Sustainable resource management, FHNW School of Life Sciences

We develop concepts and processes to extract biochemical feedstocks, biogas and nutrients from biodegradable residues, in order to create value and safely return them to production systems or the environment. We work with biodegradable food and agro-industrial residues such as coffee, okara and wheat. We also recover nutrients and water from wastewater, to restore natural resources.

We investigate the biogas and nutrient recovery potential of biodegradable residues before and after fractionation, i.e. after extraction of targeted biochemical feedstocks. We analyse plant nutrients (N, P, K) as well as macronutrient recycling for animal feeds such as proteins. We holistically conceptualize and assess trade-offs and synergies between the multiple recovery and recycling pathways of biodegradable residues and their fractions and develop business models for their valorization.

Our well-equipped laboratory and strong partnerships with other research institutes and technology providers contribute to the sucess of our work.

We support and foster circular approaches for technology products and materials (technocycle). The goal is to reduce the use of resources and environmental impacts of technology production, use and disposal.

Our main principles are to:

1. Optimize designs to extend lifespan and enable component and material reuse
2. Shift to renewable and secondary resources
3. Share, reuse and refurbish
4. Valorise waste streams
5. Close gaps by creating economic incentives for circular business models

Among others we have investigated the life cycles of organic and perovskite photovoltaic cells, of batteries and of the recovery processes of scandium from different waste streams.

We have analysed the existing or proposed life-cycles of technologies, identified environmentally relevant processes and supported transformations to increase the circularity.

We also have developed a web-based tool to foster industrial symbiosis among companies and industries and are engaged in international capacity building activities for resource efficient and cleaner production and eco-industrial parks.

The consumption, use and production of biological and technological products impact environmental and human health. To assess these impacts we use and combine various state-of-the-art sustainability assessment methods.

Life cycle assessments (LCA) allow the systematic identification of environmental impacts over the entire life cycle. Relevant environmental impacts are taken into account during the extraction of raw materials, production, use phase and disposal or recycling of the product, as well as any upstream and downstream processes.

LCA can be supplemented by other methods for a more holistic assessment, such as:

• material flow analysis (MFA)
• life cycle costing (LCC)
• social life cycle analysis (SLCA)
• cost-efficiency analysis (CEA)
• cost-benefit analysis (CBA)
• multi-criteria analysis (MCA)
• health risk and impact assessment (HRIA)

We include stakeholders along the production, consumption and use systems with participatory methods such as Delphi studies, citizen science and communities of practice.