Waste from building and construction
Updated: 13 December 2023
Next update: 12 December 2024
| 2022 | 2021 - 2022 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Tonnes | Part | Change in per cent | |
| Total, construction activity | 2 111 120 | 100.0 | 15.9 |
| Construction | 641 535 | 30.4 | 8.3 |
| Rehabilitation | 566 200 | 26.8 | 21.3 |
| Demolition | 903 385 | 42.8 | 18.4 |
More figures from this statistics
About the statistics
The purpose of the statistics is to provide annual, national figures for waste from construction activities, material distribution and waste treatment. The statistics are used directly in the waste accounts for Norway, and for international reporting (EU).
The information under «About the statistics» was last updated 22 June 2021.
Waste means discarded personal property or substances. Waste also includes movable objects and substances from services, production and treatment plants, etc. Wastewater and exhaust fumes are not considered waste.
Household waste includes waste from private households, including larger objects such as furniture etc.
Industrial waste is waste from companies (both private and public) and institutions.
Hazardous waste is waste that cannot be treated appropriately with other household or industrial waste due to its size or because it can cause serious pollution or risk of injury to humans or animals.
Waste from building and construction
Nature and the environment
Division for Energy, Environmental and Transport Statistics
Whole Country
Yearly
The statistics contributes to complete the waste accounts of Norway, which provides basis for reporting to Eurostat in accordance with Forordningen for avfallsstatistikk (EC 2150/2002)
Raw data from respondents and the basis for calculation of factors stored on Linux. Calculations are stored in Excel and SAS programs.
The purpose of statistics is to provide annual , national figures for waste from construction activities , material distribution and waste treatment . The statistics also helps to complete waste accounts for Norway .
The survey of waste from construction activities was initiated as a pilot project in 1998. In 1999 started the project "Establishment of statistics of construction waste" as documented in the report Bygg- og anleggsavfall (in Norwegian only).
Construction activities annually produces large amounts of waste. The quantities in question are dependent on buisness prospects. In addition to new construction, renovation and demolition also generates waste. The composition of the waste depend on the materials used in buildings, and much of the waste is concrete, brick and wood.
The statistics are used directly in the waste accounts , and for international reporting (EU). The statistics are used for assessment of waste measures taken by the Environmental agencies and when making waste management plans in municipalities. In addition, the statistics of the manufacturing industries, the waste industry, media and the public.
The statistics are related to the Waste Accounts. The waste accounts are compiled from a number of sources, including this statistics. However, the figures for the individual types of waste are somewhat higher in the waste accounts than in these statistics. This is because the waste accounts use results from sorting analyzes to distribute the mixed waste on the different types of material. This means that the quantities for waste specified on the individual materials are generally somewhat higher in the waste accounts than in this statistics. Correspondingly, the amount of mixed waste in the waste accounts is lower, and is included in the category other materials.
The statistics include waste as defined in the pollution law §27
Waste from the building and construction sector can in principle be defined with regard to industry or activity. In previous projects over waste calculations, both definitions have been used: Waste from construction includes all waste that arises from industries 41, 42 and 43. This includes ordinary waste and hazardous waste. Waste from building and construction activity is waste that arises in connection with the activity itself, regardless of who performs it. For example, private homeowners will be able to produce construction and demolition waste in addition to the construction industry. This statistic has been based on building and construction activity. The amounts of waste presented here are therefore linked to the activity itself, and not who performs it.
For waste from rehabilitation, we still do not get the waste that arises when people rehabilitate buildings on their own, without going through registered companies. Rehabilitation is basically more extensive than renovation. During rehabilitation, there is a combination of demolition and construction. Renovation is related to necessary repairs and maintenance without the building changing character or function. Waste from such repairs and maintenance, carried out by companies, has nevertheless been included in the rehabilitation figures.
Waste quantities related to activity and building type: Information on generated quantities of waste and the handling of this is obtained from final reports that are sent to the municipalities in connection with the application for a completion certificate. The final reports contain information on the type of measures (new construction, rehabilitation or demolition), the type of building, the number of square meters affected (BRA) and the quantities of waste generated by type of waste. They also contain information on whether the waste has been sent to an approved waste facility or directly for reuse or recycling.
