The building materials industry asks the government for real and serious consultation on the recycling of inert building waste

The National Union of Quarrying and Construction Materials Industries (UNICEM), which was already surprised at the vagueness surrounding the future Extended Producer Responsibility (REP) sector a few weeks ago, denounces the conclusions of the study by foreshadowing recently carried out by ADEME, at the request of the Government.

The draft anti-waste law for a circular economy (AGEC) ignores both the quality of the results obtained and the reality of the functioning of the mineral sector in terms of the circular economy. The risk is to create a gigantic and costly administrative device, totally removed from the field and the realities of the sites.

Aware of their obligations and their role in the preservation of natural resources, UNICEM members have been involved for many years with their partners, including the public road works companies grouped within Routes de France and the construction companies. deconstruction affiliated to SEDDRe, in responsible approaches in order to sustainably and reasonedly manage resources, in a logic of short circuit and circular economy.

Inert building waste from mineral materials has thus benefited, for more than 25 years, from a recovery and treatment process enabling waste to be recycled up to 76%. A very high rate achieved thanks, in particular, to the 1 sites which cover the whole of the territory, to which are added 500 asphalt plants which recycle 471% of the stock of aggregates recovered on road worksites, and to recognized expertise.

The risk of creating a very expensive system and of disrupting a sector that has proven itself

Despite the excellent results obtained by the sector's recycling channel, the Government aims to submit inert building waste * to the REP. In particular, it provides for free recovery of construction and deconstruction waste on sites, the financing of which would be ensured by the payment of an eco-contribution by the marketers.

There is a real threat of destabilizing a perfectly organized sector and of leading to a very significant economic drain on its players. Indeed, UNICEM is concerned about the complexity and cost of the administrative system to be created to synchronize the multitude of physical (33 million tonnes of waste) and financial (nearly 700 million euros) flows, and especially the disconnection, from the nonsense, of this approach with the realities of the field and the sites.

The quarrying and materials industry deeply regrets not being listened to and deplores the lack of consideration for a mature and responsible industry.

ADEME's conclusions ignore the network of 1 inert waste collection points, which could also threaten the sustainability of many sites with serious consequences for jobs, mainly located in rural and peri-urban areas.

A distorted view of the resorption of illegal deposits of waste

UNICEM and its partners are also questioning the very basis of this REP and the Government's vision which presents the free recovery of waste products and construction materials as the solution to reduce the number of illegal dumps. A misdiagnosis for the quarrying and materials industry, which considers that illegal dumping is mainly the work of individuals or entrepreneurs who are unscrupulous or operating in illegal conditions (hidden work) and not by professionals in the sector. Furthermore, UNICEM is implementing concrete actions to combat illegal dumping and is available to the public authorities to remind them if necessary.

In view of these various points, UNICEM calls on the Government to set up a real and serious consultation with all the actors including Routes de France and the SEDDRe and requests, first of all, the removal of inert waste from the perimeter. of the REP.

“Any change in the recycling of inert building waste deserves to be studied in detail and in consultation with the companies concerned. Indeed, the sector, which today allows France to achieve an excellent environmental performance in terms of recycling inert waste beyond the objectives set by Europe, has been built over the past 25 years thanks to the only will of its manufacturers, convinced of the need to preserve non-renewable natural mineral resources. "
Christophe Jozon, President of the Circular Economy Commission of UNICEM

* Mineral waste from construction and demolition activities.