PROGRAMME

Construction and demolition wastes (CDW) is one of the major waste streams in EU and globally. Although circular economy is definitely the way to move forward and make our society more sustainable, this cannot be achieved if at the same time we do not sufficiently protect the environment and the human health from the exposure to hazardous substances due to uncontrolled reuse or recycling of wastes, such as CDW, that may turn into continuous diffuse sources of contaminants. Typical cases of CDW containing hazardous substances are those generated by the redevelopment of industrial and commercial sites, where land uses are usually changed to accommodate more sensitive activities, such as housing or leisure facilities. Although some countries have already sufficiently robust frameworks, this is not always the case, even in the EU. The new EU Soil Strategy that came in force in 2021 and the new EU Soil Health Law that is expected the following months is also a part of the puzzle that should be taken also into account. Also, the sustainability criteria as defined in the delegated ordinance amending the EU taxonomy ordinance must be considered in such projects in future. This study investigates the CDW management approach of the most advanced EU countries and the challenges that we are going to encounter in the near future in this very interesting topic.