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Environment

Construction and demolition waste

EU rules aim to ensure that this waste is managed in an environmentally sound way and contributes to the circular economy.

Overview

A demolition vehicle works away at a destroyed building
© RapidEye, Getty Images

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) accounts for more than a third of all waste generated in the EU.

It includes all the waste produced by the construction and demolition of buildings and infrastructure, as well as road planning and maintenance, such as concrete, bricks, wood, glass, metals and plastic.

Some components of CDW have a high resource value, while others have a lower value, but could still be easily reprocessed into new products or materials.

Despite its potential, the level of recycling and material recovery of CDW varies greatly across the EU, ranging from less than 10% to over 90%. EU countries apply different definitions of CDW, which makes cross-country comparisons difficult.

Objectives

When it is not separated at source, CDW can contain small amounts of hazardous materials, such as solvents and asbestos. These can pose particular risks to the environment and impede recycling.

As a result, the main objectives for this waste stream are:-

  • To ensure that CDW is managed in an environmentally sound way
  • To reap the full potential of CDW, thus contributing to the EU's circular economy
  • To reduce waste generation

Law

CDW comes under the Waste Framework Directive, which marks it as a priority waste stream. It also promotes selective demolition to enable the removal and safe handling of hazardous substances, while facilitating re-use and high-quality recycling by the selective removal of materials and establishing sorting systems.

Implementation

Tools and initiatives

Level(s) is a voluntary reporting framework to improve the sustainability of buildings. Using existing standards, Level(s) provides a common EU approach to the assessment of environmental performance in the built environment, throughout their whole lifecycle.

Timeline

Key dates related to EU rules on construction and demolition waste

  1. 18 September 2018
    Construction and Demolition Waste Protocol and Guidelines introduced
  2. 12 December 2008
    Waste Framework Directive enters into force including rules for CDW

Related links

Contact

For questions about EU environmental policy, please contact Europe Direct.