The Waste Framework Directive (WFD), together with the REACh, the Construction Products Regulation (CPR) and the Classification and Labelling of Products (CLP) Regulation, constitute the relevant European instruments regulating recycling of construction products in the EU.
The Waste Framework Directive foresees that by 2020 a minimum of 70% (by weight) of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste shall be prepared for re-use, recycled or undergo other material recovery).
Vinyl 2010 developed a recycling market for post-consumer PVC waste, increasing it from negligible amounts to 260 kT by 2010. The new Voluntary Commitment, Vinylplus has achieved further increases in PVC recycling and 481 kT is targeting 800 kT by 2020
In parallel recovery of post-consumer PVC waste is estimated at 32% of the available waste in the EU.
In the last years CEN (European Standardization Committee) worked to develop a European standard for assessing environmental sustainability for Construction products. EN15804 was published in 2012. This standard serves as the basis for Environmental Product Declarations. These EPDs are used by the B&C industry to assess the sustainability of their products.
Furthermore, a technical report on toxicity indicators is being developed in TC 350 and a guidance on the standard itself. In 2013 the EC published a legislative package introducing Product Environmental Footprint, PEF, as a potential universal methodology for all products and organizations including construction products. This initiative was accompanied by a 3 years pilot phase of PEF to develop and test the methodology