Circular economy in construction contracts: key take-aways

How to promote and support the integration of the circular economy in construction contracts for a better management of construction waste?

While we are now preparing the fourth and final exchange of the project, it is a good occasion to publish the summary of the third Transnational Learning Journey of INERTWASTE and share our main conclusions from these two days in Marseille (FR).

The host, Region Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (Region Sud), prepared a full programme including the presentation of relevant good practices at international and local level, interactive exchange on the French situation, a working session on how to increase the circular flow of waste, and two study visits to understand how recycling of inert waste is done in practice by operators.

Among the topics that caught the attention of participants were the re-use, recycling
methods for aggregates, and material passports. They concluded that:

• Reused or recycled materials are not yet competitive enough compared to virgin materials in terms of cost and market acceptance. Public procurement can help address this issue by prioritising secondary materials in construction projects. Additionally, regional circular economy strategies are also a useful instrument to increase the demand for these materials.
• The construction sector is a conservative sector and therefore there is often resistance and skepticism towards adopting secondary materials. A lot of testing and pilot projects can help overcome this resistance and convince practitioners and operators about the viability and sustainability of these materials. Fostering continuous dialogue with control authorities and other stakeholders in the supply chain can also help unlock the transition. Collaboration is also key to ensure that the circular economy is profitable for private companies, with the public sector playing a supportive role.
• Interregional exchanges are a useful tool to gather new perspectives, and best practices can help companies build the portfolio instead of testing each segment on their own. As coined by a participant, there is a strong network of like-minded thinkers moving things forward. This expertise and experience must be harnessed. However, it is sometimes not easy to implement the suggestions received by partners and stakeholders due to a lack of regulatory power and fragmentation of laws and regulations on construction and demolition waste at different levels (EU, regional, local).
• Public-private partnerships are important for driving progress in circular economy initiatives. Public authorities must not only regulate but also incentivize sustainable practices and create platforms for interaction between stakeholders. For instance, tax incentives or penalties, along with transparent mapping of construction waste streams, were identified as effective aspects for change.
• Fostering innovation and connecting stakeholders remains crucial. From selective demolition practices to material passports and enhanced recycling technologies, there is significant potential to the circular economy principles in the construction sector. However, this requires a collective effort, continuous engagement, and committed leadership from both public and private actors

Read the document here.