No time to waste: tackling the construction sector’s waste problem
With a new industrial strategy for Europe taking shape, it is essential that effective measures enable and prioritise circularity in the construction sector – shifting thinking from how to deal with the huge volumes of the sector’s waste to how to efficiently use resources.
Why do we need to prioritise circularity in the construction sector?
Construction materials, such as concrete or insulation, still capture half of all raw materials used and generate a third of overall waste every year in the EU. Reuse and high-quality recycling are unfortunately still far from being the norm.
How can the European Commission ensure an effective transition?
In the lead up to a new Circular Economy Act, our joint letter – together with the recycling industry, cities, and several NGOs – calls on the European Commission to deliver measures tailored at creating a robust legal infrastructure boosting circularity in the construction industry, whilst keeping materials in our economy and reducing our external dependencies.
Our recommendations include:
- Tackle outdated provisions and gaps in the Waste Framework Directive;
- Leverage existing and upcoming sectoral legislation to create a competitive market – targeting cement and steel first.
