Beyond water quality: sewage treatment in a circular economy

Most of Europe’s urban waste water treatment plants have focused on cleaning water and returning it to the environment in just a simple, linear approach. However, with use of new techniques and innovation, these facilities can act as resource hubs providing reclaimed water, energy, nutrients and organic materials for reuse, recycling and recovery, according to the EEA report ‘Beyond water quality — Sewage treatment in a circular economy’. Doing so would ensure that these vital installations deliver decisively to ambitions under the European Green Deal. The report sets out policy considerations for the transition to sustainability under the European Green Deal, focusing on the opportunities to achieve zero pollution and circularity.