Sewage sludge: a review of business models for resource recovery and reuse
In many low- and middle-income countries, sewage sludge generated from wastewater treatment systems has potential environmental and health hazards. To tackle this challenge, there is a need for innovative options given the increasing concerns and policies restricting sewage sludge dumping in landfil...
| Autores principales: | , , , , |
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| Formato: | Informe técnico |
| Lenguaje: | Inglés |
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International Water Management Institute
2023
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| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/135464 |
| _version_ | 1855541064788606976 |
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| author | Taron, Avinandan Singh, S. Drechsel, Pay Ravishankar, C. Ulrich, Andreas |
| author_browse | Drechsel, Pay Ravishankar, C. Singh, S. Taron, Avinandan Ulrich, Andreas |
| author_facet | Taron, Avinandan Singh, S. Drechsel, Pay Ravishankar, C. Ulrich, Andreas |
| author_sort | Taron, Avinandan |
| collection | Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace) |
| description | In many low- and middle-income countries, sewage sludge generated from wastewater treatment systems has potential environmental and health hazards. To tackle this challenge, there is a need for innovative options given the increasing concerns and policies restricting sewage sludge dumping in landfills and elsewhere, and a growing awareness about the resource value of sludge within a circular economy. In developed countries, water utilities, municipalities and the private sector are increasingly engaged in utilizing and innovating modern resource recovery technologies to capture biosolids, nutrients or energy from sewage sludge and reducing disposal. This study reviews existing approaches and business models for resource recovery and moves the discussion beyond technical feasibility. Case studies were analyzed in support of four main sets of business models depending on the targeted resource: (i) organic fertilizers, (ii) crop nutrients, (iii) energy, and (iv) organic fertilizers and nutrients along with energy. The extraction of organic fertilizers through dewatering, thickening, stabilization or long-term storage drives the first set of models followed by technological advances in phosphorus recovery. The business models on energy similarly start from conventional energy recovery processes (anaerobic digestion) and move toward incineration. The discussion covers recent advances in gasification and pyrolysis. Transforming sewage sludge into biochar, for example, can support soil fertility and carbon sequestration. The final set covers integrative approaches supporting soil fertility and energy needs. The critical step for emerging economies is to develop a wastewater management strategy and link it to a circular economy framework without having a negative impact on environmental and human health. While technologies and business models generally have a favorable policy environment, there is a lack of a regulatory framework that allows the marketing, use and export of recovered (waste-derived) resources for certain applications. For example, there needs to be an increase in industry acceptance of phosphorus recovered from sewage sludge to penetrate agricultural markets despite the currently still cheaper phosphate rock, which is a finite resource. |
| format | Informe técnico |
| id | CGSpace135464 |
| institution | CGIAR Consortium |
| language | Inglés |
| publishDate | 2023 |
| publishDateRange | 2023 |
| publishDateSort | 2023 |
| publisher | International Water Management Institute |
| publisherStr | International Water Management Institute |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | CGSpace1354642025-11-07T08:05:10Z Sewage sludge: a review of business models for resource recovery and reuse Taron, Avinandan Singh, S. Drechsel, Pay Ravishankar, C. Ulrich, Andreas resource recovery resource management reuse sewage sludge business models circular economy nutrients energy recovery organic fertilizers biosolids phosphorus wastewater treatment plants waste management landfills sewage treatment technology sludge dewatering anaerobic digestion incineration gasification pyrolysis biochar solid wastes sludge disposal composting pellets biogas electricity generation public-private partnerships municipal authorities policies regulations frameworks market demand costs profitability value chains public health environmental health soil composition case studies In many low- and middle-income countries, sewage sludge generated from wastewater treatment systems has potential environmental and health hazards. To tackle this challenge, there is a need for innovative options given the increasing concerns and policies restricting sewage sludge dumping in landfills and elsewhere, and a growing awareness about the resource value of sludge within a circular economy. In developed countries, water utilities, municipalities and the private sector are increasingly engaged in utilizing and innovating modern resource recovery technologies to capture biosolids, nutrients or energy from sewage sludge and reducing disposal. This study reviews existing approaches and business models for resource recovery and moves the discussion beyond technical feasibility. Case studies were analyzed in support of four main sets of business models depending on the targeted resource: (i) organic fertilizers, (ii) crop nutrients, (iii) energy, and (iv) organic fertilizers and nutrients along with energy. The extraction of organic fertilizers through dewatering, thickening, stabilization or long-term storage drives the first set of models followed by technological advances in phosphorus recovery. The business models on energy similarly start from conventional energy recovery processes (anaerobic digestion) and move toward incineration. The discussion covers recent advances in gasification and pyrolysis. Transforming sewage sludge into biochar, for example, can support soil fertility and carbon sequestration. The final set covers integrative approaches supporting soil fertility and energy needs. The critical step for emerging economies is to develop a wastewater management strategy and link it to a circular economy framework without having a negative impact on environmental and human health. While technologies and business models generally have a favorable policy environment, there is a lack of a regulatory framework that allows the marketing, use and export of recovered (waste-derived) resources for certain applications. For example, there needs to be an increase in industry acceptance of phosphorus recovered from sewage sludge to penetrate agricultural markets despite the currently still cheaper phosphate rock, which is a finite resource. 2023-12-15 2023-12-17T22:31:36Z 2023-12-17T22:31:36Z Report https://hdl.handle.net/10568/135464 en Open Access application/pdf International Water Management Institute Taron, Avinandan; Singh, S.; Drechsel, Pay; Ravishankar, C.; Ulrich, Andreas. 2023. Sewage sludge: a review of business models for resource recovery and reuse. Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). 98p. (Resource Recovery and Reuse Series 23) [doi: https://doi.org/10.5337/2023.211] |
| spellingShingle | resource recovery resource management reuse sewage sludge business models circular economy nutrients energy recovery organic fertilizers biosolids phosphorus wastewater treatment plants waste management landfills sewage treatment technology sludge dewatering anaerobic digestion incineration gasification pyrolysis biochar solid wastes sludge disposal composting pellets biogas electricity generation public-private partnerships municipal authorities policies regulations frameworks market demand costs profitability value chains public health environmental health soil composition case studies Taron, Avinandan Singh, S. Drechsel, Pay Ravishankar, C. Ulrich, Andreas Sewage sludge: a review of business models for resource recovery and reuse |
| title | Sewage sludge: a review of business models for resource recovery and reuse |
| title_full | Sewage sludge: a review of business models for resource recovery and reuse |
| title_fullStr | Sewage sludge: a review of business models for resource recovery and reuse |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sewage sludge: a review of business models for resource recovery and reuse |
| title_short | Sewage sludge: a review of business models for resource recovery and reuse |
| title_sort | sewage sludge a review of business models for resource recovery and reuse |
| topic | resource recovery resource management reuse sewage sludge business models circular economy nutrients energy recovery organic fertilizers biosolids phosphorus wastewater treatment plants waste management landfills sewage treatment technology sludge dewatering anaerobic digestion incineration gasification pyrolysis biochar solid wastes sludge disposal composting pellets biogas electricity generation public-private partnerships municipal authorities policies regulations frameworks market demand costs profitability value chains public health environmental health soil composition case studies |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/135464 |
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