This paper highlights how biological waste materials can be used for generating the much needed energy and obtaining nutrient-rich compost for agriculture through anaerobic digestion (AD). The paper further highlights the importance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in using AD for converting waste to energy (WTE), leading to many environmental benefits as well as clean energy generation. It would help to reduce pollution, water acidification and carbon emissions that eventually lead to climate change.,The researchers undertook an in-depth study to highlight the role played by an SME in converting WTE and helping towards achieving circularity. An exploratory case-based approach was used to understand value leakage for an AD plant operating on WTE principles in the UK. The plant is still currently active, and it is located in the Midlands, England. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were undertaken with different stakeholders.,This paper reveals the importance of WTE and the significant role played by AD in converting food waste into useful matter. It reports further into the value leakage issue faced in the AD plants. It demonstrates the importance of technological innovation in SME to capture value leakages in a circular model. Most importantly, it demonstrates how SMEs gain competitive advantage and generate value proposition, while they aim for zero waste to landfill objective.,The research involves a case study based on an SME, operating on a circular business model. It will be worth investigating how other businesses could gain competitive advantage. For SMEs interested in AD for WTE, this paper introduces further technological innovation to the AD process to leverage further potential for reuse of waste liquid. Any SMEs entering WTE market ought to take into consideration such design implications.,The paper reveals how the use of waste by SMEs would lead to many environmental benefits as well as clean energy generation. It would help to reduce pollution, water acidification and carbon emissions that eventually lead to climate change. It is useful for addressing the needs of waste food producers and is a cheap raw material for generating energy. The benefits to the public are that it reduces the need for landfill and increases recycling.,The WTE is an effective way of making use of last-stage waste.,Despite SMEs being the powerhouse of the European economies, there is limited research investigating how circular economy (CE) could unlock their potential. Moreover, development of AD in the UK has lagged behind other EU countries. We highlight value leakages and argue how technological innovation should be used to close the value chain loop in the WTE production process. This paper, therefore, demonstrates the important role of an AD process, which involves decomposition of biodegradable materials. It shows that AD is an economically viable and environmentally friendly process of obtaining clean energy at low cost.

中文翻译：

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废物转化为能源和循环经济：厌氧消化的情况

本文着重介绍了如何利用生物废料通过厌氧消化（AD）产生急需的能量并获得农业所需的营养丰富的堆肥。本文进一步强调了中小型企业（SME）在使用AD将废物转化为能源（WTE）方面的重要性，从而带来了许多环境效益以及清洁能源的产生。这将有助于减少污染，水酸化和碳排放，最终导致气候变化。研究人员进行了深入的研究，以突出中小企业在转换WTE和帮助实现循环性方面的作用。在英国，采用基于案例的探索性方法来了解一家按WTE原则运营的AD工厂的价值泄漏。该工厂目前仍处于活动状态，位于中部地区，英国。与不同的利益相关者进行了15次半结构化访谈。本文揭示了WTE的重要性以及AD在将食物垃圾转化为有用物质中的重要作用。它进一步报告了AD工厂面临的价值泄漏问题。它证明了中小型企业技术创新对于以循环模型捕捉价值泄漏的重要性。最重要的是，它展示了中小型企业如何实现竞争优势并产生价值主张，同时他们旨在实现零废物填埋的目的。该研究涉及一个基于中小型企业的案例研究，该企业以循环商业模式运作。值得调查其他企业如何获得竞争优势。对于对WTE广告感兴趣的中小型企业，本文将对AD流程进行进一步的技术创新，以充分利用废液的再利用潜力。任何进入WTE市场的中小型企业都应考虑这种设计含义。本文揭示了中小型企业对废物的利用将如何带来许多环境效益以及清洁能源的产生。这将有助于减少最终导致气候变化的污染，水酸化和碳排放。它对于满足浪费食品生产者的需求很有用，并且是一种廉价的发电原料。对公众的好处是，它减少了对垃圾填埋的需求，并增加了回收利用。WTE是利用最后阶段废物的有效方法。尽管SME是欧洲经济体的强国，关于循环经济（CE）如何释放其潜力的研究很少。此外，英国反倾销的发展落后于其他欧盟国家。我们重点介绍了价值泄漏，并争论了在WTE生产过程中应如何使用技术创新来闭合价值链循环。因此，本文证明了AD过程的重要作用，该过程涉及可生物降解材料的分解。它表明AD是一种以低成本获得清洁能源的经济可行且环境友好的过程。证明了AD过程的重要作用，该过程涉及可生物降解材料的分解。它表明AD是一种以低成本获得清洁能源的经济可行且环境友好的过程。证明了AD过程的重要作用，该过程涉及可生物降解材料的分解。它表明AD是一种以低成本获得清洁能源的经济可行且环境友好的过程。