It has established itself as the largest producer of waste in France, the majority of which is categorized as “inert” (concrete, stone, bricks, asphalt aggregates, spoil, slate, etc.). The construction sector alone produces 230 million tonnes of waste each year, or more than two thirds of the total in the country. It’s not much better in terms of energy, since, according to the Ministry of Ecological Transition, it represents 43% of annual energy consumption at the national level. and 23% of greenhouse gas emissions. If these figures remain far from the carbon neutrality targeted by the Paris agreement by 2050, most construction players are mobilizing, giants as well as the smallest companies, in order to begin an ecological transition which begins with concrete and effective actions.
In this, they have been encouraged by the State since the establishment in 2020 of the Anti-waste law for a circular economy (Agec) establishing the establishment of an “extended producer responsibility” (EPR) sector. Thus, for example, OBM Construction, specialized in wooden frame buildings (54 million turnover), has optimized this item by recovering 90 tonnes of waste in 2023. “We have installed recovery bins in our factory in Chevilly to transform wood scraps into heating aggregates and laminated panels. This new sorting process now allows us to recycle 70% of our waste, compared to 30% previously”, explains Aurore Roth Dit Bettoni, marketing manager of the company. SMEs.
Less energy-consuming and less polluting materials
For its part, Colas, a road construction specialist, has launched into the circular economy. Since the end of 2022, the Bouygues group subsidiary has relied on a network of 160 recycling platforms called Valormat. “All incoming materials, particularly those from road deconstruction, are sorted, crushed and transformed. This activity allows us to reduce our impact on natural resources, but also to offer professionals in the sector recycled products,” explains Anne. -Laure Levent, environment director. With this practice, the Colas group hopes to go from 7 million tonnes of recycled aggregates per year to more than 10.5 million tonnes in 2026.
Always with the objective of limiting their environmental impact, companies today seek to use less energy-intensive and less polluting materials. “This imperative for us even becomes a differentiating element when responding to calls for tenders,” notes Olivier Delamarre, director of strategy, development and CSR at Léon Grosse (940 million euros turnover). Last year, the company tested a concrete five times less carbon dioxide (CO2). “Thanks to a partnership with the cement manufacturer Vicat, we have produced an 850 cubic meter slab on our Bron site. This is a first in France,” says the manager, who hopes to deploy this innovative solution on future projects.
In order to limit its dependence on materials that consume too much energy, OBM Construction uses biosourced insulation. “We favor straw and Métisse (recycled textile) in our wooden frame walls. They have the same insulation capacity as glass wool, but are one and a half times less polluting,” assures Aurore Roth Dit Bettoni. The family SME is currently manufacturing the framework of a new 7,000 square meter college in Vénissieux with its 100% straw insulation. To ensure a sustainable future, the building sector is mobilizing, too often still in small steps, but it is well engaged in an irreversible movement.