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Kreislaufwirtschaft Bau (KWB) – an initiative set up by the German building supplies, construction and waste management industries to promote recycling activities in the construction sector – published its latest monitoring report in the middle of February. Once again the figures presented in the report make it very clear that the contents of mineral construction and demolition waste are valuable raw materials which, when professionally treated, can be transformed into high quality aggregate.
Waste from construction and demolition projects is by far the biggest waste stream produced in Europe – a waste stream generated year on year that can be recycled and converted into aggregate for the construction sector. Such recycling activities help to conserve our planet’s natural resources and sustainably increase resource efficiency. KWB’s latest monitoring report reveals that 91.2 percent of the 192 million tonnes of mineral construction waste generated in Germany in 2012 were recycled using environmentally sound processes. The recycling rate of waste from building and road construction projects was even slightly higher, clearly exceeding the future minimum recycling rate of 70 percent set out in the EU Waste Framework Directive.
KWB’s 2015 monitoring report (german only)
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REMEX, a company belonging to the REMONDIS Group, is well known for its supplies of top quality mineral aggregate. Sold under the brand name remexit®, the company markets premium recycled aggregate, whose high quality has been attested and verified in stringent tests. Their strictly defined chemical and physical properties ensure they always produce reliable results.
The different sized aggregate can be used for underground and road construction work. It is particularly suitable for creating frost protection layers and base courses or as a base for paving stones or indeed as a filler material. Moreover, recycled aggregate is increasingly being used to manufacture concrete products. The country leading the way here is the Netherlands which focuses primarily on using the material in concrete building blocks.
The climate benefits as well: construction waste can be recycled close to where it is generated and the recycled aggregate then used in local construction projects. This reduces the need for primary aggregate or construction waste to be transported over long distances – an effective way, therefore, to cut carbon emissions.
“There are many good reasons for using recycled aggregate, the most important ones being that it reduces volumes of waste and conserves natural mineral resources. Both help to drive sustainability and protect our landscapes and the environment.“
Jasmin Klöckner, Managing Director of Bundesvereinigung Recycling-Baustoffe e.V. (BRB)