Reuse and recycle resources for a more sustainable future

Alessandro Bracco

December 20, 2018

Learn how stone wool solutions can help us reduce our global waste problem.

The building sector produces one third of all global waste, and most of this ends up in landfills (European Commission 2011). That’s essentially collecting one third of our trash into a large, full garbage bag just sitting around on our planet.

The process of building infrastructure itself consumes 42 billion tonnes of resources annually, adding to the building sector’s position as a heavy consumer of our natural reserves (Circle Economy 2018).

In order to contain the ecological impact that building infrastructure has on our planet, we need to reevaluate how buildings are constructed. Circularity is a concept that can help us achieve this goal by encouraging more sustainable production and consumption patterns. The idea involves upcycling and repurposing materials so as to avoid unnecessary waste and obtain the most value out of the resource.

Circular economy

Sustainability and circularity

In 2018, approximately

of used stone wool from construction and horticultural applications that ROCKWOOL reclaimed for reuse and recycling.

Stone wool solutions promote sustainability by introducing products that are not only long lasting, but fully recyclable. Stone wool also has the added advantage that allows it to be recycled endlessly without a reduction in performance. For example, recycled stone wool from greenhouses can be used for external clay brick manufacturing and potting mix. The proof of its potential? E.g. ROCKWOOL collected approximately 120,000 tonnes of used stone wool and its waste from the construction and horticultural sectors for reuse and recycling in 2017.

Recycling stone wool is just the start — technology makes it possible to repurpose waste generated from other businesses as well. These efforts can not only lower our consumption of raw materials, but also decrease the amount of waste going to landfills, therefore minimising pollution and improving our future quality of life.

The ROCKWOOL Group circular business model

In addition to nurturing a more sustainable future, a circular economy demands increased collaboration across the supply chain in the construction sector, which could lead to greater job security for those involved. By paving the way for a better economy, new processes can take over, empowering more people to participate in the sustainability movement.

And that’s exactly what we aim to do — build a more sustainable future.

We currently live in a society that has not provided the best means of recycling over the years. Practicing circularity will help us reduce resource consumption and waste, and stone wool’s immense flexibility can play a critical role in facilitating this change. As we continue to use stone wool solutions in new and renovated buildings, we can take steps towards achieving a cleaner world and a more efficient economy.

Source(s):

^{1. European Commission (DG ENV) (2011): ‘Management of CDW (Construction and Demolition Waste) in the EU’: https://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/pdf/2011_CDW_Report.pdf}^{2. Circle Economy, January 2018, ‘The Circularity Gap Report:}^{An analysis of the circular state of the global economy’.}