Producing concrete with 100% recycled aggregates reduces CO2 and virgin material consumption.
About this good practice
Recycon Element produces concrete with 100% recycled materials, it reduces the pressure on new raw materials and reduces CO2 emissions. The approach emphasizes the use of concrete made entirely from recycled materials. The production has achieved certification as ISO 14001 and DS/EN 206 to ensure the safety and reliability of the products.
Recycon's success is facilitated by national Danish policy and municipal policy. Much more waste must be recycled and less must go to landfill. The publicly owned waste companies in the Zealand region have initiated several initiatives and tools that can enable this transition. The waste company AffaldPlus asked RECYCON to look at which new fractions might be interesting to investigate further. In the past, there have been attempts to sort asbestos-free eternite from asbestos-containing eternite, so that it is possible to reuse the asbestos-free eternite. It was introduced at the municipal recycling sites under AffaldPlus that the recycling advisers had to guide and help citizens sort their roof tiles into asbestos-free and asbestos-containing roof tiles. The asbestos-free ones are tested and if they are OK, they can be aggregated in concrete.
We have succeeded and today this is sorted out and used in concrete production at RECYCON. The concrete with eternite aggregates is used, among other things, for casting system blocks, which are used at the recycling sites for bin divisions.
Resources needed
It has cost EUR 1,6 mil. to develop. An assessment estimates EUR 1 mil. more is needed for large-scale production.
Too few people (2-8) have initiated and run the practice, which has been primarily self-financed.
11 recycling sites ensure asbestos-free eternit sheets are recycled in our production.
Evidence of success
The construction industry generates 4.3 mil. tons of waste yearly. This practice halves waste and strengthens the green transition by reducing virgin raw material use, landfilling and indirectly lower CO2emissions. The ISO 14001 environmental management certification and DS/EN 206 concrete certification underline its success.
In 2024, 624.34 tons of asbestos-free eternit from AffaldPlus' recycling sites were used. The trial began on 1.10.2023, and 67.96 tons were made into a permanent solution.
Potential for learning or transfer
Denmark, like many places, will soon face a shortage of virgin raw materials, and the construction industry is under pressure to reduce CO2 emissions. This new practice uses various resources - pure concrete, unsorted crushed houses, or others – through reprocessing and mixing techniques.
It can be applied where resources and demand align, such as in Ukraine’s reconstruction, where sorting pure materials isn’t always feasible.
Reports from Denmark show projects with high reuse or recycling have durability equal to new builds, with the bonus of improving residents’ quality of life in such buildings.
692.30 tons of asbestos-free eternit were crushed, sorted into sand and gravel, and used to produce approx. 576 m³ of concrete, resulting in 960 system blocks for a biosilage site.
After success at AffaldPlus in Region Zealand, municipalities like Odsherred, Middelfart, Vejle, Kolding and Himmerland plan to adopt similar solutions.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
