CONDEREFF - Construction & demolition waste management policies for improved resource efficiency

Improve construction waste management and encourage resource efficiency

The CONDEREFF project aims to improve waste management in the building and public works sector, in order to promote resource efficiency. The objective is to implement recovery, eco-design, reuse and recycling measures, given the target set by the regulations: recovering 70% of construction waste by 2020. During the project, the partners will share experiences and answer the following questions:

  • How can we better understand the general environment of construction waste (deposits, technical solutions for treatment, recovery, stakeholders, regulations, financing)?
  • How can European directives on construction waste management be effectively integrated into territorial policies, in particular through public procurement?
Déchets du BTP
©AURA-EE

From the analysis of the current state to the definition of action plans

During the first phase of the project, an analysis of the current state and the potential development was carried out, with the following elements:

  • comparative analysis of legislation and regulations on construction and demolition waste in the territories of the partners;
  • study on the economic potential of recycled construction and demolition materials and identification of priority axes;
  • analysis of recycling capacities (construction and demolition) in the territories of the partners;
  • analysis of the perspectives and perceptions from the point of view of the concerned citizens and stakeholders.

The second phase focuses on the capacity building for stakeholders at regional level, on main aspects related to audits, public procurement and regulations.

Finally, the third phase deals with the definition of action plans for the reduction and optimal management of waste and resources, in the construction sector at the regional and territorial level.

Zoom on regional activities

 

In Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, CONDEREFF has brought toghether local stakeholders from the waste and construction sectors, creating a regional dynamic. In 2022, this dynamic resulted in a series of workshops called "Co'Réemploi" (Co'Reuse). Organised by "Ville et Aménagement Durable", the regional ressource center for sutainable buildings and infrastructures, they aim at monitoring the implementation of the French law on anti-waste for circular economy (AGEC). The last meeting, held in December 8th, 2022, tackled the new French recycling regulation for construction waste.

 

The Extended producer responsibility (EPR) for building waste, provided for in the AGEC (anti-waste for a circular economy) law, applies on January 1st, 2023. It takes the form of the taking in charge (collection and treatment) of building waste by eco-organizations, from companies in the construction sector, craftsmen and individuals. The system is financed by an eco-contribution paid by producers in proportion to the quantities placed on the market.

As part of its "co'Réemploi" working group, VAD brought together 32 building industry players in Lyon on December 8th, 2022 to exchange about the EPR for building products and materials of the construction sector.

The meeting began with a review of the specifications in the building sector, with a focus on its implementation on construction sites. Then, a presentation of the 4 eco-organizations accredited in October 2022 for a period of 5 years was made: Valdelia, Ecomaison, Ecominéro and Valobat. These organizations are responsible for collecting construction waste sorted into 7 streams: paper/cardboard, metal, plastic, glass, wood, mineral fractions and plaster. Finally, Grenoble Alpes Métropole shared its experience with the Grenoble Forum rehabilitation project (13,000 m² building), for which a reuse approach resulted in 82% material recovery and 3% reuse, i.e. 74 tons reused, of which 20 to 40 tons were reused in situ.

This working group is led by VAD since 2020. AURA-EE contributes to it within the framework of the CONDEREFF project (co-financed by the Interreg Europe program and the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region). The next meeting will be held on February 24th, 2023 for a review of the roadmap of the "co'Réemploi" action and the definition of priority actions for 2023.

 

[Updated: January 2023]