Introduction
The RISERS project aims to build a cohesive framework integrating practice, policy, and research and innovation (R&I) to promote the standardisation of industrial symbiosis (IS) focused on priority synergies and resources for high-impact EU resilience. “IS” is defined by the CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA) 17354 as the use by one company or sector of underutilised resources broadly defined (including waste, by-products, residues, energy, water, logistics, capacity, expertise, equipment and materials) from another, with the result of keeping resources in productive use for longer. This document was developed in the RISERS project’s work package 5, titled “Policy making for industrial symbiosis”, and summarises the current state of the project’s work on policy recommendations.
Methods
Research elements and sector focus
RISERS’ policy work focuses on defining policy needs by conducting two rounds of targeted stakeholder interviews, and surveying industry representatives to identify policy gaps, update needs, and relevant public bodies.
To prepare the work, priority sectors were specified. This specification relied on the IS source–sink concept by Mendez-Alva et al. (2021)[1], which classifies sectors as suppliers or receivers of streams such as energy, by-products, waste, or water. Earlier work of RISERS shows that chemicals, minerals including steel, and food frequently serve as source sectors, while cement, chemicals, and minerals including steel most often serve as sink sectors. Further analysis highlighted the distinct role of steel, justifying its separation from minerals. Consequently, the first four priority sectors were defined as chemicals, steel, food, and cement. Based on several additional requirements of RISERS, formulated in its work package 2, the bio-based economy was selected as an additional priority.
The work on policy recommendations comprises four components: an analysis of the internal and external state of the art to specify the following analytical steps, the two-phase interview series and a web-based survey. The exploration phase of the interviews included the first 10 interviews, the deduction of the first conclusions, and input for the survey. The interviews target industry associations from our priority sectors and stakeholders of overarching relevance, while the survey addresses the associations’ members and other interested parties, in particular of EU-level circular economy communities. The survey will be followed by the evaluation phase of the interview series to validate the results, gather sector-specific recommendations, and build industry association support.
Details on the series of expert interviews
The interviews covered eight topics addressed through 14 questions, including the interviewee’s background, the current state of IS, policy needs at general and sectoral levels, by-products and End-of-Waste (EoW) criteria, the interaction between standards and regulation, responsible organisations, and statistical information.
To consider the needs of large stakeholder groups, the interviews focused on industry associations and pan-European organisations, reflected in 5 sector-specific and 5 industry-independent exploration interviews with all interviewees holding senior positions.
Preliminary Policy Recommendations
Summary of key recommendations for IS:
- Harmonise resource definitions and specify EoW criteria – Establish clear, uniform EU-wide definitions for waste and by-products, using terms like “resource” where appropriate to facilitate cross-border flows.
- Harmonise IS standards and ensure fast publication – Support RISERS’ roadmap, align standards like EN 15804 for consistent LCAs and reporting, and streamline EU Official Journal publication.
- Develop standards on by-product characteristics – Promote industrial by-product use to enhance circularity and market access.
- Develop effective measurement methods for product passports – Implement standardised methods to improve traceability and compliance.
- Promote harmonised Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) – Analyse options for construction materials (steel, cement, concrete) to increase transparency and sustainable practices.
- Maintain distinction between standards and regulations – Preserve the NLF by clearly defining boundaries between standards and regulation.
- Reduce bureaucratic burden of IS initiatives – Advance digitalisation, harmonise cross-sector and cross-MS requirements, and improve administrative frameworks.
- Address energy-related needs – Support RISERS’ goals on Energy Data & Grids, hydrogen, and improve energy-related framework conditions.
- Provide innovation funding and investment incentives – Finance chemical recycling and other transformative technologies.
- Establish clear standards for public procurement – Ensure regulatory compliance to enhance tender effectiveness and sustainability.
- Intensify coordination between regulations – Align Construction Products Regulation (CPR), Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), and the new Circular Economy Act (CEA) to avoid overlap and clarify IS requirements.
- Support local initiatives – Encourage local and regional authorities to coordinate IS projects to build trust.
- Promote industry dialogues and education – Foster dialogue, training, and knowledge exchange to raise awareness of IS benefits.
Interviewees strongly called for EU-wide harmonisation of resource and waste definitions and clear EoW criteria to provide legal certainty for companies. Sectoral needs emerged, particularly for steel, including harmonised classification across Member States (MS), standardised assessment methods for BOF (Basic Oxygen Furnace) and EAF (Electric Arc Furnace) slags, inclusion of slags in harmonised standards (e.g. CPR), clear definitions of recycling, and EU-level guidelines for post-use refractories. Similar clarity is needed in the sugar sector, alongside updates to the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) to better enable by-product use in biogas production.
In addition, it appeared to be important to analyse suitable options to promote harmonised Environmental Product Declarations for construction materials, and to develop standard-based definitions for by-products and waste to facilitate cross-border resource flows. Stakeholders also highlighted the need for robust measurement methods and life cycle assessment (LCA) data to support product passports.
Additional recommendations highlighted the need to preserve the distinction between standards and regulation (NLF), reducing bureaucratic burdens through digitalisation and harmonisation, and tackling energy-related challenges across sectors. Issues related to permitting, innovation funding, public procurement, regulatory coordination, trust-building at the local and regional level, and enhanced industry dialogue and knowledge exchange were also identified as critical to advancing IS.
