Background The annual production of municipal solid waste (MSW) has increased steadily in Europe, from 468 kg per person in 1995 to 524 kg in 2008: this level is forecast to reach 558 kg per person in 2020, equal to approximately 387 million metric tonnes per year. EU, national and local regulators and decision makers have promoted the recycling and re-use of different MSW fractions, which has influenced technological choices in the waste management chain. Many European countries already recycle more than 50% of some waste categories, but there are several fractions that currently cannot be recycled. Organic fractions (mainly pulp, paper and wood waste) currently make up about 35% of total MSW. This waste is usually non-recyclable or only partially recyclable because of the large volumes of waste generated, its high moisture content and its changing composition as a result of process conditions. It is more commonly used to generate energy in incineration or cement plants; used as a filling in insulation materials; used for animal bedding; sent for biological treatment, such as composting or anaerobic digestion; or disposed of in landfill sites. The use of some of these fractions to generate energy in biomass plants could also be a theoretical option, but, in the EU, this has only been tried at pilot level, and requires the waste input flow to have a homogeneous quality. Even for the recyclable fractions of MSW, it has been shown that, even if source separation and collection is at 65%, the real effective recycling yield is 32-35%, due to the high level of residues in the sorting and reprocessing stages. Objectives The LIFE+ VIRGIN project will test an innovative solution for the use of cellulosic residues from a wide range of sources (35% of total MSW). Specific objectives include: Technical: Demonstration of an innovative, integrated process, based on autoclave pre-treatment and gasification, rather than incineration, for the recovery of energy from complex waste streams, in particular from absorbent hygiene product (AHP) residues. The demonstration will include the development of a pre-industrial pilot plant; Environmental: To achieve up to a 20% increase in energy yield compared to incineration, particularly at small-medium scale; To reduce harmful emissions, compared to current incineration practices, by removing emission sources prior to and during gasification; To develop a valuable, flexible energy carrier, allowing for the recovery of up to 75% of the chemical energy of the treated feedstock, which will produce up to 700 kWh of electricity per tonne of AHP waste, and will cogenerate steam. Policy and market: To convert waste, with an associated disposal cost, into a saleable, high-value commodities (such as electricity and synthetic gas); To develop a process that will be demonstrably cost effective. Expected results: A blueprint for a redesigned, combined autoclave/gasification process, with substantially improved efficiency and environmental performance compared to incineration; A pilot plant for the novel integrated process, capable of treating 450 tonnes of waste/year, producing about 0.4 GWh/year of electricity, which corresponds to the electricity demand of about 123 households; Demonstration of a process that results in a volume of waste of less than 5%, compared to about 28% for small-scale incineration plants; Better return on investment for electricity production from waste: a medium-sized incineration plant costs about 4 000 €/kW, whereas a VIRGIN plant will cost 2 500 €/kW. Moreover, the steam and electricity generated can be reused internally by the process, thus making it self-sufficient; The environmental sustainability of the process will be certified, based on a lifecycle assessment.