Waste2Bio

Objective

The presence of thousands of derelict sites in Wallonia is the starting point for our Initiative. Against a backdrop of reduced land artificialisation and increasing competition for the use of land for different purposes, these derelict sites represent an undeniable reservoir of land for establishing a plant cover that provides multiple ecosystem services. In order to speed up the rehabilitation of derelict sites, solutions are needed that complement the conventional reconversion scheme, which often involves costly decontamination. The aim of Waste2Bio is to create, by 2027, a multi-stakeholder platform deploying innovative phytomanagement solutions that are economically viable, beneficial for the environment and for local communities, and that will restore value to brownfield sites on a temporary or permanent basis.

The main areas of work

• Mapping and characterising sites suitable for phytomanagement solutions;
• The development of original crops based on species assemblages designed to promote biodiversity, preserve water resources and restore soil health, and enable the biomass to be put to economic use;
• Developing new ways of producing biomass from wasteland for the energy, materials and molecules sectors;
• Strengthening training courses in these new ways of producing and using biomass;
• Assessing the impact on society in terms of acceptability and well-being.