scholarly journals Barriers in Implementation of Wastewater Reuse: Identifying the Way Forward in Closing the Loop

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Morris ◽  
I. Georgiou ◽  
E. Guenther ◽  
S. Caucci
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Water Reuse ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Industrial Setting ◽  
Closing The Loop ◽  
Local Initiatives ◽  
Political Economic

AbstractThe business case for circular economy in water management perspective has gain relevance in the recent times. By 2030, it is estimated that 160% of global total available water will be required to satisfy demand of anthropogenic-related activities and increasing waste-related water will be produced. Gaps on the conceptual framing of water reuse within supply chain management are clearly emerging and the demand for decision support systems helping at assessing effective water consumption in industrial setting is pressing. Despite the numerous local initiatives towards wastewater resource usage, barriers remain for its implementation in practice. Through a systematic review of previous studies in this field, the barriers towards the uptake of wastewater use in agriculture were classified according to the PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legal) framework. Alongside political and legal support, it is identified that for an economically and environmentally sustainable scheme for incentivising the deployment of feasible technologies, there is also a need to gain acceptance for wastewater usage in society in order to enhance the deployment of existing technological solutions. Addressing these factors in tandem can aid the development towards a circular economy for wastewater.

scholarly journals A Systemic View on Circular Economy in the Water Industry: Learnings from a Belgian and Dutch Case

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 3313
Author(s):  
Tanaka Mandy Mbavarira ◽  
Christine Grimm
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Water Reuse ◽  
Water System ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Water Industry ◽  
Natural Systems ◽  
Urban Water System ◽  
Mapping Tool ◽  
True Value

Water is fundamental to our existence and has increasingly been put under pressure by soaring population growth, urbanization, agricultural farming and climate change; all, of which impact the quantity and quality of our water resources. Water utilities (WUs) are challenged to provide clean, safe drinking water when faced with aging, costly infrastructure, a price of water that is not reflective of its true value and the need for infrastructure to remain resilient in a time when threats of floods and droughts are pervasive. In the linear take-use-discharge approach, wastewater is treated only to be returned to waterways and extracted again for treatment before drinking. This can no longer sustain our water resources as it is costly, energy-intensive and environmentally unsound. Circular economy (CE) has been gaining attention in the water industry to tackle this. It follows the 6Rs strategy of reduce, reuse, recycle, reclaim, recover and restore to keep water in circulation for longer and reduce the burden on natural systems. The aim of this study is to determine what the economic and operational system effects of CE are on WUs, informing them of CE’s potential to change their business operations and business model while highlighting its associated challenges. Based on a review of literature, input from expert interviews (Q4 2019) and case studies, an economic view of the urban water system is qualitatively modeled, on top, of which a circular water economy system is designed using a causal loop-diagramming system mapping tool. Digitalization, water reuse and resource recovery were determined to underpin circularity in water, providing operational benefits through efficiencies and diversification of revenue streams. However, issues of investment and a missing enabling legal framework are slowing the rate of uptake. On this basis, CE represents both a challenge and an opportunity for the water industry.

Closing the loop with industrial insect farming.

2021 ◽  
pp. 39-44
Author(s):  
Lars-Henrik Lau Heckmann
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Organic Wastes ◽  
Industrial Setting ◽  
Closing The Loop

Abstract This chapter describes the circular economy and industrial insect farming, opportunities and challenges of utilizing organic wastes in an industrial setting and insects as valorizers of organic wastes.

