Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CIRCULess (UpCycling mIneral and timbeR-based waste from Construction & manUfacturing process industries through eco-design, advanced logistics, quality control and digital solutions)
Período documentado: 2024-07-01 hasta 2025-12-31
- Context and Motivation
The construction and manufacturing sectors are among Europe’s most resource-intensive industries. Construction and demolition activities generate approximately one third of total EU waste, while simultaneously consuming vast quantities of virgin raw materials. Despite existing recycling practices, large fractions of mineral construction waste and timber residues are still downcycled into low-value applications or disposed of in landfills, leading to resource inefficiencies and avoidable greenhouse gas emissions. In the context of the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Renovation Wave strategy, the EU has set ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions, improve resource efficiency and decrease dependency on imported raw materials. Achieving these objectives requires systemic transformation: moving from linear “take-make-dispose” models to circular systems where materials retain value over multiple life cycles.
However, significant barriers remain. These include insufficient selective demolition practices, limited market confidence in secondary raw materials, fragmented value chains, lack of digital traceability, and regulatory uncertainty. CIRCULess addresses these systemic challenges through an integrated technological, digital and socio-economic approach.
CIRCULess aims to enable near-zero waste construction and manufacturing by upcycling mineral-based construction waste (e.g. concrete and aggregates) and timber streams into high-quality, market-ready secondary raw materials. Industrial partners in the project such as Holcim, Volbas and Forestia, validate the solutions, ensuring technical feasibility and market relevance.
By integrating material innovation, digitalisation and socio-economic analysis, CIRCULess reduces key adoption barriers and accelerates market uptake. By combining technological innovation with socio-economic insight, CIRCULess ensures that circular solutions are not only technically feasible, but also economically viable, socially accepted and aligned with European policy priorities.
The construction and manufacturing sectors are among Europe’s most resource-intensive industries. Construction and demolition activities generate approximately one third of total EU waste, while simultaneously consuming vast quantities of virgin raw materials. Despite existing recycling practices, large fractions of mineral construction waste and timber residues are still downcycled into low-value applications or disposed of in landfills, leading to resource inefficiencies and avoidable greenhouse gas emissions. In the context of the European Green Deal, the Circular Economy Action Plan and the Renovation Wave strategy, the EU has set ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions, improve resource efficiency and decrease dependency on imported raw materials. Achieving these objectives requires systemic transformation: moving from linear “take-make-dispose” models to circular systems where materials retain value over multiple life cycles.
However, significant barriers remain. These include insufficient selective demolition practices, limited market confidence in secondary raw materials, fragmented value chains, lack of digital traceability, and regulatory uncertainty. CIRCULess addresses these systemic challenges through an integrated technological, digital and socio-economic approach.
CIRCULess aims to enable near-zero waste construction and manufacturing by upcycling mineral-based construction waste (e.g. concrete and aggregates) and timber streams into high-quality, market-ready secondary raw materials. Industrial partners in the project such as Holcim, Volbas and Forestia, validate the solutions, ensuring technical feasibility and market relevance.
By integrating material innovation, digitalisation and socio-economic analysis, CIRCULess reduces key adoption barriers and accelerates market uptake. By combining technological innovation with socio-economic insight, CIRCULess ensures that circular solutions are not only technically feasible, but also economically viable, socially accepted and aligned with European policy priorities.
During the reporting period, CIRCULess has advanced both digital tools and practical technologies for more circular construction.
The partners first collected data on how construction and demolition waste is produced, handled and reused in real projects.
As a specialist recycler of mineral construction and demolition waste, VOLBAS contributed operational data from its plant and experience with current recycling routes.
Using this shared knowledge, the consortium mapped the main actors, material flows and barriers along the value chain.
This understanding supported the design of the CIRCULess digital platform for planning circular material use.
The core architecture of the platform has been defined and the first software modules have been developed.
These modules help locate available waste materials, suggest recycling or upcycling routes and compare options.
In parallel, the project has studied real waste streams of concrete, aggregates and timber from construction sites and partner facilities.
The materials have been sampled, characterised and sorted using new sensor-based inspection and data analysis methods.
