Circular economy does not begin with recycling, but with dismantling
German Demolition Association comments on the Action Programme for the National Circular Economy Strategy (NKWS)
The German Demolition Association (Deutscher Abbruchverband e. V., DA) welcomes the adoption by the Federal Cabinet of the Action Programme for the implementation of the National Circular Economy Strategy on June 3rd as an important step towards implementing the strategy and recognising the central role of selective dismantling in circular construction.
“Anyone talking about the circular economy must also talk about dismantling. The quality of future material cycles is already decided during the dismantling of buildings and infrastructure,” explains Andreas Pocha, Managing Director of the German Demolition Association in Cologne.
Buildings and infrastructure form Germany’s largest urban raw-material reserve. In order for materials to be reused or recycled to a high standard, they must be identified, separately collected and removed free of hazardous substances before dismantling.
In this context, the DA welcomes the consideration given to the dismantling capability of buildings. Binding requirements for selective dismantling capability, repairability, reusability and recyclability of buildings, components and construction materials should ensure that the public sector takes resource conservation, durability and continued use into account already when determining demand.
The DA also welcomes the investment and funding commitments as well as the planned measures for the digitalisation of material flows and the strengthening of circular markets (“Digitalisation Initiative”).
“Digital information on materials and building stock can help keep valuable raw materials in circulation for longer. What matters, however, is that this information can also be used in practice and leads to greater reuse and better recycling,” says Pocha.
The association sees major potential for resource conservation and raw-material security particularly in the reuse of building components and the recycling of mineral construction materials. The Action Programme recognises that the circular economy is increasingly also a question of raw-material security and outlines ways in which the potential of the urban mine can be used more effectively in the future.
At the same time, the German Demolition Association points out that high-quality circular economy is only possible with early hazardous-substance surveys and selective dismantling. “Circular economy needs clean material flows. Freedom from hazardous substances, transparency and quality are the foundation of every successful reuse and every high-quality recycling process,” emphasises Katrin Mees, Head of the DA’s Berlin Office.
The Federal Government’s commitment, included in the Action Programme, to advocate at EU level for an ambitious yet low-bureaucracy European Circular Economy Act that further develops existing circular-economy legislation is also to be viewed positively.
DA Conclusion
The Action Programme sets valuable priorities and recognises the need for interaction between innovation-oriented environmental policy and strategic raw-materials and industrial policy. It can decisively advance the circular economy in Germany — but its actual impact will depend on whether the identified fields of action can be translated into tangible progress. The key does not lie merely in the exchange of experience and pilot projects, but in the practical design of procurement, regulation and market conditions.
The DA will constructively support the implementation of the Action Programme and will continue to advocate for stronger use of the potential of the urban mine and for high-quality secondary raw materials to be returned to the economic cycle.