DOI: 10.57755/mpe0-qj62
title: Construction and Demolition Waste and disaster waste sorting and processing potential

description: <h3><strong>Executive Summary: CABE Deliverable D1.1</strong></h3><p><strong>Project Overview</strong>
<span class="citation-23">The report, titled &#34;Construction and Demolition Waste and disaster waste sorting and processing potential&#34; (Deliverable D1.1), is part of the </span><strong><span class="citation-23">CABE (Circular Approaches for the Built Environment)</span></strong><span class="citation-23"> project</span>. Its primary goal is to establish a framework for shareable secondary resources by identifying waste streams, assessing processing potential, and understanding the legal and economic landscape across Europe.</p><p><strong>Key Findings</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong><span class="citation-21">Waste Generation:</span></strong><span class="citation-21"> Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) accounts for approximately </span><strong><span class="citation-21">35% of all waste generated in the EU</span></strong><span class="citation-21">, totaling about 925 million tonnes annually</span>.</p></li><li><p><strong><span class="citation-20">Current Practices:</span></strong><span class="citation-20"> While recovery rates appear high, much of the waste is currently used for </span><strong><span class="citation-20">low-value backfilling</span></strong><span class="citation-20"> rather than high-quality reuse or recycling</span>.</p></li><li><p><strong><span class="citation-19">Disaster Waste:</span></strong><span class="citation-19"> A significant portion of the report focuses on waste generated by disasters (e.g., the 2023 Turkey earthquake)</span>. While similar in composition to standard CDW, disaster waste is often highly contaminated and mixed, requiring specialized emergency logistics and processing.</p></li><li><p><strong><span class="citation-17">Barriers to Circularity:</span></strong><span class="citation-17"> Major challenges include a lack of economic incentives, inconsistent quality of recycled materials, insufficient infrastructure (especially in rural areas), and a lack of standardized &#34;end-of-waste&#34; criteria</span><span class="citation-17 citation-end-17"></span>.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Strategic Recommendations</strong></p><ul><li><p><strong><span class="citation-16">Policy & Regulation:</span></strong><span class="citation-16"> The report calls for harmonized EU-wide regulations, mandatory use of </span><strong><span class="citation-16">digital material passports</span></strong><span class="citation-16">, and stronger market mechanisms to make secondary materials competitive with raw materials</span><span class="citation-16 citation-end-16"></span>.</p></li><li><p><strong><span class="citation-15">Technological Shift:</span></strong><span class="citation-15"> Moving from traditional demolition to </span><strong><span class="citation-15">selective demolition</span></strong><span class="citation-15"> and deconstruction is essential to prevent &#34;downcycling&#34; and ensure high-quality material recovery</span><span class="citation-15 citation-end-15"></span>.</p></li><li><p><strong><span class="citation-14">Digital Tools:</span></strong><span class="citation-14"> The adoption of Building Information Modelling (</span><strong><span class="citation-14">BIM</span></strong><span class="citation-14">) and digital tracking platforms is recommended to improve collaboration among stakeholders and trace material flows throughout a building&#39;s lifecycle</span></p></li><li><p><strong><span class="citation-13">Social Impact:</span></strong><span class="citation-13"> Improving waste management can create local jobs and mitigate the negative health impacts (e.g., from asbestos) associated with improper waste disposal</span><span class="citation-13 citation-end-13"></span>.</p></li></ul><p><strong>Conclusion</strong>
Transitioning to a circular built environment requires a systemic shift involving all stakeholders—from policymakers to contractors—supported by better data collection, standardized sorting protocols, and financial incentives for recycling enterprises<span class="citation-12 citation-end-12"></span>.</p>