
































02_Cordrie


  
 

European Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy - ISSN: 2704-9906  
DOI: 10.13135/2704-9906/7603 Published by University of Turin http://www.ojs.unito.it/index.php/ejsice/index 
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Regional demolition waste treatment capacity: a 
case study based on the identification of building 
selective deconstruction value chain’s 
stakeholders 

Benjamin Cordrie1 and Emmanuel Lemelin 2* 

1  Teacher-researcher, UniLaSalle Rennes – Ecole des métiers de l’environnement, Cyclann, Campus de 
Ker Lann, 35170 Bruz, France 
benjamin.cordrie@unilasalle.fr 
 
2 (Contact Author) Centre for Materials and Processes, IMT Nord Europe, Institut Mines-Télécom, University 
of Lille, F-59000 Lille, (France) 
Emmanuel.lemelin@imt-nord-europe.fr 
 

Abstract 
The construction and demolition sector is a major contributor to waste generation, prompting European and national public 
authorities to adopt a waste management strategy based on circular economy (CE) principles. This strategy aims to promote the 
reuse and recycling of construction materials. A key prerequisite for this strategy is selective deconstruction, which allows for 
more efficient waste recovery by separating materials based on their treatment, reuse, recycling and landfill potential. Selective 
deconstruction involves a value chain that includes a range of stakeholders. This paper proposes a methodology for identifying 
the stakeholders involved in this value chain, from project owners to waste reclamation and recycling companies. This 
methodology is applied to the Lille European Metropolis (France – LEM) to estimate the Deconstruction Resources Treatment 
Capacity of this Region (DRTCR). Finally, this capacity is analysed in relation to the volume of resources generated by 
deconstruction, and to the objectives set by the circular economy strategy. Results demonstrate the importance of developing 
selective deconstruction at a local scale, and highlight the need for investment in this sector and potential of sustainable business. 

 

Keywords: circular economy; construction and demolition waste; selective deconstruction; stakeholders; resources 
management; regional capacity. 

 

 

1. Introduction 
The transition from a linear to a circular economic model aims to optimize resource use to preserve natural capital (Ellen 

MacArthur Foundation, 2015). Throughout the 20th century, the increasing mechanization of the demolition industry and 
declining profitability of building materials' reusing operations led to significant growth in construction and demolition waste 
(C&DW) production (Ghyoot et al., 2018). In 2018, the construction and demolition (C&D) sector accounted for 35.9% (2.337 
million tonnes) of the waste generated in the EU, making it the primary source of waste production (Eurostat). In France, 47.3 
million tonnes of C&DW were produced in that year. In response to this problem, the concept of a circular economy (CE) 



  
 

European Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy - ISSN: 2704-9906  
DOI: 10.13135/2704-9906/7603 Published by University of Turin http://www.ojs.unito.it/index.php/ejsice/index 
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18 

emerged in the academic literature in the early 2000s, becoming a key category of public policy in countries such as Germany1, 
Japan2, China3 or the Netherlands4. The European Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC sets a target of 70% for non-
hazardous C&D waste reuse, recycling, and material recovery by 2020 (European Parliament, 2008). In line with this goal, the 
French Parliament passed a "No-Waste for a Circular Economy" law in 2020 (Parliament, 2020). 

In the C&D sector, selective deconstruction is a way to implement CE principles by replacing building demolition with a 
process that separates materials according to different treatment, reuse, and recycling sectors (Roussat et al., 2009; Assefa and 
Ambler, 2017; Ghyoot et al., 2018). Although private companies and public authorities increasingly use selective 
deconstruction, little academic literature specifically addresses this issue. Some research focuses on new deconstruction 
methods and programming (Sanchez et al., 2019, 2020). However, the development of selective deconstruction involves a value 
chain consisting of actors not only directly involved in the building site but also upstream and downstream (Tirado et al., 2021). 
The full commitment of owners, prime contractors, and project management assistance specialized in CE issues is required 
during the earliest phase of deconstruction to coordinate the various stages and actors of the worksite. Moreover, once materials 
are deconstructed, their treatment, reuse, or recycling may involve a range of different sectors. Therefore, the development of 
selective deconstruction potentially concerns many different stakeholders and jobs (Gálvez-Martos et al., 2018). 

This study focuses on estimating the stakeholders and employment potential involved in an advanced selective 
deconstruction value chain, specifically in the Lille European Metropolis (LEM)5 and its 95 municipalities. Through building 
an exhaustive database of potential stakeholders, from clients and contractors to waste reclamation and recycling companies 
(figure 1), this article aims to provide an overview of the CE development potential. This database is utilized to estimate the 
capacity of actors located in this area to treat resources generated by selective deconstruction. More specifically, the 
Deconstruction Resources Treatment Capacity of a Region or area (DRTCR) refers to two parameters of the construction and 
demolition waste management (C&DW-M): (1) the volume of products, equipment, materials, and waste resulting from 
selective deconstruction and generated per year from one region. For CE concept, having been removed selectively, those 
materials correspond with potential resources that can be recycled, recovered or re-used into building construction or 
rehabilitation. Then (2) the ability of workers employed by companies in the value chain and established in the area to process 
these resources define this capacity. The goal is to determine the ability of one Region/area to generate C&DW and its capacity 
to close loops in the building industry. The focus is placed on the labour force that directly handles these resources, by working 
on building sites, removing construction elements, transporting them to a treatment center, sorting them and preparing them for 
theirs recycling, recovery or re-use. Therefore, the DRTCR highly relies on the size of the workforce of the value chain, which 
is precisely the focus of the proposed methodology. The interest could be to help decision makers in regional communities to 
orientate and facilitate the implementation of public and/or private infrastructures optimizing the DRTCR of the C&DW-M. 
 
