The expert group for the circular construction industry presented its first report last week. The expert group consists of 40+ construction companies, environmental consultants, environmental inspectors and large procurers and is part of the Swedish government's Delegation for Circular Economy. A condensed presentation was given to the members of the delegation.

Some of the top suggestions that the Swedish government should do include:

  1. Involve of the construction industry and a broad group of experts when designing the laws and regulations to make sure that the goal of the Swedish government's strategy for Circular Economy is enforced as efficiently as possible.
  2. Create a new handbook for recycling and a nationally approved guideline (allmänna regler) for recycling of soil, rocks, rubber, concrete, bottom ash and other aggregates to facilitate a circular flow of resources.
  3. Create a guideline or directive that clearly defines that bi-products from tunnel drilling is considered a bi-product and that this valuable and usable exceess material is not waste.
  4. Create a national guideline for end-of-waste-criterias, when waste becomes a product,
  5. Implement the EU exemption for non-polluted soil to be reused without being considered waste.
  6. Use digitalization and tarceability to create effective tools for environmental supervision.
  7. Encourage regional planning of stone material supply and demand.
  8. Consider the ethical foundation for the environmental decision making. Align the design of the rules and legislation to serve the intention and purpose of the environmental goals in Sweden.

Topics that are considered to be subjects for upcoming meetings:

  • Organized crimes and environmental supervision.
  • Excess material logistics when building houses.
  • Review of drafted parts of the new handbook for recycling
  • Recycling of sulfidic rocks in Sweden, Norway and Finland
  • The government investigation about how environmental supervision should be organized.
  • Digital traceability and standards using BEAst.

What do you think should be the focus if we are to elimiate the institutional bariers against recycling?