The European Commission has published a new circular economy package, which has been welcomed by the European cement association, CEMBUREAU. In a statement, CEMBUREAU said it is pleased to see recognition granted to material recycling that occurs at the same time as energy recovery.
“Furthermore, we welcome the emphasis put on the need for sorting systems for construction & demolition waste” said Karl Downey, CEMBUREAU Sustainable Construction Manager. “Fortunately for concrete, recycling is not technically difficult, but better processes for demolition, collection and sorting of C&DW will help to provide a consistent supply of good quality material from C&DW.”
CEMBUREAU also supports elements of the package including the recognition of energy recovery from waste that cannot be recycled as a waste management solution, and the focus on assessing the environmental performance of buildings throughout their lifecycle.
CEMBUREAU believes that more should be done to ban the landfilling of recyclable and recoverable waste, an area in which there is great disparity between member states.
Vagner Maringolo, CEMBUREAU Environment & Resources Manager, said: “existing cement plants that co-process waste should be taken in consideration as a waste treatment solution for residual waste from landfills before funding and developing unnecessary excessive capacity”.
Adapted from press release by Katherine Guenioui