CONAMA 2024: we participate with a poster on circular economy and bioclimatic shelters
We have participated in the last edition of CONAMA with a poster on the project for the revaluation of the Guadalquivir river dredging
Pedro Guerrero, head of Bioclimatic Research at todobarro, participated last December in CONAMA 2024: the 17th edition of the National Environmental Congress, organized in Madrid by the CONAMA Foundation, with a poster on the project we are carrying out with the Portuary Authority of Sevilla (PAS).
This is a biennial meeting, which has been held since 1992, and has become a benchmark for sustainability in Spain and Latin America. With thousands of technical collaborators and attendees, and hundreds of communications, this space brings together administrations, researchers, companies, non-profit and non-governmental organizations, and all types of professionals. For four days, initiatives, research and ideas are shared, as well as concerns and problems to be solved regarding sustainability, the climate crisis and the Energy Transition.
Enabling climate shelters through circular economy
Our participation has been in relation to the project we are carrying out together with the PAS. This is a research and development project in which we are studying the revaluation of the dredging of the Guadalquivir River.
As we have explained before in this blog, in order to keep certain sections of the river navigable, it is necessary to dredge the riverbed regularly, otherwise the natural sediments of the river would prevent the passage of vessels. What has been done so far with this non-toxic waste is to take it to landfills, beaches or seabeds. This waste does not pollute and ends up becoming its own ecosystem for local birdlife, but it is excessive and too much.
Therefore, this project has studied the feasibility of transforming this sludge into ceramic products that have useful applications in public urbanism for as long as possible while minimizing the carbon footprint and the waste and by-products thereof. These two principles are what define the circular economy according to the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition.
Three applications of Guadalquivir sludge
As the poster presented at CONAMA 2024 explains, three main applications have been extracted from the results of the research on the viability of sludge for the creation of high quality ceramic products:
- Compressed earth blocks (CEB). This is a totally safe, sustainable and resilient building material. Some 85% of BTCs are made from river sludge.
- Handmade ceramic floor and wall tiles. Sludge (25%) is used in the ceramic recipe that improves the environmental comfort of the space where it is used.
- Decorative and functional complements using ceramic 3D printing. 15% of the material used for these products is sludge from the Guadalquivir River. The technology used in their construction minimizes the amount of material required.