Figure 1. Actors in the selective deconstruction value chain 

 
Source: Author’s elaboration, adapted from (Lofti, 2016) 

 
The article first describes the multiscale regulatory framework that makes CE the main waste management strategy in the 

C&D sector, at the European, French and sub-national levels. The study then moves to literature review section, followed by a 
section describing the methodology used to create the database and estimate the DRTCR. The last section is dedicated to the 
main results and their discussion. Firstly, it determines the DRTCR of the LEM, and compares it with the estimated volume of 

 
[1] Waste management law in a “closed-cycle substances” (“Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetz”) adopted in 1994. 
[2] “Basic Act for Establishing a Sound Material-Cycle Society” adopted in 2000. 
[3] Framework law to promote circular economy adopted in 2008. 
[4] National waste management plan 2009–2021 entitled “towards a material chain policy”. 
[5] This article and the results it presents are the fruit of a research project carried out within an industrial chair called « RECONVERT » 

and financed by Lille European Metropolis and I-Site. Url : https://reconvert.wp.imt.fr/ 



  
 

European Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy - ISSN: 2704-9906  
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19 

waste generated in this area. Then, it examines the objectives fixed by public authorities in their CE strategies, showing that 
their achievement requires an increased DRTCR that could address gaps in the selective deconstruction value chain.  

 
 

2. Contextualisation : an evolving regulatory framework 
The legislative and regulatory framework at European, national, and sub-national levels demonstrates a clear and 

increasingly ambitious path towards the implementation of a CE in the C&D sector. Beginning in 2008, the European Union 
established a directive with the aim of achieving a 70% re-use, recycling, and material recovery rate for non-hazardous C&D 
waste. According to a 2020 report of the European Environment Information and Observation Network, most of European 
countries have already reach this 70% target, but “despite [these] high recycling rates, the recycling of C&DW is largely 
downcycling” (EIONET, 2020, p. 12). Moreover, this global rate masks substantial variations in material flows. While inert 
waste represents the largest volume and is relatively easy to recover, there is now a need for a more detailed waste management 
strategy, by adopting more precise objectives for each material. In 2015, the European Commission adopted a Circular 
Economy Package aimed at pushing forward the transition towards a circular economy. This package notably promotes the 
recycling of waste materials and sets targets for reducing landfilling. The European Commission reaffirmed its commitment to 
the CE strategy five years later, as part of the European Green Deal. This broader plan sets more ambitious objectives, and 
notably aims to achieve a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.  

Similarly, France government established the Grenelle Law 2 in 2010, which outlined a waste planning strategy that 
ultimately led to the implementation of waste diagnostics for building demolition in the 2014-2020 national waste prevention 
program. In 2015, the "NOTRe" law (territorial organization reform) transferred waste planning jurisdiction to the regions, 
while the Law for Energy Transition and Green Growth established the circular economy concept as a guiding principle for the 
first time. By 2018, the French government had made CE a cornerstone of its waste management strategy through the Circular 
Economy Roadmap, which aimed to increase sorting, re-use, and recovery of demolition waste. Two years later, the "No-Waste 
for a Circular Economy" law further solidified this commitment by introducing an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) 
for construction material manufacturers and setting specific objectives for recovery rates for various materials. The EPR 
establishes an eco-contribution on the sales of construction products and materials, which is collected by sellers and transferred 
to Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs). The PROs are responsible for organizing the collection, treatment, and 
recovery of building waste and material. The "No-Waste for a Circular Economy" law aims for a recovery rate of 88% for 
mineral waste and 57% for non-mineral waste by 2027. Precise objectives related to particular materials flows are also set, and 
their implications in terms of volume will be explored at the LEM level in section 5. 

At the sub-national level in France, which refers to governance and decision-making below the national level, public actors 
have taken significant steps towards promoting circular economy practices. Since 2015, regions, which are the administrative 
level beneath the State, have taken over jurisdiction of waste planning, which is carried out through regional waste prevention 
and management plans. These plans outline strategies to prevent waste generation and promote circular economy practices, and 
are specific to each region in France. For example, the Hauts-de-France Region, which includes the LEM area, established a 
waste prevention and management plan in 2019, outlining its key objectives and an action plan for circular economy, with a 
particular focus on C&D materials. Regions also have to draw up a regional plan for land use, sustainable developmtent and 
territorial equality. That of Hauts-de-France, adopted in 2020, gives a prominent place to the implementation of CE in the C&D 
sectors, with specific objectives such as landfilling reduction, development of on-site sorting, and expansion of a territorial grid 
of recovery sites. Although these objectives address specific issues, their lack of precision and quantification makes it difficult 
to evaluate progress towards a more sustainable C&DW-M. Instead of setting specific targets, these planning documents outline 
the general ambitions of local authorities regarding urban planning, transportation, waste management, and energy. As shown 
in Figure 2, this kind of strategic documents is also implemented at the metropolitan and municipal levels. In particular, LEM 
adopted a territorial coherence plan in 2017, and a territorial Air-Climate-Energy plan four years later, with each setting CE 
objectives such as encouraging C&D waste re-use and recovery, promoting the develoment of recycling channels, or land using 
for waste recovery. Finally, in this multiscale regulatory framework, municipalities have also make CE a key strategy for 
resources management in the C&D sector. Lille for instance, the main city of the LEM, has notably adopted a roadmap for 
circular economy in 2022, with the ambition of creating a local platform for exchange and treatment of construction materials. 



  
 

European Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy - ISSN: 2704-9906  
DOI: 10.13135/2704-9906/7603 Published by University of Turin http://www.ojs.unito.it/index.php/ejsice/index 
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A these different scales, public authorities draw a clear path towards the implementation of CE in the C&D sector, 
establishing more and more precise and ambitious objectives related to resources recovery. 

 
Figure 2. Local authorities’ planning documents promoting CE in the C&D sector 

Source: Author’s elaboration6 
 
 

3. Literature review 
While the concept of selective deconstruction itself still requires further exploration, there has been extensive research 

dedicated to the application of circular economy principles in the C&D sector. These studies can be broadly classified into two 
categories. The first focuses on the technical and organizational challenges associated with managing C&DW. The second 
group of studies takes the C&D sector as a case study to inform research on circular economy more broadly. In this context, 
employment is among the social aspects impacted by the adoption of circular economy practices. 

