Water, waste and energy are the assets on which the CAP Group has decided to focus for the future. In line with the strategic guidelines of its sustainability plan, the Group has embarked on a transition path towards a circular economy that aims to recover materials and energy from refuse so that waste is minimized. According to this logic, CAP has transformed what until a few years ago was a linear process into a virtuous cycle. On the one hand, by optimizing all the activities from an organizational and energy point of view, on the other hand by reusing what is already produced - purified water and sewage sludge - thanks to the use of innovative and cutting-edge technologies that allow all the possible value to be extracted from what has always been considered waste.
In light of these principles, various projects have been launched aimed at transforming what was previously waste into electricity or biomethane. An effective closure of the circle thanks to which both the elements recoverable from the water purification process (the so-called sewage sludge), and the purified water that is reused in agriculture or for civil uses, but also food waste that can no longer be sold in the supply chain are recovered. In this perspective, the purifiers, once thought of as mere water treatment plants, have progressively transformed into advanced biorefineries oriented towards the recovery of secondary raw materials, such as biomethane, fertilizers, sulphur, various chemicals and sands.
In addition to the development of projects guided by the principles of the circular economy, to safeguard the environment CAP has adopted new technologies, in line with the Pillars of Innovation of its Sustainability Plan. In this context, the project of electronic detectives - based on KANDO technology - to identify illegal discharges should be noted; and the Instrumental Odour Monitoring System (IOMS).