Identifying valuable components
Wageningen Food & Biobased Research sees opportunities for the high-quality reuse of all sorts of waste. But many of these have yet to be sufficiently recognised or exploited. Our research starts with analysis: which valuable components does a waste stream contain? Which raw materials do these waste residues consist of? After dissecting the waste streams – sometimes right down to the molecular level – we determine which materials can be made from them and which extraction and conversion processes can best be used to do so.
Our desire is to use the raw materials concealed in the waste in applications of the highest achievable quality. We also seek opportunities to use the waste stream as a whole wherever possible. Last but not least, we ensure that the costs and environmental effects involved are well researched.
Projects
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URBIOFIN: from municipal waste to bioplastics and other high-value applications
The European URBIOFIN BBI-project will focus on converting the organic fraction of urban waste on a semi-industrial scale. The project, that will... -
From municipal solid waste to butanol and hydrogen
The application of high pressure and steam is a proven method for the mobilisation of valuable components from biomass. It is used in the EU BESTF2...