novacol

As one of the world’s leading recyclers, Colas recovers and recycles materials and waste, including in particular demolition waste, from its infrastructure and industrial sites, at its 420 recycling facilities around the world and on its infrastructure projects. The Group is thus able to offer its customers circular economy solutions by developing recovery and recycling platforms as well as solutions for reusing materials. In this way, Colas helps preserve natural resources.

Quarry

Rising to the challenges of the circular economy across the Group

Raising employee awareness, innovating and rolling out day-to-day solutions are all key drivers in speeding up the adoption of a circular economy. In particular, such initiatives help embed behavioral change not only at the individual and collective levels but also at industry level. 

Laboratory in R&D center

Investing in R&D to recycle materials

The circular economy is and always has been a core area of research and development at Colas. The main focus is on in-place recycling of road surfaces, recycling of asphalt mix, the use of alternative materials such as organic residues, and research into additives and binders based on industrial co-products and by-products.

BML quarry

Developing and promoting the use of recycling platforms

One of the key challenges posed by the circular economy is the need for dense geographical coverage so as to be able to offer our customers local access to waste recycling and recycled materials. Colas is focusing in particular on developing recycling platforms and multi-activity platforms (quarrying, recycling, etc.).

Novacol - construction site

Offering our customers circular economy solutions

Our work centers play a key role in the circular economy by: 

  • Limiting the amount of waste generated by each worksite
  • Promoting and offering operationally ready solutions for recovering and recycling materials
  • Drawing on environmentally friendly alternatives to offer solutions that preserve resources, such as in-place recycling

Achievements

Highway 404

In 72 hours, 35,000 metric tons of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) were reintroduced into the production process and reused on Highway 404 Canada, thanks to micro-milling technology

Cleaning and management of polluted sludge plant

The company des carrières de l'Est stores and processes technosand from the sludge of the Epernay wastewater treatment plant (France). These backfill materials are used to preserve the natural deposit

Valormat platform

Colas launches construction waste recycling network with aim to boost production of recycled materials by 50% by 2026

Key Figures

18.7%

average RAP content in asphalt mix

800

recycling facilities worldwide

11.2

million metric tons of recycled materials