Earthen Materials as Opportunity for CDW Reduction Results from the EU-Funded Research Project RE4

Abstract

The building sector is responsible for large amounts of waste generated in Europe. Although a growing awareness leads to attempts for material recycling and reuse, recovery rates for high-grade application remain fairly low, as existing buildings are not designed for disassembly. In addition, the lifespan of buildings becomes noticeably shorter and structures are nowadays taken down after 20–40 years. The EU-funded RE4 research project aims to bring back construction and demolition waste (CDW) into the building cycle. This study focuses on the development of earthen construction materials containing a high portion of mineral CDW that constitutes one of the main waste streams in Europe.