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Waste to Chemicals for a Circular Economy
Author(s) -
Iaquaniello Gaetano,
Centi Gabriele,
Salladini Annarita,
Palo Emma,
Perathoner Siglinda
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.201802903
Subject(s) - circular economy , greenhouse gas , waste management , fossil fuel , municipal solid waste , environmental science , production (economics) , low carbon economy , natural resource economics , business , economics , engineering , ecology , biology , macroeconomics
The implementation of a circular economy is a fundamental step to create a greater and more sustainable future for a better use of resources and energy. Wastes and in particular municipal solid waste represent an untapped source of carbon (and hydrogen) to produce a large range of chemicals from methane to alcohols (as methanol or ethanol) or urea. The waste to chemical process and related economics are assessed in this concept article to show the validity of such solution both from an economic point of view and from an environmental perspective considering the sensible reduction in greenhouse gas emissions with respect to conventional production from fossil fuels.