Legal targets must help producers use fewer raw materials

That is written by a group of Dutch scientists who, on the initiative of Recycling Netwerk and Het Groene Brein, wrote a report on how the Dutch government can establish such targets. The statutory targets are necessary to deliver on the government's promise: to halve Dutch raw material use by 2030 and to minimise it by 2050. This will make the Netherlands less dependent on raw materials from abroad and reduce the environmental pressure of our production and consumption. The group of academics consists of José Potting from Recycling Netwerk Benelux, Ernst Worrell from Utrecht University, Arnold Tukker from Leiden University, Antoine Heideveld from Het Groene Brein, Marko Hekkert from Utrecht University and Jacqueline Cramer from Utrecht University and former Environment Minister. Download the full report Download the summary Problems of Dutch raw material use increasingly pressing The supply of raw materials and materials and products manufactured from them was already severely disrupted, mainly by the coronavirus pandemic and the ship blocking the Suez Canal last year. Putin's war in Ukraine adds a major burden to that, and adds a global food crisis. The Dutch government has also been struggling for some time with how to get the climate crisis and nitrogen crisis under control. In addition, there are numerous other environmental problems, such as the plastic soup in the sea and pathogenic particulate matter from blast furnaces. The origin of all these environmental issues is the extraction and processing of raw materials into materials and products and ultimately as waste. In addition, current raw material use leads to poor working conditions during extraction, and locally to social problems and conflicts surrounding extraction and processing. Every reason, therefore, to make haste with reducing the Dutch hunger for raw materials and materials. Targets for reduced product use (prevention), replacement of single-use products with reusable products (reuse), and more and better recycling help producers to set the right priorities when making their products more sustainable. Policy does not yet steer towards prevention over reuse, and reuse over recycling The Dutch circular economy policy aims to halve the quantity of raw materials by 2030 and to minimise it by 2050. An important role is played by a ladder of 9 circularity strategies that can be summarised in prevention (using fewer products), reuse (replacement of single-use with reusable products), and more and better recycling. Here, prevention takes priority over reuse and reuse over recycling. Last year, the Dutch government introduced combined targets for packaging. This obliges producers to reuse or recycle at least the prescribed percentage of all packaging used annually. This should stimulate reuse, but the Council of State doubts this because the proposed combined targets were already met by recycling alone upon introduction. Moreover, the Dutch government is ignoring its own preference for reuse over recycling by combining both into a single mandatory percentage. That is the essence of the Council of State's advice on the combined targets, the highest legal body advising the government on new legislation and regulations. It raises the question for the Council of State why the government did not opt for separate minimum targets for reuse alongside the long-standing recycling targets. Furthermore, the methodology for establishing the combined targets does not arithmetically allow for separate targets for prevention in terms of reduced product use to be established, notes the group of Dutch scientists in the report 'Towards circular targets for prevention, reuse and recycling'. This is despite the fact that Dutch policy prioritises prevention over reuse and recycling. Prevention as fewer products in kilotonnes (not necessarily in numbers) Prevention here means reduced product use by weight. This can be achieved by using fewer products in number, such as through car-sharing or smartphones with many functions in one (phone, camera, digital news, etc.), but also by designing products to be more material-efficient. New targets needed for prevention, reuse, and more and better recycling The limitations of the combined targets have encouraged the Dutch scientists to draw up a set of criteria that new targets for prevention (less use of products), reuse (replacement of single-use with reusable products), and more and better recycling must meet. Based on this, they then developed a new methodology for establishing those targets. To show how this works, they applied this methodology to glass packa

That is written by a group of Dutch scientists who, on the initiative of Recycling Netwerk and Het Groene Brein, wrote a report on how the Dutch government can establish such targets.

The statutory targets are necessary to deliver on the government's promise: to halve Dutch raw material use by 2030 and to minimise it by 2050. This will make the Netherlands less dependent on raw materials from abroad and reduce the environmental pressure of our production and consumption.

The group of academics consists of José Potting from Recycling Netwerk Benelux, Ernst Worrell from Utrecht University, Arnold Tukker from Leiden University, Antoine Heideveld from Het Groene Brein, Marko Hekkert from Utrecht University and Jacqueline Cramer from Utrecht University and former Environment Minister.

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Problems of Dutch raw material use increasingly pressing

The supply of raw materials and materials and products manufactured from them was already severely disrupted, mainly by the coronavirus pandemic and the ship blocking the Suez Canal last year. Putin's war in Ukraine adds a major burden to that, and adds a global food crisis. The Dutch government has also been struggling for some time with how to get the climate crisis and nitrogen crisis under control. In addition, there are numerous other environmental problems, such as the plastic soup in the sea and pathogenic particulate matter from blast furnaces.

