Introducing Waste2Fresh
Waste2Fresh project launches to deliver an innovative solution to industrial freshwater pollution
The Waste2Fresh project, coordinated by Konya Technical University and led by a multinational consortium of 17 partners, is today announcing its commencement, to ensure the successful development, demonstration and commercialisation of a closed-loop wastewater recycling system for the textile manufacturing industry. The main objective of Waste2Fresh is to deliver an innovative system to recycle wastewater from textile manufacturing processes and solve major global industrial and environmental challenges.
The wastewater containing toxic contaminants (e.g. heavy metals, dyes, bleaching agents, salts and acids) produced by the textile manufacturing industry is responsible for 20% of global industrial water pollution. Untreated wastewater can cause devastating adverse effects on the surrounding natural environment. In order to meet rising freshwater demands, currently pressured by climate change and overexploitation of freshwater resources, a solution to enable recovery and recycling of industrial wastewater is necessary.
Waste2Fresh brings together a consortium of 17 research and industrial partners to address the adverse effects of wastewater from the textile manufacturing industry. Consortium members will collaborate to accelerate and de-risk the development of a cost-effective and sustainable wastewater solution for textile manufacturing industries across the globe.
The closed-loop system will integrate novel catalytic degradation approaches with highly selective separation and extraction techniques to remove environmental contaminants and reuse ~95% wastewater for industrial processes. This system will be designed to support the Zero Liquid Discharge strategy, aiming to eliminate industrial wastewater pollution and comply with EU Water Framework Directive standards protecting the ecosystems of water-based environments. Ultimately, widespread adoption of the Waste2Fresh system would lead to considerable environmental gains and more economical freshwater usage with the potential to be adopted by other industrial sectors
Waste2Fresh is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. It has also already gained attention from stakeholders outside of the consortium willing to provide support when a large-scale demonstrator of the Waste2Fresh system is finalised.
From 1 April 2021, Waste2Fresh will begin delivering a work plan consisting of eight work-packages with deliverables and milestones aligning with the consortium’s sustainable strategy.
Richard Burke, Technical Project Manager for the Project, Nanofique ltd said, “This is an exciting opportunity for leading industrial and academic stakeholders to develop sustainable industrial wastewater management solutions. We are looking forward to the positive environmental impacts they will make.”
Serpil Cetin, Project Coordinator for the project, Konya Teknik University, Turkey said; We are delighted to be coordinating and leading a H2020 project . Waste2Fresh highlights the importance of collaborative development approaches to help reduce freshwater pollution and the project will highlight this and lead the change for sustainability’’
Notes to the Editor
The Waste2Fresh project is an EUH2020 funded project that is bringing an innovative solution to the textile manufacturing industry to address freshwater resource scarcity and industrial water pollution, into the market.
The project will bring together the leading textile manufacturing companies and relevant SME’s across Europe, as well as supporting Industry Innovation and Research & Technology Organisations to accelerate and de-risk the development of an innovative solution to focus on the issue of freshwater resource scarcity and industrial water pollution
Project funding: H2020-EU.2.1.5.3. – Sustainable, resource-efficient and low-carbon technologies in energy-intensive process industries
Duration: 12/2020- 11/2023
Coordinator:
- KONYA TEKNIK UNIVERSITESI, Turkey
Project partners:
- CENTRE FOR PROCESS INNOVATION LIMITED LBG, United Kingdom
- ERAK GIYIM SANAYI VE TICARET ANONIM SIRKETI, Turkey
- FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FOERDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V., Fraunhofer-Institut für Biomedizinische Technik IBMT, Germany
- INNOVATION IN RESEARCH & ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS, Belgium
- INSTYTUT MOLEKULYARNOI BIOLOGII I GENETYKY NAN UKRAINY, Ukraine
- L’UREDERRA, FUNDACION PARA EL DESARROLLO TECNOLOGICO Y SOCIAL, Spain
- NANOFIQUE LIMITED, United Kingdom
- NANOGENTECH LTD, United Kingdom
- PCI MEMBRANES SPOLKA Z OGRANICZONA ODPOWIEDZIALNOSCIA, Poland
- STIFTELSE CSDI WATERTECH, Norway
- THE OPEN UNIVERSITY, United Kingdom
- ULUDAG CEVRE TEKNOLOJILERI ARGE MERKEZI SANAYI VE TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI, Turkey
- UNIVERSIDAD INDUSTRIAL DE SANTANDER, Colombia
- UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TRENTO, Italy
- VEREALA GMBH, Switzerland
- VSI SOCIALINES INOVACIJOS SVARESNEI APLINKAI, Lithiania
Editorial enquiries:
Becky Fields – Marketing and Communications Business Partner
Becky.fields@uk-cpi.com
Dissemination lead for Waste2Fresh H2020 project