Dutch governmentpolicy on resources and waste(and more)

London, March, 2, 2015

Wytske van der Mei

Head of DivisionResource Efficiency

Ministry of Infrastructure & the Environment

1)Conservation of natural capital and sustainable sourcing of raw materials

2)More sustainable products on the market

3) Sustainable consumption

4) Re-use, remanufacturing, recycling, etc.

Circular economy: four key components

1.

2

3

4

Old scarcity

Private goods such as minerals may become scarce, but:

------------------------------

Market mechanism leads to

Efficiency improvements

Substitution

Technological development

ScarcityNew scarcity

Public goods such as air, water, climate, biodiversity

-----------------------------

Markets deficiencies cause

Climate change

Air and water pollution

Ecosystem damage

Recycling

Incineration

Landfill

Discharge

Development in waste-figures

Millions (

tonnes)

Ambitions of waste to resource program

• Reduce losses: 10 to 5 million tonnes in 10 years

• Improve 75% separation of household waste: 50% now, 75%

in 2020 finally 100%, zero waste

• Creating economic incentives

• Working with frontrunners

•Removal of counter productive (legal) restraints

•Vision and Program for Household Waste

Moving up in the value chain requires for example:

Ecodesign

New concepts of ownership

Value chain information system (product passport)

Sustainable trade

Changing lifestyles

European context (withdrawal EU-package?)

1.RACE –coalition =

Realising Accelaration towards Circular

Economy

- Circular design - best practices

- High quality re use - communication

- Inventory obstacles - education

- Chain transitions

Three key actions for realising the Circular Economy

Three key actions for realising the Circular Economy

2. Reducing legal barriers:

examples:

- Is-it-waste-tool

- End-of-waste criteria

- Byproduct vs waste

- Take back chemicals

3. (International) Green Deals

Public –Private Deals on Resource Efficiency

Participants: governments, private companies, science

Three key actions for realising the Circular Economy

-Challenges and opportunities are big

-Systemic changes are needed

-EU-wide cooperation is important

-And: cooperation between neighboringcountries is promising

-International Green Deals:

from Trash to Treasure

Concluding remarks

Dutch governmentpolicy on resources and waste (and more)

London, March 2, 2015

Wytske van der MeiHead of Division Resource Efficiency

Ministry of Infrastructure & the Environment

wytske.vander.mei@minienm.nl

Thank you