Recycling of Mineral Building Materials – Chances and Obstacles

The chapter delves into the recycling of mineral building materials in Germany, with a particular focus on the Free State of Saxony. It reveals that while Germany boasts a high recycling rate of 90%, only a small fraction of mineral construction waste is recycled into high-quality materials like asphalt and concrete. The majority is downcycled into earthworks or road construction. The study identifies four key barriers to high-quality recycling: warranty risks, lack of use potential due to legal regulations, concerns about contamination and material quality, and information deficits. To overcome these barriers, the chapter proposes several measures, including education and awareness raising, market transparency, standardizing deconstruction processes, and promoting innovation. The empirical study, based on a survey of public contracting authorities, shows that recyclates were used in only 26.34% of construction projects in Saxony in 2023. The use of recyclates varied significantly among different levels of customer groups, with higher-level groups showing a greater willingness to use them. The chapter concludes that targeted measures are needed to overcome the identified barriers and achieve a significant increase in the recycling rate.