Circular Economy and Resources

Research Area

Circular Economy and Resources

cans of soda
Photo: Colourbox

We address resources, materials, recycling and environment under different scenarios for material demand for products and capital infrastructure.


Completed projects

Completed projects

 logo biotenmare

  • Project title: BioTEnMaRe
  • Funded by: Poland National Centre for Research and Development
  • Project timeframe: 2013 - 2016

This project created innovative recycling technologies to deal with sewage sludge and other biowaste energy and matter recovery. An integrated model of sludge treatment and management, as well as remediation strategies of contaminated soils, was developed in order to reduce GHG emissions, use of non-renewable resources and soil pollution.

Contact: Professor Helge Brattebø

 logo mica

  • Project: Mineral Intelligence Capacity Analysis
  • Funded by: European Commission Horizon 2020
  • Project timeframe: December 2015 - January 2018

Primary and secondary raw materials are fundamental to Europe’s economy and growth. The MICA project brings together experts from a wide range of disciplines in order to ensure that Raw Materials Information is collected, collated, stored and made accessible in the most useful way to meet stakeholder needs. To accomplish this goal, MICA will assess relevant data and information, and conduct analyses of appropriate methods and tools, in order to provide guidelines and recommendations.

MICA-project.eu/

Contact: Professor Daniel Beat Müller

  • Project: Nutrients in a Circular Bioeconomy: Barriers and Opportunities for Mineral Phosphorus Independence in Norway
  • Funded by: Research Council Norway
  • Project timeframe: September 2017 - August 2020

The MIND-P project analyses the barriers and opportunities for transforming the Norwegian bio-economy to reach (direct) mineral phosphorus independence by 2030, focusing on manure and fish sludge. In this project, we develop a spatially explicit phosphorus flow model for Norway, combining geographical information systems (GIS) with material flow analysis (MFA). In addition, we test the options for up-scaling the identified solutions and develop scenarios for transforming the Norwegian bio-economy towards mineral-P independence, while highlighting the consequent barriers, trade-offs, and industrial opportunities.

Contact: Professor Daniel Beat Müller

 logo minfuture

  • Project: MinFuture: Global material flows and demand-supply forecasting for mineral strategies
  • Funded by: European Commission Horizon 2020
  • Project timeframe: December 2016 - November 2019

Global demand for minerals is growing rapidly, and material supply chains linking the extraction, transport and processing stages of raw materials have become increasingly complex. An interactive platform is needed to understand these global supply chains; the MinFuture project aims to identify, integrate, and develop expertise for global material flow analysis and scenario modelling.

minfuture.eu/

Contact: Professor Daniel Beat Müller

  • Project: Microbially-produced raw materials for aquafeed (MIRA)
  • Funded by: Research Council Norway
  • Project timeframe: October 2014 - September 2018

MIRA explores the potential of photosynthetic microalgae and bacteria as sources of lipids and proteins for the salmon feed industry. State of the art biotechnological methods, including synthetic biology, genome editing, and directed evolution, are used to demonstrate the potential of heterotroph bacterium R. opacus and a phototrophic microalgae for producing feed ingredients that are not dependent on crops cultivated on arable land. In addition, material flow analysis is employed to investigate the system effects regarding resource, energy and biomass constraints of the developed solutions.

Contact: Professor Daniel Beat Müller

 redu logo

  • Funded by: Avfall Norge
  • Project timeframe: 2015 - 2020

REdu aims to improve competency, expertise, and smart thinking for Norway’s waste management and recycling industry. We will strengthen training in higher education, focus on competence development, innovation and research, and highlight opportunities in the industry. REdu is an initiative of Waste Norway, and works in close cooperation with its members and university partners.

REdu.no/

Contact: Professor Helge Brattebø