Sewage sludge disposal

Does sewage sludge really have to be incinerated? Isn't there a more environmentally friendly way to 'get rid' of it? Theoretically, yes. Sewage sludge is used in landscaping. Or, due to its high phosphorus content, it can be used as fertilizer in agriculture.

However, the legislator has set high hurdles for this. And for good reason. Because in addition to nutrients, sewage sludge also contains everything that is in wastewater. This includes drug residues and hormones, chemicals, heavy metals, microplastics, and pollutants. And it's better to incinerate these than to let them end up in the groundwater or on farmland, right?