Is this the end of end-of-waste? Uncovering the space between waste and products

End-of-waste has been promoted as a potential game changer in the circular economy. But the implementation of end-of-waste has largely failed in the European Union, as it has proven difficult to agree on joint criteria. The issue has therefore been decentralized, typically all the way to local authorities, which lacks capacity to determine when waste shall cease to be waste. For the few waste types that have been given product status, the positive effects are uncertain since end-of-waste only includes waste that is already circulated. Therefore, we should shift our interest towards the unknown space between waste and products. The interpretation of this space is open for discussion, but can be opened up by policy instruments such as standards, certificate and agreements, which makes the classification of the material redundant.