Circular Bioeconomy in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona: Policy Recommendations to Optimize Biowaste Management

Karin Meisterl (), Sergio Sastre, Ignasi Puig-Ventosa, Rosaria Chifari, Laura Martínez Sánchez, Laurène Chochois, Gabriella Fiorentino and Amalia Zucaro
Additional contact information
Karin Meisterl: Fundació ENT, c/Josep Llanza, 1-7, 2n 3a, 08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain
Sergio Sastre: Fundació ENT, c/Josep Llanza, 1-7, 2n 3a, 08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain
Ignasi Puig-Ventosa: Fundació ENT, c/Josep Llanza, 1-7, 2n 3a, 08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain
Rosaria Chifari: Fundació ENT, c/Josep Llanza, 1-7, 2n 3a, 08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain
Laura Martínez Sánchez: BR, Barcelona Regional, Agència de Desenvolupament Urbà S.A., Carrer 60, 25-27. Edifici Z. 2a Planta, Sector A, Zona Franca, 08040 Barcelona, Spain
Laurène Chochois: LIST, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, 5 Av. des Hauts-Fourneaux, 4362 Esch-Belval Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
Gabriella Fiorentino: ENEA, Division Resource Efficiency, Department for Sustainability, Research Centre of Portici, 80055 Portici, Italy
Amalia Zucaro: ENEA, Division Resource Efficiency, Department for Sustainability, Research Centre of Portici, 80055 Portici, Italy

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 3, 1-22

Abstract: Municipal biowaste management is at the core of the transition towards a circular bioeconomy in the EU. However, most urban systems are still far from being aligned with these principles. This paper addresses the case of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona. The current system of biowaste management is compared with a more sustainable alternative scenario. Regulatory and non-regulatory drivers and barriers for the transition from the current state to the alternative scenario are identified and later transformed into policy recommendations using a multi-stakeholder approach. This paper focuses on the separate collection of biowaste and the production of biomethane. Increasing the quantity and quality of separate biowaste collection is a prerequisite for the market-relevant production of biogas from anaerobic digestion that can be converted into biomethane. The results show that more efficient collection systems such as door-to-door or smart bins together with tax incentives such as the pay-as-you-throw principle are key to increasing the amount of collected biowaste, while targeted communication combined with controls and penalties are key to minimizing impurities. In addition to financial incentives for the construction of new anaerobic digestion plants, financial incentive systems are also required for the biomethane sector to ensure competitiveness with fossil fuels.

Keywords: circular bioeconomy; separate biowaste collection; biogas; biomethane; biowaste valorization; drivers and barriers; policy recommendations (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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