As part of the IWA Resource Recovery Conference 2025, a dedicated workshop titled “Unlocking Circular Innovation in the Water Sector: Overcoming End-of-Waste Barriers” will be held on May 19th during the pre-conference workshop sessions. This timely event will bring together experts, policymakers, and industry leaders to address one of the most pressing challenges in the circular economy: turning waste into market-ready products.
End-of-Waste (EoW) criteria are a cornerstone of the circular economy, determining when waste-derived materials can be legally reclassified as products. Yet, the process remains complex, fragmented, and inconsistently applied across EU Member States, hindering the widespread adoption of circular solutions. Innovators in the water sector often face regulatory barriers, lack of harmonization, and limited market acceptance, making it difficult to bring wastewater-derived products to scale.
The workshop is jointly organised by BIOAZUL, KWB, and AQUAMINERALS, with support from the BOOST-IN project (GA 101135239) under the Horizon Europe programme. It also benefits from the contribution of the Water Europe Expert Group on Water Efficiency, Reuse, and Circularity.
Through a series of expert talks and a participatory session, the workshop will explore practical experiences and policy perspectives, including insights from the European Commission JRC, and Water Europe. Participants will engage in an interactive exercise to analyze key steps of the EoW process, identify critical bottlenecks, and co-develop actionable recommendations.
Beyond tackling immediate challenges, the workshop also aims to establish a Community of Practice on End-of-Waste criteria—creating a long-term platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration, to be continued through upcoming BOOST-IN webinars and events. To learn more about the event, click here.
