Navigating Volumes and Value Chains Towards Circularity: Building & Construction

Plastics in Building & Construction: CPNL Key Findings
Circular Plastics NL has taken a step in the journey towards a circular economy by presenting insights into the plastics value chain within the Dutch Building & Construction (B&C) sector. These findings underscore that plastics have become an essential material in the B&C sector, now the second-largest consumer of plastics in the Netherlands, accounting for 539 kton of consumption in 2022. However, the long lifespans of construction products, such as pipes and insulation, mean that only 83 kton of plastic become available in waste generated, with only 27% (22 kton) sorted for recycling. The B&C sector faces a 'feedstock gap' as it is a relatively large user of cheap/low-quality recyclates for which it heavily depends on recyclates coming from other industries, particularly packaging. Upcoming European regulations, such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), may limit access to these external recyclates, intensifying the need for the sector to make full use of its own plastic waste generated.
Carlijn Röell, Program Manager at CPNL, emphasized the importance of collaboration:
"Closing the loop is essential for achieving circular economy goals and maintaining economic resilience in a constantly changing regulatory environment. The Building & Construction sector needs to organize itself rapidly along the full value chain in order to bridge the gap between its waste generation and recycling output to meet upcoming recycled content legislation (NCPN)and to secure access to affordable feedstocks."
A Call to Action
The analysis reveals that without intervention, the sector risks falling short of national and circular economy targets. The report suggests implementing an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme with binding recycling targets for B&C plastics. This strategy, alongside innovations in biobased materials and subtitution of plastics , is pivotal for the sector's transition towards a circular economy.
Full analysis
Concluding with a comprehensive analysis titled "Navigating Volumes and Value Chains," conducted with Conversio, CPNL is set to publish a series of deep dives on individual value chains. This deep dive focuses on the volumes within the Building & Construction value chain. The publication was proofread by BRBS Recycling.
Download the Building & Construction Deep Dive here