Use of recycled aggregates in concrete: opportunities for upscaling in Europe
This Science for Policy Report discusses context, barriers and measures along the supply chain to increase the use of recycled aggregates in concrete. The report is based on state-of-the-art data, EUROSTAT datasets, surveys sent to industrial representatives, policy documents, technical reports, and the authors’ remarks.
Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is more than one third of all waste generated in the EU and is mostly composed of concrete. Recycled aggregates are produced from CDW and their use in new concrete reduces the consumption of natural aggregates, a mineral resource.
Moderate incorporation ratios of recycled aggregates are technically-sound. However, recycled aggregates are downcycled and rarely used in concrete. If a 30% mean incorporation of recycled aggregates in the EU was achieved, around 30% of all non-soil CDW generated every year would be recovered.
Some of the main ideas of the report are that:
- Recycled aggregates may be produced with conventional methods, but selective demolition and advanced CDW treatment greatly improve the recoverability potential of CDW;
- Measures to promote the market uptake of recycled aggregates must consider the whole supply chain, including demolition and CDW companies (to ensure supply with quality), as well as concrete producers and society (to ensure demand).
Measures to promote the market uptake of recycled aggregates tackling regulatory, technical, operational, economic and social issues are presented in a specific chapter of the report.
PACHECO João;
DE BRITO Jorge;
LAMPERTI TORNAGHI Marco;
2023-09-27
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC131294
978-92-68-07697-2 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 31667 EN,
OP KJ-NA-31-667-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC131294,
10.2760/144802 (online),
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