CircularBioMaterials

Starting point / motivation

The construction industry is one of the largest emitters of CO2 and is responsible for 75% of waste in Austria. Cement production alone is responsible for about 10% of CO2 emissions, three times more than global air traffic. According to the EDM portal of the Federal Environment Agency, 75 % of Austria's total waste comes from production residues and construction waste.

Currently, 30 % of these waste materials are unused and landfilled. Mineral and biogenic raw material extraction and disposal in landfills at the end of their life cycle significantly harm biodiversity, whose planetary limits have already been exceeded, so species extinction is a bigger problem than climate change. Due to population growth, the construction volume will double in the next 30 years.

Many see timber construction as the solution. But how many times in recent history have the forests of Central Europe been cut down? The last time this happened was during the industrial revolution. Depending on the product, the production of wood products can result in large amounts of waste, up to 50- 60 % in the case of solid wood furniture.

In Austria, 1.2 million tonnes of wood waste are produced each year. More than 40 % is thermally recycled, whereby 10-20 %, i.e., 200,000 t, consists of fine dust, which producers cannot use in chipboard production. Many chipboards consist of synthetic adhesives that make recycling impossible. The thermal utilisation of organic materials for energy generation could be more efficient.

Content and goals / Methods

The company ParaStruct GmbH develops technologies for the circular economy in the construction industry. Through new manufacturing technologies and binders, we can harness various inorganic and organic particulate materials, such as wood dust, sawdust, etc. and give them value. With this exploratory study, we want to investigate the possible applications of these sustainable, recyclable building materials in different construction industry sectors.

Expected results

For the investigation, we make samples from different organic residual materials, from wood and preferably from C4 plants such as hemp and maise. With the product samples and the resulting material characteristics, we want to investigate application cases and test them for usability with other stakeholders. With the help of questionnaires, individual interviews, and case studies, we want to collect the data necessary for decision-making.

Project management

ParaStruct GmbH

ParaStruct GmbH
Speckbacherstraße 39/8
A-6020 Innsbruck
Tel.: +43 (664) 310 42 21
E-Mail: Breitenberger@parastruct.org
Web: https://www.parastruct.org/