Abstract

The Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment wants to promote the sustainable use and reuse of natural resources. The recovery of raw materials from waste, for instance, can help prevent resource depletion, reduce dependence on supplies, and save energy. The Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) is currently studying possible policy measures for promoting the reuse of wastewater. Existing policy on the reuse of building materials has been used as a model. Waste materials must be reclassified (i.e. no longer legally labelled as 'waste') before they can be converted into raw materials or products. This means that the relevant waste stream must meet specific safety and technical requirements to ensure that its reuse does not result in unacceptable risks to human health or the environment. These requirements are referred to as 'end-of-waste' criteria. Materials released during construction and demolition work comprise one of the largest waste streams in the Netherlands. A large proportion of this waste stream (currently 95 percent) is processed and made suitable for reuse. Official end-of-waste criteria are currently being prepared for stony construction and demolition waste. The wastewater chain is also developing a range of initiatives to promote reuse, e.g. by recovering phosphate and cellulose from wastewater. However, there are still some obstacles to overcome. For instance, there is no clear policy on the reuse of wastewater. Policy has been focused on water quality until recently. There are no policy measures in place to promote the reuse of wastewater. As a result, wastewater is not systematically reused as is the case with building materials. In addition, it is not clear which products can be manufactured from wastewater. This makes it more difficult to draw up end-of-waste criteria. RIVM hopes to contribute to the development of solutions by performing a number of case studies in the coming period.