Sustainable Building. A Case Study on Concrete Recycling in France. Laurens Duin, Ecologic Institute.

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1 Sustainable Building A Case Study on Concrete Recycling in France Laurens Duin, Ecologic Institute

2 Introduction The EU generates over 800 million tonnes of Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) per year (European Commission, 2018) After soils & stones, concrete is the largest portion of inert CDW France was chosen as the case study topic due to data availability, relevant ongoing research projects and moderate rates of CDW recycling 2 Brussels, CIRCULAR IMPACTS final conference, Laurens Duin, Ecologic Institute

3 Introduction Source: (Monier et al., 2017): Resource Efficient Use of Mixed Wastes. Report for the European Commission. 3 Brussels, CIRCULAR IMPACTS final conference, Laurens Duin, Ecologic Institute

4 Relevant European and national policy European Waste Framework Directive Article 11.2 introduces a 2020 target for Member States to prepare 70% (by weight) of all non-hazardous CDW for re-use, recycling and other recovery, excluding natural occurring material containing dangerous substances EU Construction and Demolition Waste Management Protocol Non binding guidelines to increase the confidence in the CDW management process and the quality of CDW recycled materials The French Energy Transition for Green Growth Act Lays down a framework to promote the recycling of CDW into road construction 4 Brussels, CIRCULAR IMPACTS final conference, Laurens Duin, Ecologic Institute

5 Recycling concrete Cement cannot be recycled, but concrete can be turned into recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) RCA can be used for road construction, but also for structural applications in ready-mix concrete 15% RCA is allowed in structural concrete applications according to French standard NF EN 206/CN 5 Brussels, CIRCULAR IMPACTS final conference, Laurens Duin, Ecologic Institute

6 Methodology & numerical analysis Used step-by-step approach (Smits & Woltjer, 2017) 1. Defining the baseline 5. The impact on society 2. Defining the new business case 6. Are alternatives available 3. Changes in the key sector 7. Policy options 4. Expected effects on other parts of the economy 8. Overall conclusions Gathered key data for 2016 (baseline) and made assumptions Two scenarios for 2030: business-as-usual and circular scenario: Achieves parity with quarried aggregate % In line with French standard Used an existing LCA study (Serres, Braymand & Feugeas, 2016) to calculate the different environmental impacts for each scenario 6 Brussels, CIRCULAR IMPACTS final conference, Laurens Duin, Ecologic Institute

7 Case-study results Minor improvements (1-2%) in the environmental impacts of the circular scenario compared to the business-asusual scenario Only the acidification indicator is higher; possibly due to the use of additives Identifying the economic and social impacts is extremely difficult due to strong interrelation with regional and local circumstances The Technical Documentation section of the case study provides an overview of the numerical analysis 7 Brussels, CIRCULAR IMPACTS final conference, Laurens Duin, Ecologic Institute

8 Caveats Extent of environmental and economic benefits are closely related to transport distances; in the LCA study, transport distances of the recycled materials were around one third that of the natural materials The effect of incorporating more RCA into ready-mix concrete could have the effect that RCA is substituted by quarried aggregates in road construction The total demand for aggregates cannot be met by recycling concrete 8 Brussels, CIRCULAR IMPACTS final conference, Laurens Duin, Ecologic Institute

9 Increasing uptake of RCA... Enabling factors European and national commitment Improved CDW management Barriers Limited information on the pricing of CDW recycled materials Little trust in the quality of CDW recycled materials Lack of clarity on liability related to CDW recycled materials 9 Brussels, CIRCULAR IMPACTS final conference, Laurens Duin, Ecologic Institute

10 Recommendations Seek to capture the benefits of recycled concrete, but be realistic about its limitations Keep investing in making concrete more sustainable Ensure that concrete containing RCA is not regarded as an inferior product Define liability and keep reporting/permit requirements to a minimum Consults all relevant stakeholders in the policymaking process Improve statistical knowledge of the market 10 Brussels, CIRCULAR IMPACTS final conference, Laurens Duin, Ecologic Institute

11 List of Partners Ecologic Institute CEPS The Centre for European Policy Studies LEI Wageningen UR 11 Brussels, CIRCULAR IMPACTS final conference, Laurens Duin, Ecologic Institute