How can reuse of construction materials be streamlined on building sites?
THE CONTEXT
The building and public works sector is the leading consumer of raw materials in France, and also the top waste producer, generating 260 million tonnes of waste. In the building sector. Only 35% of construction materials are recycled, but the European waste directive pursues an objective of 70% recovery and reuse for construction and demolition waste by 2020 with legal constraints. This target was adopted by the energy transition legislation of 2015.
70% recovery
building and public works waste by 2020
is the target set by the energy transition legislation objective
THE CHALLENGE
The SUEZ group, the City of Paris and Setec have joined forces with the startup Backacia to offer a new joint solution. Architects and design firms barely take the recovery, re-use or recycling processes into account when drawing up their plans. Waste management services are relegated to the demolisher, during the deconstruction or restoration phases. The challenge made it possible to confirm the existence of a local reuse ecosystem, and to begin to encourage project owners to reuse materials, as well as to test the technical and economic feasibility of this solution. The challenge allowed to explore how to maximise the economic benefits of selective demolition. The aim was to find upcycling and reuse solutions which were local, permanent and transferable to building sites.
THE STARTUP
Backacia is a digital marketplace devoted to reuse of building materials, allows building and public works contractors to buy and sell reclaimed demolition materials and surplus materials from building sites. Backacia also combines cost savings with environmentally friendly solutions and offers practical support to building and public works contractors and property developers to pursue profitable and practical reuse initiatives.
THE PARTNERS
THE SOLUTION
The solution allows project owners to demonstrate technical, economic and environmental feasibility in order to reach their goals (70% re-use). The service uses the partner's modelisation app (Suez) as well as the startup's connecting service (Backacia). The challenge facilitated the joint development of a service to assess the reclamation potential of the building project and whether it could be helped to implement reuse as part of its demolition and renovation activities. The solution targets project owners who give instructions and make decisions. As a result of collaboration with all the stakeholders this “waste recovery and reuse” method was implemented.