Sika Joins Valdesc Project to Recycle Up to 40 Million Tons of C&D Waste

TITLE: Sika Joins Valdesc Project to Recycle Up to 40 Million Tons of C&D Waste
SLUG: sika-valdesc-cd-waste-recycling
EXCERPT: The initiative, funded by the Community of Madrid, aims to tackle complex non-petrous construction and demolition waste, promoting circular economy principles in the building industry.
CATEGORY: Architecture News
TAGS: Sika, Valdesc, Construction Waste, Recycling, Circular Economy, Community of Madrid, Tecnalia, Surge Ambiental, Cementos La Cruz
SEO_TITLE: Sika's Role in Valdesc Project for Large-Scale C&D Waste Recycling
SEO_DESCRIPTION: Discover how Sika is contributing to the Valdesc project, a significant initiative focused on recycling millions of tons of construction and demolition waste annually.
MEDIA_QUERY: Construction and demolition waste being processed at a recycling facility
IMAGE_ALT: Workers and machinery at a construction waste recycling plant

Sika is a key participant in the Valdesc initiative, a research and innovation project backed by the Community of Madrid. This ambitious project is dedicated to recycling between 35 and 40 million tons of construction and demolition waste (C&D waste) each year, with a particular emphasis on technically complex non-petrous materials.

A Strategic Alliance

The Valdesc alliance comprises 11 strategic partners, including Surge Ambiental, Tecnalia, Cementos La Cruz, and Sika. The project fosters public-private collaboration to address the circular economy challenges within the construction sector, specifically focusing on the processing of materials such as gypsum, technical plastics, and mineral wool insulation.

Addressing Complex Waste Streams

A primary focus of the Valdesc project is the management of C&D waste that presents significant technical challenges. Jaime Moreno, a researcher and project director at Tecnalia, highlighted the evolving goal: "The challenge is no longer just to recycle, but to prevent these materials from ending up in landfills due to their low density, heterogeneity, or the presence of contaminants, and to reintegrate them into the value chain with sufficient technical guarantees."

Moreno further explained the sheer scale of the issue: "Construction and demolition waste (C&D) is generated in volumes from 35 to 40 million tons annually. The real challenge lies in recycling complex technical non-petrous solutions, such as technical plastics, gypsum, or insulators like wool."

Podcast Insights

The advancements and complexities of the Valdesc project's design were recently discussed in the "Desafío 30/50" podcast. Participants included Cristina Valverde, Head of Concrete R&D at Sika Spain; Jaime Moreno, Researcher and Project Manager at Tecnalia; Juan Diego Berjón, Head of Waste Management Services at Surge Ambiental; and Pilar Hidalgo, Director of Innovation at Cementos La Cruz.

Transitioning to a Sustainable Future

The transition towards a climate-neutral built environment necessitates a fundamental shift in construction paradigms. This involves considering the entire lifecycle of a building, from initial design through to its end-of-life, with a strong emphasis on resource recovery, reuse, and valorization.

Project Valdesc aims to resolve these issues through an integrated approach that merges technological innovation, eco-design principles, and supply chain digitalization. The objective is to ensure a more consistent and traceable flow of materials.

Ensuring Market Viability

Juan Diego Berjón emphasized the project's role in connecting recyclers with end-users: "This program allows us to sit down with the final consumers of recycled products and specify exactly what they need from the materials, thus accelerating product commercialization." He added the importance of providing assurances: "To achieve this, we must be able to offer guarantees to companies like Sika that the quality of the product is uniform and the quantity is constant; the supply cannot be interrupted."

Operational and Logistical Shifts

From an operational and logistical standpoint, Belhoun pointed out the need for a paradigm shift to implement eco-design in new construction solutions and to plan for future demolitions.

Challenging Perceptions of Recycled Materials

Pilar Hidalgo addressed a common misconception: "the myth that construction materials made from recycled raw materials are of lower quality." She stated that strict process control can demonstrate that "materials based on C&D waste are not synonymous with low quality and can even surpass the performance of the original product." An example cited is the incorporation of crushed mineral wool into a decarbonized cement matrix.

The Role of Manufacturers

Manufacturers play a crucial role as facilitators in this multi-factorial mechanism, transforming complex waste into usable and economically viable products. Sika's contribution is horizontal, focusing on developing solutions with a low environmental impact and leveraging innovation to meet industry demands.

Cristina Valverde explained Sika's involvement: "At Sika, we are involved in many tasks and help provide different solutions; our role is to act as a facilitator for these processes in all these tasks, through grinding additives, cement enhancers, and water-reducing agents designed for each specific need."

Global Circularity Strategy

This circular strategy aligns directly with Sika's global initiatives, particularly the international Sika Circular Concrete movement. This movement aims to close the lifecycle of concrete and maximize the efficiency of secondary raw material usage worldwide.

Datos clave
| Aspecto | Detalle |
|—|—|
| Proyecto | Valdesc |
| Financiación | Comunidad de Madrid |
| Objetivo | Reciclaje de RCD complejos |
| Socios Clave | Sika, Tecnalia, Surge Ambiental, Cementos La Cruz |

The Valdesc project is significant for Paionia7's readership as it directly addresses the critical need for sustainable practices in the construction industry. By promoting the recycling of vast quantities of C&D waste, particularly challenging materials, it paves the way for a more circular economy in architecture and urban development. Sika's involvement highlights how leading companies are actively developing innovative solutions that reduce environmental impact and ensure the quality and reliability of recycled materials, which is crucial for the future of sustainable construction.

Fuente: estudioarquitectos.cl – https://estudioarquitectos.cl/2026/06/09/sika-participa-en-el-proyecto-valdesc-para-reciclar-hasta-40-millones-de-toneladas-de-rcd-listo-para-construir/

Datos clave