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Circularity in wastewater treatment plants : drivers and barriers to the commercialisation of bioplastics from wastewater

Ajao, Bukola M. (2020) Circularity in wastewater treatment plants : drivers and barriers to the commercialisation of bioplastics from wastewater.

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Abstract:Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can become essential players in the global transition to a circular economy. The circular economy is a model that promotes the sustainable management of materials and energy by minimizing waste generation and ensuring the recycling and reuse of waste in a closed-loop system. This is gradually being achieved in WWTPs through the integration of resource recovery and energy generation in wastewater treatment processes, resulting in a circular reuse of water, valuable resources, nutrients and energy. One of such valuable resources is polyhdroxyalkanoates (PHAs), a biobased and biodegradable plastic. These bioplastics have similar properties with some fossil-based plastics, as well as unique properties that make them suitable for other applications. The focus of this research was to assess the drivers and barriers to the commercialisation of these PHAs using the PESTLE framework as the analytical tool to assess these factors in six categories (political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal). From the study, the major barrier to the commercialisation of PHA is the lack of sufficient capital funds for its upscaling from pilot scale to commercial, whereas the main drivers include allocation of subsidies for PHA production by the government and the biodegradability advantage of PHA.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:70 social sciences in general
Programme:Environmental and Energy Management MSc (69319)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/83010
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