Summary of the Work and Outlook

Summary of the Work and Outlook

Following a welcome address by the School's Director, the day's proceedings were kicked off by the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, in the presence of the Minister of the Environment and Renewable Energy and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Public Works and Basic Infrastructure.

The event was attended by almost 200 guests representing the various players in the construction industry. This awareness-raising event brought together academics, researchers from housing and public works research centres, executives from national and private design offices, building and public works contractors, project owners, construction materials manufacturers, and waste collectors and managers.

The presentations and debates that followed enabled the various participants to grasp:

• 1- The urgent need to adopt integrated management of inert waste, particularly that produced by industry and construction activities. Adopting waste recovery and recycling is essential to relieve landfill sites and protect the environment.
• 2- Alternative materials incorporating recycled components are as good quality as new materials, supported by research examples from universities and companies.
• 3- Practical implementation of Circular Economy (CE) in construction requires regulatory adjustments, including new provisions for waste recovery. The Minister of the Environment announced new regulatory texts under preparation.
• 4- Modification of technical regulations for building design and construction is needed to supervise the use of alternative materials from waste recovery in construction trades.

The economic importance of the day's theme attracted the attention of the press, leading to extensive coverage documented in the event's press review.

Looking forward, the chairmen of the day's 3 working sessions emphasized the need for the following actions:

• Continue raising awareness among construction industry players and relevant ministries to foster actions for CE integration in our country;
• Establish closer links between companies and universities to initiate joint R&D projects for new alternative materials and test them in construction.

At the end of this awareness-raising day, the organizers would like to thank all participants and express their gratitude to the companies that supported the School with financial aid and commitment.