A consortium formed by Tecnalia, VTT and RPA is providing the Commission with a technical and economic study about the current situation in the EU regarding the current practices in assessing and managing the construction and demolition waste streams prior to demolition of buildings and infrastructures.

The main objective of the study is the development of best-practice guidelines to be implemented by contractors and project sponsors in order to support national authorities for the actual achievement of the EU 2020 target for CDW recycling.

Countries performing pre-demolition waste audit
(Specific Contract 30-CE-0751644/00-00 – SI2.720069)

Last December 9th, after 12 months of interviews and desk-research, a validation workshop was hold in Brussels with the participation of several representatives of construction and demolition industry and European DG units. Key findings from the review of current actual practices in the EU and analysis of the needs for pre–demolition and/or renovation C&D Waste assessment audits were presented by Alfonso Arevalillo (Tecnalia) and Margareta Wahlström (VTT). Also a draft version of the Guidelines for pre-demolition and renovation C&D Waste audits was proposed and discussed.

The general feeling is that audits are a good way to professionalize waste management. In addition they are a key tool for statistics and reporting. Nevertheless the real implementation of audits is not an easy task. Even in countries where audits are mandatory real implementation is low. Finally, the following topics were mentioned as relevant to be considered for the final version of the guidelines (expected at the end of January 2017):
-    Environment, health and safety issues are deemed essential.
-    Auditors should meet several requisites:
o    Training and experience
o    Need to professionalize them
o    Consider ethic issues.
o    Independent professionals.
o    Consider professional liability issues, for instance by means of professional insurances.
-    Existing standards should be used when available.
-    Stress the role of national and local authorities in promoting implementation and checking.  Also banning illegal landfilling. Green Public Procurement is considered important for the exemplarity role they have.
-    Include a check-list.

David García, Tecnalia