Circular Economy incentives for construction products, Germany

The construction sector is one of the most resource-intensive sectors of the economy. Buildings contain valuable raw materials and materials, but also incur disposal costs, which can be considerable, for example in the case of extensive material separation or hazardous substances contained in the material.

Resource-conserving construction must promote the use of recycled building materials.

Ramboll has helped the German Environment Agency conduct a study to evaluate options for strengthening recycling and setting incentives for use of recyclable materials – in line with the producer pays principle in the field of construction projects.

For this study, Ramboll has provided:

• Identification of relevant actors and their respective position in relation to the existing legal framework
• Selection of products suitable for implementation of recycling measures in the building sector with respect to financial feasibility
• Development of practical conceptual models for implementation and reinforcement of recycling schemes related to building materials
• Evaluation of conceptual models under consideration of legal and economic circumstances and relying upon expert opinions through workshops and interviews