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Increasing urbanization, excessive waste production, excessive consumption of material goods, and exploitation of natural resources. There are many factors that contribute to the environmental impact of humans on Planet Earth. Scarcity of raw materials and the use of non-renewable resources is already the reality of some locations, and nature can no longer reclaim renewables at the same pace as it is exploited. The impact of human activities is so remarkable that scientists have pointed out that we are living in the new geological age of the Anthropocene (the Greek word for “the recent age of man”). The construction industry in particular is a major resource consumer and waste generator. In the European Union, the construction and use of buildings represents about 50% of all resource extraction and energy consumption, and about one third of all water consumption. [1] In 2014, 52% of all waste was attributed to the construction sector. [2].
Discouraging as these facts may be, there are people who see them as potential sources of beneficial changes to the planet. We spoke with Annette Hillebrandt, who along with other authors developed the book Manual of Recycling: Buildings as Sources of Materials. In addition to compiling articles on the stated subject and stating examples of successful projects with recycled elements, the book is a comprehensive guide that provides detailed explanations of calculation methods and bidding trends involving the reuse of materials in construction. Anette points out that "Global raw material deposits have shifted their location. Many raw materials are no longer at their original source: they are bound up in new, anthropogenic structures, above all buildings.” It is this concept of “urban mining” that guides the book. To Anette, it is a matter of changing perceptions of the built stock of cities, viewing them as true mines of useful resources for future construction.
