The special theme of Nordrocs 2016 is “Circular Economy”, which means “re-using, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products. What used to be regarded as ‘waste’ can be turned into a resource. The aim is to look beyond waste and to close the loop of the circular economy. All resources need to be managed more efficiently throughout their life cycle.” (European Commission). In the context of contaminated land, circular economy could be approached for example by recycling of excavated soil/ groundwater/sediment without compromising the safety of human health or the environment.
The main, overall, object for NORDROCS is “Crossing Borders” with the goal to share and discuss the way we manage contaminated land within the Nordic countries. Across the borders of the Nordic countries, we have a common interest and openness regarding development inside and outside the Nordic region. This is also true when it comes to remediation of contaminated sites.
The Nordic countries have large natural and demographic variations. This has led to differences in approach and focus of the efforts to remediate contaminated sites. Therefore we have developed knowledge about different parts of the field of remediation of contaminated sites and this gives us a great opportunity to learn from each other. For instance, the efforts to protect drinking water from contamination are heavily affected by the areas dependency on supplies from groundwater or surface water.