The Construction and Demolition Branch (ECDB) of the Brussels-based European Recycling Industries Confederation (EuRIC) has released what it calls a manifesto titled “Increasing Circularity in the Construction Sector: Re-constructing Europe.”

According to the ECDB, the document outlines five “key policy recommendations” for the European Union’s upcoming five-year mandate (2024–2029) designed to boost recycling in the construction and demolition sectors.

The policies aim to enhance recycling and foster “a thriving recycling sector that can ensure raw material autonomy, foster innovation, create jobs and drive economic growth,” says the confederation.

States EuRIC and its ECDB, “The manifesto highlights the significant potential for circularity and recycling within the C&D sector, stressing the need to stimulate the market for recycled materials and advance legislation to mandate their use.”

The manifesto calls for improved separation of discarded C&D materials and debris, mandatory EU Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and the introduction of EU-wide End-of-Waste (EOW) criteria EuRIC says can “boost the uptake of recycled materials.”

Additionally, it calls for what EuRIC calls balanced chemicals legislation that protects the environment and human health while facilitating recycling and avoiding excessive industry burdens.

“Our manifesto provides a clear roadmap for policymakers to increase circularity in construction and demolition, reduce environmental degradation and resource depletion while driving economic growth and innovation within the EU,” says Julia Ettinger, EuRIC’s secretary general. “We urge policymakers to prioritize these recommendations in the upcoming legislative term.”

EuRIC says its ECDB branch consists of national recycling federations involved in the collection, recycling and trade of end-of-life C&D materials. The ECDB says it supports industry standards and advocates for policies that enhance the demand for recycled materials.

Courtesy : recyclingtoday.com