CAPTURE MATERIALS FROM CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE

1. Material-, and building- passports
   
2. Advanced sorting technology for demolition waste
   
3. Reverse construction approach

Urban areas act as a massive stock of resources, a part of which is released into demolition waste every year. Part of these waste flows include stonewool and other minerals, which could be recycled into ROCKWOOL production processes. Therefore, ROCKWOOL has formulated the goal to expand its existing network of ROCKCYCLE recycling services to other countries.

The recovery of resources can be greatly facilitated by digital technology that tracks necessary information on material quantity, quality and accessibility. For example, the introduction of material or building 'passports' and integrated building information mangement systems, that carry information about the specific materials used in ROCKWOOL's products and how they are applied in the building will assist demolition companies in extracting resources in a more targeted manner. This will improve the business case due to cost reductions and higher material quality. Likewise, advances in machine vision and sensor technologies facilitate smart sorting technologies that help extracting resources from mixed waste streams. Alternatively, adopting a reverse construction approach is another opportunity that allows to reuse products as constructions are disassembled in the reverse order they were constructed in. Thereby, products can be extracted in higher quality and are more likely to be fit for reuse.

ROCKWOOL will need to build new partnerships to tap into the material stocks of buildings and constructions. By collaborating with waste management providers and legislators, ROCKWOOL can create awareness about existing opportunities and drive change needed to advance reverse logistics and recycling infrastructure.