Project title: Recovery of extracellular polymers from wastewater treatment residuals as a new circular biopolymer (REThiNk)

Activated sludge is the most widely used biological treatment process for wastewater, and it produces >10% of all biowaste in the western world. We present a new strategy for turning these biosolids into valuable biopolymers via extraction of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that are secreted from bacteria in the activated sludge.

The EPS has high intrinsic value and can be recycled into new sustainable biomaterials and replace oil-based polymers. There is a lack of understanding of the microorganisms that produce the EPS and their relevant properties. We will establish a predictive model for declaration of extracted EPS by linking the bacterial physiology, overall community composition, and properties of extracted EPS.

The EPS will be formulated into biomaterials and create an entry point for activated sludge into the global biopolymer market, with the goal to develop a new resource recovery strategy and increase the sustainability and profitability of wastewater treatment.

The project is funded by The Novo Nordisk Foundation