Wastewater Reuse for River Recovery in Semi-Arid Israel

1999 ◽  
Vol 40 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 43-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo Juanico ◽  
Eran Friedler
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
Quality Management ◽  
Water Reuse ◽  
Water Quality Management ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Water Source ◽  
Treated Wastewater ◽  
Reclaimed Wastewater ◽  
Pollution Impacts ◽  
Semi Arid

Most of the water has been captured in the rivers of Israel and they have turned into dry river-beds which deliver only sporadic winter floods. In a semi-arid country where literally every drop of water is used, reclaimed wastewater is the most feasible water source for river recovery. Two topics are addressed in this paper: water quality management in rivers where most of the flowing water is treated wastewater, and the allocations of reclaimed wastewater required for the recovery of rivers and streams. Water quality management must consider that the main source of water to the river has a pollution loading which reduces its capability to absorb other pollution impacts. The allocation of treated wastewater for the revival of rivers may not affect negatively the water balance of the region; it may eventually improve it. An upstream bruto allocation of 122 MCM/year of wastewater for the recovery of 14 rivers in Israel may favor downstream reuse of this wastewater, resulting in a small neto allocation and in an increase of the water resources available to the country. The discharge of effluents upstream to revive the river followed by their re-capture downstream for irrigation, implies a further stage in the intensification of water reuse.

scholarly journals Wastewater Treatment and Water Reuse in Spain. Current Situation and Perspectives

Water ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Jodar-Abellan ◽  
María Inmaculada López-Ortiz ◽  
Joaquín Melgarejo-Moreno
Keyword(s):  
Water Quality ◽  
European Union ◽  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Water Reuse ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Water Planning ◽  
Structural Problem ◽  
The World ◽  
Access To Water

The issues of wastewater treatment and the reuse of water are of great importance, especially in areas where the shortage of conventional resources is a structural problem, as it is in the case of Spain. Wastewater reuse is a valid mechanism to avoid problems derived from droughts and water scarcity. It allows access to water resources in areas with water restrictions and to prevent futures scenarios, due to it being expected that water consumption will double by 2050 over the world. Thus, the likelihood that this unconventional, strategic resource would become scarce is unquestionable, particularly in cases where water planning and exploitation systems prioritize the preservation, protection, and improvement of water quality, as well as the sustainable and efficient use of natural resources. This paper shows how wastewater treatment and reuse are linked, as the reuse of wastewater is associated with a previous regeneration, and both of them are essential tools for maximizing environmental outcomes, as called for in the European Union Directives.

scholarly journals Towards a hierarchy of consumption behaviour in the circular economy

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 394-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eléonore Maitre-Ekern ◽  
Carl Dalhammar
Keyword(s):  
European Union ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
Consumption Patterns ◽  
European Union Law ◽  
Consumer Law ◽  
Consumption Behaviour ◽  
Single Use

In their roles as purchasers, users and dischargers of used products, consumers play an important role in the circular economy. In this article, we put forward a ‘hierarchy of consumption behaviour’ to support European Union policymaking. Among the priorities are avoiding the purchase of single-use and unnecessary products, prolonging the lifetime of products through maintenance and engaging in repair activities. Moreover, the hierarchy intends to privilege sharing and leasing to buying and second-hand products to new ones. Finally, consumption in the circular economy also requires allowing products to re-circulate. Changing consumption patterns is difficult insofar as they are largely determined by the paradigm upon which our economy is built and are enabled by the existing legal framework, most notably European Union consumer law. The article contains concrete recommendations to develop European Union law and promote the proposed hierarchy.

Economic considerations and decision support tool for wastewater reuse scheme planning

2007 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 175-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Hochstrat ◽  
D. Joksimovic ◽  
T. Wintgens ◽  
T. Melin ◽  
D. Savic
Keyword(s):  
Water Reuse ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Wastewater Reuse ◽  
Reclaimed Water ◽  
Decision Support Tool ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Support Tool ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Economic Considerations

The reuse of upgraded wastewater for beneficial uses is increasingly adopted and accepted as a tool in water management. However, funding of schemes is still a critical issue. The focus of this paper is on economic considerations of water reuse planning. A survey of pricing mechanisms for reclaimed water revealed that most schemes are subsidised to a great extent. In order to minimise these state contributions to the implementation and operation of reuse projects, their planning should identify a least cost design option. This also has to take into account the established pricing structure for conventional water resources and the possibility of gaining revenues from reclaimed water pricing. The paper presents a case study which takes into account these aspects. It evaluates different scheme designs with regard to their Net Present Value (NPV). It could be demonstrated that for the same charging level, quite different amounts of reclaimed water can be delivered while still producing an overall positive NPV. Moreover, the economic feasibility and competitiveness of a reuse scheme is highly determined by the cost structure of the conventional water market.

