“Guidelines for the waste audits before demolition and renovation works of buildings” is a document published by the European Commission in 2018 to promote better waste management protocols all around the EU.
The guideline is part of the Circular Economy Package presented by the European Commission in 2015 that includes revised legislative proposals on waste to encourage the EU’s transition towards a circular economy. In this Circular Economy Package, Construction and Demolition Waste is identified as a key aspect and the preliminary assessment is an essential part of construction and demolition waste management. It is one of three actions assigned in the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP).
Moreover, the guideline is aligned with the objectives of the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC, which establishes a target of 70% of construction and demolition waste to be recycled by 2020, as well as with the Construction 2020 strategy and the Communication on Resource Efficiency Opportunities in the Building Sector.
The document was elaborated with the cooperation of all 28 Member States of the European Union, and it includes good practices from across the EU that can be the source of inspiration for both policymakers and practitioners. And it has the following target groups of stakeholders:
- Industry practitioners: construction contractors (including renovation companies and demolition contractors), construction product manufacturers, waste treatment, transport and logistics, and recycling companies
- Public authorities at local, regional, national, and EU levels
- Quality certification bodies for building and infrastructure
The aim of the guideline is to provide a methodology to perform waste audits before demolition and renovation works of buildings to support national authorities for the achievement of the EU 2020 target for construction and demolition waste recycling.
It provides guidance on best practices for the assessment of construction and demolition waste streams prior to demolition or renovation of buildings and infrastructures (waste audit), to facilitate and maximize recovery of materials and components from demolition or renovation of buildings and infrastructures for beneficial reuse and recycling, without compromising the safety measures and practices outlined in the European Demolition Protocol.
To be more specific, according to the guidelines, a waste audit before demolition or renovation of buildings and infrastructures is a specific task within the project planning. It is necessary to understand the type and number of elements and materials that will be deconstructed and/or demolished and to issue recommendations on their further handling. Additionally, while doing this task, also an assessment of the viable recovery routes for materials can also be given.
The waste audit must always consider any relevant legislation such as the requirements for environmental permits related to hazardous waste, for example.
On this basis, performing a waste audit presents various benefits for the whole project in which it is encompassed, being an added value to it. These advantages are basically the following ones:
- Waste audits are the first step towards recycling
- They promote fair competition amongst contractors
- Waste audits increase awareness and ease traceability processes
- Environmental and technical quality of materials can be steered
- Environmental aspects will be improved, by the specification of contaminants present in the project, contributing this way to the assurance that these are removed in an environmentally responsible manner, and the achievement of higher environmental quality for recyclable waste materials.
In essence, waste audits contribute to better demolition waste management, as they deliver a clear idea of the “to-be-demolished” building infrastructure, including estimates of waste materials that will be set free and recommendations for waste management. The auditing process aims to deliver the documents that the owner must attach to a demolition or renovation permit application to open a call for tenders.
For this purpose, it is indispensable that different actors involved in the waste management of demolition and renovation works participate, in different points, in the waste audit:
- Property owner:
It is the person responsible for contracting an auditor to elaborate a waste audit for the identification and classification of waste and doing preliminary planning of its handling.
- Authorities:
They must manage all the issues related to demolition or renovation permits and should establish mechanisms to verify that waste audits are performed including a quality check system and their recommendations followed.
- Auditor or auditor team:
An expert responsible for the waste audit, who must be a qualified expert with appropriate knowledge of current and historical building materials (including hazardous materials), current and historical building techniques, and building history.
Additionally, this person must be familiar with demolition techniques, waste treatment, and processing, as well as with (local) markets.
- Contractor:
This person is responsible for demolition/deconstruction/renovation operations defined in the contract with the owner. Regarding the waste management and waste audit, this figure should contribute to the traceability aspects of waste.
- Waste manager:
This role is responsible for the appropriate management and disposal of the waste received from the waste holder or producer.
- Products manufacturer:
This company may contribute to the waste audit by providing solutions and/or requirements for the reused/recycled materials and components.
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