioeconomy. The LCA results by using CML-IA baseline V3.06 midpoint indicators, for 1000 kg of biodiesel production showed the cumulative abiotic depletion of fossil resources over all the processes as 19037 MJ, global warming potential as 1114 kg CO2 eq, and human health toxicity as 633 kg 1,4-DB eq (kg 1,4 dichlorobenzene equivalent). The highest damage in all categories was observed during catalyst preparation, and reuse, which was also confirmed in endpoint LCA findings performed using ReCiPe 2016 Endpoint (E) V1.04.

Resource recovery through bioremediation of wastewaters and waste carbon by microalgae: a circular bioeconomy approach.

Microalgal biomass-based biofuels are a promising alternative to fossil fuels. Microalgal biofuels' major obstacles are the water and carbon sources for their cultivation and biomass harvest from the liquid medium. To date, an economically viable process is not available for algal based biofuels. The circular bioeconomy is an attractive concept for reuse, reduce, and recycle resources. The recovery of nutrients from waste and effluents by microalgae could significantly impact the escalating demands of energy and nutraceutical source to the growing population. Wastewaters from different sources are enriched with nutrients and carbon, and these resources can be recovered and utilized for the circular bioeconomy approach. However, the utilization of wastewaters and waste seems to be an essential strategy for mass cultivation of microalgae to minimizing freshwater consumption, carbon, nutrients cost, nitrogen, phosphorus removal, and other pollutants loads from wastewater and generating sustainable biomass for value addition for either biofuels or other chemicals. Hence, the amalgamation of wastewater treatment with the mass cultivation of microalgae improved the conventional treatment process and environmental impacts. This review provides complete information on the latest progress and developments of microalgae as potential biocatalyst for the remediation of wastewaters and waste carbon to recover resources through biomass with metabolites for various industrial applications and large-scale cultivation in wastewaters, and future perspectives are discussed.

The evolution of Сircular Bioeconomy: a bibliometric review

The aim of the article is a theoretical and methodological substantiation of the evolutionary preconditions for the formation and development of a circular bioeconomy on the basis of a bibliometric analysis of literature sources. Global problems of humanity regarding fossil fuels scarcity, environmental pollution and rapid climate change have initiated emerging a bioeconomy approach of society development focused on producing food and non-food goods based on renewable biological resources. Scientists and experts’ intensification during the last decades contributed to increase in scientific works dedicated to modelling circular bioeconomy, which promoted bibliometric analysis of literature sources in several areas, including type of publication, leading journals, field of study, author, country of origin. Special attention is paid to establishing keywords complementary interconnections of circular and bioeconomy concepts and their role towards integrative paradigm. The given study allowed to identify main periods of circular bioeconomy evolution in scientific field, in particular, its emergence, transformation and advanced evolution. Recently, the conception has been prospering, which is indicated by scientific publications proliferating, profound research and introduction of innovative developments in practice.

Valorization of Gleditsia triacanthos Invasive Plant Cellulose Microfibers and Phenolic Compounds for Obtaining Multi-Functional Wound Dressings with Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties.

Gleditsia triacanthos is an aggressive invasive species in Eastern Europe, producing a significant number of pods that could represent an inexhaustible resource of raw material for various applications. The aim of this study was to extract cellulose from the Gleditsia triacanthos pods, characterize it by spectrophotometric and UHPLC–DAD-ESI/MS analysis, and use it to fabricate a wound dressing that is multi-functionalized with phenolic compounds extracted from the leaves of the same species. The obtained cellulose microfibers (CM) were functionalized, lyophilized, and characterized by ATR-FTIR and SEM. The water absorption and retention capacity as well as the controlled release of phenolic compounds with antioxidant properties evaluated in temporal dynamics were also determined. The antimicrobial activity against reference and clinical multi-drug-resistant Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, Enterobacter cloacae, Candida albicans, and Candida parapsilosis strains occurred immediately after the contact with the tested materials and was maintained for 24 h for all tested microbial strains. In conclusion, the multi-functionalized cellulose microfibers (MFCM) obtained from the reproductive organs of an invasive species can represent a promising alternative for the development of functional wound dressings with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, as well as being a scalable example for designing cost-effective, circular bio-economy approaches to combat the accelerated spread of invasive species.

