Life cycle assessment of biobased chemical building blocks made from European waste streams

Many drivers exist to persuade EU businesses to embrace the opportunities of the circular economy. However, the challenges faced by companies, particularly among SME’s, in the drive for resource efficiency include access to funding, knowledge and capability, and ability to implement cost-effective technological solutions. It was these factors that inspired the creation of the ReNEW network. ReNEW, ‘Resource innovation Network for European Waste’, is a €5 million project funded by the Interreg IVB North West Europe scheme aiming to increase cooperation between research and business endeavours to create value from waste by optimising novel technologies for extracting materials from waste and their reuse in the supply chain. ReNEW also aims to inform local, national and European policy makers, and to share transnational best practice and improve specific support to meet the innovation needs of the waste sector.
Within the frame of this project, several technologies are investigated by partners to improve the valorisation of organic wastes in chemicals such as the production of furfural (C5H4O2 - CAS 98-01-1) by the chemical hydrolysis of contaminated/hazardous woody biomass.