Recently, the EU Horizon 2020 MSCA-ETN NEW-MINE project (on Enhanced Landfill Mining) launched its animation video ‘Not another brick’. The video reached > 50,000 views in a couple of weeks and was shared massively on social media. As a result, the concept of Enhanced Landfill Mining (ELFM) received attention in two articles in Italy (Nova 24 Ore), both written by Elena Comelli.
In the first article the EURELCO/NEW-MINE infographic on the landfill situation in Europe is discussed and published in an edited (Italian) version. The original infographic was launched on October 20, 2015, during the first ever Seminar on ELFM in the European Parliament.
In the second article, Elena Comelli provides a brief introduction on the ETN NEW-MINE project as part of the Horizon 2020 Programme and explains the research on ELFM in the framework of the transition to a circular economy. The description focuses on the materials recovery and the thermal valorisation of the other fractions. The article provides an overview on the project’s objective of transforming waste into valuable products, including hydrogen and new building materials. The new sensor based sorting technologies, the plasma and solar gasification are introduced, and importance is given to the role of the researchers in this innovative project. In the same context the Smart Ground project, also part of the Horizon 2020, is mentioned. The Smart Ground project focuses on the recovery of secondary raw materials from landfill sites. The aim of this project is to collect data, integrate all information in one database and enable an easier access to the data on the primary resources to all users. Both projects aim at promoting Enhanced Landfill Mining and the sustainable solutions for resource recovery both from a political and socio-economical perspective.
Read the full article in Nova 24 Ore here.