Construction activity in Europe has increased substantially in the past decade. Likewise, there has also been a commensurate rise in the generation of construction and demolition waste (C&DW). This, together with the fact that in many European countries the rate of recycling and reuse of C&DW is still quite low has engendered a serious environmental problem and a motivation to develop strategies and management plans to solve it. Due to its composition, there is a significant potential to reuse and/or recycle C&DW, and thereby, contribute to improving the sustainability of construction and development, but practical procedures are not yet widely known or practiced in the construction industry. This article (a) summarizes the different applications that are presently practiced to optimize the recovery and/or application of C&DW for reuse, and (b) proposes various measures and strategies to improve the processing of this waste. The authors suggest that to enhance environmental effectiveness, a conscious and comprehensive C&DW management plan should be implemented in each jurisdiction. More precisely, this study presents a holistic approach towards C&DW management, through which environmental benefits can be achieved through the application of new construction methods that can contribute to sustainable growth.

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The management planning of construction and demolition (C&D) waste uses a single indicator which does not provide enough detailed information. Therefore the determination and implementation of other innovative and precise indicators should be determined. The aim of this research work is to improve existing C&D waste quantification tools in the construction of new residential buildings in Spain. For this purpose, several housing projects were studied to determine an estimation of C&D waste generated during their construction process. This paper determines the values of three indicators to estimate the generation of C&D waste in new residential buildings in Spain, itemizing types of waste and construction stages. The inclusion of two more accurate indicators, in addition to the global one commonly in use, provides a significant improvement in C&D waste quantification tools and management planning.

The addition of mineral fibres waste does not affect the functionality of mortars.• The porous structure of admixed fibres mortars is similar to that of the reference.• Waste mineral fibres are an alternative to current commercial reinforcements.• Mortars reinforced with mineral fibres waste minimize environmental impact. a b s t r a c tMineral wool is currently the most used insulation in the European Union, and quantities of this waste have increased alarmingly in the last decade, making it essential to recycle or reuse the material, which is not current practice. This study aims to verify the feasibility of compounds of a cement base with additives of insulating mineral fibre residues recovered from the recycling of construction and demolition waste (CDW). For this purpose, experiments were designed to classify the physical-chemical behaviour of architectural mineral wool waste, and that of mortars incorporating them to determine their porosity due to the effects of these fibres on the properties of the compounds. The results obtained show that both the structure and chemical composition as well as the microstructure of the reinforced mortars are viable, and that they would therefore be a sustainable alternative to the current mortars of composite materials.

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Waste mineral fibres are an alternative to current commercial reinforcements.• Mortars reinforced with mineral fibers waste minimize environmental impact.• There is a good connection between the cementitious matrix and the residues.• It is possible to replace large amount of the volume of sand used by mineral fiber waste.