VALORIZATION OF BIO-PLASTIC (PHA) FROM WASTEWATER AND CIRCULAR ECONOMY

ABSTRACT

Circular economy requires sustainable supply of raw materials to industries. Social and economic networks are needed in order to develop circular economies that would drive value chains in renewable resource processing from wastewater into renewable bioplastic products. Current plastic is non-biodegraded which can cause harm to our environment. A pilot scale investigation was carried-out so as to evaluate the feasibility of producing value-added bioplastic from wastewater treatment and environmental protection services. This research demonstrates how to develop an economic and effective technology to produce bioplastic from wastewater. The first sludge (biomass) from the wastewater treatment plant is used for the production of volatile fatty acids in an anaerobic process. Sludge with pH = 6, Temp. = 30 °C, Retention Time of 4days, yields the optimal outcome with up to 0.40 Chemical Oxygen Demand transformed into VFA. The second procedure changes VFA by an aerobic process into biopolymers (PHA) by pure or mixed culture microorganisms.