 

3.1 The construction and demolition waste management 
An important part of the literature dealing with CE in the C&D sector comprises engineering science works that focus on 
technical and organizational processes related to C&DW-M. These works study the recovery of specific types of materials, 
such as concrete, metal, timber, plaster, plastic, and glass (Gorgolewski et al., 2008; Jung et al., 2015; Wijayasundara et al., 
2016; Campbell, 2018; Mazzarano, 2021), or look at a particular type of building (Minunno et al., 2018). These studies suggest 
strategies for CE development in the sector, such as on-site recycling, manufacturing recycled aggregate, use of mass timber, 
but point out the fact that those strategies require improvements in organizational structures, technical knowledge, and 
investment in infrastructures. One of the main method used in the field is the life cycle analysis (Coelho and De Brito, 2012; 
Bovea and Powell, 2016; Wang et al., 2018; Brambilla et al., 2019; L. Eberhardt et al., 2019), which allows authors to highlight 
the environmental impact of waste demolition, and to investigate potential benefits of CE practices, which could concern the 
waste management as well as the building process and the type of components used in the construction. Moreover, the 
effectiveness of C&DW-M at the country or region scale were evaluated in the aims of improving it (Yeheyis et al., 2013; 
Lockrey et al., 2016; Nasir et al., 2017; Yuan, 2017; Zheng et al., 2017; Huang et al., 2018; Christmann, 2018). Those works 
aim at pushing policy-makers towards improvement in C&D waste management, by proposing CE strategies and objectives 
such as increasing recycling rate and reducing lanfill rate, adopting targeted economic incentives, or encouraging innovative 

 
[6] All the documents mentionned are available online, on the websites of the Hauts-de-France Region: https://www.hautsdefrance.fr/ ; the 

LEM: https://www.lillemetropole.fr/ ; and the city of Lille: https://www.lille.fr/ 



  
 

European Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy - ISSN: 2704-9906  
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technologies and market models. Other works examine waste treatment capacities in terms of the types of facilities (Mihai, 
2019) or technologies used (Di Maria et al., 2018). Those studies are completed by the approach taken here, that aims to cover 
this issue of treatment capacities, in regard to the stakeholders of an region or area and their available labour force, as stated 
above in the definition of DRTCR. Indeed, although those works are of great interest for estimating generation and flows of 
C&D waste, especially through material flow analysis, and for exploring ways to reduce them, few of them aim to investigate 
stakeholders that are likely to take charge of these waste. That is why the next subsection deals with approaches in terms of CE 
social aspects that are, in this regard, complementary. 
 

3.2 Circular economy in the construction and demolition sector and its social aspects 
The methods for measuring and quantifying the circular economy have stimulated significant reflection and research. As 

results, the identification of a set of indicators that could reflect the circularity of a sector or a region has been extensively 
studied and discussed (Iacovidou et al., 2017; Nuñez-Cacho et al., 2018; Scarpellini et al., 2019; Fusco Girard and Nocca, 
2019). Employment is often included as one of these indicators and considered in the social aspects of CE (International Labour 
Organization, 2011; Moreau et al., 2017, 2017; Laurenti et al., 2018; Jabbour et al., 2019; Padilla-Rivera et al., 2020; 
Scarpellini, 2021). These studies highlight the socioeconomic embeddedness of the CE and investigate its implementation's 
impacts, which extend beyond environmental considerations and affect the organization of work and employment within 
society. Furthermore, substantial research has focused on the CE's job creation potential (Horbach et al., 2015; Mitchell and 
Morgan, 2015; EHORE, 2017; Aranda-Usón et al., 2018), as well as employment structure and distribution (Repp et al., 2021), 
while some studies specifically address skills development (Consoli et al., 2016; Burger et al., 2019). This article follows the 
approach of Llorente-González and Vence (2020), who studied the repair, reuse, and recycling sectors using the second revision 
of the statistical classification of economic activities in the European Union (NACE Rev. 2). The authors' goal was to investigate 
the labour intensity of those activities defined as circular, on a European scale and using Eurostat statistical aggregates. The 
present article shares a similar objective, at a smaller scale corresponding with a metropolitan area, which allows for a 
comprehensive identification of stakeholders in a specific value chain: that of building selective deconstruction. 

The academic interest in CE applied to the C&D sector is increasing, as evidenced by the growing number of systematic 
literature reviews (Ghisellini et al., 2018a, 2018b; Hossain et al., 2020; Ruiz et al., 2020; Superti et al., 2021). These studies 
aim to identity factors that could influence the adoption of CE in the sector, and their results suggest that a comprehensive 
framework and methodology for CE integration and evaluation are yet to be developed. To progress down this path, many 
studies focus on CE practices implemented by C&D companies (Chau et al., 2017; Leising et al., 2018; Chang and Hsieh, 2019; 
Rehman et al., 2020; Guerra et al., 2021; Guerra and Leite, 2021; Doussoulin and Bittencourt, 2022), and some provide analysis 
in terms of "best practices" (Jiménez-Rivero and García-Navarro, 2017; Gálvez-Martos et al., 2018). Other works explore the 
potential development of CE in the sector (Schultmann and Sunke, 2007; Sassi, 2008; L. C. M. Eberhardt et al., 2019; Romnée 
et al., 2019), and the indicators that could reflect this development (Nuñez-Cacho et al., 2018). On the scale of a company, 
those indicators refer in particular to waste generation, energy management, emissions and other negative externalities, 
materials management or the 3R principles – reduce, recycle, and reuse. However, only a few studies examine the social aspects 
of the sector's transformations due to CE implementation (Wuyts et al., 2019; Tomić and Schneider, 2020), or its consequences 
in terms of work practices (Ann et al., 2013). This latter study, with the case of Hong Kong, showed that a charge on C&DW 
disposal to landfills may not be sufficient to encourage actors of the C&D sector to change their building practices so as to 
reduce waste. This litarature suggests that CE implementation in the building sector relies not only on changes in the regulatory 
framework, but also on stakeholders’ capacity to adapt their practices and organization to these challenges.  