Recommendations to support the interplay between standards and regulations
The interview series emphasised that preserving the New Legislative Framework (NLF) is essential for IS, particularly to maintain the clear separation between standards and regulation. The cement sector, for example, highlighted the importance of aligning standardisation and regulation, particularly to ensure safe and effective use of by-products, like blast furnace slag. In this context, standards define product characteristics, classify inputs as by-products, and address environmental and health impacts.
To enhance the role of standards in supporting IS, three recommendations were formulated:
- Keep the distinction between standards and regulations – ensure standards remain separate from regulation.
- Deepen industry collaboration – promote cooperation between regulators, industry, and standardisation bodies to ensure criteria are assessable and compatible with regulations.
- Ensure continuous updates of standards – keep standards current with material and process innovations and expedite inclusion in the EU Official Journal.
Recommendations for public procurement
Public procurement plays a key role in supporting IS. In the cement sector, for example, procurement policies promote the use of non-clinker-intensive products and alternative materials, including local by-products. Introducing criteria on Global Warming Potential and resource consumption could further enhance circularity, supported by directives like the Energy Performance for Buildings and Ecodesign legislation.
In the bio-based ecosystem, government procurement quotas can drive demand and economies of scale for bio-based products. Locally, authorities can leverage purchasing power to promote IS-based products and strengthen regional IS ecosystems.
Implementation requires criteria that are practical, feasible, and objectively assessable, for example via quality marks, and aligned with existing regulations to ensure compliance and industry-wide adoption. Based on these insights, the following recommendations were formulated:
- Establish clear standards with objective assessment and regulatory compatibility – Develop product standards with IS-related criteria aligned with existing regulations to enable practical application in procurement.
- Create objectively assessable criteria – Use mechanisms like quality mark verification. Standards should be detailed enough for procurement bodies to apply while remaining feasible for companies to implement, encouraging participation in tenders.
- Set targets for IS-related product quotas – Apply quota targets across procurement levels, including national, local, and regional offices, in key sectors such as steel and cement.
Sector-specific recommendations
Earlier work in RISERS highlighted the significance of key sectors for both IS and the European economy. Based on the sector-level interviews, this section summarises recommendations to support IS:
Chemical industry
- Address energy-related needs –Tackle energy challenges specific to the energy-intensive chemical sector to support IS initiatives.
- Enhance innovation funding for chemical recycling – Increase support for technologies and processes that make plastics upcycling economically viable, reducing costs and encouraging adoption.
- Streamline regulatory processes – Cut bureaucratic barriers and expedite approvals for chemical recycling plants through digitalisation, enabling faster implementation of new technologies.
- Support IPCEI participation – Promote involvement in Important Projects of Common European Interest to foster collaboration, investment, and accelerate the transition to sustainable practices.
Steel industry
- Include by-products in regulation – Recognise industrial by-products like slag alongside recycled content, as they reduce primary production and carbon emissions.
- Harmonise slag classification – Establish a unified EU framework to reduce regulatory uncertainty and enable cross-border use.
- Define slag status clearly – Set clear criteria for slag as end-of-waste or by-product, balancing standardisation with environmental and safety requirements.
- Maintain ferrous scrap as waste – Retain its waste status to ensure oversight under the Waste Shipment Regulation and prevent shifting environmental burdens.
- Maintain EoW conditions for ferrous scrap – Grant end-of-waste status only after remelting to ensure full material transformation and environmental compliance.
- Clarify recycling definitions – Define recycling strictly as remelting and distinguish high- versus low-quality recycling to support circular economy objectives.
- Clarify EoW in waste-to-energy – Specify end-of-waste criteria for fuels used in waste-to-energy processes to ensure accurate emissions reporting and accountability.
Cement industry
- Advocate for performance-based standards – Promote EU-wide adoption of standards that allow flexible use of alternative materials, such as steel slag.
- Enhance regulatory clarity and harmonisation – Provide clear guidance on allocation methods and harmonise standards across Member States to reduce fragmentation.
- Strengthen public procurement policies – Set thresholds for global warming potential in procurement to encourage low-carbon materials and stimulate market demand.
Food industry
- Clarify residue classification – Establish clear guidelines for classifying residues as waste or substrate to streamline management and enable by-product reuse.
- Update RED III – Include beet pulp as a substrate for biogas plants, especially in regions with limited animal feed demand, to support sustainable energy use.
- Focus on zero-emissions accounting – Recognise carbon emissions from biogenic energy production from residues like beet pulp as zero emissions, supporting decarbonisation and promoting waste-to-energy practices.
Bio-based ecosystems
- Reframe waste terminology – Avoid using the term “waste” to improve acceptance of by-products and recycled materials.
- Implement incentives for recycled materials – Promote the use of recycled over virgin materials, including through percentage-based targets, to support sustainability and reduce reliance on non-renewable resources.
- Set procurement quotas – Establish quotas for government institutions to boost the bioeconomy, create economies of scale, and stimulate demand for bio-based products.
- Streamline innovation processes – Reduce bureaucratic barriers and accelerate approvals for innovative bioeconomy projects to facilitate technology development and deployment.
Outlook
The findings will be specified by a web-based RISERS survey, particularly focused on the selected sectors, followed by the deduction of conclusions, evaluation interviews, and targeted work on the specified recommendations for policy updates. Connecting the activities with external developments is an important goal in this context.
[1] Mendez Alva, F., Cervo, H., Krese, G., Van Eetvelde, G. (2021). Industrial symbiosis profiles in energy-intensive industries: sectoral insights from open databases. Journal of Cleaner Production. 314. https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/8729914
