25 July, Thursday, 09.00 AM
Main Hall

Circular economy and Sustainability

Circular economy is a change of paradigm that starts from the consciousness of how our increasing needs can match the resources available in our Planet Earth. In this respect, cities can have a primary role in accelerating the depletion of these natural resources, but can also have a pivotal role in proposing sustainable models of development. Moreover, Bioeconomy is promoting biobased processes as one of the key enabling technologies that can trigger the turnabout. Cities are consuming, but are also producing a large quantity of waste, that in this new vision can be seen as residues to valorize into a wide variety of products, which in some cases can simply substitute “old” products but more and more will generate novel products and materials, deriving from a profound re-thinking. In this view, the concept of biorefinery integrated in the territory will be given, together with case studies and practical exercises.

Practical Exercise:

  • The 17 SDG will be presented, and practical exercise will follow: students will be divided in groups of 3/4 people and 2/3 SDGs will be assigned. Starting from what they have learnt during the school they have to figure out a concept that can connect these goals (15/20min), and then present this idea to the class, taking comments (15/20min each group, to be defined according to students’ number)
  • Waste streams, management and valorization:  let’s think about the waste streams that a city can generate, including also industrial activities. Which are these streams? What about their chemical composition? Abundance? Possible seasonality? Can we imagine a biorefinery starting from one of these streams? 20/30min for working on the concept (group of 3/4 people), preparing SWOT analysis and then presenting to the class, taking comments (students will b asked to try to include all possible concepts presented during the other days/lessons).

 

Keypoints

  • 9:00-10:30

    Circular Economy and Bioeconomy
  • 11:00-12:30

    Part A: A paradigm shift: from Refineries to Biorefineries, including the use of microorganisms as cell factories - Part B: From the concept of Biorefineries to a case study
  • 14.00-16:30

    Smart Cities, Biorefineries and the principles of Sustainability, Waste streams, management and valorization: Practical Exercise