The construction industry is one of the most resource-intensive industrial sectors worldwide. In Germany alone, 550 million tonnes of mineral raw materials are used in construction every year. This is equivalent to 85 percent of the entire domestic extraction. The annual use of structural steel (5.5 million tonnes) and cement (28 million tonnes) is also considerable. This leads to the fact that the building stock in Germany now comprises an estimated 100 billion tonnes of material. 192 million tonnes is taken out of the building sector in construction and demolition waste – equivalent to 54 percent of the total waste produced in Germany. At the same time, this enormous raw material deployment contains huge saving potentials and this why the construction industry plays a key role in the implementation of resource efficiency.

More information about resource efficiency in the construction industry: www.resource-germany.com/topics/construction-industry

Videos focusing on the construction industry

Generate energy from waste water – sewage systems in hospitals

Resource efficiency in the University Hospital Freiburg in Germany

Recycling concrete

Heating and climate in the operating room

Energy efficient lifts