COMMUNICATION / ACTIONS
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SEWAGE SLUDGE DIRECTIVE REVISIONThe sewage sludge directive has fulfilled its... -
New ISO standard about the beneficial use of Biosolids on landThe ISO 19698 standard about the Beneficial...
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Join the Linkedin discussion group about Biosolids land application in the EUBiosolids Recycling Europe is the name of...
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An EU action plan for the Circular EconomyThe European Commission adopted an ambitious Circular...
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Closing event of the 2015 International Year of Soils "Healthy soil for healthy life"The European Commission co-organises with the authorities...
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Roadmap on the fertilisers Regulation publishedEuropean Commission has published its Roadmap on...
OUR POSITIONS
Sewage Sludge Directive Evaluation
EU rules (Directive 86/278) aim to ensure that the use of sewage sludge in farming does not harm the environment, animals and humans.
Adopted 30 years ago it is necessary to evaluate how effective the Directive has been and to identify the existing gap with stakeholders needs and expectations.
The sludge directive revision
EFAR welcomes the revision of the sludge directive.
All deliverables related to this revision may be found above :
- The Assessment of Existing Knowledge
- Baseline Scenario, Analysis of Risk and Opportunities
- The report “Environmental, Economic and Social impacts of the use of sewage sludge on land”
EFAR believes that the new regulation has to promote the land spreading of different types of sludge while enhancing the protection of human health and environment.
The ultimate aim is to increase the guarantees given to the end users and improve public perception about this method of recycling.
Waste Framework Directive
End of waste criteria
This directive 75/442/EEC, published in 1975, provides for the establishment of proper waste control regimes, and requires that the designated national competent authorities draw up a waste management plan.
This text was revised and the new directive was published in November 2008. The new directive contains provisions to define end of waste criteria that provide a high level of environmental protection.
The European commission has started a work on this subject and published a first report on the methodology for determining end of waste criteria.
Read the EFAR position on the report on the JRC / IPTS report on END OF WASTE CRITERIA.
Following the analysis campaign setting up the JRC, a third report has been published.
Read the EFAR position on the third report on the JRC / IPTS report on END OF WASTE CRITERIA.
OUR ACTIONS
Soil data base
EFAR’s members have gathered more than 60,000 soil analyses to determine the impact of potential evolution of soil trace element threshold limits.
The geographical references of soil samples have demonstrated that background levels can vary a lot and that it seems necessary to set limits on available elements rather than on the total concentrations.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions for different Biosolids disposal routes
At the request of EFAR, Climat Mundi, a company specialising in carbon footprint studies, has created a specific calculator to assess the production of greenhouse gases for different Biosolids disposal routes.
Climat Mundi created a calculator which is able :
- To determine the carbon impact of each disposal route (with different combination of processes), in any country,
- To synthesize the results in order to compare the emissions of one route versus another route,
- To calculate the emissions not produced as a result of the different disposal routes .
Calculator - Greenhouse Gases for different Biosolids disposal routes
Risk assessment study
EFAR’s members have worked together with INERIS, a French institute specialising in industrial risks studies, in order to assess the impact of sludge landspreading on human health.
This approach focuses on heavy metals and organic compounds and takes into account different pathways such as ingestion, inhalation, direct contact and dietary exposure.
Read the Public Risk assessment on sludge landspreading.