Lansink’s Ladder, introduced in the late 1970s by Dutch politician Ad Lansink, is a waste management hierarchy that focuses on prioritising waste management strategies.
That evolved to the R-ladder we use today, which consists of the following steps: R0-Refuse, R1-Rethink, R2-Reduce, R3-Reuse, R4-Repair, R5-Refurbish, R6-Remanufacture, R7-Repurpose, R8-Recycle and R9-Recover. The R-ladder places strong emphasis on the transition to a circular economy in which we no longer refer to waste but to resources.
Everyone is entitled to a healthy living environment, today and for future generations. It is our responsibility to keep our planet habitable and the Doughnut Economics model based on the circular reuse of resources could be a suitable instrument to achieve that.
The evolution reflects the shift in focus on waste management to the use of other resources in a closed circuit where there is hardly any or no waste at all. It is a way to balance using resources and preserving the natural environment. Read more about this in the report ‘‘Analyse prikkels richting duurzaamheid in secundaire bouwstoffenketens’ (DRIFT, TAUW, 19 January 2024).
The evolution in terms of policy is fine, but what about in my professional field – soil and water, where an estimated 48 million tonnes of earth is moved each year? With that amount it is possible to raise Schiphol airport by 1.25 metres or the Afsluitdijk dam by 12 metres. Each year!
Earthworks can benefit significantly from circularity. All too often we choose the easy option and use large amounts of depletable resources. We under-utilise released soil and dredge.
Soil and dredge have specific characteristics. A simple consideration is to use these materials effectively: use your supply (refuse) sparingly and minimise the effects of excavation (rethink, reduce). One way to do this is through true pricing. When we apply the actual costs, we incorporate the negative environmental effects and social impact of using primary resources. Using those primary resources becomes far less attractive whereas the circular reuse of resources becomes the more attractive economic option, which will stimulate companies to make smart investments and use the available supply in a high-quality way (reuse, repurpose or recycle).
By the circular reuse of soil and dredging we can create a sustainable and balanced economy in which we make efficient use of the available resources and at the same time reduce the negative effect on the environment. True pricing can be a powerful instrument. In terms of the Doughnut economy: we will create an economy free from poverty and in which the environment is not depleted.
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