The regulations on waste plans and final reports apply to waste from construction activities. This survey only includes waste from construction, rehabilitation and demolition, as it is essentially final reports from such activities that have been obtained.
The amount of hazardous waste is extracted from Statistics Norway's basic database, which contains information on the amount of hazardous waste generated in connection with the industry in which it has been generated.
Area: This size is retrieved from various registers. Statistics Norway compiles building area statistics for new construction. These statistics provide a measure of how many square meters are built by different building types. The activity within rehabilitation is calculated on the basis of Statistics Norway's statistics on investments in rehabilitation / repair / maintenance in relation to investments in new construction. Using these auxiliary statistics, a rehabilitated area has been calculated. The demolition activity is taken from the Land Registry. The figures that appear on the demolished area may be characterized by a certain amount of uncertainty.
For the counting years 2009 and 2010, the survey was sent to all municipalities in Norway.
Calculation methods:
m- type of waste fraction (concrete, glass, etc.)
a - type of activity (new construction, rehabilitation and demolition)
b - type of building (small residential buildings, large residential buildings, commercial buildings, other buildings)
We will calculate total amounts of waste and introduce:
Y m, a, b - total amount of waste of type m of activity type a and for building type b
ß m, a, b - amount of waste per square meter of type m of activity type a and for building type b
X a, b - number of square meters of activity type a and for building type b
The relationship is given by the formula: (1) Y m, a, b = ß m, a, b * X a, b
The factors (ß) express an expected amount of waste per area. These are calculated on the basis of waste quantities for several construction projects. The construction projects are divided according to activity (new construction, rehabilitation and demolition) and within each activity they are divided according to building type. From this material, an average of the expected amount of waste per area is obtained divided into different waste fractions. The area is used as a measure of the activity. This size is retrieved from various registers. With regard to new construction, Statistics Norway compiles building area statistics. These statistics provide a measure of how many square meters are built by different building types.
The activity within rehabilitation is calculated on the basis of Statistics Norway's statistics on investments in rehabilitation / repair / maintenance in relation to investments in new construction. Using these auxiliary statistics, a rehabilitated area has been calculated. The demolition activity is taken from the Land Registry. It must be registered when a house is demolished, but the figures that appear on the demolished area are characterized by a certain uncertainty.
It is a prerequisite that the factors and activity data are consistent. This means that the factors must be calculated with the same area target (usable area) as the activity and they must be calculated on the basis of the same activity types as the activity data describe.
The method chosen requires that factors be prepared that show the amounts of waste that arise per area during the various activities. These factors should be based on waste from many construction projects, in order to calculate an average that can be used for all activity throughout the country.
Not relevant
The basic figures are used to create factors which are then used to calculate the amount of waste for the whole country. Confidential information will therefore not be readable from the finished statistics
Statistics have been produced for waste from construction activities for the counting years 1998 and 2004. The coverage ratio for the counting years from and including 2009 has been improved through a larger selection of final reports which form the basis for calculating factors for how much waste is generated per square meter.
Errors in the basic data can occur as a result of the respondents reporting data with errors and omissions. This could result in errors in waste quantities for one or more types of waste.
Dropouts are due to a lack of answers from some of the respondents.
Data are obtained from the form Waste plan and final report which is sent to the municipality in connection with the application for a certificate of completion. The regulatory requirement for submission of a final report applies to:
a) construction, extension, extension and substructure of a building if the measure exceeds 300 m 2 BRA
b) significant change, including facade change, or significant repair of a building if the measure affects a part of the building that exceeds 100 m 2 BRA
c) demolition of a building or part of a building that exceeds 100 m 2 BRA
d) construction, extension, extension, substructure, alteration or demolition of structures and facilities if the measure generates more than 10 tonnes of construction and demolition waste.
Based on the reported data, factors are calculated for how much waste is generated per square meter, divided into different building types and types of activity. It is assumed that the error that occurs when the final reports do not include all activity constitutes a error in the statistics.
Not relevant
