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LIFE ENVIRONMENT | LIFE and the circular economy Priority sector five: Construction and demolition In volume terms, construction and demolition are among the biggest sources of waste in Europe. Many of the materials are recyclable or can be reused, but reuse and recycling rates vary widely across the EU (from less than 10% to over 90%). The construction sector also plays a role in the environmental performance of buildings and infrastructure throughout their life. The recycling and recovery of construction and demolition waste (CDW) is encouraged by an EUwide mandatory target, but the potential is not fully exploited as valuable materials are not always identified, collected separately, or adequately recovered. The Commission has presented a voluntary construction and demolition waste management protocol that aims to improve waste identification, source separation and collection, waste logistics and processing, as well as quality management. In addition, the Commission will develop guidelines for the assessment of buildings prior to their demolition or renovation, and is promoting sorting systems for CDW in the revised proposals on waste. It is currently conducting a study to identify the obstacles to, and drivers for, the recycling of construction and demolition waste, and best practices in this area. The Commission will also develop indicators to assess environmental performance throughout the life-cycle of a building, and promote their use for building projects through large demonstration projects and guidance on green public procurement. The pavement blocks produced by REAGIR contained 20% of recycled concrete aggregates Photo: LIFE03 ENV/P/000506 Photo: LIFE03 ENV/P/000506 REAGIR generated almost 3 700 tonnes of usable aggregates REAGIR (LIFE03 ENV/P/000506) was one of the first LIFE projects to encourage the recycling of CDW. This Portuguese project worked with construction and demolition companies to establish a collection system for CDW in the municipality of Montemor-o-Novo (Alentejo region). At participating companies (some 61% of CDW producers in the project area), the waste was separated at source into an inert fraction for recycling, other fractions that could also be recycled or reused, and the remainder for disposal. The recyclable waste was treated at a pilot line established by the project to convert CDW into aggregates and other building materials. This enabled nearly 4 000 tonnes of waste to be recycled into usable aggregates and produced 16 000 paving blocks and 420 kerbs. As well as highlighting the environmental and economic benefits of separation at source, the project cleaned up 20 illegal landfill sites and significantly reduced the incidence of illegal dumping of CDW. In part, this was driven by the introduction of new local regulations proposed by the project, including a mandatory requirement for operators to hold a CDW Management Certificate. These paved the way for more stringent national laws on management of this type of waste. Another LIFE project taking a systemic approach and linking practical actions with policy was VAL- C&DW (LIFE10 ENV/RO/000727), which developed a pilot demolition waste management system for Buzau County, Romania. The project analysed the quantity and composition of all categories of waste categorised under Class 17 in the European Waste List and developed best practice guidelines for separate collection at source. 90
LIFE ENVIRONMENT | LIFE and the circular economy Photo: LIFE10 ENV/RO/000727 VAL-C&DW developed a mechanical treatment plant that is producing secondary raw materials from construction and demolition waste The mechanical treatment plant opened in January 2015 and is producing secondary raw materials for anti-dust surfacing on dirt roads and for ground levelling from CDW. The operation of the VAL-C&DW pilot system is therefore an important step on the path toward closed material cycles. The manufacture of additional products is dependent upon changes to EU definitions of ‘end-ofwaste’. The project identified some suggestions for the definition of the requirements concerning CDW in a report entitled ‘End of Waste’. Another barrier to the reuse of recycled materials in construction is the habits and motivation of stakeholders. While VAL-C&DW has started the process of fostering this change in Romania, it may take years for a significant market for recycled CDW products to develop. The Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute set up the REBIRTH project (LIFE10 INF/SI/000138) with the goal of increasing the recycling of industrial waste and CDW for use in the construction sector. It aimed to achieve this by raising awareness of the recycling possibilities for these materials at national, regional and local level. types of CDW and industrial waste, including steel slag, building rubble from illegal waste dumps and cold in-place recycling for reconstruction of pavements. In total, this Best LIFE project 2015 reached more than 33 000 people through events and on-site demonstrations of waste recycling and reuse. Surveys showed that these demonstrations and workshops were found to be particularly useful in raising awareness and disseminating best practices among the expert public, such as waste producers, demolition companies, building contractors, local and national decision-makers, and inspectors. Figures show that there was an 11.6% increase in the reuse of construction and demolition waste in Slovenia between 2010 and 2014 and a 9% reduction in the use of materials. A survey of all 212 Slovenian municipalities also found that illegal dumping had declined. The project’s on-site live demonstrations could form the basis for similar actions in other Member States. Indeed, building on the success of this LIFE project, the beneficiary and its partners are now developing a project on cross-sector material recovery with partners from Croatia, Germany, Hungary and the UK. priority sectors An important aspect of the project involved practical demonstrations – supported by life-cycle assessment - of recycling and reuse of different If not separated at source, CDW can contain hazardous wastes that pose environmental risks and can hamper recycling. The French project CDW-recycling 91
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LIFE

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