Emerging waste streams – Challenges and opportunities. Specific study within a Framework Contract to support to the European Environment Agency’s activities on circular economy and industrial transformation for emerging waste streams

The energy transition is geared to help achieve the climate mitigation ambitions of the EU but should also be in line with other environmental objectives of the European Green Deal. In this context, establishing models that ensure circularity, i.e. material flows that retain as much value as possible for the longest time, are paramount. This project helps identifying the key challenges that exist for emerging waste streams and suggesting solutions on how to move toward greater circularity for these, including specific research needs and innovation opportunities. In order to support these objectives, the project will: - map emerging waste streams/waste materials from specific renewable energy technologies supporting climate mitigation and the energy transition; - gather information on these streams' waste management options including, inter alia, waste prevention, preparation for re-use/remanufacturing, recyclability and its barriers (hazardousness, technological barriers, costs); - identify challenges these streams pose forwaste management systems and policies (circular economy principles at large, separate collection, treatment capacity and facilities, recycling technologies, waste recycling targets,etc.); - analyse opportunities related to these streams and potential solutions to address the identified challenges; - discuss what changes are necessary at the level of key drivers and framework conditions (including at the level of EU policies) in order to realise the identified opportunities and solutions, and which new business models could potentially deliver these solutions.