Raw materials from wastewater - 21/12/2022 Wastewater treatment plants as biorefineries: the RoKKa project RoKKa, a joint project coordinated by the Fraunhofer IGB, is testing methods for recovering raw materials such as phosphorus and nitrogen compounds to produce fertiliser from municipal and industrial wastewater in a climate-neutral way. These new methods are being investigated under real conditions at wastewater treatment plants in the Ulm area with a view to developing them into sustainable biorefineries.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/wastewater-treatment-plants-biorefineries-rokka-project
Büsnau biorefinery - 05/10/2022 KoalAplan: municipal wastewater as a source of recyclable materials Our wastewater not only contains dirt and excretions, but is also rich in carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, which can be recovered. A sewage plant can thus become a source of raw materials. In the KoalAplan project, a new type of biorefinery will be used to convert the carbon recovered from wastewater into sustainable products.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/koalaplan-municipal-wastewater-source-recyclable-materials
Press release - 02/03/2022 Biorefinery project KoalAplan is extracting raw materials from wastewater The Ministry of the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector is funding the KoalAplan project, which extends the functional scope of a wastewater treatment plant. The project, based in the Stuttgart district of Büsnau, aims at recovering raw materials from wastewater and is therefore making a positive contribution to climate neutrality, as the products obtained replace fossil raw materials and energy-intensive processes.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/biorefinery-project-koalaplan-extracting-raw-materials-wastewater
Press release - 02/03/2022 Pilot project RoKKa uses wastewater to produce fertiliser and raw materials The Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector is funding the new research project RoKKa which is used to prove the viability of recovering raw materials from wastewater. This adds a crucial function to the scope of a conventional sewage treatment plant. Together with the operators of the sewage treatment plants in Erbach and Neu-Ulm, the project partners demonstrate the positive contribution towards climate protection…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/die-klaeranlage-der-zukunft-heisst-bioraffinerie
Dossier - 17/11/2021 Biorefinery: new paths to build our tomorrow Sustainability is in vogue. And it’s not a question of wanting to be sustainable, but having to be: as the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change shows, protecting the climate and the environment calls for swift action. Biorefineries that use renewable raw materials and recycle industrial raw materials are playing an important role in the bioeconomy concepts of many countries - including the state of Baden-Württemberg.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/dossiers/biorefinery-new-paths-build-our-tomorrow
Specialized in Sustainability - 30/09/2021 The circular economy of the future The research project RUN (Rural Urban Nutrient Partnership) explores how waste might be used more efficiently as a resource. In this project, Veronika Fendel investigates how recyclable materials from biowaste and domestic wastewater can be fed back into the material cycle in the best possible way.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/circular-economy-future
Press release - 08/02/2021 Water-repellent and more: coating textiles sustainably with chitosan Textiles can be coated with the biopolymer chitosan and thus made water-repellent by binding hydrophobic molecules. The good thing is that this can also replace toxic and petroleum-based substances that are currently used for textile finishing. In the last few years Fraunhofer IGB and partners have developed technology to provide fibers with the desired properties using biotechnological processes and chitosan.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/Water-repellent-and-more-coating-textiles-sustainably-with-chitosan
Press release - 21/12/2020 How Do We Want to Run Our Economy and Production? The wastewater treatment plant is turned into a vegetable farm, bio-based substances recovered from waste are being utilized to prevent oxidative spoilage in food packaging or provide environmentally-friendly and safe water-repellent coatings on functional textiles. In the EVOBIO project coordinated by Fraunhofer IGB, 19 Fraunhofer Institutes are working on solutions for a sustainable economy.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/How-Do-We-Want-to-Run-Our-Economy-and-Production
Phosphorus recovery from sewage sludge - 21/10/2020 Bacteria help to recycle phosphorus Biotechnology for the bioeconomy: in something known as the P-bac process, sulphur bacteria extract phosphorus from sewage sludge ash. Phosphorus is one of the key building blocks of life and an essential nutrient for plant growth. When there is not enough phosphorus in the soil, farmers apply it via organic or mineral fertilisers.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/bacteria-help-recycle-phosphorus
Press release - 05/10/2020 Solar-battery effect enables a new light-driven organic microswimmer to operate in the dark An interdisciplinary team of scientists at the Max Planck Institutes for Intelligent Systems and Solid State Research has developed a biocompatible microswimmer made of carbon nitride, which they can propel forward through light. The particle can also store solar energy similar to miniature solar cells equipped with batteries, and can thus also swim in the dark using the stored energy. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/solar-battery-effect-enables-new-light-driven-organic-microswimmer-operate-dark
Article - 24/01/2019 Scientists to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria in wastewater In Germany, around 1,500 tonnes of antibiotics per year are administered to humans and animals. As a result, more and more bacteria are developing resistance to common antibiotics. As part of HyReKA, a cooperative project funded by the BMBF, scientists led by Professor Thomas Schwartz from the KIT are investigating how antibiotic-resistant pathogens spread and how they can be prevented from doing so.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/scientists-to-combat-antibiotic-resistant-bacteria-in-wastewater
Plastic waste - 23/08/2018 Microplastic in waters – mini waste as maxi problem New studies reveal that rivers are major contributors to marine ecosystem pollution. A study commissioned by environmental authorities in BW and four other German states analysed samples from 25 rivers to gain an idea of the occurrence of microplastics in German inland waters. In addition, Dr. Natalie Orlowski from the University of Freiburg is analysing microplastics pollution in the Dreisam River.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/microplastic-in-waters-mini-waste-as-maxi-problem
