{"id":30714,"date":"2019-05-17T08:54:21","date_gmt":"2019-05-17T06:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ferrovial.com\/blog\/?p=30714"},"modified":"2025-12-12T00:23:12","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T23:23:12","slug":"recycle-construction-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ferrovial.com\/blog\/en\/2019\/05\/recycle-construction-site\/","title":{"rendered":"How we can recycle at a construction site"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 2005, UNESCO named May 17 International Recycling Day<\/strong> to raise awareness in society about the importance of handling waste<\/strong> properly in order to reduce the amount of resources used, thereby protecting the environment. I\u2019ve worked at Ferrovial\u2019s construction company since 2003, and since then, the company has been involved in addressing the challenges of sustainable use<\/strong>, optimizing the use of our natural resources by<\/strong> reusing and recycling<\/strong> the waste materials we generate in our projects to the max.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The difference between reuse, recycling, and valuation<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The first thing we have to do is differentiate between these terms, which have a lot of overlap as well as subtle differences: reuse, recycling, and valuation. According to\u00a0 European Directive 2018\/851<\/a>, reuse<\/strong> is any operation through which the products or product parts that aren\u2019t waste are used again for the same purpose for which they were originally intended. Recycling<\/strong>, on the other hand, is any valuation operation through which waste materials are transformed back into products, materials, or substances, whether they are also for the recycled material\u2019s original purpose or a different one. That includes transforming organic materials, but not energetic valuation or transforming materials that are going to be used as fuel or refilling purposes. Finally, valuation<\/strong> is any operation whose primary outcome is that waste serves a useful purpose by replacing other materials that would otherwise have been used for one purpose, or the waste is handled in such a way that it can serve that purpose in the building or in the economy in general.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The objective of both European and state legislation on this subject is reducing the amount of waste headed for \u201celimination,\u201d that is, the landfill, thereby giving that trash a new purpose.<\/p>\n

Handling waste at construction sites <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Specifically with regard to construction and demolition waste (also known as C&D), here at Ferrovial Agroman we\u2019re aiming to reuse as much of the waste generated at construction sites as we can, and if that isn\u2019t possible, we\u2019ll send it to a treatment plant where it can be recycled.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Soil left over from excavation is normally reused right away, with no need for treating it beforehand, even though it is sometimes necessary to crush it up so that it has the requisite granulometry for the project.<\/p>\n

The fact that this soil is reused for construction also means fewer emissions tied to transportation, and therefore a smaller carbon footprint as well as better integration with the landscape. For 2020<\/strong>, we are aiming to reuse 80% of soil. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As for C&D (which includes debris, leftover concrete, and milling waste), prior treatment is indispensable for reusing it in construction projects, primarily as filler, bases, and subbases. Debris reused for the same construction project <\/strong>in 2018 was at 3%, a percentage that has a lot of room for improvement due to site management\u2019s commitment to using recycled materials, and that is expected to go up with legislative changes, such as a possible government order to \u201cend considering [milling waste] as waste.\u201d However, the C&D sent to waste management<\/strong> has accounted for 70% of waste generated, which means that less than 30% of waste ends up in the landfill.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The challenge moving forward<\/strong> is managing to close the cycle of waste, which means reaching a true circular economy<\/strong><\/a>. The company is working on incorporating principles of circular economy in all of its processes, products, and services by reducing the use of nonrenewable natural resources, reusing waste as primary materials, recycling, incorporating eco-design criteria, and raising civic awareness.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

With the help of everyone involved, we\u2019ve been able to introduce these principles of circular economy, boosting recycling and improving efficiency in our activities, and at the same time minimizing any of our negative impacts on the environment.<\/p>\n

An article by Marta Arroyo Gutierrez<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In 2005, UNESCO named May 17 International Recycling Day to raise awareness in society about the importance of handling waste properly in order to reduce the amount of resources used, thereby protecting the environment. I\u2019ve worked at Ferrovial\u2019s construction company since 2003, and since then, the company has been involved in addressing the challenges of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":30709,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"nivel-1":[4654],"nivel-2":[5405,4692,4693,5371,5368,4763],"nivel-3":[],"nivel-4":[],"nivel-5":[6248],"topic":[7296,7299,7298,7295],"coauthors":[5017],"class_list":["post-30714","post","type-post","status-publish","format-image","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","post_format-post-format-image","nivel-1-construction","nivel-2-circular-economy","nivel-2-environmental-conservation","nivel-2-roads","nivel-2-sustainability","nivel-2-waste","nivel-2-works","nivel-5-ferrovial-construction","topic-construction-and-infrastructure","topic-management-and-strategy","topic-sustainability-and-well-being","topic-transportation"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow we can recycle at a construction site<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Recycling Day is observed on May 17, but we don\u2019t just talk about our trash habits at home. 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