RECYCLES · Recovering carbon from contaminated matrices by exploiting the nitrogen and sulphur cycles

Recovering carbon from contaminated matrices by exploiting the nitrogen and sulphur cycles

Modern societies produce increasing amounts of waste and wastewater, putting growing pressure on treatment plants, natural resources and the environment. Traditional waste treatment systems mainly focus on removing and destroying pollutants, often using large amounts of energy and losing valuable resources in the process. This approach is increasingly unsustainable, especially in the context of climate change. RECYCLES addresses this challenge by exploring new ways to treat waste that both protect the environment and recover value from waste streams. The RECYCLES project aimed to rethink waste treatment by placing resource recovery and sustainability at the core of everyday waste and wastewater treatment, rather than treating them as additional benefits. The project brought together universities and companies to develop biological solutions that make waste treatment more efficient, resilient and sustainable. RECYCLES focused on innovative biological processes to manage liquid and gaseous waste streams from wastewater treatment plants, municipal solid waste facilities and landfills. Instead of relying on energy-intensive methods that destroy organic matter, the project studied innovative biological technologies and combined them into integrated treatment trains for wastewater treatment and biogas upgrading. In these systems, carbon, nitrogen and sulphur were treated not as pollutants to be eliminated, but as resources that can be recovered, demonstrating that waste treatment itself can play a central role in the circular economy by reducing emissions, saving resources and supporting long-term sustainability. To achieve these goals, RECYCLES adopted a holistic approach that simultaneously considered economic viability, environmental performance and engineering and process performance (the 3E concept). The project showed that truly sustainable solutions require balancing all three aspects, rather than optimising only one. To support practical application, RECYCLES developed a Decision Support Tool to help identify optimal treatment configurations by jointly considering technical, economic and environmental factors, helping bridge the gap between research and real-world implementation. RECYCLES demonstrated that modern waste treatment can be both sustainable and resource-efficient when circular economy principles are embedded directly into treatment processes. By combining innovative biological technologies, a holistic 3E approach and strong collaboration between science and industry, the project delivered solutions that are environmentally responsible, economically realistic and technically robust. At the same time, RECYCLES made a lasting investment in people and skills, supporting innovation in waste treatment and contributing to Europe’s transition towards a more circular, sustainable and climate-resilient society.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union