A second-hand shop for building materials: Uppsala’s new recycling service

Inspiring the construction sector to think about circularity

The municipal website of Uppsala has announced the inauguration of a new recycling service in the city – this time one aimed at the construction sector. The new service has been described as a kind of second-hand shop for building materials where resources salvaged from demolitions can be reused as part of new construction or renovation processes.

The “shop” is located at the Construction Logistics Center (Bygglogistikcenter), which itself was established by the Swedish municipality back in 2018 as a way to reduce the number of transport movements in connection with all constructions in Uppsala.

No more leftovers from construction

Wiklunds, which manages the operation of Uppsala's Construction Logistics Center, will also be in charge of the recycling shop. The new investment will feature locally-sourced leftover building materials. This can, for example, be windows, doors and even insulation.

Reducing the climate impact in the building and construction process is a focus area for Uppsala municipality. An important part of that work is to bring about increased reuse in construction. The municipality also aims to prevent waste, and by caring for the new products that have already been produced and giving them a second chance, the aim is to reduce the use of new raw materials.

“We knew early on that we would like to see a recycling business in Bygglogistikcenter when we started. Therefore, it is gratifying that we now have an actor investing in this,” says Jill Bergefur from Uppsala municipality.

The service is located in Rosendal district, where a shipping container is now in place for the construction operators who work there. The construction companies can hand in materials or book a pick-up for transport to the recycling shop in Bygglogistikcenter. The transport is provided with the same truck that already drives to the area, which means that the number of trips will not increase.

The idea is also that several actors within the municipality should be able to use the service and thereby reduce their climate footprint. The recycling shop will be open to everyone who wants to buy the material, both players in the industry and private individuals.