AI Applied to the Circular Economy: An Approach in the Wastewater Sector

Vicent Hernández-Chover (), Águeda Bellver-Domingo, Lledó Castellet-Viciano and Francesc Hernández-Sancho
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Vicent Hernández-Chover: Water Economics Group, Inter-University Institute for Local Development (IILD-WATER), University of Valencia, C/Serpis 29, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Águeda Bellver-Domingo: Water Economics Group, Inter-University Institute for Local Development (IILD-WATER), University of Valencia, C/Serpis 29, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Lledó Castellet-Viciano: Water Economics Group, Inter-University Institute for Local Development (IILD-WATER), University of Valencia, C/Serpis 29, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Francesc Hernández-Sancho: Water Economics Group, Inter-University Institute for Local Development (IILD-WATER), University of Valencia, C/Serpis 29, 46022 Valencia, Spain

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 4, 1-18

Abstract: Water is one of the most basic and essential resources for life and is also a strategic component for the development of the economies of the different countries of the planet. The water sector in the context of ecological transition and the circular economy has enormous economic potential. However, the water resources present in a territory are, in many cases, very limited, and their availability is increasingly restricted. In this respect, current technologies make it possible to generate a whole range of renewable resources. In the case of wastewater treatment plants, in addition to obtaining clean water in sufficient quantity and quality, it is possible to take advantage of multiple other resources generated in the purification processes, such as fertilizers, biogas, bioplastics, and glass, and even recover adsorbents such as enzymes and proteins from wastewater. These resources represent a valuable social, environmental, and economic contribution. The scarcity of some of these resources causes continuous increases in market prices, generating economic tensions between producers and potential users. This work proposes to guide the potential of artificial intelligence (AI)-based methodologies in aspects related to the supply and demand of the resources generated in these infrastructures. Specifically, the use of machine learning (ML) allows for projecting economic scenarios based on multiple variables, such as the quality and quantity of the treated flows, the resources generated in the infrastructures, the current demands, and the prices of substitute goods. This aspect represents a substantial advance in terms of the circular economy since, beyond the technical aspects related to the processes, it ensures a sustainable balance between potential producers and end users. In conclusion, it brings sustainability to the urban water-cycle sector, ensuring the viability of the resources generated.

Keywords: circular economy; renewable resources; WWTP; machine learning; dynamic pricing; market (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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