The Facsa-Fovasa Environment Chair at the UPV highlights the crucial role of the circular economy in municipal waste management

Spain generates approximately 22 million tons of municipal waste annually. This means that each citizen in our country generates around 500 kg of waste per year. The prevailing linear economic model in our country is responsible for these figures, a model that has a very serious impact on the environment. Given this situation, implementing a circular economy in municipal waste management is not an option, but a necessity.

This has been the central theme of the Chair's day Facsa-Fovasa Environment of Water, Waste and Circular Economy The meeting, held at the Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineering of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), was attended by a large number of key stakeholders involved in the management and valorization of the various waste fractions generated at the municipal level.

The presentation of the day was given by Amparo Bes, director of the Chair, and Juan Pablo Mateo, general director of Fobesa and Fovasa Environment and Jorge Blanco, Director General of Quality and Environmental Education of the Ministry of the Environment, who carried out the first of the presentations.

Blanco explained the circular economy guidelines and strategies implemented in the Valencian Community, and highlighted the commitment to energy recovery of the rejected fractions of waste, 'for compliance with the legislative objectives that concern us', as well as the commitment to composting and anaerobic digestion for the organic fractions of urban waste.

Next, Ángel Fernández, president of the Foundation for the Circular Economy, explained how the Foundation believes sustainability has five pillars, rather than the three we typically think of: economic, social, environmental, cultural, and communication. Fernández also elaborated on how energy recovery can be considered a clear example of a circular economy concept, due to the potential for heat recovery and the recovery of the resulting materials.

Sara Milner, head of consulting at Biovic, the leading Spanish company in consulting and engineering for sustainable energy and environmental projects, which is behind the major initiatives in the biomethane and biogas sector in Spain, also gave an interesting presentation during this meeting in which she addressed the possibility of using the organic fraction of urban waste via anaerobic digestion for the production of biogas in plants prepared for this purpose.

Following the presentations, two roundtables were held. The first focused on strategies for achieving source separation targets, with the participation of Jorge Blanco, Eduardo Benetó, director of the Valencia area at Fovasa Medioambiente, and Ignasi Cervera Arbona, Mayor of Orba and president of the Orba-Vall de Laguar Association of Municipalities. The three participants addressed, from the perspectives of the regional government, the city council, and private sector, the pros and cons of source separation, the importance of raising public awareness and providing education, and the significant impact of the costs associated with projects, infrastructure, and initiatives.

The final roundtable discussion focused on the management of alternative waste fractions in the context of the challenge of total waste circularity. Participants included representatives from ASIRTEX (Iberian Textile Recycling Association), ARCI (Association of Construction and Industrial Waste Sorting and Recycling Companies), and GEREGRAS (National Association of Managers of Edible Oil and Fat Waste and By-products).

Nearly one hundred people have been able to enjoy this day which is part of the important role that the Facsa-Fovasa Chair of Environment, Water, Waste and Circular Economy carries out in the field of dissemination and training through conferences, seminars, workshops and publications.