COMPANY NAME Bosque Urbano
COUNTRY Spain
SECTOR Agri-Food
CIRCULAR BUSINESS MODEL Recovery and Recycling
CHALLENGE
Bosque Urbano faced the challenge of managing significant quantities of green waste and end-of-life artificial turf generated through its landscaping and sports facility activities. Traditional disposal methods created environmental impacts, generated greenhouse gas emissions and involved additional management costs. At the same time, these waste streams represented a missed opportunity to recover valuable materials. The company therefore needed to develop alternative solutions that could reduce its environmental footprint, improve resource efficiency and create new opportunities for circular value creation.
SOLUTION
Through the BIOREC project, the company developed and validated two complementary circular solutions for its main waste streams. Green waste was processed through controlled pyrolysis to produce high-quality biochar suitable for agricultural and landscaping applications. End-of-life artificial turf was incorporated into cement-based formulations to develop innovative modular garden-edging products. The project combined pilot testing, environmental assessment and industrial feasibility analysis, with technical support from research centres such us, CICYTEX and INTROMAC to validate the proposed solutions.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY STRATEGIES/BUSINESS MODEL IMPLEMENTED
BIOREC enabled Bosque Urbano to move from a traditional linear waste-management model towards a circular approach based on resource recovery and recycling. The strategy focused on transforming waste into secondary raw materials, reducing disposal and transport requirements, and developing new circular products. Collaboration with research centres provided access to specialised knowledge and technology. The model also explored future business opportunities through the commercialisation of biochar and recycled construction materials, strengthening the company’s sustainability and innovation strategy.
IMPACT
The project generated significant environmental, technical and business impacts. Greenhouse gas emissions decreased from 582.23 to 3.76 tonnes of CO₂, avoiding 578.47 tonnes and achieving a 99.35% reduction. Furthermore, 28.2% of green waste was reused on-site as mulch. The resulting biochar contained 84.5% organic carbon and met EBC Premium standards, while increasing substrate water retention from 49.85% to 74.43%. Recycled artificial turf also enabled recovery of approximately 7.2 kg of plastic per 10 metres installed.
KEY TAKEAWAY
BIOREC demonstrated that waste should not necessarily be considered the end of a process, but can become the starting point for new environmental and economic opportunities. The project confirmed that circular solutions can deliver measurable benefits when supported by appropriate technologies, research partnerships and practical testing. At the same time, Bosque Urbano learned that technical feasibility alone is insufficient for industrial implementation. Market demand, regulatory conditions, sufficient material volumes and scalable business models are equally important for successful circular transition.