 As no specific academic works identify stakeholders of the selective deconstruction value chain exhaustively, the following 
method is here proposed. 

 
 
 
 
 



  
 

European Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy - ISSN: 2704-9906  
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4. Methodology 

4.1 Database construction 
The method developed is applied to the specific area of LEM, in order to demonstrate its usefulness through a concrete case 

study. The metropolis covers an area of 671 km² and includes 95 municipalities, with a total population of approximately 1.1 
million inhabitants. The metropolitan scale is particularly relevant to the issue of C&D waste management as it provides a 
consistent framework for optimizing material and waste streams, while also considering the environmental impact of transport. 

In order to create an inventory of all the companies that could potentially be involved in the deconstruction value chain and 
are located in LEM, the database of the French National Identification System and Directory of Enterprises and their 
Establishments (SIRENE)7 was used. This database is administered by the French national statistical institute (INSEE)8, that 
provides data on a wide range of economic and social indicators. It contains information on every registered establishment in 
France and identifies each of them with a code that is related to their main activity. The codes used in this database are based 
on the French statistical classification of economic activities (NAF)9, which operates on a similar principle as the European 
NACE Rev. 2. This approach builds on previous research, particularly in the field of industrial ecology (Kasmi, 2018) and 
repair, reuse, and recycling activities (Llorente-González and Vence, 2020). 

The activities were categorized based on the four main steps of the deconstruction value chain, namely, clients and general 
contractors, C&D companies, waste collection and treatment companies, and outlet industries. Economic activity codes were 
selected through several methods. First, all codes that directly refer to the deconstruction value chain were selected. To ensure 
comprehensive coverage of the waste collection and treatment part, all C&DW collection points were identified using the tool 
provided by the French Construction Federation10 and added any missing codes. Additionally, professional literature, 
particularly the Démoclès project11, was consulted to match each type of waste with its potential forms of reusing and recycling. 

However, the potential missing part of the value chain is the non-profit organizations and social businesses sector. They may 
intervene in the deconstruction phase through job integration workshops, and in the recovery phase via resale and recycled 
goods shops12. Although these activities are an integral part of the value chain, the associations carrying them out are generally 
registered under a code that refers specifically to their social aim, rather than an economic sector. To integrate them into the 
analysis, a census of these actors located in LEM was conducted, using professional organizations’ directories13. As a result, 
10 establishments operating in the building sector were added to the value chain. 

The database was subsequently refined by removing closed establishments and liquidated companies, and classifying each 
actor based on the type of materials they potentially handle. Table 1 presents a comprehensive list of economic activities 
included in the database, along with the number of actors operating in the metropolitan area. Although they are accountable for 
it, clients (real estate managers) and prime contractors are not directly involved in resources treatment, in the sense that their 
workforce do not directly handles them. In total, the database includes 802 actors across 35 activities. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
[7] “Système national d’Identification et du Répertoire des ENtreprises et de leurs Etablissements”. Available online: 

https://www.sirene.fr/ 
[8] “Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques”. URL: https://www.insee.fr/ 
[9] “Nomenclature d’Activités Française”. Available online on the website of the INSEE. 
[10] Source: www.dechets-chantier.ffbatiment.fr 
[11] Source: www.democles.org/ 
[12] In France those actors are known as “ateliers chantiers d’insertion” (ACI), “ressourceries” and “recycleries”. 
[13] Those directories are available online : https://ressourceries.info/?FfF ; http://www.lesentreprisesdinsertion.org/france/annuaire-

entreprises 



  
 

European Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy - ISSN: 2704-9906  
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Table 1. Overview of metropolitan actors potentially involved in the deconstruction value chain 

Actors in the 
value chain Economic activities 

Number of 
establishments 

located in 
LEM 

Construction 
and demolition 

companies 

43.11Z – Demolition 
43.12A – Levelling and grading of construction sites 
43.12B – Site preparation 
43.99C – General masonry and structural work 
43.99D – Other specialised construction activities 

12 
58 
11 

329 
38 

Waste 
collection and 

treatment 
companies 

38.11Z – Collection of non-hazardous waste 
38.12Z – Collection of hazardous waste 
38.21Z – Treatment and disposal of non-hazardous waste 
38.22Z – Treatment and disposal of hazardous waste 
38.31Z – Dismantling of wrecks 
38.32Z – Recovery of sorted materials 
39.00Z – Remediation activities and other waste management services 
08.12Z – Operation of gravel and sand pits; mining of clays and kaolin 
46.72Z – Wholesale of metals and metal ores 
46.73A – Wholesale of wood and construction materials 
46.77Z – Wholesale of waste and scrap 

15 
3 
8 
2 
4 

27 
14 
5 

25 
149 

2 
Outlet 

industries 
13.93Z – Manufacture of carpets and rugs 
20.16Z – Manufacture of plastics in primary forms  
20.30Z – Manufacture of paints, varnishes and similar coatings, printing ink and mastics  
22.21Z – Manufacture of plastic plates, sheets, tubes and profiles 
22.22Z – Manufacture of plastic packing goods 
22.23Z – Manufacture of builders’ ware of plastic 
22.29A – Manufacture of plastic technical components 
22.29B – Manufacture of plastic consumer goods 
23.51Z – Manufacture of cement 
23.99Z – Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products 
24.42Z – Aluminium production 
24.45Z – Other non-ferrous metal production 
42.11Z – Construction of roads and motorways 
42.99Z – Construction of other civil engineering projects 

6 
2 
6 
 

5 
5 
9 

11 
8 
1 
3 
1 
1 

21 
11 

Social and 
solidarity 
economy 

82.99Z – Other business support service activities n.e.c. 
85.59A – Adult continuing education 
88.10C – Work-based social support  
88.99A – Other social work activities without accommodation n.e.c. 
88.99B – Social work activities without accommodation 

1 
2 
1 
1 
5 

Source: Author’s elaboration, codes refer to the Nomenclature d’Activités Française (NAF) and were translated using the 
Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community headings (NACE). 
 

