Waste management and recovery

Waste management and valorisation are multiple processes in the integrated water management cycle that reduce the environmental impact of the waste generated throughout the water treatment process and its different uses. In these processes, efficient management of the processes leading to waste recovery is vital, with activities such as collection, transport, treatment and final disposal of waste for use or storage being crucial.

Recovery has become an important strategy to reduce waste sent to landfills.. It transforms waste into resources to be reused in other production processes or used as raw material to manufacture new products.

The water regeneration

The primary wastes managed at this stage are:

• Sewage sludge:sludge generated during water purification is generally treated to obtain agricultural fertilisers as it contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. To improve soil quality as it contains organic matter and nutrients, restore degraded land, or even manufacture construction materials.
• Organic waste: Organic waste generated during the sanitation process, such as wastewater and food waste, can be treated for use in the production of biogas and compost.
• Solid waste: solid waste generated during the sanitation process, such as paper, plastic and glass, can be recycled and reused to manufacture new products.
• Hazardous waste: like the chemicals used in water treatment, these must be managed safely and appropriately to avoid environmental impact and protect public health.

In this phase of the integral water cycle, Sando Agua provides sludge and waste treatment services (biogas, compost, bio-products or bio-fertilisers), co-digestion of sludge and private RAR (Wastewater Reuse) sources.