(Re) Discover the cluster’s services! - More information
(Re) Discover the cluster’s services! - More information
How can we move beyond waste management and unlock the full potential of construction materials in a circular economy?
Join the Interreg Europe INERTWASTE project’s final conference, bringing together policymakers, public authorities, researchers, industry experts and stakeholders from across the European construction value chain to explore the future of sustainable construction and demolition waste and materials management.
The conference will showcase the achievements of the project during its 3 years of existence – from its Transnational Learning Journeys to its Good Practices Guide and Policy Report, without forgetting its six policy improvements – while looking ahead to inspiring circular solutions. Through exchanges of regional experiences, successful approaches, and concrete examples, the programme will investigate four building blocks for local and regional action: reuse, to keep materials in use for as long as possible; collection and management, to preserve the value of materials and enable their recovery; recycled aggregates, to turn waste into trusted secondary raw materials; and circular public procurement, to create demand and accelerate market uptake. Participants will learn how the exchange of regional experiences has helped partners identify effective solutions to move beyond waste management towards the sustainable management of construction resources.
As the transition to a circular construction sector continues beyond the lifetime of INERTWASTE, the event aims to connect regions and organisations willing to build on the project’s results and develop future initiatives together. With this in mind, study visits will complement the discussions by offering first-hand insights into practical solutions that are already helping to transform the construction sector and make circularity a reality.
Registrations – Circularium
09:30 – 10:15 :
10:15 – 11:15 :
Reuse sits at the top of the waste hierarchy and is one of the most effective ways to preserve the value embedded in construction materials. Financial support, training, stakeholder engagement, and better access to information on available materials are some of the measures cities and regions can put in place to move from individual reuse projects towards more systematic approaches. To support reuse on its territory, Region Sud integrated new actions to its Roadmap Construction and Public Works Waste and Circular Economy 2026–2030, showcasing how regional policy can translate reuse ambitions into concrete actions for public works. The discussion will then explore how different territories are creating the conditions for reuse to become a more mainstream practice.
11:15 – 11:30 :
Coffee break
11:30 – 12:30 :
Circularity starts before materials reach the recycling plant. By improving the collection, separation and management of construction and demolition waste, cities and regions contribute to preserve the value and quality of materials and enable their subsequent reuse and recycling. With an upgraded policy framework, the Podravje region and the City of Maribor are building an operational circular system that connects waste management, public services, infrastructure, digital tools and the use of secondary raw materials. Complementary experiences presented afterwards will illustrate how innovative logistics and new approaches to material flows can help shift the sector from waste collection towards resource management.
12:30 – 13:30 :
Lunch break
13:30 – 14:30 :
Study visit (tbc)
14:30 – 15:30 :
Recycling can transform construction and demolition waste into valuable secondary raw materials but recycling alone does not close the loop. One of the key barriers to market uptake is confidence in the quality and performance of recycled aggregates. Navarra’s experience illustrates the challenge: despite high levels of CDW recycling, significant quantities of recycled aggregates remain underused because market demand and confidence have not kept pace with supply. In response, the region has developed a new certification approach and guidance. The discussion will consider how regions can leverage certification, quality assurance and clear technical requirements to create the conditions for recycled aggregates to move from treatment facilities into mainstream construction and infrastructure projects.
15:30 – 16:30 :
The transition to circular construction needs not only a supply of reused and recycled materials, but also demand. Public authorities can play a powerful role as clients, investors and market makers by integrating circularity into construction projects with tenders and procurement strategies. Nearly three years after adopting its Sustainable Procurement and Tendering Policy, Guldborgsund Municipality will share its experience of moving beyond conventional “green” criteria to actively support reuse, recycled materials, resource efficiency and innovative construction approaches. Complementary examples will illustrate how circular criteria, reuse inventories and climate requirements can be translated into real public projects. The discussion will focus on procurement as a tool to turn circular construction from a niche practice into a market norm.
16:30 – 16:45 :
16:45 – 17:30 :
Networking coffee
09:00 – 09:30 :
Registrations – BC Materials Operational site: Havenlaan 104, 1000 Brussels
09:30 – 10:30 :
Study visit – BC Materials
BC Materials develops, produces, demonstrates and sells circular building materials at scale, using abundant bioregional and anthropogenic resources. These include geo-sourced materials, such as excavated earth; bio-sourced resources, such as agro-waste; and urban-sourced materials, such as construction debris. The visit will introduce participants to BC Materials’ hybrid approach and its philosophy of turning locally available resources into valuable building materials. Participants will discover the methodology behind their work through a tour of the production hall and workshop spaces, before exploring the office, model room and showroom of standardised earth materials.
10:30 – 11:00 :
Bus transfer
11:00 – 12:00 :
Study visit – Rotor DC
Rotor DC is an employee-owned cooperative that has become a key player in the regional ecosystem for the large-scale reuse of building materials in Brussels. Working with contractors, non-profits and other companies, Rotor DC sources, trades and prepares materials recovered from demolition and real-estate projects, connecting them with new uses. During the visit to its 14,000 m² site, participants will discover how deconstruction techniques, logistics and remanufacturing processes can support reuse at scale. The visit will provide practical insights into the recovery and preparation of contemporary building materials, with a particular focus on finishing materials and their application in real-world projects.
12:00 – 12:45 :
Closing session
INERTWASTE Policy report and future outlook
Key takeaways
Closing words
Please note that the event will be conducted entirely in English.
The conference is free of charge, including study visits, and open to all but registration is mandatory. Register here before 30 September.
Please note that participation in the study visits on Day 2 is only possible for participants who are also attending the conference on Day 1.
Circularium
Chaussée de Mons 95
1070 Anderlecht – Brussels
(Map)
Study visits are limited to 30 participants and will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. A waiting list will be established once the maximum number of participants has been reached. We kindly ask participants who have registered but are subsequently unable to attend to inform us as soon as possible, so that their place can be offered to someone on the waiting list.
Please note that attendance at the conference on Day 1 is mandatory in order to participate in the study visits on Day 2. If a participant does not attend the conference on Day 1, their participation in the study visits will be cancelled, and their place will be offered to another participant on the waiting list.
On 08 October, the meeting place will be in front of BC Materials Operational Site, Havenlaan 104, 1000 Brussels.
The programme will end at Rotor DC, 3 Avenue de Bâle, 1140 Evere. Transfer between the two locations will be arranged by organisers.