Good practice:

DÉMOCLÈS - Collaborative platform with tools for sustainable demolition

DÉMOCLÈS is a collaborative platform of stakeholders launched at the end of 2014 on the initiative of the eco-organisation Ecosystem. It aims to improve practices in the prevention and management of construction waste from heavy rehabilitation and demolition sites. DÉMOCLÈS aims to direct this waste towards recovery channels. The platform currently brings together a number of partners representing project owners, project managers, construction companies, waste managers and recovery channels. They are gathered around a steering committee and several working groups. DÉMOCLÈS develops practical and harmonised tools for simpler construction site waste management that respects regulations and the environment:
- Tools for project managers and project owners: legal responsability, guide to the drafting of contracts including waste management and reduction clauses, etc.
- Inventory of recovery channels for the various construction materials
- Preliminary study of a traceability system for building site waste: proposing a structuring approach within a clear regulatory framework that gives responsibility to all the actors concerned
- Creation of a toolbox for diagnosticians: making pre-demolition waste diagnosis more efficient (best practice guide, video tutorials, inventory grid, practical sheets)
- Call for projects "50 exemplary project owners": support for the winners (inventory of practices, recommandations, implementation of an action plan)

DÉMOCLÈS is co-financed by the ADEME (French environmental agency) and the eco-organism Ecosystem. A very comprehensive approach that requires significant financial resources. Possible thanks to the mobilisation of more than 130 actors who participate in the working groups/development of tools.

The first working groups initiated in 2014 made it possible to draw conclusions and identify the obstacles and levers for improving the management and recovery of construction waste. On this basis, the second phase led to the creation of a resource centre to support the stakeholders.
In addition, 47 contracting authorities, via the call for projects "50 exemplary contracting authorities", committed themselves to developing good practices to prevent and manage their waste.

The tools developed by the DÉMOCLÈS platform present a very complete and concrete solution to support public and private actors in the implementation of rehabilitation and demolition projects taking into account good waste management. By setting up working groups on specific themes, it also allows participating actors to bring up obstacles and to identify together the remaining solutions to be developed. This is notably the case for the study on the implementation of a unique traceability tool. This mode of collaboration between a large number of public and private players gives the process weight and visibility. This approach can be replicated in other regions on this collaborative platform model and can also be initiated by a public actor by bringing together the key players in a region.