These methods produce cleaner and more consistent fractions that are suitable for higher-value applications.
Processing routes have been optimised to turn these fractions into secondary raw materials and new circular products.
All industrial partners are actively involved in testing and validating improved processes for mineral waste in conditions close to full-scale operation.
Performance tests, together with life cycle assessment and cost analysis, compare the new solutions with conventional practice.
Health, safety and environmental checks ensure that the new processes and products are safe to use.
Overall, the work has delivered tools, methods and pilot demonstrations that industrial partners such as VOLBAS, Holcim and Forestia can start to apply in real projects.
The partners first collected data on how construction and demolition waste is produced, handled and reused in real projects.
As a specialist recycler of mineral construction and demolition waste, VOLBAS contributed operational data from its plant and experience with current recycling routes.
Using this shared knowledge, the consortium mapped the main actors, material flows and barriers along the value chain.
This understanding supported the design of the CIRCULess digital platform for planning circular material use.
The core architecture of the platform has been defined and the first software modules have been developed.
These modules help locate available waste materials, suggest recycling or upcycling routes and compare options.
In parallel, the project has studied real waste streams of concrete, aggregates and timber from construction sites and partner facilities.
The materials have been sampled, characterised and sorted using new sensor-based inspection and data analysis methods.
These methods produce cleaner and more consistent fractions that are suitable for higher-value applications.
Processing routes have been optimised to turn these fractions into secondary raw materials and new circular products.
All industrial partners are actively involved in testing and validating improved processes for mineral waste in conditions close to full-scale operation.
Performance tests, together with life cycle assessment and cost analysis, compare the new solutions with conventional practice.
Health, safety and environmental checks ensure that the new processes and products are safe to use.
Overall, the work has delivered tools, methods and pilot demonstrations that industrial partners such as VOLBAS, Holcim and Forestia can start to apply in real projects.
CIRCULess is delivering results that go beyond current practice in circular construction.
The project is creating a digital platform that connects information from many actors along the construction value chain.
It brings together data on buildings, waste generation, material quality, logistics and market demand in one place.
This helps users plan reuse, recycling and upcycling routes in a more informed and transparent way.
On the technology side, CIRCULess is testing advanced inspection and sorting methods for concrete, aggregates and timber.
These methods use sensors and data analysis to produce cleaner and more consistent material fractions than standard practice.
From these fractions, the project develops higher-value secondary products instead of low-value downcycling.
Examples include recycled aggregates that can replace natural aggregates in concrete and road layers, and engineered timber products from recovered wood.
VOLBAS plays a key role in bringing these innovations closer to the market.
As an experienced recycler of mineral construction and demolition waste, VOLBAS provides real input flows, operating conditions and quality demands.
To fully exploit the results, further large-scale demonstration and supportive standards and regulations are needed.
Clear quality criteria, certification schemes and guidance for designers and public buyers will help build confidence.
Access to investment and strong cooperation between recyclers like VOLBAS, construction companies, authorities and technology providers will be essential to scale up CIRCULess solutions across Europe.
The project is creating a digital platform that connects information from many actors along the construction value chain.
It brings together data on buildings, waste generation, material quality, logistics and market demand in one place.
This helps users plan reuse, recycling and upcycling routes in a more informed and transparent way.
On the technology side, CIRCULess is testing advanced inspection and sorting methods for concrete, aggregates and timber.
These methods use sensors and data analysis to produce cleaner and more consistent material fractions than standard practice.
From these fractions, the project develops higher-value secondary products instead of low-value downcycling.
Examples include recycled aggregates that can replace natural aggregates in concrete and road layers, and engineered timber products from recovered wood.
VOLBAS plays a key role in bringing these innovations closer to the market.
As an experienced recycler of mineral construction and demolition waste, VOLBAS provides real input flows, operating conditions and quality demands.
To fully exploit the results, further large-scale demonstration and supportive standards and regulations are needed.
Clear quality criteria, certification schemes and guidance for designers and public buyers will help build confidence.
Access to investment and strong cooperation between recyclers like VOLBAS, construction companies, authorities and technology providers will be essential to scale up CIRCULess solutions across Europe.