Coolants, asbestos, examples of major contaminants, cause enormous and costly damage in the aftermath of an explosion or shelling. Gabi Schock from the Council of European Municipalities and Regions pleaded during the session that “the waste management industry should be involved in disaster prevention as systematically and early as possible”. She saw a major challenge in creating crisis-proof administrative action and political prerequisites for waste management concepts.

Recovery and recycling of C&D waste remains a challenge even in countries without an ongoing war. The high recovery rates of C&D waste in Europe are mostly achieved by using recovered C&D waste for practices such as backfilling and low-grade recovery applications, this not realizing the potential of these resources to move towards truly circular waste management.

Construction waste resulting from the destruction caused by explosions and shelling differs from “classical” waste, as residues of materials of different structure and origin get mixed up in there, which lowers its recyclability. The explosion mixes up and deforms structural elements, materials and objects that were in a residential, industrial or public building uncontrollably. This makes it even more important to separate toxic material particles from other residues. If hazardous building materials such as asbestos slate cannot be separated from other materials, all waste will have to be buried at a landfill. 

Nevertheless, first positive experiences have been made with C&D waste recycling in Ukraine. Bart Gruyaert, from the French company Neo-Eco, presented a successful experience of reusing C&D waste based on the principle of a closed-loop economy in Gostomel, Ukraine. The project succeeded in a 90% recycling rate while demolishing an entire building, with only 10% of construction waste going to landfill. Making use of the work force of war veterans and integrating a psychosocial support component into projects is a best practice and trademark of Neo-Eco when it comes to recycling projects involving buildings destroyed by war.

 
In Germany, municipal companies, such as the Bergischer Abfallwirtschaftsverband (BAV) have no official disposal obligation for C&D waste, as they do for household waste. However, acknowledging that this waste stream is key for any city or region trying to establish circular economy practices, BAV “is actively searching for solutions with regards to C&D waste”, says BAV director Monika Lichtinghagen-Wirths.

In cooperation with academia, BAV is developing innovative “recipes” for green versions of concrete and other resources needed in the construction sector. BAV is also leading a regional round table on construction waste recycling, bringing together NRW regional government, business, civil society and science. This format helps to identify necessary improvements in legislation, bring stakeholders together and pilot innovative projects in the field.

Though the high-tech segment of C&D waste recycling machinery and facilities are privately owned in Germany, municipal utilities do contribute to C&D recycling with publicly owned facilities, know-how and impactful environmental education campaigns.

Challenges for German companies to engage in the C&D sector in Ukraine are the lack of established business models, security concerns and lacking laboratory capacities for asbestos analysis in Ukraine.

An example that gives hope is the city of Leverkusen, which is engaged in a city twinning with the city of Nikopol, a city that is under continuous shelling from Russian forces. With the support of GIZ and from city funds, Leverkusen has managed to procure and donate several vehicles to Nikopol, used to transport waste from destroyed buildings to landfills or out of town.

Andrii Soronchinskyy, a representative presented challenges with demolition waste in Poltawa Oblast, a region that experienced explosions and shelling but where C&D waste quantities remain below the threshold that could attract private investment. After the conference, a delegation from Poltawa Oblast visited a recycling company in Leverkusen, where they learned about processes, machinery and concrete handling of C&D waste.

Bringing together German and Ukrainian stakeholders to discuss the challenges of war-caused demolition waste made it very clear that there is a high potential for international cooperation. Many challenges are waiting to be overcome, and expert exchange should continue to identify concrete options for utility partnerships.

Website Article of the Connective Cities Project: https://www.connective-cities.net/aktuelles/ukrain-konferenz-der-landesregierung-nordrhein-westfahlen-deutschland-mit-der-oblast-dnipropetrowsk-ukraine