In order for more building materials to be reused, changes in legal regulations are needed above all – this was the result of a survey carried out by the Bavarian Chamber of Engineers in December 2022. Almost half of all voters (48 percent) saw this as a key lever to strengthen sustainable construction.
Just under a quarter (24.3 percent) believe that primarily stronger financial incentives would help to keep building materials in the material cycle. 18.3 percent of the survey participants find that greater interest on the part of investors is crucial. Only 9.4 percent consider better training for planners to be necessary.
“Reusing building materials is a key lever in making construction more climate-friendly. In many cases that would also be possible. But it means more effort – a reason why builders rarely ask for it. The financial incentives are also low and the legal provisions are complicated,” explains Norbert Gebbeken, President of the Bavarian Chamber of Engineers for Construction. The public sector should set a good example, the “Sustainable Bavaria” alliance initiated by Chamber President Gebbeken also demands in a catalog of measures, which was handed over to the Bavarian Minister of Construction Christian Bernreiter (CSU) in September 2022. The alliance partners appeal: “In public construction projects, priority should be given to the reuse of components, removed building materials and excavated soil, as well as the use of quality-controlled secondary building materials. Non-compliance must be effective in awarding contracts and detrimental to funding. The infrastructure required for a circular economy must be set up throughout Bavaria.”
“Anyone who offers to reuse building materials must have a better chance of getting the order. Funding programs must also reward the recycling aspect so that the sustainable path is financially attractive,” explains Gebbeken. “In order to know exactly which building materials are available where and are waiting to be reused, we also need material registers that reliably bundle this information,” the chamber president continued.
Further suggestions from the Bavarian Chamber of Engineers for more sustainability in construction can be found at: www.bayika.de/de/klimaschutz. (BSZ)