4.2 Treatment capacities estimate 
The goal is to estimate the demolition waste treatment capacity of the stakeholders in the value chain, specifically focusing 

on C&D companies, waste collection and treatment companies, who are primarily responsible for managing waste generated 
by demolitions. The estimate of their waste treatment capacity is based on the database of the Classified Installations for 



  
 

European Journal of Social Impact and Circular Economy - ISSN: 2704-9906  
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Environmental Protection (ICPE)14. It is the French regulatory system for industrial facilities that have a potential impact on 
the environment and public health, and it contains information on every waste treatment facility in France. Data concerning the 
principal activity code of each establishment, the types of waste treated, and the annual volumes treated for each type were 
extracted. As summarized in Figure 3, using this information, an average treatment capacity per activity code per type of waste 
was determined, for the selected activity codes and materials that are part of demolition waste. To express the average capacities 
in tons per worked hour, the annual declaration of social data (DADS)15 was utilized to obtain the average annual hours worked 
per worker per activity code. This database, which is not open-source, is established by the French national statistical institute 
(INSEE), and contains annual declarations of social data related to the employment of workers, such as wages, hours worked, 
social security contributions, and taxes, that French employers are required to submit to the public authorities. In addition to 
the information concerning the average annual worked hours, data about the distribution between workers, intermediate 
professions and managerial staff were also used. Indeed, as the DRTCR was defined in the introduction, it depends on the 
labour force that directly and concretely handles resources, and it therefore concerns annual hours worked by workers.  
 
Figure 3. Methodology for treatment capacities estimate per activity code and per material 

Source: Author’s elaboration 
 
Using the average capacities per worked hour, the capacity of each establishment located in the LEM area was estimated by 

referencing the employment size ranges. However, because not all workers treat every type of waste, a materials mass 
distribution of demolition waste was first applied to these capacities: two types of distributions were used (Appendix 1), one 
that concerns ratios of C&DW estimated for the French EPR implementation16 (“EPR distribution”), the other corresponds with 
the study of legal declarations in France for demolition sites larger than 1000 square meters17 (“OPTIGEDE distribution”). 
Both were obtained from works conducted by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME)18, a public 
organization that operates under the supervision of the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and Solidarity, and aims to 

 
[14] "Installations Classées pour la Protection de l’Environnement". Available online: https://www.georisques.gouv.fr/ 
[15] “Déclarations Annuelles de Données Sociales”. 
[16] ADEME, TERRA, TBC Innovactions, ELCIMAI Environnement, Au-Dev-Ant, E. PAROLA. 2021. Etude de préfiguration de la 

filière REP Produits et Matériaux de Construction du secteur du Bâtiment. 29 pages. Available online : 
https://librairie.ademe.fr/dechets-economie-circulaire/4573-etude-de-prefiguration-de-la-filiere-rep-produits-et-materiaux-de-
construction-du-secteur-du-batiment.html 

[17] ADEME, OPTIGEDE, Estimation de la production de déchets de bâtiment. 5 pages. Available online : 
https://optigede.ademe.fr/outils-pour-les-entreprises. 

[18] “Agence de l'Environnement et de la Maîtrise de l'Energie”. URL: https://www.ademe.fr/ 



  
 

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promote the transition towards a sustainable and low-carbon society. These distributions allow to estimate the annual treatment 
capacity of each establishment for each type of waste. 

Some of the construction and waste collection and treatment activities involve actors that not only treat C&DW, but also 
public works waste (roads). The building sector generates 19% of the waste generated by building and public works, according 
to the French Ministry of Ecological Transition19. To account for this volume of waste, 81% of the total volume treated were 
deducted for activities related to public works waste. Figure 4 provides an overview of the different steps took to estimate the 
total treatment capacity of demolition waste by actors of the LEM. 
 
Figure 4. Overall methodology for total treatment capacity estimate 

Source: Author’s elaboration 
 
 

5. Results 
This methodology allows to examine the data pertaining to the selective deconstruction value chain in LEM. Table 2 presents 

an overview of the value chain's scope in terms of the number of establishments, employment figures, annual worked hours, 
and total net payroll, which surpasses 218 million euros. Total gross payroll was calculated using the conversion ratio provided 
by the French Ministry of Labour, Full Employment and Inclusion20. 

 
Table 2. General data on the selective deconstruction value chain in Lille European Metropolis 

Actors in the 
value chain 

Number of 
establishments 

(LEM) 

Number of 
employees (mean of 

employment size 
ranges) 

Total annual 
worked hours 

Total net payroll 
(€) 

Total gross 
payroll 

(€) 

Construction and 
demolition 
companies 448 2 485 3 278 215 47 312 909 80 431 945 

Waste collection 
and treatment 

companies 254 4 162 6 124 887 87 274 754 148 367 081 
Outlet industries 90 2 990 4 335 500 73 311 810 124 630 077 

Social and 
solidarity 
economy 10 489 709 050 10 101 793 17 173 048 

Total 802 10 126 14 447 651 218 001 266 370 602 152 
Source: Author’s elaboration, based on data of SIRENE and DADS databases established by the French Institut National de 
la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques (INSEE) 

 
As a basis of comparison, Eurostat data are referred to, and more specifically the wages and salaries by NACE Rev. 2 activity 

data. It provides data concerning the mean wages and salaries annually earned by a full-time employee, per activity. As shown 

 
[19] Source: https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/dechets-du-batiment 
[20] This ratio is 1.7. Source: https://code.travail.gouv.fr/ 



  
 

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26 

in Table 3, NACE Rev. 2 activities corresponding with the four groups of actors in the value chain were selected. The number 
of employees working in LEM establishments (Table 2) was then used to calculate the total gross payroll, which is in total very 
similar with the one calculated with INSEE data, with only 1.5% of variation. This similarity demonstrates the reproducibility 
of this method, and this finding suggests that it can be applied to other European regions as well. 

