Recycling of construction materials: Importance for the circular economy

According to the current monitoring report of the "Kreislaufwirtschaft Bau" initiative, approx. 60.0 million tonnes of construction waste and 16.9 million tonnes of road rubble were generated in Germany in 2020, which were processed into recycled aggregates. In 2020, the recycling rate was 78.8% for construction waste and 92.9% for road rubble. Overall, Germany thus reaches a recycling rate for construction and demolition waste of 89.8%.

Bundesverband Baustoffe - Steine und Erden e. V. (Federal Association of Building Materials - Stones and Earths) as editor of the report also reports that the total demand for aggregates in the German construction industry in 2020 amounted to 584.6 million tonnes. With a share of 13.2%, recycled aggregates cover a significant part of this demand and thus contribute to the conservation of resources for gravel, sand and natural stones.