Reconstituted stone – a tangible illustration of a circular economy

A circular economy. Not just a new catchword but the only way forward towards a more sustainable way of life, wherein as opposed to a traditional linear economy with its make-use-dispose cycle, resources are utilised as fully and for as long as possible, the ensuing waste reclaimed and regenerated and manufactured as ‘new’ resources.

While the concept of recycling and reutilising waste in not new, we are at a point wherein the amount of waste generated by our country has become, to put it mildly, problematic. This is none the more evident than the monumental amount generated by our construction industry. If the latest data published by the NSO is anything to go by, then it is safe to say that 72% of waste generated is the product of this industry alone.

However, simply recognising the problem or paying lip service to the changes which need to be made is not enough. Reconstituted stone is a ‘new’ stone, regenerated from construction and demolition (C&D) waste, a sustainable alternative to limestone, bricks and concrete. It serves as means to reduce demand for natural resources and landfills, which in the current scenario has increased price levels and volatility, not to mention the environmental impact this entails.

Reconstituted stone is also envisaged to become the cheaper alternative to our valuable natural resource, at least once economies of scale enter into play with increased demand, with the concurrent reduction in the costs of the technologies being used as well as their increased efficiency also expected to contribute towards better pricing.

It is therefore immensely heartening to follow the visionary project led by Malta Industrial Parks Ltd, who together are supporting the University of Malta’s years of research into the creation of a cutting-edge raw material and its eventual prototyping and commercialisation, to be used and ultimately replace traditional resources in the construction industry.

Malta Industrial Parks Ltd is now taking this project one step further. In a very commendable effort, MIP intends to utilise blocks made from reconstituted stone as a requirement in one of its upcoming projects, thereby helping in creating market demand. It is also lobbying with the respective entities to encourage them to embark on green public procurement initiatives by including a similar requirement for all government projects.

In theory, all’s well and good but after centuries of using traditional quarried limestone, would reconstituted stone actually live up to the hype? Opportunely, according to results emanating from extensive testing, reconstituted stone can be stronger than existing concrete blocks; and it could also have an added property which the porous natural globigerina limestone cannot offer; water impermeability. In a country where building insulation is a constant issue, this is a huge redeeming factor for reconstituted stone to be utilised throughout all construction projects.

Nevertheless, current research into the manufacture of reconstituted stone states that is around 15%-20% more expensive to produce than bricks. At first glance it is quite a discouraging statistic indeed, however, one has to look at the bigger picture and evaluate the economic factor in a more holistic manner.

Notwithstanding, once you factor in current dumping charges for excavated waste, which stands at €16 per tonne excl. VAT plus the removal of other labour costs involved in the construction process (e.g. plastering), as well as its low-maintenance characteristics, to name just a few of this resource’s advantages, then the numbers will tip the scale in the opposite direction. This obviously, without taking into account that natural limestone extracted from our quarries is a finite resource and its demand will at some point outstrip supply, naturally pushing up the price substantially.

As things stand, we are currently throwing money at a recurrent problem which when considering the rate at which the construction industry is growing and evolving is creating no added value. The process of transforming construction and development waste into reconstituted stone will be giving an economic value to what is currently viewed only as unwanted waste, which obviously works out as an added expense for the end consumer. With the exception of the economic activity generated by the waste disposal process, the current scenario where construction and development waste is only disposed of in landfills is giving no positive contribution neither to the economy in general, nor to the main players of the construction industry.

Significant savings can be made for all those involved if the culture that waste can be treated as a resource is adopted by the parties concerned. Therefore, a change in mindset is way overdue. Recognising that excavated rock is a resource rather than a burden or cost is the way forward, notwithstanding the fact that excavated rock is only a part of the picture. Buildings are being demolished on a regular basis to give way to higher buildings that better maximise the land surface use. By applying the principles of the circular economy, both the excavated rock and the construction and development waste could be turned into reconstituted stone and reutilised, possibly on the same construction site with significant savings for the developer and/or contractors and ultimately the consumer.

On our part as a government we are doing our utmost to foster this mindset and facilitate the acceleration of this transition, acknowledging that it is essential to keep on investing in innovation and sustain research into such projects, as well as sound and efficient waste management systems which are an essential building block of a circular economy.

As a government, we are constantly vigilant, exploring the possibility of various incentives and measures which ultimately sustain such innovative initiatives, which will ultimately transform our economy into a more sustainable one, with all the benefits that this can bring about.