News item | 14-10-2025 | 07:00
Good availability of raw materials is crucial for our economy, safety and a healthy living environment. But the Netherlands is still too dependent on countries outside Europe for these raw materials. That can and must be done differently. And that offers opportunities for Dutch entrepreneurs. This is what State Secretary Thierry Aartsen (OV and Environment) argues when updating the National Circular Economy Program (NPCE).
Aartsen advocates an economic approach when it comes to circularity. By assuming commercial opportunities and earning capacity, it should become a logical choice for entrepreneurs to work circularly. Aartsen: “Ultimately, circular working is a no-brainer: raw materials are becoming more expensive, and in the Netherlands we have few of our own raw materials. It is therefore only logical from a business perspective to use raw materials in a smart, efficient and innovative way.”
Aartsen visited Myne in Harderwijk on Monday. Myne is a company that contributes to the processing of used metals into new materials. Scrap particles of aluminum and copper are separated in a robot line and form the raw material for new products, such as a car door or scaffolding. But also for components in washing machines, for example.
Thierry Aartsen: “It is not without reason that I was at Myne. We really need companies like this. Precisely because we hardly have any raw materials of our own in the Netherlands, companies that use materials smartly are indispensable. We do not have a wealth of raw materials in our soil. But in the Netherlands we are resourceful, knowledge-oriented and efficient. That is our strength. We are good at recycling, reusing and making new products from residuals. I regularly see this in practice, when visiting companies. Again today.”
The Netherlands circular in 2050
The Netherlands wants to be circular by 2050. This means that materials are no longer thrown away but are used again and again as raw materials for new things. This makes the Netherlands less dependent on other countries and gives entrepreneurs plenty of opportunities.
For many products in the Netherlands we are still highly dependent on raw materials from other countries. For example batteries and electronic equipment. By collecting and recycling smarter, this dependency can be drastically reduced. The recycling of aluminum and copper as is done at Myne is a good example of this. We sit down with various sectors. Together we look at what is already possible and what is still needed to work circularly on a large scale.
To work towards a circular economy by 2050, there is still a lot of work to be done in the near future. How this should be done is detailed in the updated National Circular Economy Program.
Working together with the business community
A lot has already been set in motion, but a lot still needs to be done. Aartsen expressly seeks cooperation with companies and sectors that can help make the change.
Aartsen: “As far as I am concerned, circular working is the most logical choice. It should become self-evident for everyone. We must look at the circular economy not only from an ecological but especially from an economic perspective, in order to actually seize the opportunities that exist. That is good for our strategic independence and for the earning capacity of Dutch entrepreneurs. I want to work on this together with entrepreneurs and sectors themselves. They know best from practice what is needed to enter the market. to create, to scale up and to earn a good living. I will therefore work hard for this with all parties involved in the near future. At national, but also at international level, because a level European playing field is an absolute condition.”
Europe
In Europe, Aartsen will argue for better cooperation between EU member states to ensure that raw materials are preserved and can be reused. This is to reduce dependence on other countries. He will also argue for clear requirements for product design so that electronics, for example, can be repaired more easily. And for good agreements about when something is waste and when it can again serve as a raw material.
The Dutch plastics and recycling industry is currently having a hard time due to competition from abroad, for example plastic from China that ends up on the European market at low prices. Dutch companies cannot compete with that. Aartsen will continue to discuss this with his European colleagues in the near future. The aim is to reach European agreements to help the plastic and recycling industry in the Netherlands and Europe.
Space for circular activity
A circular economy also requires space, literally. For example, storage, return logistics, repair and high-quality processing of materials. Already, 15% of the space demand on industrial estates is related to circular activities. In 2018 this was 5% and it will only increase in the coming years. It is therefore important to take the circular economy into account when making spatial choices. It is important to create sufficient and suitable space for a circular economy when developing (new) industrial estates. We will tackle this in the near future together with fellow authorities.