The EUROPEAN SUSTAINABILITY CONGRESS 2024 served as the focal point of Circular Week 2024, held on Wednesday, October 23rd, in Warsaw, Poland.
NYMPHE was represented at this event! One of our project partners, Dr. Abraham Esteve-Núñez from METfilter, was a speaker in the session focused on the theme "Healthy Environment for Healthy Life."
Dr. Abraham Esteve-Núñez is a Professor of Chemical Engineering, principal investigator of the Bioe Group, and the founder of METfilter and Nanoelectric. His research concentrates on environmental biotechnology, particularly the use of electron microbiology for water bioremediation, as well as the remediation of urban, industrial, and natural environments, along with pollutant detection.
Session 4: HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR HEALTHY LIFE
Moderator: Karolina Adamska-Woźniak, MD - Managing Director of the Forum Odpowiedzialnego Biznesu
Panelists:
Dr. Abraham Esteve-Núñez - Professor of Chemical Engineering, principal investigator of the Bioe Group, founder of METfilter and Nanoelectric
Anna Bazan-Korona - ESG Specialist at Adamed Pharma
Almudena Muñoz Puche - International Projects, Technology Centre of Furniture and Wood of the Region of Murcia (CETEM)
Summary of the discussion
In yesterday's discussion, Prof. Abraham Esteve-Núñez shared his unique perspective on health, emphasizing the vital connection between environmental health and human well-being.
For over 20 years, this scientist has dedicated his work to cleaning up the environment, aiming to create spaces free of pollutants that directly contribute to better human health. He believes that a healthy environment benefits not only physical health but also mental well-being, reinforcing the need for a holistic approach to health.
The expert highlighted ongoing projects that engage the public in creating healthier environments, particularly those focused on cleaning micro-pollutants from wastewater. By implementing initiatives in real locations, they invite community participation, allowing people to witness firsthand the effectiveness of sustainable water treatment technologies. For innovative projects still in development, they emphasize educational dissemination, helping the public understand their role in environmental contamination, as illustrated by the NYMPHE project.
These initiatives also tackle significant public health challenges, particularly water scarcity. By developing technologies to purify and reuse polluted water, they aim to provide clean water for irrigation and household use. Collaborating with industries such as oil and gas, breweries, and pharmaceuticals, they promote on-site water treatment that aligns with sustainability goals.
One innovative project, “Beer for All,” exemplifies how traditional sectors can embrace sustainability. By recovering nutrients from brewery wastewater, they convert harmful pollutants into valuable resources, such as microbial protein for fish feed and fertilizers. This approach not only helps mitigate environmental impact but also demonstrates the potential for industries to discover new opportunities in sustainable practices.
In closing, the expert stressed the importance of collaboration across sectors in addressing environmental challenges. He encourages all stakeholders to implement decentralized wastewater treatment and nutrient recovery systems, highlighting that the technology exists to transform how we manage waste and resources. By adopting these practices, we can work towards a cleaner, healthier future for both our environment and ourselves.
Circular Week is a nationwide educational campaign about circular economy, sustainable production and consumption. The focal point of the event is European Sustainability Congress 2024. One of the biggest and most prestigious conference in Poland regarding circular economy topic. Event is targeted to public administration, local municipalities, companies, CSR, sustainable managers, local administration, start-ups, media. Due to broad promotion it will reach as well general public.
The event is organized by INNOWO – Institute of Innovation and Responsible Development, the Polish Circular Hotspot, in collaboration with the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform.
More information about the event: https://www.circularweek.com/
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