Regulating resource recovery: issues raised by recovery of metals from steel slag

Policy drives towards the circular economy raise the prospect of attempting to recover resources from hitherto neglected sources. One such source is legacy waste from industrial processes, such as steel slag.  However,... [ view full abstract ]

Policy drives towards the circular economy raise the prospect of attempting to recover resources from hitherto neglected sources. One such source is legacy waste from industrial processes, such as steel slag.  However, bringing substances back into economic use that have previously been disposed of raises challenges for regulation and regulatory compliance.    This study draws on a project examining both the technical and policy issues relating to the recovery of vanadium from steel slag. New markets for vanadium have opened up as the result of its suitability for use in renewable energy technologies.  Given that virgin vanadium is not produced in Europe, implementation of recovery technologies has implications for security of supply. In this paper we focus on the response of and to regulators relating to the proposed recovery strategies.  Alongside an extensive review of policy documents, we have carried out more than 20 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, including industry representatives and, prominently, Environment Agency officials.  Our attention has been focused on the UK, with some attention to the wider context.  Findings suggest that the relationship between the regulated and regulator is an important but sensitive one, which in the UK has been put under stress as a result of austerity cuts.  This implies that the social and economic benefits expected to come from the circular economy may not be easily accessed as a means to offset strains elsewhere in the economy.  

Circular economy, steel slag, regulations, UK, austerity