Reincarnate
Innovative solutionsfor a greenerconstruction industry
Reincarnation, also known as rebirth, transmigration or resurrection, refers to the belief that the soul, after the body’s death, returns to life in another body or form.
In Buddhism, this new life is determined by the actions carried out in previous lives.
In Reincarnate, we aim to develop the technical and social means to give new opportunities to buildings, construction products and materials — thus maximising their life cycle and determining if they are suitable for reuse.
Increasing the utilization of construction and demolition waste and the reuse of high-quality construction products.
Creating new value chains and sustainable business models for a green EU industry.
Reducing CO2 emissions and increasing the independence of the EU construction market in the international market for construction products and materials.
The challengeswe face
Construction and demolition waste (CDW) can be generated from the construction, maintenance, renovation, and demolition of houses, buildings, bridges and other types of structures.
The average lifespan of a building is 39 years — in Europe, it is only 25-30 years — and the main reason for demolition is obsolescence. This is why there is a large amount of CDW — representing approximately 25-30% of all waste in Europe —, in addition to that generated in current construction works.
The recycling rate for CDW is relatively high (above 75%). This activity generated $126.89 billion in 2019 — Europe contributed the largest share, almost two-fifths of the total global market — and is projected to reach $149.19 billion by 2027. Unfortunately, however, many of the most valuable materials in CDW cannot be meaningfully separated and end up in landfills.
This helps to get an idea of the efficiency potential for climate neutrality that exists in the construction industry.
...and how we areaddressing them
At Reincarnate, we will advance circular economy practices in the building sector, feeding a closed cycle of extended use, reuse, and recycling.
How? Through innovations that will significantly reduce its emissions footprint and enable life cycle extension, reuse and recycling of construction products and materials.
The CP-IM will provide a digital representation of building materials and products with information on their life cycle. It will also allow assessing their potential for life extension and reuse, as well as predicting circular value streams.
From solutions for building inspection to construction and dismantling planning, and identification and classification of CDW — these innovations will draw upon emerging digital technologies, such as digital twin representation, artificial intelligence, and robotic automation.
They will allow establishing the circular markets and value streams required, as well as understanding how to encourage widespread adoption of CDW reduction technologies and processes — so that change not only impacts specific organizations but also occurs at the societal level.
We will also develop business process guidelines and an e-learning platform to drive the dissemination and exploitation of the results of this ambitious research and innovation project.
All innovations will be demonstrated on eleven selected real-world projects and value chains (demonstrators).
Thesesolutions will
50%
Facilitate the collection and tracking of information on construction and demolition waste, making it possible to reuse what would otherwise be considered waste by 50%.
80%
Reduce construction and demolition waste by 80%.
The team behind Reincarnate
To achieve our goals, 16 multidisciplinary organizations from 8 countries will be working collaboratively for 48 months.
16
organizations
8
countries
48
months
1
team
From Spain to Hong Kong — and from SMEs to non-profits —, our diverse group brings together strong expertise in innovation projects.
It represents all actors in the construction industry value chain and has the key competencies to develop this ambitious project.
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Discover how research, innovation and technology enable us to accelerate green transformation and circularity in the construction sector.