Article - 25/01/2018 Ö-Klo: recovering valuable materials by composting toilets The Freiburg-based start-up company Ö-Klo leases composting toilets and is committed to the recovery of human urine and faeces. The young Ö-Klo entrepreneurs believe that reviving natural material cycles of soil, plants, food and excreta is crucial in times when natural resources such as phosphorus are dwindling. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/oe-klo-recovering-valuable-materials-by-composting-toilets
Press release - 18/01/2018 Wood for clothing, reducing microplastics in our seas: VAUDE participates in the TextileMission research project Together with various partners from environmental associations, the scientific community and the textile industry, VAUDE has launched the TextileMission research project. The goal is to find solutions that will reduce the environmental impact of microplastics released when synthetic apparel is washed. VAUDE is excited about the initial successful developments. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/pm/wood-for-clothing-reducing-microplastics-in-our-seas-vaude-participates-in-the-textilemission-research-project
Article - 27/11/2017 Microalgae – resource-saving raw materials for the food and feed sectors Coal, petrol and natural gas are our energy sources and the basis for the food, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. However, the supply of fossil fuels is gradually running out. The Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart has turned to microalgae in the search for alternative sources of energy. Initial pilot projects in which a variety of different methods based on state-of-the-art technologies were…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/microalgae-resource-saving-raw-materials-for-the-food-and-feed-sectors
Article - 11/10/2016 Nanofur for cleaning up accidental oil spills in water Accidental oil spills such as those following oil disasters need to be cleaned up as quickly as possible. Researchers from the KIT in Karlsruhe have now developed an environmentally friendly process that can eliminate oil spills effectively. Nanofur is a material that imitates the fine hairs of aquatic ferns and is capable of absorbing large amounts of oil within a relatively short time.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/nanofur-for-cleaning-up-accidental-oil-spills-in-water
Article - 29/02/2016 Biopower made from wastewater Researchers worldwide are working to develop new technologies for producing clean energy. A team of researchers led by Sven Kerzenmacher at the University of Freiburg's Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) is interested in combining wastewater and bacteria, an approach that is both unusual and promising.https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/biopower-made-from-wastewater
Article - 01/02/2016 Phosphorus recycling – valuable materials from sewage plants Modern agriculture relies on phosphorus in the form of chemical fertilisers to provide plants with vital nutrients. However, huge amounts of this valuable raw material end up in our sewage plants. Two new methods to recover phosphorus from wastewater could potentially contribute to the sustainable use of phosphorus in the not-too-distant future. https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/phosphor-recycling-wertstoffe-aus-der-klaeranlage
Article - 11/11/2015 A metal enzyme that can cleave benzene rings Aromatic rings are extremely stable and very difficult to break apart. Prof. Dr. Matthias Boll from the University of Freiburg’s Faculty of Biology and his team work with Geobacter metallireducens, a bacterium that can completely degrade aromatic compounds under strictly anaerobic conditions. While the biological degradation of aromatic hydrocarbons is of global relevance, the chemical resulting from the reduction of benzene rings could also be…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/a-metal-enzyme-that-can-cleave-benzene-rings
Article - 13/07/2015 Recovering phosphorus from sewage sludge The chemical element phosphorus, which is mainly used as a fertiliser in agriculture, is a key building block for all life forms. Phosphorus cannot be substituted by other elements or produced synthetically. In addition, it is scarce on Earth and the majority of phosphate rock preserves are located in just a handful of countries. A European-wide research project on phosphorus recycling now presents ways of producing the precious raw material from…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/recovering-phosphorus-from-sewage-sludge
Article - 13/10/2014 Crude mushroom solution to degrade micropollutants and increase the performance of biofuel cells Sabine Sané, a doctoral student in the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) at the University of Freiburg, has developed a concept that shows how micropollutants can be degraded in wastewater and how the latter can serve as a valuable source of raw materials. She is one of four researchers who have been awarded the 2014 Huber Technology Prize “Future Water” with a purse of 10,000 euros. Her concept is based on an enzyme that is secreted…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/crude-mushroom-solution-to-degrade-micropollutants-and-increase-the-performance-of-biofuel-cells
Article - 14/04/2014 WEHRLE Umwelt GmbH: Smart process water treatment reduces operating costs Reducing energy consumption by 8,000 kWh and being able to generate 15,000 kWh of electrical power per day can save 500,000 euros operating costs in a year, as a project carried out by WEHRLE Umwelt GmbH on behalf of a pharmaceutical company found. WEHRLE Umwelt has been working with environmental technologies for over 30 years, principally focussing on plants for industrial wastewater treatment. The company offers intelligent solutions that are…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/wehrle-umwelt-gmbh-smart-process-water-treatment-reduces-operating-costs
Article - 17/03/2014 'Beyond tomorrow' molecular sorting for resource-efficient production Most developed countries are “throwaway societies”, i.e. societies where people simply throw away defective articles and purchase new ones. However, our resources are finite. This is not only true for oil but also for many other raw materials such as precious metals or rare earths. Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart are working with researchers from other Fraunhofer institutes…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/beyond-tomorrow-molecular-sorting-for-resource-efficient-production
Article - 03/02/2014 Recovering phosphorus from compost, manure and other waste residues Phosphorus is essential for life on Earth all organisms need the element for growth. The principal application of phosphorus is in fertilisers. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB are currently developing a method to recover organic phosphorus from fermentation residues and agricultural residues such as manure. The IGB researchers hope to recover up to 90 percent of the organically bound…https://www.biooekonomie-bw.de/en/articles/news/recovering-phosphorus-from-compost-manure-and-other-waste-residues