Waste recovered from the construction industry with DÉMOCLÈS
Each year, in France, the construction industry produces 46 million tonnes of waste, the majority of which comes for demolition and refurbishment operations (42 million tonnes). Amongst this waste, it is estimated that 11 million tonnes of non-structural construction waste (non-hazardous non-inert waste) are produced, the current recovery rate of which is estimated at only 30%. Between 200,000 and 300,000 tonnes of WEEE can be found in this construction waste.
DÉMOCLÈS, the collaborative platform co-funded by the ADEME and ecosystem, was born out of this observation. Its purpose is to improve the waste prevention and management of non-structural construction waste from major refurbishment and demolition sites. DÉMOCLÈS unites a large number of partners representative of project owners, project supervisors, works companies, waste management operators and industrials driven by one goal, that of recovering/recycling non-structural construction waste in a circular economy approach rather than disposing of it.
In 2021, within the context of a call for projects co-financed by ecosystem and the “ADEME, 50 project owners” received assistance to change their practices in regards to the circular economy and the management of waste at major demolition/refurbishment sites. The numerous candidates were selected at the end of 2021 on the basis of their commitment and their sectoral and local representativeness.
In addition to the 50 project owners in the call for projects, DEMOCLES continued its mission in 2021 to promote best practices for a more circular management of construction waste by organising 4, experience-sharing webinars in which 200 people participated each time:
- 9 March: Product, materials and waste assessment: How can this be used when drafting contractual documents?
- 18 May: At my construction site: what best practices should be implemented in order to better recover products, waste materials?
- 20 July: Which treatment systems should be used to recycle plaster and PVC (rigid or flexible)?
- 28 September: Reuse: which levers can be used for deploying this on my construction sites?
In 2021 new resources were added to the DEMOCLES website. Do not hesitate have a look at these or to download them:
