R-Cert Construction

Important results from the project

The goal of the preliminary study was to map whether regulations and standards constitute an obstacle to use recycled plastic in construction products. It is national quality labels such as Nordic Polymark for pipes that explicitly state that externally recycled material should not be used. Pipes, underlay roofs and electrical products were selected for closer study and the risks of using recycled material were judged to be small. A consortium consisting of product manufacturers, constructing companies and property managers is put together for continued research and evaluation.

Expected long term effects

The feasibility study shows great possibilities for using recycled material in construction products. There is aneed to evaluate quality of demonstrators. The customers (City of Gothenburg and City of Mölndal) will need a lot of building products with a low climate footprint to meet their objective of a 50% lower carbon footprint in future construction projects. The volume of building materials with recycled raw materials is expected to increase when realistic requirements from customers in consultation with manufacturers are set and products tested in construction projects.

Approach and implementation

Much of the information regarding the mapping of standards and whether they contain obstacles regarding the use of recycled raw materials was found within RISE, which has extensive experience in testing and standardizing construction products. Selection of suitable products for the use of recycled raw materials and risk analysis have been done together with the project parties at meetings and workshops. Where the project group did not have sufficient information and competence, interviews with other companies or colleagues were conducted.