 
Table 3. Comparison between total payrolls calculated with Eurostat and INSEE data 

Actors in the 
value chain 

NACE Rev. 2 
activities 

Corresponding NAF 
activities 

Mean wages and 
salaries, per 

employee in full-
time equivalents, 

per year 

Total gross 
payroll in € 
(Eurostat) 

Total gross 
payroll in € 

(INSEE) 

Construction 
and 

demolition 
companies 

[F41] Construction of 
buildings 
[F43] Specialised 
construction activities 

43.11Z 
43.12A 
43.12B 

43.99C 
43.99D 

38 323 95 233 897 80 431 945 
Waste 

collection 
and 

treatment 
companies 

[E38] Waste 
collection, treatment 
and disposal activities; 
materials recovery 

38.11Z 
38.12Z 
38.21Z 
38.22Z 
38.31Z 
38.32Z 

39.00Z 
08.12Z 
46.72Z 
46.73A 
46.77Z 

34 688 144 371 456 148 367 081 

Outlet 
industries 

[C] Manufacturing 13.93Z 
20.16Z  
20.30Z 
22.21Z 
22.22Z 
22.23Z 
22.29A 

22.29B 
23.51Z 
23.99Z 
24.42Z 
24.45Z 
42.11Z 
42.99Z 41 727 124 763 730 124 630 077 

Social and 
solidarity 
economy 

[Q88] Social work 
activities without 
accommodation 

82.99Z 
85.59A 
88.10C 

88.99A 
88.99B 

24 129 11 799 081 17 173 048 
Total 376 168 164 370 602 152 

Source: Eurostat, Labour cost, wages and salaries (including apprentices) by NACE Rev. 2 activity, online data code: 
LC_NCOSTOT_R2 

 
The methodology described in the previous section allows to estimate the DRTCR of the LEM’s value chain. It must be 

taken into consideration that the same resources can be handled by different stakeholders. three groups have been defined and 
correspond to the main stages of C&DW-M: after having been removed from a building by workers of a first company, workers 
of a second one can transport them to a treatment center ran by a third one. To avoid counting operations concerning the same 
resources multiple times, value chain’s stakeholders are divided into three different groups. As shown in Table 4, Group A 
consists of stakeholders whose labour force works directly on building sites, Group B includes stakeholders involved in resource 
collection and treatment, and Group C comprises stakeholders engaged in resource reselling (46.72Z, 46.73A, 46.77Z), mineral 
waste recovery (08.12Z), and public works and construction activities that are not primarily focused on waste management and 
treatment but may involve it as part of the construction process (43.12A, 43.12B, 43.99C, 43.99D). These stakeholders (group 
C) are integrated in the selective deconstruction value chain because, even if they generally use new or “virgin” products, 
equipment and materials, they might be able to reintroduce resources generated, collected and treated by the two other groups, 
in a complete circular economy which closes a large number of loops into the building industry. Thus, they are here considered 
as “stakeholders closing loops for building industry”. 
 
 



  
 

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27 

Table 4. Stakeholders’ distribution according to the order of resources’ handling 
Group A 

Resources generation from selective 
deconstruction 

Group B 
Resources collection and treatment 

Group C 
Stakeholders closing loops for building 

industry 
43.11Z – Demolition 
38.12Z – Collection of hazardous 
waste 
38.31Z – Dismantling of wrecks 
39.00Z – Remediation activities and 
other waste management services 

38.11Z – Collection of non-hazardous 
waste 
38.21Z – Treatment and disposal of 
non-hazardous waste 
38.22Z – Treatment and disposal of 
hazardous waste 
38.32Z – Recovery of sorted materials 

43.12A – Levelling and grading of 
construction sites 
43.12B – Site preparation 
43.99C – General masonry and 
structural work 
43.99D – Other specialised 
construction activities 
08.12Z – Operation of gravel and sand 
pits; mining of clays and kaolin 
46.72Z – Wholesale of metals and 
metal ores 
46.73A – Wholesale of wood and 
construction materials 
46.77Z – Wholesale of waste and scrap 

Source: Author’s elaboration 
 

The results are presented in Figure 5, according to the two types of mass distribution that were used: the “EPR distribution” 
that concerns all waste of the building sector, and the “OPTIGEDE distribution” that is specific to demolition waste. While 
estimating average capacities per worked hour, based on the employment size ranges of ICPE establishments, the minimum, 
the average and the maximum of the size ranges were used, leading to a maximum, an average, and a minimum capacity. Those 
capacities were then applied to the employment size ranges of the actors established in LEM. The minimum, the average and 
the maximum of the size ranges were used. The results present the mean and the standard deviation of the metropolitan actors, 
for the minimum (Min), the average (Ave) and the maximum (Max) capacities.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



  
 

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28 

Figure 5. Annual DRTCR of LEM’s actors 

 
Source: Author’s elaboration 

 
Although the results obtained using the two mass distributions are similar in magnitude, there are still noticeable differences, 

especially for group C. On average, the estimated DRTCR for this group ranges from 450kt when using OPTIGEDE to 600kt 
when using EPR. The reason for this is the difference in the methodology underlying those distributions. The OPTIGEDE 
distribution relies on legal declarations of waste and materials generated specifically by demolition sites. On the other hand, 
the EPR distribution considers both C&DW, and is based on macro-estimates at the national level. Group C comprises 
stakeholders whose activities are not directly related to demolition waste management, but rather to public works and 
construction. Therefore, it is not surprising that their capacity, as estimated from OPTIGEDE, is significantly lower than the 
one estimated from EPR.  
 
