3rd meeting WG Sediments in Circular Economy: 23-24 October 2019
Twenty-five participants representing nine countries met in Bremen (DE) and Delfzijl (NL) in October to exchange on Circular Economy practice and opportunities, and visit operational sites.
A presentation on the port of Bremen dredged material management site allowed to discover low energy treatment in dewatering basins and on-site disposal, and the role of nature in processes when land is available. A visit to the Ecoshape pilot site in Delfzijl allowed to complement the observations and to discuss site instrumentation for monitoring, desalination issues and agricultural beneficial use opportunities.
Small group sessions were led on priority topics identified during the spring meeting of the WG:
- Clear definitions of concepts (beneficial use, valorisation, reuse, sustainability)
- Beyond the initial “mass balance” approach to CE, need for defining ‘value’ to ecological potential of sediment
- Incorporating CO2 and CH4 balance of sediment use in CE balance and funding, benefit or risk?
- Setting up a synthetic catalogue of beneficial use options.
A WG white paper can be initiated with the outcome.
The focus of the WG-meeting was on a System-analysis workshop. This system thinking method allows investigating overlooked or long term options, to the opposite of Business as usual strategies. Group work between participants was productive – and fun!
Future meetings will include both field visits (pilots, plants and workshops) and elaborating project proposals and policy/RTD support documents.
The fourth meeting of the SedNet Working Group on Circular Economy (WGCE4) might be set up in March or April 2020, possibly including invited talks by speakers on beneficial use experience in the US, and on binders for facilitating beneficiary use of sediments.
Field visit Bremen
Field visit Delfzijl
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