How can open innovation contribute to circular economy adoption? Insights from a literature review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gessica Mina Kim Jesus ◽  
Daniel Jugend
Keyword(s):  
Circular Economy ◽  
Open Innovation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Joint Effort ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Environmentally Sustainable ◽  
Scientific Databases ◽  
Sustainable Products ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeDespite the potential of open innovation (OI) to reduce barriers to the adoption of the circular economy (CE), little is known about the integration of the two themes and how OI could contribute to a more sustainable economy. The objective of this study is to investigate how OI can contribute to the adoption of the CE.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a systematic review of the literature sampled from the Scopus and Web of Science scientific databases.FindingsThe main findings of the study are (1) the utilization of OI within CE is still a recent phenomenon, one which emphasizes the collaboration between stakeholders and the co-creation approach; (2) the collaboration of stakeholders can be applied to align the objectives of interested parties, in a joint effort to resolve the environmental problems of the three levels of CE and (3) an action-creation approach can be adopted as a strategy to encourage the participation of consumers in the development of environmentally sustainable products, which may favor the transition to the CE.Originality/valueThe article presents the state of the art on the CE guided by OI, highlighting the opportunities and challenges of the correlation between the two themes. The article also shows the theoretical and practical implications for an OI-driven circular economy.

Capitalist Futures and Socialist Legacies: Urban Development in East Germany Since 1990

1998 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 87-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hartmut Häußermann
Keyword(s):  
Urban Development ◽  
Socialist Country ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
The Political ◽  
Federal States ◽  
Institutional Conditions ◽  
Western Model ◽  
Institutional Structures ◽  
German Model ◽  
Political Economic

Since unification, the political, economic, and institutional structuresin the new federal states have been patterned in accordance with theWest German model. This is due in part to the extension of theWestern legal framework to the eastern Länder. The fact that thepolitical and economic actors of the once-socialist country are nowsubject to the institutional conditions of the West encourages convergencetowards the western model. But questions have been raised asto whether the cities in the new federal states are also adaptingrapidly to the western model of urban development. Their layoutand architecture resulted, after all, from the investment decisionsmade by several generations and cannot be shifted or transformed asrapidly as legal or institutional frameworks.

scholarly journals DOCTRINAL BASICS OF THE LEGAL TECHNIQUE: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WITHIN THE EUROPEAN LEGAL FRAMEWORK

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 177-185
Author(s):  
Alexander Malko ◽  
Margarita Kostenko
Keyword(s):  
Legal Framework ◽  
The Political ◽  
Historical Period ◽  
Social Transformations ◽  
Democratic Development ◽  
Legal Standards ◽  
European Cooperation ◽  
Legal Situation ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
Standards Harmonization

The legal technique was initially developed as a kind of “interpreter” for the legislative will in the legal language using a specific ingenuity of legal engineering. Historically, the theoretical base of the legal technique was formed on a phased basis, essentially stimulated by state reforms, social transformations, and active legislation systematization. It should be mentioned here that legal technique is a distinctive category reflecting the political, economic, and legal situation in the historical period of a certain state development, but being extra-national in itself.The resource harmonization of the legal technique within the European legal framework means norm-setting regulations, coordination, and elaboration of common recommendations for the European countries. The cooperation in the legal technique standards harmonization will require the all-European cooperation to the new level as far as legal standards, human rights, democratic development, legitimacy and cultural cooperation are concerned.

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