CERTIFICATION OF AN ENERGY BY-PRODUCT AS A PRODUCT - CASE STUDY IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

In many processes occurs formation of voluminous by-product, which can be moved off the force of waste legislation, because as a demanded product can be used in various ways, for example for reclamation of abandoned mining sites or other construction work. This approach supports strongly Sustainable Consumption and Production principles, as it saves primary resources from exploration and does not allow storing of the by-product as a waste. Because the by-product is a part of production process, it has an obligation to be identified, evaluated and registered for its chemical characteristics also in the frame of REACH resolution (1907/ 2006 EC). Before the by-product is ready for use, it must be assessed according to its physical/functional characteristics and necessarily also from the environmental point of view. In this moment must be found the compliance to several legislative obligations. For the use as a certified construction product another set of tests must be provided, to fulfil the requirements of Czech branch specific norms. After all these procedures the by-product can be certified as a suitable for construction use. There is not common European approach for assessment of such by-products and if the product certified for the use in Czech Republic would be exported to any other country, new assessment with different (local) rules must apply. This seems to be ineffective and whole process should be harmonized across the EU states to avoid additional costs. In the text is described the process of certification of energetic by-product for construction use as a material for abandoned mining sites recovery according to Czech legislation requirements.