RiBa - Recycling in Use

Applying recycling in construction: A contribution to more circular economy in construction.

The EU's 2050 climate neutrality targets are also tightening the sustainability assessment of buildings and building products in Germany and Austria. As a result of the Green Deal, the European Buildings Directive and the EU Taxonomy Regulation, more use must be made of circular economy products. However, the use of recycled solid building materials in building construction is still rarely implemented in the project regions, mainly due to legal uncertainties and lack of information and experience of building professionals.

The project follows a cross-border approach in order to remove barriers for companies in the construction industry in Austria and Germany and to secure the future viability of the construction industry in the partner regions Upper Bavaria, Salzburg, Upper Austria, Vorarlberg and Swabia. It analyzes the legal regulations and normative framework conditions in the partner regions in order to identify obstacles to the increased use of recycled solid building materials in building construction and develops tools to support the building trade, planners and builders in the use of recycled building materials in building construction, thus making a significant contribution to pushing the circular economy in the construction sector.

The project objective is to improve the competencies of the SMEs involved and to raise the awareness of the decision-makers from politics and administration involved with regard to sensible recycling measures in the construction sector. The target group will be provided with a recycling toolbox containing a recycling building materials catalog, a recycling innovation map and profitability calculations for everyday work. Training courses, seminars and information events are offered for multipliers and the building trade, and the recommendations for action developed for the increased use of recycled solid building materials are disseminated in building practice and in public tenders.