Dutch Raw Materials Agreement

When you think of recycling, plastics, glass and paper easily come to mind. But what about mattresses? The Dutch company RetourMatras has developed an automatic process for dismantling old mattresses and has transformed a pure recycling company into a producer of raw materials. Operations director Chico van Hemert said the four recycling plants the company currently owns can dismantle 1.5 million mattresses a year in 50 seconds each. An important milestone was reached with the concrete agreement, signed on 10 July by a joint venture of 4 Dutch ministries and 50 companies in the construction sector. This agreement stipulates that cooperation and transparency in the concrete value chain should promote the demand for “green” concrete. Sustainability criteria must be included in the tenders, the goal of 100% high-quality recycled concrete by 2030 must be achieved and CO2 emissions must be significantly reduced. As a result of this agreement, all parties are now beginning to introduce measures and monitor progress. A national agreement on raw materials will be reached to ensure that the Dutch economy is fully powered by reusable raw materials by 2050. Minister Dijksma (Infrastructure and Environment) and Minister Kamp (Economy) have reached agreements with the Dutch economy, government agencies and NGOs to achieve a one hundred percent circular economy. In addition, the Minister of the Environment, Mr.

Dijksma is providing €27 million to improve waste sorting to ensure that discarded products are reused as valuable raw materials and do not end up in a landfill. This money is also used to fund new innovations to improve product recyclability. The EUR 27 million made available at the initiative of Minister Dijksma will be used, among other things, to facilitate the sorting of waste from the 7,000 primary schools in the Netherlands. In addition, environmentally harmful products are addressed, creating alternatives to non-recyclable packaging, such as those used for chips and soups. To launch even more sustainability initiatives, the firm will also sit down with the three largest banks that have already agreed to support investments in circular projects. Currently, innovative companies sometimes find it difficult to obtain funding for circular innovations that have not yet proven themselves in practice. Minister Kamp: “The Cabinet`s goal is to work with industry, knowledge institutes and government agencies to take a more efficient, smarter and cost-effective approach to the use of scarce raw materials and residual streams. In this way, we are building a circular economy that not only benefits our climate, but also creates income and jobs. Studies have shown that the circular economy in the Netherlands will have a market value of €7.3 billion and 54,000 jobs by 2023.

Opportunities for our business world are therefore in abundance. The separation of household waste must become more transparent and easier for local residents, and municipalities play a major role in this regard. Right now, too much reusable waste simply ends up in regular garbage cans, especially in big cities. New sustainable raw materials will also benefit from a boost from the raw materials agreement. For example, bridges and lock gates can be made of composite material, using grass that grows as raw material in the Netherlands. For everyone to have enough to eat by 2050 and to be able to buy the goods they need, such as clothing and electrical appliances, our economy must become circular. In a circular economy, there is no waste. This is because the products are better designed and the materials are reused as much as possible. To this end, the government-wide circular economy programme was launched in September 2016. Visit the government`s website to learn more.

The agreement focuses on national and international metallurgical companies with the aim of improving the visibility of the entire supply chain and maximizing the impact of the participants` joint activities. In order to ensure a sufficient supply of raw materials in the future to meet the growing demand for products, we need a radical change in the handling of raw materials and waste. In this context, more than 180 parties signed the National Agreement on Raw Materials in The Hague. The document contains agreements on the functioning of the Dutch economy on the basis of reusable raw materials. Environment Minister Dijksma and Economy Minister Kamp signed on behalf of the Cabinet. The Dutch business community was represented by Hans de Boer (VNO-NCW) and Michaël van Straalen (MKB-Nederland). For example, by increasing the amounts of existing plastic that is recycled and reused for new products and packaging, less oil is needed as a raw material for the production of new plastics. As one of the signatories, Dutch food giant Unilever is taking the lead in pledging to use 100% recyclable plastic for its packaging by 2025. Since reusing materials requires much less energy than processing new raw materials, fewer greenhouse gases are released into the air, which is better for the climate.

With the transition to a circular economy, the Netherlands will become much less dependent on raw materials imported from abroad. www.government.nl/latest/news/2016/09/14/cabinet-national-raw-materials-agreement-to-foster-recycle-economy-by-2050 In response to environmental, economic and societal challenges, the Dutch government launched in 2016 the national programme “Circular Netherlands in 2050”, which aims to achieve breakthrough material savings in the construction industry and other sectors. Raw materials must become 50% circular by 2030 and 100% circular by 2050. This goal – a fully circular Dutch economy by 2050 – has been expanded in the Raw Materials Agreement, which has so far been signed by more than 325 companies, financial institutions, universities and non-profit organisations. Delft University of Technology, which is also one of the partners of the Interreg SeRaMCo project, is of course participating in this initiative. The Minister of the Environment, Mr. Dijksma stresses the importance of the agreement: “We need to move away from the throwaway culture and change the way we think about raw materials and waste. When designing products, we need to think about how we can reuse the raw materials from which they are made. This agreement lays the foundations for this circular economy and is the first step towards the fight against the unnecessary waste of raw materials and the depletion of the earth`s resources. The company increasingly expects companies to take responsibility for all aspects of their production and supply chain. To do this, they must join forces and work with other stakeholders.

A common approach makes it possible to fight abuse together. In addition to addressing these issues within the national borders of the Netherlands through the participation of a Dutch industry association, this is the first multi-stakeholder agreement of its kind, which also enjoys international support through the participation of a European industry association. The Association of Dutch Municipalities (Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten), the Association of Provincial Authorities (Interprovinciaal Overleg), innovative start-ups, financial institutions, trade unions and environmental organisations also signed the agreements. The National Commodity Agreement builds on the Cabinet`s plan for the transition to a circular economy presented in September 2016. Signatories can now develop concrete plans to accelerate this transition. Concrete plans on the themes of biomass, food, plastics, manufacturing, construction and consumer goods will be completed within six months. These plans set out the steps to be taken to achieve a full circular economy by 2050. For the current list of signatories: www.circulaireeconomienederland.nl/ondertekenaars/ (in Dutch) Construction is an important sector of the Dutch economy, accounting for almost 7% of gross domestic product and employing 458,000 people. Every year, the Dutch construction sector consumes 250 million tonnes, or 50% of the raw materials in the Netherlands. At the same time, 23 million tons of demolition waste are generated, 97% of which is mainly recycled for use under the pavement. After all, the sector is responsible for 40% of Dutch CO2 emissions. [1] The agreement will also help the metals sector prepare for the EU Conflict Minerals Regulation, which will enter into force in 2021 and require large importers to investigate the origin of their raw materials.

In addition, the Dutch government must adhere to the UN Guiding Principles on Human Rights and Business and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. Compliance with these international guidelines also supports progress towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Although there is no legislation, municipalities were the first adapters and provide mattresses to RetourMatras. 15% of mattresses become waste due to incorrect collection. More than 90% of all materials can receive a second life, resulting in the diversion of materials from the landfill. When it comes to recycling PU foam, the company has adapted to new technological advances and moved from mechanical recycling to chemical recycling research. They work with the entire production chain, from new production to sale (in partnership with IKEA Netherlands and Renewi) to waste collection and the conversion of this waste into raw materials that can be reused for new production. Dutch companies in the metallurgical sector often depend on the import of raw materials for their production. The RBC sector risk analysis carried out on behalf of the Dutch authorities showed that the metals sector presents an increased risk of violating human rights, fundamental workers` rights and environmental and biodiversity standards and having a negative impact on local communities. .