Microalgae from Biorefinery as Potential Protein Source for Siberian Sturgeon (A. baerii) Aquafeed

The demand for aquafeed is expected to increase in the coming years and new ingredients will be needed to compensate for the low fish meal and oil availability. Microalgae represent a promising matrix for the future aquafeed formulation, however, the high production cost hinders its application. The use of microalgae from biorefinery would reduce the disposal costs for microalgae production. The present study aimed to (i) verify the growth of microalgae on digestate coming from pig farming and (ii) evaluate their potential valorization as dietary ingredient in aquafeed according to a Circular Bioeconomy approach. For these purposes, a microalgae biomass was produced on an outdoor raceway reactor supplied with digestate and used for partial replacement (10% of the diet) in aquafeed for Siberian sturgeon fingerlings (Acipenser baerii). The results obtained confirm the feasibility for growing microalgae on digestate with satisfactory productivity (6.2 gDM m−2 d−1), nutrient removal efficiency and Chemical Oxygen Demand reduction; moreover, the feeding trial carried out showed similar results between experimental and control groups (p > 0.05), in term of growth performance, somatic indices, fillet nutritional composition and intestinal functionality, to indicate that microalgae from biorefinery could be used as protein source in Siberian sturgeon aquafeed.

Energy Audit of Agricultural Enterprises: New Approaches and Assessment Criteria (Following the Russian-Finnish Project Interim Outcomes)

Currently implemented project “Russian-Finnish Bioeconomy Competence Сentre – BioCom” within South-East Finland – Russia Cross-Border Cooperation Programme 2014-2020 aims to integrate the BioEconomy principles and approaches into the agricultural sector of the neighbouring border areas of Russia and Finland. The energy efficiency of farming and sustainable use of energy resources is one of the fundamentals of the bio-economy concept. The energy audit is the first step in identifying opportunities to reduce the energy inputs on the farms.(Research purpose) To discover the new approaches to the energy auditing of agricultural enterprises and new assessment indicators following the project experience.(Materials and methods) Four farms were selected for the energy inspection – two farms located in the Leningrad Region, Russia, and two farms located in the South Savo Region, Finland. In Russia the standard energy auditing, measurement, and calculation procedure was applied. The systems of electrical power supply, heat supply, water supply, sewage, and building envelopes on the farms were examined and estimated.(Results and discussion) Following the outcomes of the energy audits in the project framework and the previous relevant experience, the basic energy-saving and efficiency improvement measures were established. Three new approaches to the energy auditing of agricultural enterprises were suggested – energy and environmental assessment of applied technologies and equipment; consideration of the application of renewable energy-generating sources; consideration of the conversion of vehicles to biogas.(Conclusions) The study outcomes proved the energy audits to play an important role in improving the energy efficiency of agricultural production provided they are mandatory, take into account the energy environmental assessment criteria, consider the application of renewable energy-generating sources and the conversion of vehicles to biogas.

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

• 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.

Environmental life cycle assessment of different biorefinery platforms valorizing olive wastes to biofuel, phosphate salts, natural antioxidant, and an oxygenated fuel additive (triacetin)

