Buildings and construction products require significant amounts of energy and raw materials, which is why the EU should focus on these areas:
1) Strengthening the management of construction - demolition - renovation waste: construction products shall be designed, manufactured and used in a manner that ensures sustainable use of natural resources and promotes recycling and/or reuse of parts or materials while taking into account the emphasis on sustainability of construction products. This chain is linked to waste management activities.
2) Promoting the use of recyclates: mandatory recycled content is a tool to increase the use of recyclates and mandatory recycled content should be preferred in a number of construction products, in particular plastic pipes and inert materials.
3) Better information on materials: increased confidence in the quality of recyclates requires better information on the composition of materials used in construction products, standardisation of secondary raw materials and information sharing between all relevant stakeholders.
4) Establishing integrated waste management strategies: the more systematic use of recycled materials in construction products and closed loops should be encouraged.
5) Address the price uncompetitiveness of recyclates: activities and use of materials with a low energy impact, in particular secondary raw materials, should be positively priced in the EU market compared to products with a more energy-intensive footprint.
6) Charges: Member States or regions may consider providing price incentives for the use of recycled materials for construction products if they bring the desired environmental benefits.
7) Clear waste-to-product criteria: defining precise, clear and harmonised criteria for waste category boundaries at EU level would encourage the production of secondary raw materials and support those who invest in high quality recycled building products.
8) Green public procurement: authorities at all levels can provide incentives to promote the use of recycled materials for construction products used in public buildings.
9) Insulation and filling materials affecting the plastic waste stream: the use of these insulation materials was cited by recycling companies as an important barrier to recycling. This material cannot be removed or sorted and has a disruptive effect on the final high quality recycling of plastic (PVC) raw materials. The use of filler materials during the installation of profiles is another barrier to recycling. Ecodesign principles should therefore not come at the expense of the energy/insulation requirements of building products.
10) Energy efficiency: focusing on the energy efficiency of building products is also important, using the scheme of minimum energy performance standards for the production process. This should also enable investment in renewable energy in the waste-to-energy sector.
