A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR: The Gypsum Experience
Brussels, 17.11.2015, by Vanja Biševac
On 17th of November Mrs. Julie Girling (ECR) hosted a Gypsum Forum in European Parliament focusing on a Circular economy for the Construction sector and recycling processes as basis for the sustainable and competitive European industry. General considerations pointed out by all participants included constructive cooperation between European Commission and industry associations in the frame of sustainable recycling including and preferring deconstruction technics rather than demolition, sorting of waste on the construction site and treatment of waste in appropriate way in order to get well-sorted waste stream meeting the requirements for industrial processes. Such approach leads to the segregation and massification of different types of waste preventing waste cross-contamination, provides optimization of logistics onsite and better valorisation of each waste steam (i.e. for gypsumbased waste or for concrete). Finally it provides great economic advantages for demolition companies (reduced costs for transport, treatment, dumping and related costs) and protection of the environment. Innovations are very important along such process providing manufacturers with new knowledge and new business models in the frame of Circular economy which leads to the recycling and in the end to the reincorporation of material (such as gypsum) which fulfils the Waste acceptance criteria (WAC).
Nice practice example of such principles is GtoG Project (http://gypsumtogypsum.org/) including 5 pilot projects presented in the Laymans´s report distributed among the participants. These projects promote more sustainable approach in construction sector indicating great importance of deconstruction (selective demolition) in more efficient way in order to enable more sustainable recycling processes. Following the recommendations of The European handbook of best practice in audit prior to deconstruction of building leads to better identification of waste streams and outlets, better preparation of work on construction sites, enable upsides in term of safety and give opportunity of more precise monitoring of costs.
Support of the Commission is required along the process in form of pushing the correct implementation of current EU waste legislative in more unique and harmonized way equally across the Europe, in promoting deconstruction before demolition and fostering economic advantage of recycling turning waste into the resource. The forthcoming Action Plan (Circular economy + waste legislative), expected to be released by European Commission on 02.12.2015, will be based on promotion of recycling and support of innovation in recycling sector and promotion of better design of the products which means more chance for repair or recycling in the end leading to the market development and growth.