Olive agro-industry is a chemical- and energy-intensive agricultural activity and given its large scale globally is faced with serious challenges from the sustainability perspective. On the other hand, different by-products and residues generated are not generally used and end up as wastes. Therefore, it is of crucial importance to design and implement innovative platforms based on circular bioeconomy and zero-discharge principles to enhance the sustainability features of the olive supply chain system. In light of that, the present study was aimed at designing and experimentally scrutinizing two olive agro-biorefinery scenarios against the conventional olive oil production system (i.e., olive/olive oil production, including olive cultivation and oil extraction). The first agro-biorefinery system included olive cultivation and oil extraction from fruit and pomace for edible use. Moreover, the remaining pomace post-oil extraction was used as an animal feed. The second agro-biorefinery system included olive cultivation, olive oil extraction, olive pomace oil extraction, and its conversion into biodiesel. In addition, crude biodiesel glycerol was also valorized into two different phosphate salts and an oxygenated fuel additive (namely triacetin), while olive oil leaves were converted into a natural antioxidant for biodiesel. The performance of the natural antioxidant against the most promising synthetic antioxidant used by the biodiesel industry (i.e., propyl gallate) was also investigated. The developed scenarios were environmentally compared using the IMPACT 2002+ method. Overall, both developed agro-biorefineries outperformed the conventional system in terms of all four endpoint damage categories. Compared to the conventional olive oil production system, the production of 1 ton of olive oil in the first and second agro-biorefinery systems was associated with 10.62% and 4.08% saving in climate change damage category, 6.73% and 11.21% saving in primary energy consumption, and 12.01% and 1.55% saving in damage to human health. In addition, the implementation of the circular bioeconomy approach in olive oil production led to 31.28% and 26.38% saving in ecosystem quality damage category for Sc-2 and Sc-3, respectively. Overall, the weighted endpoint damage categories of olive oil production could be saved by 12.27% and 4.49% if respectively, the first and second agro-biorefinery scenarios were used. These findings revealed that through the transition from linear economy-oriented olive agri-food system to a bioeconomy-oriented olive agro-biorefinery, not only a wide spectrum of value-added bioproducts could be achieved, but also the environmental impacts per each ton of olive oil produced could be mitigated.

Application of Nordic microalgal-bacterial consortia for nutrient removal from wastewater

Organic waste recycling is an important emergent technology in development to combat the growing crisis of nutrient scarcity. Many waste streams and effluents contain high concentrations of valuable nutrients, but chemical treatments and recovery processes are both fiscally and energetically expensive. Microalgae are well-studied for use in biological nutrient recovery systems, but conventional culture techniques still have significant shortcomings, especially regarding energy balancing. This study sampled microalgae and photosynthetic consortia from the local environment and artificially adapted them to blended, untreated wastewaters using a stepwise bioprospecting approach. Liquid biogas digestate (BD) was selected for its high phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) concentrations and difficulties associated with recycling, while aquaculture effluent (ACE) was selected to dilute BD for its slightly acidic pH, low turbidity, and sheer volume produced in Finland. Mixed consortia showed 2 × greater biomass production than cultures containing only eukaryotic microalgae under concentrations of 10–25% BD. At 5% and 10% BD, all experimental consortia removed enough dissolved P to satisfy EU wastewater discharge standards (<2 mg/L); however, only 5% BD results met N discharge standards. (<15 mg/L) by the end of the cultivation period (10–12 d). In contrast with nutrient removal findings, higher BD concentration resulted in more efficient removal of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC, >93% removal). Biomass accumulation and removal of P and N were enhanced by the addition of plastic mesh “scaffolding”; cultures grown with scaffold demonstrated an increase of 0.48 g/L biomass and >60% higher rates of N and P removal than cultures grown without scaffolding. Taken together, these results provide the foundation for a circular bioeconomy approach for integrated biomass production, wastewater remediation, and removal of nutrients and carbon.

Valorization of waste eggshell-derived bioflocculant for harvesting T. obliquus: Process optimization, kinetic studies and recyclability of the spent medium for circular bioeconomy

Waste eggshell-derived bioflocculant was used for harvesting T. obliquus in a circular bioeconomy approach. It was found that 120 mg L−1 bioflocculant can flocculate 98.62 ± 0.43% of T. obliquus cells within 25 min at optimal pH 4.0 and temperature 35 °C. The influence of bioflocculant concentration, pH and temperature on zeta potential was evaluated to understand the flocculation mechanism. Microscopic and FESEM-EDX images were analyzed to evaluate the microalgal structural changes. Adsorption mechanism of bioflocculant over the microalgal cells was determined by performing adsorption kinetic studies. Pseudo-second order kinetic model was a suitable fit for the data obtained from the experiments, which indicated chemisorption as the probable mechanism. The spent medium recovered after harvesting process was successfully recycled for subsequent cultivation of T. obliquus, thus reducing the dependency on fresh medium. The FAME composition of the biomass treated with bioflocculant was not altered.

