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27 Bioconversion of Waste to Wealth as Circular Bioeconomy Approach

The cycles revolve around two candidates – (i) the consumer for biological cycle

and (ii) the user for the technical cycle. This philosophy considers all the materials

that go into any industrial or commercial process as nutrients. The concept sees

nature’s way of recycling and refurbish (biological metabolism) as the blueprint

for an efficient flow of industrial materials (technical metabolism). This concept

analyses methods for an effective usage of all technical “nutrients” for maximizing

the positive impact and minimizing the negative impacts, both technically and

economically.

27.1.2

Bioeconomy

Paralleling the development of concept and application of circular economy, the

European Commission, in 2012, put forth the concept of “bioeconomy.” Accordingly,

bioeconomy is defined as “production of renewable biological resources and their

conversion into food, feed, bio-based products and bioenergy.” This encompasses

agriculture, forestry, fisheries, as also food, and pulp and paper production, and a

part of the chemical, biotechnological, and energy industries [2].

The goals of this approach include (i) developing food which is healthy, safe, and

also nutritious, (ii) healthy animal feeds obtained through an effective utilization

of resources, (iii) development of new food supplements, (iv) providing chemicals

and polymers with new properties and functionalities, and (v) replacement of

fossil energy with bioenergy and biofuels. Other goals include development of

novel agricultural and marine practices that are sustainable and efficient, improved

bioprocessing and biorefinery concepts, novel eco-friendly process technologies,

and making the atmosphere cleaner by exploring and popularizing the usage of

biofuels which have low greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Of particular interest

and importance is the impetus given to new concepts in biorefining that favor

products that have the highest value addition and resource efficiency [3]. This is

suggested as an alternative to the conventional methods in biorefining that are

aimed to producing only biofuels.

The other noteworthy aspect of bioeconomy is its insistence on the concept of

“cascading use of biomass.” This concept is defined as a system that extends the

total biomass available, through effective utilization of the so-called “used” materi-

als (residues and recycled materials).

27.1.3

Circular Bioeconomy

Circular bioeconomy (CBE) integrates the concepts of the circular economy and

bioeconomy and aims to improve resource and environmental efficiency, reduce

trace gases (GHGs), reduce carbon demand, and value waste. It points to similarities

and differences between the “circular economy” and the “ecological economy.”

The global economy seeks to improve resource utilization and waste recycling to

reduce more fuel emissions while processing and extracting processes. Bioeconomy

features transcend rounded economic objectives that include product or service

areas. Bioeconomy is largely driven by a growing cycle by including in the global

economy a large number of biological processes and waste from livestock, forestry,

fisheries, food and animal feed, and natural waste from production. Biomass wastes