Political will can increase the recycling of glass construction and demolition waste in the EU

The European Commission is considering establishing criteria for the management of construction and demolition waste. According to Glass for Europe, the trade association for the European flat glass sector, 1.5 million tonnes of glass waste from construction and demolition are generated annually in the EU, and less than 5% of it is recycled into new glass.
This includes glass from old windows, facades, partitions, etc.

According to Glass for Europe, policy measures from the EU can significantly help sheet glass producers implement a closed-loop model for construction glass. Policy intervention is needed in two areas to increase the recycling of cullet glass:

1. Recognition at the EU level of the “by-product” status for cullet glass.
2. Introduce a system to encourage proper sorting of construction and demolition waste, which will ensure the recovery and recycling of glass.

Among the incentive options, Glass for Europe calls:

• Introducing audits of buildings before demolition.
• Incentivising the dismantling and delivery of glass to collection points.
• Prohibiting the disposal of construction glass waste at landfills and encouraging its recycling.

The Glass for Europe emphasises that these options will help to ensure the collection and sorting of cullet glass and overcome the current situation, where landfilling and reuse in other construction materials remains the dominant and cheapest way of disposal. In Ukraine, glass is disposed of at landfills or can be used as a powdered aggregate for the production of concrete products, etc.

For reference.
According to the Law on Waste Management No. 2320-IX (ua)↗️, substances and objects generated in the production of main products that are not the purpose of this production but are suitable as raw materials in other activities are considered by-products.