Demolition contractors are the raw material suppliers for the circular economy

VERAS is the trade association of demolition contractors and asbestos removal companies. With approximately 100 members and over 20 donors, they represent an important part of the demolition and asbestos removal industry. One of VERAS' spearheads is to promote high-quality reuse of released demolition materials, thus contributing to the transition to a Circular Economy.

Demolition contractors have a special role in the circular economy as raw material suppliers for construction. VERAS is committed to circular demolition. This means demolishing, dismantling, disassembling and remounting structures in such a way that the raw materials that are released are reused in other projects in a high-quality manner. Circular demolition is thus an essential link in the Circular Economy.

Involved in multiple circular initiatives

The members of VERAS are busy dismantling buildings on a daily basis and a lot of materials are released in the process. Beforehand, they make an inventory of which and how many materials and material streams are released and how they can put them to the highest possible quality for reuse. Demolition debris can be supplied for foundations under roads, but it is better to separate the materials, break them up and offer them clean as new raw materials for concrete, for example. VERAS contributed to and signed the Concrete Agreement. VERAS is also involved in several circular initiatives such as the Platform CB'23.

Platform informs and inspires

Circular demolition is one of the spearheads of VERAS. To inform and inspire stakeholders, clients, demolition contractors, and actually all those interested in the transition to the circular economy in the field of circular demolition, VERAS has developed the platform www.allesovercirculairslopen.nl. This website was festively launched on November 14, 2018 by Prof. Elphi Nelissen, chairman of the Transition Agenda Circular Construction Economy.

The platform consists of three pillars. The first is the Knowledge Bank which collects available research, pilots and reports on circular demolition. The second pillar consists of circular success stories. Here VERAS members show what circular demolition means in practice and what initiatives they are developing to further promote the circular and sustainable demolition process. Third, demolition materials online facilitates the opportunity to bring together the supply and demand of released demolition materials. The aim is to give released products and materials from demolition a second life in the circular economy.

BouwBeurs 2019: circular demolition takes center stage!

VERAS is proud of the platform allesovercirculairslopen.nl and is convinced that circular demolition is the future. Therefore, they presented the theme of Çircular Demolition in a big way in their booth at the BouwBeurs 2019 in Utrecht. Visitors could discover the website allesovercirculairslopen.nl and four members of VERAS presented their inspiring circular success stories in the stand to the many interested parties. In doing so, they showed the general public how demolition anno 2019 works, which resulted in beautiful and interesting conversations. 

VERAS Activity Program circular demolition

The platform www.allesovercirculairslopen.nl stems from the Program of Activities on Circular Demolition adopted by VERAS. The platform allows VERAS to share its knowledge in the field of circular demolition and to inform and inspire the various stakeholders and interested parties. The platform also gives VERAS members the opportunity to profile themselves as circular demolition contractors.

The program of activities also includes the circular initiatives that VERAS participates in, the research program, the contacts that exist within their network and the stakeholders that they would like to engage with.

Being involved earlier in the process

For demolition contractors, it is important to be involved earlier in the process. Important questions are: How can we design and construct the buildings we are going to build now and in the future in such a way that the demolition contractors can then easily disassemble them again in the future and with high-quality reuse? Which materials and material streams can go from the demolition sites, possibly after processing, to the construction site as raw materials? How can we structurally organize this process? But also the question of how do demolition contractors get a fair price for the materials they gain from their demolition projects? After all, they incur costs to get the materials out of the demolition projects in a sustainable way. Just a few questions that VERAS is concerned with and advocates for. VERAS represents the majority of the demolition industry and is happy to contribute to the transition to a circular economy!      ν