CINDERELA · Project

Turn Construction Waste and Sewage Into Profitable Building Materials

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Imagine if the rubble from demolished buildings, factory leftovers, and even sewage sludge could be turned back into roads and construction materials instead of piling up in landfills. That's exactly what CINDERELA figured out — they built an online marketplace and supply chain that connects waste producers with construction companies, so one company's trash literally becomes another's building blocks. They tested this at real scale by building actual roads and facilities in Slovenia, Croatia, and Spain using 100% recycled materials. They even extracted phosphorus from municipal sewage — turning a disposal cost into a sellable product.

By the numbers

33.5%

of EU total waste comes from the construction sector

20%

reduction of environmental impacts along value and supply chain

30%

increase in recycling of construction and demolition waste

13%

increase in recycling of industrial waste

100%

recycling of heavy fraction from municipal solid waste

25%

increase in recycling of sewage sludge

18%

net profit from the circular economy business model

100%

alternative materials used in pilot road construction

15,000 L

urine collected per year for phosphorus extraction

100 kg

phosphorus produced per year from the pilot system

The business problem

What needed solving

The construction sector generates 33.5% of all EU waste — mostly ending up in landfills — while simultaneously consuming massive amounts of expensive virgin raw materials. Companies face rising material costs, tightening waste disposal regulations, and growing pressure to reduce environmental footprints, but lack reliable supply chains and quality assurance for using recycled materials in construction.

The solution

What was built

CINDERELA built the CinderOSS "One-Stop-Shop" — an online ICT platform for matching waste producers with construction companies, plus demonstrated production of construction products from four waste streams. They constructed pilot roads using 100% alternative materials, built pilot facilities with secondary raw materials, revitalized degraded areas with recycled aggregates, and operated a mobile phosphorus extraction system producing 100 kg of phosphorus per year from sewage.

Audience

Who needs this

Road construction and civil engineering companies looking to cut raw material costsWaste management companies seeking profitable outlets for construction and demolition wasteMunicipal water utilities paying high costs for sewage sludge disposalReal estate developers under pressure to meet green building certificationsAggregate and building materials producers wanting to add recycled product lines

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Construction & demolition

any

Target: Construction companies and road builders

If you are a road construction or civil engineering company dealing with rising raw material costs and tightening waste regulations — this project demonstrated pilot roads built with 100% alternative materials for subbase, base courses, and surface courses. The CinderOSS platform connects you directly with local waste suppliers, and the project showed a potential 18% net profit from using secondary raw materials instead of virgin aggregates.

Waste management & recycling

mid-size

Target: Industrial and municipal waste processors

If you are a waste management company struggling to find profitable outlets for construction and demolition waste, industrial residues, or sewage sludge — this project proved that these waste streams can be converted into certified construction products. The pre-feasibility analysis showed recycling increases of 30% for construction and demolition waste, 13% for industrial waste, and 25% for sewage sludge, turning disposal costs into revenue.

Municipal services & utilities

enterprise

Target: Water utilities and municipal waste operators

If you are a water utility or municipal service dealing with expensive sewage sludge disposal — this project demonstrated a mobile pilot system that extracts phosphorus from municipal waste. The system collects approximately 15,000 litres of urine per year and produces around 100 kg of phosphorus, a valuable fertilizer ingredient, using a simple and cost-efficient 200-litre reactor setup.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What does this cost to implement compared to using virgin materials?

The project's pre-feasibility analysis indicates an 18% net profit when using secondary raw materials in construction compared to conventional approaches. Costs depend on local waste availability and logistics, but the CinderOSS online platform was designed to optimize waste-to-product flows and reduce sourcing costs.

Has this been tested at industrial scale or only in a lab?

This was tested at large demonstration scale across three countries. Pilot roads were built using 100% alternative materials in Slovenia, Croatia, and Spain. Additional pilots included construction of small-scale facilities and revitalization of degraded areas, all monitored for structural, geotechnical, and environmental performance.

Who owns the IP and how can I license the technology?

The project was coordinated by Zavod za Gradbenistvo Slovenije (Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute) with 18 partners across 8 countries. IP is likely shared among consortium members. The CinderOSS platform and production methods would need to be licensed through the coordinator or relevant industrial partners.

Does this meet current construction regulations and environmental standards?

The pilot demonstrations were specifically monitored against structural, constructional, geotechnical, and environmental requirements. The project used whole-life sustainability assessment (LCA, LCC, and S-LCA) to validate that secondary raw material products meet required standards. The target was a 20% reduction of environmental impacts along the value and supply chain.

How quickly could we integrate this into existing construction operations?

The CinderOSS One-Stop-Shop platform was designed as a plug-in service with an online ICT platform for tracking waste-to-product flows, marketing, and knowledge sharing. The ICT platform was demonstrated in six countries: Slovenia, Croatia, Spain, Poland, Italy, and the Netherlands. Integration depends on local waste stream availability and regulatory approvals.

What waste streams can actually be used as construction materials?

Four waste streams were validated: construction and demolition waste (30% recycling increase), industrial wastes (13% increase), heavy fraction from municipal solid waste (100% recycling), and sewage sludge (25% increase). These are streams that are currently mostly landfilled or incinerated.

Is there ongoing support or is the project finished?

The project closed in November 2022 after 4.5 years. The consortium included 8 industry partners and 2 SMEs with direct commercial interest in continuing the work. Based on available project data, the CinderOSS platform and demonstrated production methods represent ready-to-adopt solutions that consortium partners may continue to operate or license.

Consortium

Who built it

The CINDERELA consortium of 18 partners across 8 countries is well-balanced for commercialization, with 8 industry partners (44% industry ratio) alongside 7 research organizations and 2 universities. The geographic spread covers Southern, Central, and Western Europe (Slovenia, Croatia, Spain, Poland, Italy, Netherlands, Serbia, and North Macedonia), giving the results broad applicability across different regulatory environments. The coordinator is the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, a recognized standards body — which adds credibility for construction product certification. With 2 SMEs in the mix and a EUR 6.7M EU contribution, this is a well-resourced effort with direct commercial pathways through the industry partners already involved.

ZAVOD ZA GRADBENISTVO SLOVENIJECoordinator · SI
INSTYTUT EKOLOGII TERENOW UPRZEMYSLOWIONYCHparticipant · PL
Regionalna razvojna agencija za Podravje - Mariborthirdparty · SI
FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATIONparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITA COMMERCIALE LUIGI BOCCONIparticipant · IT
POLO TECNOLOGICO ALTO ADRIATICO ANDREA GALVANI SOCIETA' CONSORTILE PERAZIONIparticipant · IT
OPENCONTENT SOCIETA COOPERATIVAparticipant · IT
BEXEL CONSULTING DOO BEOGRADparticipant · RS
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFTparticipant · NL
ASOCIACION DE EMPRESARIOS DEL HENARESparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

Zavod za Gradbenistvo Slovenije (Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute) — contact via SciTransfer for introduction

Order a report on this consortium See ZAVOD ZA GRADBENISTVO SLOVENIJE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore using secondary raw materials in your construction projects or connect with the CINDERELA team? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the right consortium partner for your specific waste stream or construction need.

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