Filenews 28 December 2021 - by Angelos Nikolaou
Following the decision to issue a decree for the installation of a positioning device (GPS) in all vehicles transporting waste on a professional basis, mainly to control skip carriers who broke the law by throwing the rubble at uncontrolled points, the Government is proceeding with yet another measure to promote the use of recyclable materials resulting from the treatment of waste from excavations, constructions and demolitions (AEKK).
It has drawn up an Action Plan in order to achieve the most efficient and effective use of usable aggregates resulting from the waste treatment of construction and demolition. The Action Plan was prepared by a Technical Committee composed of representatives of the Mines Service (chairman), the Ministry of Interior, the Department of Public Works, the Department of Environment and the Geological Survey Department.
In an explanatory report of the Technical Committee, it includes the existing framework for the management of recyclable materials from the AEKK processing, the problems and difficulties identified, as well as the actions taken to solve them, the European and international successful practices for the use of these materials, the recommendations of the Technical Committee and the Action Plan for the implementation of the recommendations.
It is noted that the Commissioner for the Environment and representatives from the Cyprus Recycling Organisation (OAC), the Pancyprian Association of Builders and the Federation of Associations of Cyprus Building Contractors (OSEOK) were invited and expressed positions and expressed positions and expressed positions and expressed views.
Prior to the drawing up of the Action Plan, visits were made by the Technical Committee to the three Waste Management Units operating in Cyprus. The Committee's findings are as follows:
(a) Each Unit applies a different procedure for the management of incoming waste, resulting in a different quality for the materials produced for recycling.
(b) A large part of the waste received in the Units concerns mixed waste including municipal waste. This makes the process of separating them complex and laborious, while these impurities significantly degrade the quality of the materials produced and at the same time reduce the ability to produce materials with a stable quality.
(c) From the samplings and laboratory tests carried out on the materials produced for recycling, the existing recyclable materials can be used in principle as backfilling materials, pipe backfilling materials, as filters of various gradations depending on the use and under certain conditions as a specific material. In the case where during the sorting of waste, either at the place of its production or in the Waste Management Units, the remains of bricks and tiles are removed, then there will be a noticeable reduction in the clay content in the recyclable materials and an improvement in performance will be achieved for the technical characteristic of the absorbency in water with the possibility that some of them will meet the specifications for use in the foundations or other uses. In the event that, in the future, further improvement of the procedures for the collection, separation and processing of AEKK is seen, then higher quality materials can be produced and the chances of expanding their use will increase.
However, the intention of the representatives of the Units to upgrade the recycling process of the waste they manage is noted, but they put forward strong reasons that in order for proper sorting and recycling to be economically advantageous, it is necessary to impose proper sorting at source and at the same time to modify the legislative and institutional framework for the more efficient and effective use of recyclable materials and their promotion to the market.
The Technical Committee considers as an important first step for the promotion of recyclable products, the introduction of appropriate technical terms in the specifications (Volume C' of Public Works - Technical Specifications) contained in the tender documents of public contracts, as the specifications of the Department of Public Works (EDP) are practically adopted by other government services (e.g. District Administrations, Municipalities) and it is expected that after the technical terms are determined by the EDP, these will then be transferred to the other government agencies.
The Technical Committee prepared an explanatory report with an Action Plan having as its main decision-making parameter that any use of the materials produced for recycling should be achieved without any impact on the safety of the works and their lifespan and the use of these materials should not be allowed in cases where they will cause such risks.
Nine concrete actions to promote recycling
The aim of the Action Plan is to ensure trust and reliability both in the AEKK waste management process and in the quality of the recycled products produced, in order to promote their use in the market. The Technical Committee proposes nine concrete actions to promote the use of recycled materials resulting from the treatment of waste from excavations, constructions and demolitions.
1) The Environmental Authority, in the context of the implementation of the Environmental Impact Assessment of Certain Projects Law and specifically during the stage of issuing Opinions/Reasoned Findings/Environmental Approvals, to set conditions for the promotion of the use of recyclable materials resulting from the processing of AEKK in accordance with the Report of the Technical Committee and the Action Plan (e.g. use of recycled asphalt on roads). In addition, in projects relating to demolitions and renovations, additional conditions should be set for separate collection of waste taking into account the guidelines for waste controls prior to demolition and renovation works.
2) Send a letter from the Ministry of Agriculture AA&P to all competent authorities that issue demolition permits, with the aim of including relevant conditions for the separate collection of waste. This letter will be accompanied by EU guidelines on waste controls prior to demolition and renovation of buildings.
3) Informing contractors to apply best practices as applied in other Countries of the European Union for the proper management of AEKK.
4) Review of the Decree on the Determination of the Levels of the Basic Requirements of certain Construction Products of 2011 (P.I. 164/2011), in relation to the minimum requirements for the technical characteristic of weathering for the use of aggregates by AEKK for uses.
5) Amendment of the technical specifications in public works contracts, in order to introduce specific provisions for the mandatory use of recycled materials products in the works, especially in uses such as embankments, embankments of pipes and filters. These amendments should be sent to all services of the Public and Wider Public Sector, municipalities and communities for immediate implementation.
6) More frequent and stricter controls by the competent authorities and collective systems for the observance of the conditions of licensing and waste management, both private and public works and the fight against illegal dumping of AEKK waste.
7) More frequent inspections to check the quality of the recycled products produced and to check the payment of quarrying.
8) Creation of a single multi-departmental platform (software) for collecting information for the management of excavation waste and the management of the produced materials. The platform will record information (permits, permit terms, etc.) by the licensing authorities on all projects from which waste will emerge, as well as information on waste management units as well as on illegal cases of waste management and landfilling. In this way, all the services involved will be immediately informed about the conduct of inspections and a more direct exchange of information will be achieved. This platform will also include excavation materials for the purposes of payment of quarrying rights.
9) Conduct of a workshop by the Technical Committee and the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment to present the Action Plan and inform all stakeholders and associations, public services and local authorities. In conclusion, the proper implementation of the Action Plan by all actors will bring about the awareness and acceptance of contractors, even ordinary citizens, in the use of recycled materials in private projects.
