Today we are seeing a trend that more and more customers are asking for reused products in line with increased environmental problems. The desire to save energy but also the need to reduce CO2 emissions is the basis for this. We are also seeing how large construction companies in Sweden, but also abroad, increasingly focus on reusing materials from their projects and buildings. Generally speaking, reused steel is superior with close to zero emissions per unit mass. With relatively simple methods, existing material can be quality assured and reused.
The construction and property industry accounts for a significant part of society’s material use and environmental and climate impact. The construction sector produces 35% of all waste within the EU and accounts for more than 20% of Sweden’s CO2 emissions according to Vinnova (Sweden’s innovation agency).
Beams, but also various forms of sheet metal that can be used for aesthetic and weather-protected applications, are the products that are most in demand and the market is growing. The Swedish Housing Agency together with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency are looking at the issue of reuse for various building materials in order to provide guidance on the reuse of construction products in the future. Recently, the authorities also received an assignment and grant to increase circularity in the construction industry. The results must be reported to the government in December 2024.
Järnmalmer has acquired a number of attractive projects where the customer wants to reuse materials, and with our wide network of contacts we have found solutions together with the customer that both provide a better financial outcome and also significant environmental benefits.
Christoffer Wikström is responsible for reused material at Järnmalmer. “We see a growing need for reuse in the construction sector, an exciting development that goes hand-in-hand with increased circularity and reduced emissions.”