Speaker
Description
Urban waste management has become a global environmental priority as mass-consuption societies generate increasing volumes of municipal solid waste. Although recycling rates are rising in Europe, fractions of urban biowaste, green and food residues, continue to be incinerated, landfilled, or downcycled. This research investigates pathways for the valorisation of urban biowaste into construction materials within the Brussels Capital Region, considering waste fractions as complementary urban feedstocks. Examples of construction materials in our analysis include insulation panels from grass clippings, composite façade tiles incorporating poplar-derived fibres, bio-resins produced from food waste for finishing panels etc. The methodological framework combines city-scale material flow analysis, regional statistical data, spatial mapping, stakeholder consultation, and lifecycle assessment. Biowaste flows are quantified and spatialised to identify potential material outputs and assess collection and preprocessing logistics. An inventory of biobased construction materials commercialised in Belgium and countries compatible with biowaste feedstocks is developed to examine production routes, technological maturity, and market positioning, informing viable processing strategies and potential substitution pathways. The analysis indicates that construction materials derived from urban residues generally generate lower lifecycle impacts than those based on agricultural or petrochemical feedstocks. However, large-scale implementation remains constrained by seasonal variability, fragmented supply, collection logistics, requirements for preprocessing, and regulatory uncertainty. Key enabling factors include the establishment of preprocessing hubs, improved source separation, targeted public procurement, and the development of clear certification frameworks. The study proposes policy recommendations and a replicable methodological approach for European cities seeking to integrate urban biowaste into circular construction value chains.
| If your abstract is not accepted for an oral presentation, would you be interested in presenting it as a poster instead? | Yes |
|---|---|
| If accepted by the Scientific Board, I agree to have my presentation/poster and abstract published on the Belgian Climate Centre websites and social media. | Yes |
