Critical review of the recovery rates of construction and demolition waste in the European Union – An analysis of influencing factors in selected EU countries

Abstract

Due to its intense use of resources, the construction sector was identified as a priority sector in the European Green Deal. Construction and demolition waste (CDW) is one of the largest waste streams of the European Union. As it shows a high potential for recycling, the European Commission set a recovery target of 70% under the Waste Framework Directive. To control the performance and achievements of the member states, annual national reports to the EU are required. However, there exist different ways to specify and report these rates. Recovery rates published by EUROSTAT are calculated on the basis of waste treatment data of non-hazardous mineral CDW, generated according to the EU Waste Statistics Regulation. Limiting factors like non-unified methods of data collection, different waste coding systems and misinterpretations of the term ‘backfilling’ impede a cross-country comparison of the published EU recovery rates. In this study, factors that may have a misleading impact on reporting EUROSTAT CDW recovery rates were compiled and a detailed analysis using national quality reports of twelve selected EU countries as a data base were performed. The development of the reported recycling rates over five years was examined and the influence of the various factors was determined. The findings may enhance a more purposeful (scientific) discussion of CDW data and for evidence-based reporting of national recovery rates, and may assist the development towards an improved, uniform EU-wide data set. Finally, this will provide support to decision makers for future policy and governmental requirements.