Project Information Sheet
Evolution of Continuous Production Technology and Transferable
Innovation for recycling of bituminous roofing felts (ECO-PROTECTION)
Programme area:
CIP Eco-innovation Pilot and market replication projects call 2008
Coordinator:
Partners:
Mr. W. J. van den Berg
Icopal, the Netherlands
nlwbe@icopal.com
+31(0)50-5516205
Esha Infra Solutions, the Netherlands
Website:
www.bielso.eu
Benefits
(max. 150
characters incl.
space):
The benefits of this project - a further market uptake of an innovative
recycling technique for old bituminous roofing felts – result from the
prevention of landfill or incineration of several kilotons of roofing waste
and because less virgin bitumen – an oil derivate - is needed. Those
benefits are

lower emissions of carbon dioxide and a better environment

a comparative and sustainable advantage for those companies
that will be involved in the project

less dependency on virgin bitumen and therefore on fossil oil
Keywords:
Sector:
Type of solution
Recycling, bitumen, roofing felts
F43.9 - Other specialised construction activities
Recycling of old roofing felts in stead of burning or landfill.
Duration:
Budget:
Contract number:
11/07/2009 – 10/01/2012
€ 1.844.645 (EU contribution: 39,23%)
Eco_08_238897
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Summary
Problem
In North-West Europe alone, 500 kilotons of bituminous waste – like old roofing felts- per year ends as landfill or in
cement ovens. This harms the environment.
Solution
Eco-roofing (Ecorec®), made up of recycled and virgin bitumen, can reduce the EU’s dependency on fossil oil and
resulting CO2 emissions. The new way of recycling is a continuous, non-waste technology with a possibility of a
local shredding unit combined with licensed technology. This creates a possibility for a widespread use across the
EU. It enables old roofing felts to be used as a resource for new roofing felts and other products. It has been
demonstrated in a LIFE co-funded project that this technology is a feasible alternative. The Eco-innovation project
is a follow up to generate a further market uptake in the EU.
The project
The project aimed at establishing at least three other bitumen recycling factories in the EU. By surveying the
market, demonstrating the results and publicising benefits, the project also seeked to increase take-up. Market
conditions like more expensive raw materials and increasing availability of recyclable bitumen, have been in the
project’s favour. Due to other less favourable market conditions, the project was not fully implemented.
Expected and/or achieved results
Increasing the level of Ecorec-products within the EU will lower the dependency on virgin bitumen and therefore on
fossil oil (bitumen is an oil derivative). This has an economical and social (regional employment) aspect but will
also result in lower emissions of carbon dioxide and a better environment because of the recycling – in stead of
landfill or incineration - of several kilotons of waste. Should the project succeed, there will be real environmental
benefits: the reduction in CO2 emissions of 1 square meter of Ecorec equals the CO2 emissions of a car, driving 1
kilometre. Added value can be realised because of increasing raw material (bitumen) prices combined with
increasing waste dumping fee (which enables Icopal the possibility to acquire less expensive 'second hand’ raw
material). The realisation, operation and maintenance of a ECO-PROTECTION-plant will result in a rise in
employment and bring about positive social impacts.
However, despite our hopes for the future, due to several reasons, it turned out to be quite challenging to conquer
the Dutch market, let alone to start the market uptake within the rest of the EU yet. This is caused by the
deterioration of the economic climate in general, as well as the market entry conditions in particular. Several market
entry conditions are not in favour of recycling of bituminous roofing felts and/ or the use of roofing felts with high
recycled content, like the relatively low gate fee at Dutch incinerating ovens combined with the banning of the tax
on dumping of this kind of waste compared to the costs of recycling. To put it otherwise, it’s more profitable for a
demolition or waste collecting company to not sort out the roofing waste and bring it directly to a dumping site or
incinerating oven in stead of separating the waste and bring it to a recycling factory. Recent contacts on this wih
the national government have been very promising and will probably result in a change of the minimum standard,
but it’s too late to improve the performance of the ECO INNOVATION project which ended at the 10 th of January
2012. Despite that, Icopal will continue to develop and assure the market uptake of the BiELSO recycling
technology tot the rest of Europe, because Icopal is convinced that recycling will become increasingly interesting
both from an economic as well as ecological point of view. But we need others as well:
We explicitly ask national & EU authorities to create a level playing field in terms of
recycling as minimum standard for bituminous roofing felts free of tar, asbestos and composites
tax levels for dumping (high), incinerating (moderate) and recycling (zero)
The information sheet will be published in the Eco-Innovation website. The EACI reserves the right to edit
the information sheet for content and length
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