What is renewability?
The concept of 'renewability' frequently appears in policy documents. To prevent differences in interpretation, a clear definition of the concept is important.
This article summarizes the most important information currently available on this. This information is based on:
- BRL 7010
- NEN-EN15804+2012+A2:2019
- Renewable Resources - Agrodome (click to access the report in Dutch)
Definition of renewable content
The percentage of renewable raw materials applied can be divided into renewable raw materials of abiotic origin, such as Dutch river clay, and raw materials of biotic origin, such as raw materials from plants, trees, and animals. (BRL 7010)
Renewable resource definition
Raw material from a resource that is grown, naturally replenished or naturally cleaned on a human time scale.
- Note 1: A renewable resource can be depleted, but can still exist indefinitely with good stewardship. Examples include: trees in the forest, grasses in grassland, fertile soil. (EN15804+A2)
- Note 2: Raw materials that become renewable through technology, such as recycling, are not considered naturally growing or purifying raw materials (EN15804+A2)
- Note 3: In this context, the human scale refers more still to the average life span of a human being than to the period over which the human being exists. (EN15804+A2)
Renewable materials
Materials of renewable, biological origin, excluding material embedded in geological formations and/or fossilised material. Renewable, abiotic materials, provided they are replenished or purified by natural ecosystems on a human time scale (75-100 years)
(Agrodome, 2022)
| Renewable materials | |
|---|---|
| Materials of regrowable, biological origin, excluding material embedded in geological formations and/or fossilised material |
Recoverable, abiotic materials, provided they are replenished or purified by natural ecosystems on a human time scale (75-100 years) |
(Agrodome, 2022)
Additional guidelines
For proper application of renewable materials, two additional guidelines can be identified. Namely:
- sustainable extraction
- biodiversity
3.1. Sustainable extraction
To keep the extraction site suitable for a continuous supply of material, it is important not to deteriorate it through depletion, disruptive earthworks or substances used in cultivation and extraction. There are various agreements by product group for maintaining sustainable extraction. (Agrodome, 2022)
3.2 Biodiversity
Biodiversity is about preserving ecosystems and their productive capacity. It is therefore important to maintain or improve it to ensure a flow of materials. Major causes of biodiversity loss include: land use change, pollution, climate change, unsustainable land use, overexploitation and invasive species displacing other species. (Agrodome, 2022)
Note!
These guidelines are not preconditions for the determination of renewability and there is as yet no uniformity on how to approach and verify them. Nevertheless, they are important topics and therefore included as additional guidelines in this document to provide an impetus for further specification.
Download
Only available in Dutch
Lees ook:
