Driven by environmental, economic, and ecological benefits, resource recovery from waste has started to draw attention worldwide. Recovering resources from water and wastewater can provide an alternative and economically viable source of resources supporting the resilience of human and natural systems under water stress. Resources from the water cycle can be water itself, energy (organic or thermal) and components such as nutrients and metals.
A range of new initiatives are underway to promote and accelerate the development and uptake of resource recovery science and technologies. Innovation on resource recovery in the water cycle has been developing fast, but examples of large scale and marketable applications from current scientific innovations are scarce. The key issue here is how to move from research to practice, while also taking into account: a. the market potential for the resource recovered, b. appropriate public policy, regulation and institutional arrangements to support and accelerate resource recovery and c. stakeholders’ needs well integrated with technologies, markets, policy, new initiatives, current research and practice.
A best practice, is a proven technology on resource recovery, applied at full or demonstrative scale in the water cycle, which can serve as an excellent example for another country, area, or company.
Partnered with Watershare®, IWA Resource Recovery Cluster is now calling for applications to the Best Practice Resource Recovery Award in the water cycle 2017. In 2015, for example, the first Award for Best Practice on Resource Recovery from Water was granted to the chain partners Reststoffenunie (now Aqua Minerals), Waternet, Ardagh Glass and Desso for their successful valorisation and high-value application of calcite pellets from drinking water softening. The IWA Best Practice Resource Recovery Award will be judged by an international evaluation committee chaired by Professor Willy Verstraete.
The following criteria will be used to select the best practice in resource recovery from water:
• Innovative character of the best practice in resource recovery
• Replication potential
• Positive environmental impact
• Active cooperation with all stakeholders within the value chain of the recovered resource
• Positive business case
Deadline for submitting your application is 30 April 2017 and the notification of the winner will be around the 20 June 2017. The award will be handed out during the 2nd IWA International Resource Recovery Conference in New York City, United States, 5-9 August 2017.
The winner of the Best Practice Resource Recovery Award in the water cycle 2017 will receive an Award, and is invited to present its best practice for a showcase session “best practice resource recovery” during the resource recovery Conference. Also the winner will receive interviews from the initiator of the best practice in, the IWA magazine “The Source” and/or the “IWA website”. All qualifying cases will be shown on the Best Practice resource recovery platform, maintained by KWR Watercycle Research Institute.
Apply now and may your best practice in resource recovery and valorisation be an example to others. Fill in the application form below and send it back to hong.li@iwahq.org before 30 April 2017.
