The importance of safe final disposal in a circular economy

Incineration plants and landfills are under pressure — but are they truly obsolete in a circular economy? Denuo, the Belgian employers’ federation representing private waste management and recycling companies, argues that they are not.

Non-recyclable residual fractions will always exist, and safe final disposal is precisely a prerequisite for achieving maximum recycling rates. Without reliable “safe sinks”, problems are shifted elsewhere, confidence in recycled materials declines and the entire value chain comes under pressure.

In this presentation, expert Tore Content, on behalf of Denuo, explains why safe final disposal — through incineration plants and landfills — remains an essential link in Flanders’ circular economy, and which policy measures are needed to secure this role.