Reuse of construction and demolition aggregates: new decree signed

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Emma Potter

Purpose of the new Decree on construction aggregates

The new decree responds to a strategic need for Italy, a country poor in raw materials. Recovering and reintroducing inert materials onto the market means reduce the amount of waste destined for landfills, promoting a circular economy more sustainable. This approach not only protects the environmentbut also offers a concrete support for businesses.

The construction, demolition, production of recycled aggregates, bitumen, concrete and cement sectors, which have a significant weight in Italy and according to Deputy Minister Vannia Gava, will greatly benefit from this legislation.

The Deputy Minister also stated: “In a country poor in raw materials, we strategically recover secondary raw materials, achieving various objectives: less landfill and, therefore, more circular economy, more environmental protection, but also listening and supporting businesses with a positive impact for many supply chains”.

What does Ministerial Decree 152/2022 provide?

The Decree of 27 September 2022 n. 152 was published in the Official Journal n. 246 of 20 October 2022 and was issued by the Ministry of Ecological Transition. It establishes the specific criteria in compliance with which inert waste deriving from construction and demolition activities, and other inert waste of mineral origin, subjected to recovery operations, cease to be classified as wastepursuant to thearticle 184-ter of Legislative Decree 152/2006.

The decree, composed of 8 articles and 3 attachmentsis part of the reforms envisaged by the PNRR – M2C3 reform – and is included in the timetable of the national circular economy strategy, approved with Ministerial Decree No. 342/2022. It focuses on the management of non-hazardous special waste from the construction and demolition sector.

The decree establishes the compliance criteria necessary for the cessation of waste status, thus allowing their reuse in various specific applications such as:

  • road, railway and airport foundations;
  • environmental recovery;
  • fillings and reclaims;
  • packaging of concretes and mixtures bound with hydraulic binders

Specific documentary requirements are also foreseen to ensure the traceability and compliance of recovered materials.