Conservation of energy and natural resources by recycling building waste

Recycling of building waste can considerably reduce the need for energy and natural resources and reduce the amount of material to landfill. Knowledge of the size of the annual conservation potential is important. The purpose of this study was to assess the conservation of energy and natural resources and the amount of material to landfill by recycling building waste in Sweden. Two recycling scenarios were compared with the recycling rates applied in 1996. The scenarios were ‘maximum material recycling/combustion with energy recovery’ and ‘maximum reuse’. The results indicate considerable conservation of resources and a considerable growth potential. Possibilities, constraints and need for further studies are discussed. The results also indicate that the recycling aspects must be considered already in the design phase.