Double “CE” for Construction Products: “Circular Economy” in “CE Marking”

Abstract

The EU Circular Economic Action Plan published in 2020, as part of the European Green Deal, highlights the necessity to reduce the energy consumption and emission of greenhouse gases in the field of civil construction. A circular economy (CE) assessment is required starting from the construction products. Engineers and construction companies should have the possibility to select proper products basing on info about the “Circular Economy principles”, such as design for disassembly, recycling, reuse, recovery, and remanufacturing. Unfortunately, the lack of information about circular economy concept in the construction sector and, above all, the lack of harmonized methods for the assessment of construction products performances about sustainable use of natural resources, still hinder the development of a circular economy. This short communication aims to demonstrate that the existing Construction Product Regulation (CPR), i.e. EU Regulation n° 305/2011, about CE marking of construction products, could act as a driver to use products with certified performances about the Circular Economy principles. In fact, the CPR requires common methods, provided in harmonized technical specifications, to evaluate the performance of construction products. Why not also consider Circular Economy performances?