Resource efficient use of mixed wastes improving management of construction and demolition waste

EU Publication, Final report – Study

On September 28th, 2017, the European Commission launched the first EU-wide tool for sustainable building performance reporting.

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. it will help transform the building sector aiming toward a circular economy. It is the first tool of this kind that has been developed for use across the whole of Europe. 

Level(s) provides an easy starting point to introduce sustainability into your work. Within the Level(s) framework, each indicator is designed to link the individual building’s impact with the priorities for sustainability at the European level. This focuses the Level(s) user on a manageable number of essential concepts and indicators at building level that contribute to achieving EU and Member State environmental policy goals.Level(s) is for:

Level(s) is for:

• Clients (developers and investors)
• Design teams (architects, engineers, quantity surveyors)
• Construction management (construction manager, lead contractor)
• Facilities managers
• Asset managers
• Buildings occupants (households or organisations)

Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Karmenu Vella said: “Level(s) can help us develop an environment built sustainably across Europe and support our transition to the circular economy. We are releasing this framework for the sector during World Green Building Week demonstrating Europe’s global leadership. It marks an important step towards a more resource-efficient and competitive construction sector in Europe.” 

For more information access the website:  http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/buildings.htm 

Read the press release: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/pdf/28_09_2017_news_EN.pdf 

EU funded Research Project – FEDER 2014-2020

In light of the current needs in terms of renovation mostly aimed towards energy performances of building, the present survey intends to offer a new point of view: a perspective based on matter and including the potential of resources the materials used in the building could represent for the Brussels Capital Region. One of the surveys’ goals is to partially respond to the lack of data regarding the material flows and material deposit produced by energy retrofit operations. As a matter of fact, the data collection actually represents a substantial stage to achieve a more closed loop system and an efficient resource use. The research will investigate these issues in a bottom-up approach: by studying typical energy retrofit processes in terms of material impacts, also referred to as material balances, which could generate ratio data useable for an integrated resource management at a larger scale.

A work on the existing value chains and recovery streams is also conducted to point out the opportunities of strengthening existing value chains or creating new ones.
Another part of this research is to analyse the impacts of a more circular approach on building design. Moreover, the study identifies technical and normative restrictions of using recycled or reused materials as well as legal constraints concerning reuse operation.

The LCiP project (Life Cycle in Practice ) helps SMEs in France, Belgium, Portugal and Spain reduce the environmental impacts of their products and services across the entire Life Cycle in three sectors: Buildings & Construction, Waste Management and Energy Equipment.

http://www.lifelcip.eu/EN/

The main objective in HISER is to develop and demonstrate novel cost-effective holistic solutions (technological and non-technological) for a higher recovery of raw materials from ever more complex construction and demolition waste (C&DW) by considering circular economy approaches throughout the building value chain (from End-of-Life Buildings to new Buildings).

http://hiserproject.eu/

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