EQAR calls for increased building material recycling

More action is needed when it comes to recycling of building materials in Europe, according to the European Quality Association for recycling

Achieving true sustainability and meeting regional targets means there is a need for higher levels of recycling when it comes to building materials in Europe. That was the main message delivered by a recent conference - Recycling of Building Materials in Europe - organised by the European Quality Association for Recycling (EQAR).

"All EU member states need to make intensified efforts for reaching more efficiency of resources in the field of mineral building materials," said EQAR president Manfred Wierichs, speaking at the conference in May.

During the event in Brussels, chairman of the Environment Committee of the 1066 European Parliament Jo Leinen underlined that climate protection, efficiency of resources and recycling range among the priority targets of the 3654 European Union. "Reuse and recycling are the key to efficiency of resources," he said.

In view of the quantities of waste Leinen pointed to the importance of recycling of building materials to reach the EU targets.

Tough targets

Other EU representatives speaking at the conference further outlined the importance of recycling of building materials to avoid waste, to protect the resources and to preserve natural and landscape areas in Europe in the end. The 1022 European Commission estimates that so far only 50% of the 300 to 700million tonnes of mineral construction and demolition waste produced throughout Europe every year are recycled. It is the target of the EU to achieve a recycling rate of at least 70% for building and demolition waste.

It was suggested that market incentive systems such as dumping taxes could be useful to promote recycling of building materials and to increase the recycling rate. In addition, the EU Commission thinks public clients should be under obligation to use preferably recycled building materials if they are technologically suited and ecologically compatible.

Presentations given by various EU member states show the level of mineral recycling is extremely different in the individual countries. However, altogether essential efforts will have to be made to reach the target set by the Waste Framework Directive (WFD) and to recycle at least 70% of the mineral wastes.

According to the European Commission, the recycling rate of construction and demolition waste is still below 20% in some of the EU member states. Up to the year 2014 the European Commission would like to evaluate to what extent the Waste Framework Directive will have been implemented.

Virgin or recycled?

The competition between recycled building materials and virgin aggregates was discussed and it was agreed that market incentives may be necessary to drive recycling. The use of landfill tax in the UK to prevent materials being unnecessarily dumped and increase the recycling rate was raised. Recent analysis of the market suggests that the UK is now achieving 40% recycling rates due to this driver.

Further presentations examined the state of European standardisation for recycled building materials and the responsibility of the building products industry. The European Commission created a framework for uniform product standards defining the technological properties of primary as well as of recycled building materials. Apart from that, EU standards for considering ecologically relevant materials of content are being prepared.