Page 6 - Open-Access-Jan-2020

point of view

Moreover, construction value chains generate the first stream a lot of inconsistencies and inaccuracies between data about
of waste CDW representing 36% of all waste and being widely quantities, natures and destinations of CDW generated and
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disseminated as many as there are construction or demolition treated. EUROSTAT collects every two years data on mineral
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yards. Too often, CDW have been discarded illegally in natural waste from construction and demolition . The most recent data
or urban areas at huge environmental and financial costs for give figures where mining and quarrying waste and CDW are
local communities. In 2016, the 28 EU countries generated counted together as major mineral wastes with regard to their
around 905 million tonnes of CDW, including 584 million tonnes treatment. It is still not possible to track down which and how
of soil and dredging spoil. Inert waste represents 90% of total much waste generated by construction and demolition have
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generated CDW . This is this important fraction, which has been respectively re-used, recycled, recovered in backfilling or
the biggest potential for recycling into valuable secondary landfilled .
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construction aggregates .
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On the other hand, EUROSTAT gives recovery rates of CDW
for all EU countries, which show a global recovery rate for
all EU 28 countries of 89% in 2016. This indicator is the ratio
of CDW, which is prepared for re-use, recycled or subject to
material recovery, including through backfilling operations .
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Therefore, this rate does not give any information on what is the
actual recycling rate of CDW and it ignores the best practices
implemented to regenerate valuable secondary construction
aggregates from CDW.

3. how Does the eURoPeAN PoLICy
ADDRess the CDw IssUes?

Since the ‘90s, the European Union (EU) has identified CDW
Figure 2: Demolition works in Brussels (Belgium) ©Vincent Basuyau, 2018. as a priority waste stream where lies a high potential for re-use
and recycling. Technologies for the separation and reprocessing
of CDW have been developed and significant quantities of
CDW have already been recovered as backfilling or recycled
as subbase materials in roads and infrastructure projects with
the support of some local or national authorities in several EU
countries.

3.1 the Framework Directive on waste
(2008/98/eC) and its revision (eU Directive
2018/851)

The EU policy has been addressing CDW firstly through its
Figure 3: Illegal CDW dumping near Montpellier (France) policy and regulatory tools with regard to waste in general.
©Vincent Basuyau, 2002.
As such, the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC (WFD)
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However, monitoring quantitatively CDW streams and assessing is the cornerstone regulation. As laid down in Articles 17 to
the contribution of CDW derived secondary materials to the 20, hazardous CDW fractions shall be managed providing
construction materials market have not been satisfactory so far. protection for the environment and human health. Then, the
EU countries conduct their own statistical work but there are waste hierarchy set by the WFD, shall apply as a priority order

9 Waste statistics, Data extracted in June 2019, Statistics Explained, EUROSTAT, http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Waste_
statistics
10 European Commission Eurostat Waste Data Main tables https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/waste/data/main-tables
11 UEPG (2017) Life Cycle of Aggregates. A resource efficient industry.
12 Regulation (EC) No 2150/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2002 on waste statistics.
13 Waste statistics, Data extracted in June 2019, Statistics Explained, EUROSTAT, http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Waste_
statistics
14 Recovery rate of construction and demolition waste - % of construction and demolition mineral waste recycled, Code: cei_wm040, https://ec.europa.
eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&plugin=1&language=en&pcode=cei_wm040
15 Directive 2008/98/EC on waste (Waste Framework Directive) http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/framework/

10 The IndIan ConCreTe Journal | JanuarY 2020