Circular Economy and Waste: Integrated Resource Recovery and Energy Valorization for Small Municipalities.

About

We invite European partners specializing in circular economy, waste-to-energy technologies, and smart city logistics to co-design and pilot an integrated, community-scale resource recovery system. This initiative targets the transformation of municipal solid waste management (a chronic operational and environmental challenge in small towns) from a linear cost center into a circular, value-generating utility. We propose a holistic model combining IoT-enabled separation, decentralized composting, true material recycling, and anaerobic digestion with energy recovery, creating a closed-loop system for communities of ≤50,000 inhabitants.

OUR APPROACH AND VALUE ADDED:

We operate on the principle of “Waste as a Local Resource.” Our approach is pragmatic and phased, starting with robust social cartography and community engagement to design a culturally adapted separation system. We then layer in appropriate, low-maintenance technology. Our consortium has direct operational experience with municipal governments and environmental cooperatives, providing the essential trust and entry point for implementation. Our value lies in integrating the full chain: 1) Smart Separation and Logistics: Using simple IoT identifiers (e.g., QR codes, low-cost smart bins with fill-level sensors) to incentivize and monitor source separation of streams (green/organic, brown/cellulosic, inert/metal-glass, and high-calorific/plastic). 2) Decentralized Processing: Co-designing community composting hubs for green/brown waste and establishing aggregation points for true recycling. 3) Energy Valorization: Implementing small-scale, modular anaerobic digesters for meat organics/plastic residues, with biogas used for local energy generation and residual thermal energy recovered.

EXPECTED RESULT AND NEED FOR COOPERATION:

The ultimate result is a replicable municipal model that drastically reduces landfill burden, generates local economic activity (compost for local agriculture, recycled materials, energy), and cuts greenhouse gas emissions. The municipality gains a real-time dashboard for waste stream management, from collection to valorization, and a reduction in costs for the “maintenance” of garbage dumps. To build this, we seek European partners who contribute with:

• Expertise in the design and engineering of small-scale, robust anaerobic digestion (AD) and gasification/pyrolysis units suitable for sub-50k community throughput and mixed organic/plastic feedstocks.

• Demonstrable experience in IoT solutions for waste logistics (smart bins, route optimization, user incentive systems) and digital product passports for material traceability.

• Knowledge in community-scale composting methodologies and in integrating waste-derived energy (biogas, syngas) into local micro-grids or municipal heating systems.

• Proven capacity for co-submission to Horizon Europe Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy, and Mobility) for the energy/emissions focus, Cluster 6 for the circular bioeconomy and soil health aspects (compost), and Cluster 4 for the digital logistics layer, as well as relevant circular economy partnership calls.

PROFILE OF THE EUROPEAN PARTNER SOUGHT:

We seek partnerships with European SMEs and research centers leading in decentralized waste-to-energy technologies, circular economy consultancies with hands-on municipal experience, and developers of smart waste management platforms. Ideal partners will have a “frugal engineering” mindset, experience with heterogeneous waste streams, and a genuine interest in co-creating a socially embedded, technologically appropriate, and economically viable model for rural and periurban communities in the Global South.