Staying ahead of the technology curve means strengthening your competitive advantage. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights into the construction industry. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked zero waste construction solutions.
Out of 812, the Global Startup Heat Map highlights 5 Top Zero Waste Construction Solutions
The insights of this data-driven analysis are derived from the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 2 093 000+ startups & scaleups globally. The platform gives you an exhaustive overview of emerging technologies & relevant startups within a specific field in just a few clicks.
The Global Startup Heat Map below reveals the distribution of the 812 exemplary startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. Further, it highlights 5 construction startups that we hand-picked based on criteria such as founding year, location, funding raised, and more. You get to explore the solutions of these 5 startups & scaleups in this report. For insights on the other 807 zero waste construction solutions, get in touch.
Dumptd offers On-Demand Waste Logistics
Construction demolition waste (CDW) such as debris and plastics make up a significant amount of waste in the industry. Building companies often send waste to landfills rather than recycling it due to multiple infrastructure gaps such as unavailability of the right logistic services or lack of information. Hence, startups develop platforms that connect construction companies with haulers to assist them with waste transportation. This enables construction companies to derive financial value out of the waste and lower emissions.
USA-based startup Dumptd is an on-demand logistics platform that connects qualified independent haulers with construction waste generators. The startup uses cloud technology to enable companies to search for recycling stations, as well as book waste pick-up and drop-off services. Furthermore, the platform allows companies to select the waste type and quantity to get information on the predicted resale value. Through its solution, Dumptd enables companies to incorporate circular construction in their operations.
Elephbo facilitates Construction Waste Upcycling
At present, construction contributes to a considerable amount of carbon emissions due to cement production, transportation, plastic usage, and other factors. The materials are also often disposed of prematurely even though in a good state. Upcycling construction materials solves this problem by enabling companies to reuse existing materials and keep construction waste away from landfills for a longer time. Hence, startups develop technologies to upcycle construction waste and produce materials with similar properties.
Swiss startup Elephbo produces new accessories and products from construction waste. The startup collects disposed cement sacks made of plastic fibers from the construction sites and processes them to develop new material. It also manufactures carbon-neutral products like bags, shoes, and caps by offsetting emitted CO2 during the production process through a drinking water project with Climatepartner. Additionally, the startup complies with social norms by ensuring fair working conditions for people along the entire value chain.
Restado provides a Circular Construction Marketplace
The majority of construction waste accumulates from over-ordering as companies do not estimate the exact material requirement and discard the excess materials. Moreover, construction companies dismantle materials during deconstruction which further increases the carbon footprint. On the other hand, reusing materials from construction waste promotes sustainability while offering financial benefits. To this end, startups create marketplaces enabling demolishers to list construction materials for reuse.
German startup Restado develops an online circular construction marketplace for materials recovered from demolition and other leftovers from sites, connecting all stakeholders in the value chain. The startup creates a database of available materials that supports companies in intelligent procurement of building materials in an automated and time-efficient way. This way, construction companies buy materials at a lower cost while also reducing carbon emissions. Additionally, Restado provides data-driven insights for users to track their environmental impact.
Material Mapper enables Localized Reusable Material Trade
As construction companies are becoming environmentally conscious, they are searching for new ways to practice circular construction. