Utilization of concrete waste
Last updated: 18.09.2023Small amounts of clean concrete and brick waste can be used in land construction under environmental protection regulations. Earth construction site refers to fairways, fields, ramparts and their structural layers, as well as the foundations of industrial and warehouse buildings. According to Hollola's environmental protection regulations, small-scale utilization of concrete and brick waste must be reported to the municipality's environmental control.
Utilization must not cause environmental pollution. The conditions given in the environmental protection regulations for the small-scale utilization of crushed concrete are:
- the material does not contain substances harmful to the environment or health, and does not cause any other harm or danger to the environment
- the material does not contain concrete steel (concrete waste)
- the material is crushed or powdered to suit the purpose of use
- the location is not in a groundwater area and the distance to the well is at least 30 meters
- the structural layer containing the waste is covered or coated with clean soil
- the placement of waste requires the approval of the property owner and occupier
The utilization must be reported to the municipality's environmental control at least 30 days before procedure.
The notification is delivered to the registry office. It can be free-form and must present:
- Name and contact information of the informant
- place of utilization (location map, address and real estate registration number as well as site plan or similar, which shows the exact place of utilization of the waste on the property)
- planned time of utilization
- amount of concrete and brick waste (in tons)
- purpose of concrete and brick waste (road bed, yard, field, other (what?))
- structural drawing or description
- origin of concrete waste (waste donor and location)
- research certificate on the suitability of the waste for land construction (Government Decree on the utilization of certain wastes in land construction, so-called MARA Decree 843/2017)
- information about domestic water wells located near the utilization site
- written consent of the property owner/owners to utilize concrete waste, if the notifier is not the owner of the property or the notification concerns properties of several different owners
Based on the notification, the environmental control assesses whether the project can be implemented as a small-scale utilization in accordance with the environmental protection regulations, or whether it falls within the scope of the MARA regulation (843/2017) or whether it needs an environmental permit. An environmental permit is always required to utilize crushed concrete in the groundwater area. In the small-scale utilization of concrete waste, the conditions given in the MARA regulation apply where applicable (for example, layer thicknesses, concentrations of harmful substances, etc.)
In September 2022, the so-called Zero Waste (EEJ) regulation entered into force. The regulation applies to a manufacturer who has an environmental permit for crushing concrete waste or whose operation crushes concrete waste pursuant to the Government Decree (858/2018) on the environmental protection requirements of fixed concrete plants and concrete product factories. The regulation defines the evaluation criteria for how concrete classified as waste ceases to exist waste i.e. can be redefined as a product. This EEJ concrete can be used like any similar concrete product or concrete raw material.