 

6. Discussion 
To contextualise the results, the volume of demolition waste generated in the LEM area can be estimated using national data 

on a per capita basis, since there are no official data at the metropolitan level.  The waste produced by the construction industry 
is divided into two main sectors: the building sector and public works. In France, according to the French Ministry of Ecological 
Transition21, public works represents 80% of the total waste volume, which amounts to 224 million tons. Within the building 
sector, waste generation is divided between demolition (49%), building renovation (38%), and new construction (13%). 

 
[21] Source: https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/dechets-du-batiment 



  
 

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29 

However, it's important to note that these values may not include preliminary demolition, which is often part of construction 
sites. In France, construction sites can be declared without including this preliminary deconstruction. Therefore, a detailed 
analysis of each site can provide a more accurate view of waste distribution in the sector. Nevertheless, those figures allow to 
estimate the volume of demolition waste generated in LEM. The French building sector produces a yearly total of 46 million 
tons of waste, out of which 49% is generated by demolition, amounting to 22.5 million tons. The population of LEM was 1.17 
million according to the 2018 census, which represents 1.75% of the total French population of 67.16 million in the same year. 
Applying this percentage to the national volume of demolition waste yields an estimate of 394,105 tons of waste at the 
metropolitan level, as shown in Figure 5.  

The average DRTCR of the group B, which comprises stakeholders involved in resource collection and treatment, is 
approximately 200kt. According to the methodology proposed here, metropolitan waste collection and treatment actors (group 
B), even under the assumption of a maximum capacity, are unable to provide the LEM area a sufficient capacity to manage this 
volume of resources. This result is even clearer for group A, that comprises demolition companies, collection of hazardous 
waste and remediation activities. With an average DRTCR of 38kt (EPR distribution) to 61kt (OPTIGEDE distribution), the 
study shows that stakeholders established in LEM have not a sufficient capacity to take charge of all deconstruction works of 
the area. Thus, results showed that most of deconstruction sites, as well as transport and treatment of generated waste, are taken 
into charge by actors operating in LEM but established outside its geographical area (activities related to Group A and Group 
B). 

Group C presents a much higher DRTCR, with an average of 450kt to 600kt depending on the distribution used. The 
stakeholders it comprises have the potential to reintroduce the resources processed by the two other groups in the building 
industry. Indeed, resources management and treatment may already be part of their activities. For example, levelling and 
grading of construction sites may involve the removal and disposal of soil and other resources, and masonry and structural 
work may involve the handling and disposal of construction debris. That is why, without any new infrastructures dedicated to 
C&DW-M, they might help closing the gap identified between the estimated volume of demolition waste and the DRTCR of 
the group B. Otherwise, the gap pointed out here suggests that a large proportion of deconstruction resources – about half of 
them according to the estimates of this study – is treated by actors established outside the LEM area. Based on these findings, 
the DRTCR could be a relevant indicator to help decision makers in regional communities supporting the implementation of 
new relevant activities of C&DW-M. 

The results presented above apply to all materials, and it is proposed to analyse if the DRTCR remains relevant when 
focussing on each material individually. This is especially significant given that France's establishment of the EPR system has 
already set objectives for specific materials. The decree of 10 June 2022, which relates to the No-Waste for a Circular Economy 
law and concerns the extended producer responsibility for construction materials, states that the recycling rates for wood, 
plaster, plastic, and glass should be raised by 2027 to 45%, 37%, 24%, and 18%, respectively (while they are currently at 41%, 
16%, 17% and 3%, respectively). Group B capacities mainly concerns treatment and recycling of these materials. To achieve 
these recycling objectives, the hypothesis is that these materials are selectively deconstructed, collected, and processed 
individually before being recycled. Since the legislation focuses on these specific materials, let’s examine the DRTCR of the 
LEM for these flows. 

Using both EPR and OPTIGEDE distributions, the respective shares of wood, plaster, plastic and glass were imputed to the 
estimate built above of 394,105 tons of demolition waste generated in the LEM area. The resulting volumes are compared, in 
Table 5, with the DRTCR of groups B, for each considered material flow. The capacity rates presented in these tables represent 
this DRTCR, in comparison with the estimated volumes of materials generated in LEM. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



  
 

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30 

Table 5. DRTCR for specific material flows focused by French legislation 

Distribution Material 
Share in the 

material mass 
distribution22 

Estimated 
volume 

generated in 
LEM (in tons) 

Volumes to be 
recycled 

according to 
fixed objectives  

Annual 
DRTCR 
(in tons) 

Capacity rate  
(± standard deviation) 

EPR 

Wood 4.9% 19 311 8 690 2 586 30%  ±9% 
Plaster 0.3% 1 182 437 69 16% ±4.7% 
Plastic 0.4% 1 576 378 65 17% ±5% 
Glass 0.4% 1 576 284 14 4.8% ±1.5% 

OPTIGEDE 

Wood 1.11% 4 375 1 969 497 25%  ±7.6% 
Plaster 0.24% 946 350 5.7 1.6% ±0.5% 
Plastic 0.04% 79 19 7.7 40% ±12% 
Glass 0.02% 158 28 0.5 2% ±0.6% 

Source: Author’s elaboration 
 

Since this pertains to specific materials flows, the differences between the results obtained are more noticeable, primarily 
due to the weight discrepancy provided based on the mass distributions. Table 5 shows that this discrepancy ranges from 1 to 
10 for plastic and 1 to 20 for glass. Beyond these differences, it was found that the DRTCR of LEM’s actors does not match 
any of the volumes to be recycled according to the objectives set by legislation. Using the EPR distribution, the capacity rate 
ranges from 4.8% for glass, to 30% for wood. With the OPTIGEDE distribution, this rate ranges from 1.6% for plaster, to 40% 
for plastic. Those results highlight significant gaps in comparison to the volumes that need to be treated, indicating the need for 
a substantial additional capacity. But since there are large differences in the volumes and capacity rates between EPR and 
OPTIGEDE distributions, those results for specific flows should be viewed with caution and shall not be considered as a 
truthfully representation of the actual capacity of LEM’s actors.  

