REMCO (reuse of construction materials) conducted by HEPIA and HEIG-VD of the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES SO) provides an overview of the reuse of construction materials in Western Switzerland over the past five years. It has identified around twenty construction sites where reused materials has been significantly implemented and has analysed in detail five case studies from a multi-criteria perspective of implementation, logistics, cost and environmental impact. The outcome of REMCO shows that reuse is still in its infancy in this area, and that despite its very interesting environmental benefits, it is only being implemented on a very limited scale. It also highlights that if cost may not be the main problem for the development of this practice, warranty issues still need to be addressed, and a common language has yet to be implemented to link offer and demand.
