La economía circular para la industria agroalimentaria

Veolia's Mission: Sustainable Resource Management

Overview of Veolia's Operations

• Veolia focuses on developing access to resources, preserving existing resources, and renewing them as part of its mission.

• The company treats and reuses wastewater from the agri-food industry and converts organic waste into green energy or compost.

• Their sustainable circular economy practices help optimize water and energy bills, operational costs, and environmental impact.

Industrial Processes in Agri-Food Factories

• Agricultural raw materials (animal or plant-based) arrive at food factories for processing, which consumes significant water and energy while generating wastewater, CO2 emissions, and waste.

Wastewater Treatment Techniques

• Wastewater is treated on-site using various methods including physical-chemical processes, flocculation, flotation, biological treatments with bacteria, membrane filtration, and reverse osmosis.

• Treated water can be reused within the factory for processes such as boiler operations or cleaning facilities.

Organic Waste Valorization

• Methanization allows for dual valorization of liquid or solid organic waste and sludge from treatment plants by converting it into methane (biogas).

• The byproducts of this biological degradation serve as compost for nearby agricultural fields.

Energy Recovery through Cogeneration

• Biogas is burned to generate electricity via cogeneration; this electricity can either be reintegrated into the factory or supplied to the regional power grid.

• Residual heat from this process is converted into steam for use in production sites.

• Packaging waste (plastics, steel, aluminum, iron, cardboard) is sorted on-site or at a nearby recycling center to be repurposed as new raw materials.