The results obtained for these flows, as well as those for all material flows, indicate that there is still a significant gap in 
comparison to the volumes generated in LEM, indicating the need for a substantial additional capacity to meet the circular 
economy (CE) targets. This suggests once again that a large portion of the demolition waste generated in the metropolis might 
have to be treated outside its geographical area, which could result in increased transport emissions. In this regard, developing 
a selective deconstruction value chain sustainably and at a local scale seems crucial. Coordination between value chain 
stakeholders is essential, but it may not be enough to address the significant challenges of CE. Public actors and private 
stakeholders might need to invest in new waste treatment infrastructures to meet the targets set by the regulatory framework. 
While this investment may seem like a constraint due to the climate emergency, it presents an economic opportunity for the 
metropolitan area to create thousands of new jobs that are unlikely to be relocated. 

 
 

7. Conclusion 
The focus of this article has been on the role of selective deconstruction, a key but not yet automatic lever for implementing 

CE in the C&D sector. This method has the potential to significantly increase waste treatment, reuse, and recycling ratios, 
thanks to its ability to better divide material flows. However, to achieve this, it requires the involvement of multiple stakeholders 
across the selective deconstruction value chain, and not just the method itself. The first goal of this article was to provide a 
replicable and comprehensive methodology for identifying these stakeholders, which relies on the statistical classification of 
economic activities. The reproducibility of this method makes it a promising tool for future research in other French regions 
and, with sufficient time and resources, in other European areas as well. In fact, the comparison with Eurostat data revealed 
very similar results, indicating that the method can be effectively applied to other regions. 

 
[22] The share of plaste ris the sum of "Gypsum plasterboards and planks", “Inert matrix with plaster" and "Insulation composite with 

plaster". The share os wood is the sum of "Untreated wood" and "Slightly adjuvanted wood". 



  
 

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31 

This methodology was applied to the area of LEM, allowing to identify the stakeholders involved in the selective 
deconstruction value chain and to assess their capacity to treat materials and waste from deconstruction. The analysis conducted 
in this study showed that LEM, with approximately 10 000 employees in the sector, has a significant potential for CE 
development. It was found that the three groups of stakeholders comprising the selective deconstruction value chain, has an 
average DRTCR of around 50kt for group A (resources generation from selective deconstruction), 200kt for group B (resources 
collection and treatment), and 450kt to 600kt for group C (stakeholders closing loops for building industry). Taking into 
consideration that LEM has an estimated volume of demolition waste of 400kt, the highlights the need to develop the value 
chain, especially by involving stakeholders of group C. Similarly, looking at specific materials flows that have been focused 
by legislation, the results show that the current capacity may not be sufficient to achieve the CE strategy and its objectives.  

However, the DRTCR's reliability at this level of granularity is questionable, as the results showed significant differences 
depending on the mass distribution used. Although the DRTCR built in this paper is a good indicator at the scale of all material 
flows, there is still some work to be done to make it truly relevant at a finer level of granularity, flow by flow. This work could 
benefit greatly from improved waste traceability, that could provide more precise and accurate data to support the DRTCR’s 
calculations. In this regard, the implementation of the EPR for construction materials may help. Indeed, producer responsibility 
organizations responsible for this implementation are obligated to ensure an effective traceability of the waste they process. 

The findings of this study have significant implications for the economic and environmental sustainability of LEM, and by 
extension, other urban areas that face similar challenges in managing C&D waste. By adopting CE strategies, LEM can reduce 
its dependence on virgin materials, create new jobs that cannot be outsourced, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 
Nonetheless, the development of local waste recovery economic sectors and infrastructures still requires a great deal of effort. 
The methodology presented in this article aimed to steer public policy towards more sustainable resource use and management, 
by highlighting what still need to be done. The implementation of CE and the attainment of objectives hinge indeed on the 
involvement of all actors in the value chain, as well as the support of public authorities. 

 

Acknowledgments 
The research presented in this paper has been funded by Lille European Metropolis and I-Site, as part of the industrial chair 

« RECONVERT ». Url: https://reconvert.wp.imt.fr/  



  
 

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32 

Appendices 
Appendix 1. Detailed materials mass distributions used 

Materials EPR distribution OPTIGEDE distribution 
Bituminous mixtures - 0.79% 
Unpolluted soil 7.6% 0.19% 
Concrete and stones 37.2% 70.9% 
Tiles and bricks 7.6% 1.81% 
Ceramic - 0.26% 
Glass without joinery 0.4% 0.02% 
Mixed inert waste 22.9% 16.7% 
Others inert waste - 1.22% 
Gypsum plasterboards and planks 1.3% 0.06% 
Inert matrix with plaster - 0.13% 
Insulation composite with plaster - 0.05% 
Untreated wood 4.9% 0.72% 
Slightly adjuvanted wood - 0.39% 
Windows and other glazed openings - 0.01% 
Metals 6.6% 2.87% 
Plastics 0.5% 0.04% 
Minerals wools 0.5% 0.06% 
Biosourced insulation - 0.01% 
Other insulating materials - 0.42% 
Waterproofing complex not containing tar - 0.02% 
Floor coverings - 0.04% 
Non-hazardous waste electrical and electronic equipment - 0.01% 
Mixed non-hazardous waste 7.4% 1.27% 
Plants - 0.03% 
Topsoil - 0.05% 
Other non-hazardous non-inert waste 0.2% 0.4% 
Asbestos bound to inert materials 1.2% 0.44% 
Other types of bound asbestos - 0.05% 
Friable asbestos - 0.1% 
Bituminous mixtures containing tar - 0.05% 
Waterproofing complex not containing tar - 0.001% 
Paints containing dangerous substances - 0.001% 
Wood treated with dangerous substances 0.03% 0.04% 
Equipment containing dangerous refrigerant fluids - 0.001% 
Lights - 0.003% 
Other waste electrical and electronic equipment containing 
dangerous substances 0.4% 0.01% 

Soil containing dangerous substances - 0.57% 
Other hazardous waste 1.1% 0.31% 

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