Concrete sustainability initiative report published

A new report by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s (WBCSDⁱ) Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSIⁱ) has put forward a target of ‘zero landfill’ of concrete via concrete recycling. It argues that recycling, for example, by breaking concrete down into aggregates to be used in road works or as aggregates in new concrete, reduces the use of new virgin aggregates and decreases the associated environmental costs of exploitation and transportation. It also keeps a greater amount of landfill land free.

It is estimated that approximately 900 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste (containing between 20% and 80% concrete) are generated yearly in the U.S., Europe and Japan. As data collection systems for monitoring concrete waste currently differ in quality and comprehensiveness around the world, the CSI recommends that governments and key stakeholders publicise comprehensive data on construction and demolition waste and develop reliable and consistent statistics.

The report also recommends that governments and key stakeholders develop economic incentives and legislation that promotes concrete recycling (particularly green building schemes) and that they set targets for the use of recycled concrete in both road construction and the building industry.