A new circular business model typology for creating value from agro-waste.

Shifting from a linear to a circular economy in the agrifood domain requires innovative business models, including reverse logistics, new visions on customer-supplier relationships, and new forms of organization and marketing strategies at the crossroads of various value chains. This research aims to identify and characterise different types of business models that create value from agricultural waste and by-products via cascading or closing loops. Conceptual and management insights into circular business models are still sparse. In total, 39 cases have been studied that convert agro-waste and by-products into valuable products via a circular economy approach. Semi-structured interviews and on-site visits of six representative cases have been done, and secondary data been collected. Data has been treated with content analysis. Cases are presented according to the type of organisational structure, resources, transformation processes, value propositions, key partners, customers, strategic approaches and innovation. Six types of circular business models are identified and discussed: biogas plant, upcycling entrepreneurship, environmental biorefinery, agricultural cooperative, agropark and support structure. They differ in their way of value creation and organisational form, but strongly depend on partnerships and their capacity to respond to changing external conditions. This study offers the first circular business model typology within the agricultural domain, revealing the interconnectedness of the six different business model types. It provides options for managers in positioning and adapting their business strategies. It highlights the potential of using biomass first for higher added-value products before exploiting it as energy source. Cascading biomass valorisation at a territorial level will increasingly be important for locally cooperating actors within a circular bioeconomy approach.

Assessing the forest-wood chain at local level: A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) based on the circular bioeconomy principles

In the last years, the circular bioeconomy has been recognized as key approach to increase the competitiveness of enterprises and economic growth in the European Union (EU) member countries. In the circular bioeconomy context, forest-based sector can play a key role. The aim of the present study is to analyze the forest-wood chain at local level following the circular bioeconomy approach. In this study, a set of indicators to quantify the 4R ("Reduce", "Reuse", "Recycle", "Recover") of circular economy has been defined and tested in a study area in Italy (Monte Morello forest, Tuscany region). The indicators that have been identified are: improving production process efficiency; reuse and life-span of wood products; optimization of potential wood assortments and energy recover from the wood products. By means of the indicators and a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), the current forest management strategy applied in the study area has been compared with other possible forest management scenarios, to evaluate the optimum solution. The results showed that, up to now, current forest management strategy did not optimize the commercial wood assortments because the timber harvested is wholly allocated for bioenergy production. The economic side can be improved, and the life-span of wood products increased by means of the valorization of the timber collected. Anyway, the results showed a favorable balance with regard to the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emission – considering the fossil fuel substitution effect – and for the energy enhancement of deadwood stock of the study area.

Analisi della filiera foresta-legno in una prospettiva di (bio)economia circolare: il caso studio della foresta di Monte Morello

Recently, the role of circular bioeconomy in order to increase the competitiveness of enterprises and economies of European Union (EU) member countries was emphasized. In circular bioeconomy, the forest sector has a key role with special regard to bioenergy production. The main aim of the present study was to analyze the forest-wood chain at local level (Monte Morello, Florence) following the circular bioeconomy approach. The study was divided in two steps: in the first step wood materials flow and carbon dioxide emission from the production process were analyzed; in the second step a set of indicators - specific for the forest sector - to quantify the 4R ( Reduce , Reuse , Recycle , Recover ) of circular economy was identified and tested. The following aspects were considered: improvement of production process efficiency; reuse and life-span of wood products; optimization of potential wood assortments; and energy recover from the wood products. The results showed that the forest-wood chain by thinning in the Monte Morello forest did not optimize the commercial wood assortments because all wood volume was allocated for bioenergy production. This aspect has generated a negative economic impact and reduced the life-span of wood products. Conversely, the results showed a favorable balance regarding the carbon dioxide emission - above all considering the fossil fuel substitution effect - and for the use for energy production of part of the great amount of deadwood of the Monte Morello forest.