Water2REturn project: a practical case of circular economy model in slaughterhouses

Abstract

Nowadays, water scarcity and resource recovery are global concerns. Thus, there is a rising demand for implementing circular solutions to reuse water and to recover resources that may be embedded in water streams. These solutions become a must when dealing with industrial sectors like slaughtering, a water-intensive industry that generates wastewater containing a high proportion of organic matter, a valuable source of nutrients for agriculture if properly recovered.

Furthermore, the use of manufactured products based on non-renewable resources, such as chemical fertilizers, is being revised to move to other much more environmentally friendly options to avoid potential danger to the water bodies, that can get polluted and suffer eutrophication, among other environmental problems.

Water2Return, a project financed by the H2020 programme of the European Commission, promotes industrial symbiosis by turning wastewater treatment facilities in slaughterhouses into bio-refineries, following the Circular Economy principles, addressing water scarcity while simultaneously recovering valuable resources, contributing to the Food System sustainability. A real case study was carried out in “Matadero del Sur”, a slaughterhouse in Seville (Spain) treating 50m3 wastewater/day, producing reclaimed water, energy and different secondary raw materials for the formulation high added value agricultural products.