The European Construction Industry Federation has backed the European Commission’s Circular Economy Action Plan…
The European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC) has welcomed the European Commission’s Circular Economy Action Plan.
A circular economy focuses on whole cycle of a process, from production to waste management at the end of a project.
FIEC said to achieve a true circular economy within the construction sector there needs to be a shift in the way materials are sourced and used. The federation said recycling facilities would need to be close to construction sites, but must be capable of dealing with large quantities of reusable building materials.
Vice president Kjetil Tonning said, “FIEC has always supported the concept of the circular economy and supports the action plan, which should help to address resistance in the market to use recycled and reused raw materials.
“The construction industry is innovative and contractors already propose the use of secondary raw materials, but clients have to agree to accept them.”
He also warned the cost of processing materials should not outweigh the environmental benefits. Additionally, care must be taken to dispose of dangerous substances and ensure no risk to human health.
Tonning added: “We expect construction material producers to manufacture, in future, with the lifecycle of their products in mind, including, of course, end-of-life and recycling.
“In an ideal world, the existence of building materials that end up as waste should be reduced to zero.
“Taking a pragmatic view, we expect that there will always be waste, but small steps can already be taken – for example, to ensure that packaging is reduced to a minimum and that toxic substances are eliminated totally from new materials.”
One area that could tackle the issue of waste is building information modelling (BIM). This is already used in a number of European nations, including the UK. BIM could significantly improve building deconstruction and would ensure construction was undertaken in a way that supports the objectives of a circular economy.
