HERACLES Group enters dynamically in the management of excavation, construction and demolition waste (ECDW)

We are driving the transition to sustainable construction with a major investment in the management of excavation, construction and demolition wastes.

HERACLES Group is announcing that it is joining the Collective ECDW Management System, PEDMEDE ECO. PEDMEDE ECO has been established by the Panhellenic Association of Engineers Contractors of Public Works (PEDMEDE). 

The geographical scope of PEDMEDE ECO extends to the regions of Attica, Thessaloniki, Achaia, Evia, Magnesia, Aitoloakarnania, Arcadia, Boeotia, Evros, Evritania, Ilia, Heraklion, Thira, Ioannina, Corfu, Kozani, Larissa, Pella, Rodopi, Sporades, Syros, Tinos, Trikala, Chania and Chios.

This investment is consistent with HERACLES Group's strategy on the implementation of the circular economy model in the construction sector. It is a strategic venture that gives new impetus to the management of ECDW with multiple environmental and social benefits, as rational management of construction waste saves natural resources and energy.

Excavation, construction and demolition wastes (ECDW) is one of the most “productive” waste sectors in the European Union (EU), producing approximately 850 million tonnes annually and accounting for 25-30% of the total wastes in the EU. They are produced during new constructions and total or partial demolition of buildings as well as infrastructure projects and road works in general. Therefore, ECDW consist of different construction materials (concrete, metals, glass, wood, bricks, plastics, asphalt, soil, plaster), many of which can be recycled. The recycling of ECDW has been set as a priority by the EU and is reflected in Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament. According to the same Directive, which was transposed into Greek law in 2010, all Member States must achieve a recycling rate of at least 70% by 2020.

Mr. Dimitris Chanis, HERACLES Group CEO, stated: “This cooperation is fully in line with the Group's “green” strategy, since ECDW management and reuse is one of the biggest challenges for sustainable construction. Through the use of ECDW, HERACLES Group contributes to its transformation from potential sources of pollution and degradation of the urban and natural environment, into valuable raw materials, with multiple benefits for the economy and the environment, as it is already the case in several European countries.”

Mr. Michalis Daktylidis, President of PEDMEDE, in turn stated that: “The strategic cooperation between the leading HERACLES Group, member of Holcim Group, and PEDMEDE, the largest association of engineers, contractors of public works and the only one with European representation, marks a new beginning for the management of ECDW and the operation of PEDMEDE ECO. Guided by the credibility and reliability of PEDMEDE ECO, it is certain that both companies will achieve and promote their common targets regarding circular economy as well as restructuring and upgrading of the sector.”