The origin of all these environmental issues is the extraction and processing of raw materials into materials and products and ultimately as waste. In addition, current raw material use leads to poor working conditions during extraction, and locally to social problems and conflicts surrounding extraction and processing.

Every reason, therefore, to make haste with reducing the Dutch hunger for raw materials and materials. Targets for reduced product use (prevention), replacement of single-use products with reusable products (reuse), and more and better recycling help producers to set the right priorities when making their products more sustainable.

Policy does not yet steer towards prevention over reuse, and reuse over recycling

The Dutch circular economy policy aims to halve the quantity of raw materials by 2030 and to minimise it by 2050. An important role is played by a ladder of 9 circularity strategies that can be summarised in prevention (using fewer products), reuse (replacement of single-use with reusable products), and more and better recycling. Here, prevention takes priority over reuse and reuse over recycling.

The Dutch circular economy policy aims to halve the quantity of raw materials by 2030 and to minimise it by 2050. An important role is played by a ladder of 9 circularity strategies that can be summarised in prevention (using fewer products), reuse (replacement of single-use with reusable products), and more and better recycling. Here, prevention takes priority over reuse and reuse over recycling.

Last year, the Dutch government introduced combined targets for packaging. This obliges producers to reuse or recycle at least the prescribed percentage of all packaging used annually. This should stimulate reuse, but the Council of State doubts this because the proposed combined targets were already met by recycling alone upon introduction.

Moreover, the Dutch government is ignoring its own preference for reuse over recycling by combining both into a single mandatory percentage. That is the essence of the advice on the combined targets of the Council of State, the highest legal body advising the government on new legislation and regulations. It raises the question for the Council of State why the government did not opt for separate minimum targets for reuse alongside the long-standing recycling targets.

Furthermore, the methodology for establishing the combined targets does not arithmetically allow for separate targets for prevention in terms of reduced product use to be established, notes the group of Dutch scientists in the report 'Towards circular targets for prevention, reuse and recycling'. This is despite the fact that Dutch policy prioritises prevention over reuse and recycling.

Prevention as fewer products in kilotonnes (not necessarily in numbers)

Prevention here means reduced product use by weight. This can be achieved by using fewer products in number, such as through car-sharing or smartphones with many functions in one (phone, camera, digital news, etc.), but also by designing products to be more material-efficient.

New targets needed for prevention, reuse, and more and better recycling

The limitations of the combined targets have encouraged the Dutch scientists to draw up a set of criteria that new targets for prevention (less use of products), reuse (replacement of single-use with reusable products), and more and better recycling must meet. Based on this, they then developed a new methodology for establishing those targets. To show how this works, they applied this methodology to glass packaging.

The example for glass packaging shows that several combinations of prevention, reuse and more and better recycling lead to the same reduction in raw materials. This gives the government scope to establish the most desirable combination together with producers and stakeholders.

For the glass packaging example, reuse appears to be almost as effective as prevention. This is because reusable glass packaging, currently mainly beer bottles, can be reused 20 to 30 times. For other packaging and products, if they are reused at all, the number of reuses is usually much lower. Prevention is then by far more effective than reuse.

Through more and better recycling, raw material use can theoretically be reduced, but in practice cannot be fully eliminated. Compared to packaging made of other materials, recycling of glass packaging scores well, but much remains to be done before a maximum of around 60% reduction in raw materials can be achieved as a realistically achievable target.

Establishing targets in Dutch and European policy in law

At present, the European Commission is already considering separate targets for the reuse of packaging. In a joint letter of 31 January 2022 to the European Commission, the Environment Ministers of Austria, Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden advocate that targets for reduced packaging use (prevention) should also be established. The Dutch scientists will therefore also bring their methodology to the attention of the European Commission.

If the European Commission decides on separate targets for prevention, reuse, and more and better recycling, then all Member States, including the Netherlands, will be obliged to adopt these targets. It has not got that far yet.

On 14 July 2021, the PBL Policy Brief "Possible targets for a circular economy" was presented to the House of Representatives. With this concretisation of targets for the circular economy, a next step is being taken from the five transition agendas in realising the target for 2030. In the target pathway 'Transition Agenda Consumer Goods', targets have been formulated for five product groups. Packaging and consumables is one of these. The methodology for establishing circular targets can already be used to calculate the reduction in raw materials upon achievement of these targets, but ultimately aims to extend product decisions to include circular targets.

About Het Groene Brein and Recycling Netwerk

The Groene Brein forms the bridge between science and practice within the framework of the circular economy and other sustainable transitions. With its network of 170 scientists from all kinds of disciplines, we are taking concrete steps towards a sustainable, inclusive economy.

Recycling Netwerk Benelux (RNB) is an independent environmental organisation that works on the theme of raw materials and their impact. Our goal is to minimise as much as possible the environmental damage caused by the extraction and processing of raw materials into materials and products, and during the processing of discarded products.

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