Used correctly, plastic is very valuable and provides great benefits to society. Plastic has many good properties that make it a suitable building material as it is dense, light and cheap, and has high moisture resistance and good insulating properties. In certain contexts, plastic can help save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But today’s production and use of plastics also pose major challenges. Like other materials, plastic needs to be adapted for use in a circular economy, so that we can minimise environmental and climate impacts and reduce litter and emissions of plastic and hazardous substances into nature. The construction and demolition sector is the second largest user of plastic after the packaging sector and consumes approximately 21 per cent of all plastic in Sweden. Do you want to know more about the use of plastic and the climate impact of plastic and plastic waste from the construction and demolition sector? And read about specific examples and recommendations on how different stakeholders in the construction and demolition sector can contribute to more sustainable use of plastic? In that case, we hope that you will find this report to be useful. 

The report has been prepared by IVL and was commissioned by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has not taken a position on the content of the report. The authors from IVL are responsible for the report’s content and its conclusions. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency’s work with plastics is based on its role as Sweden’s expert authority in the environmental field. We have been tasked by the government’s to be responsible for national plastic coordination. Our work is focused on gathering, building and disseminating knowledge and coordinating and pursuing issues with a view to contributing to sustainable plastic use. We do this in conjunction with relevant authorities and other stakeholders. Our work with plastic aims at ensuring that the material is used in a sustainable way.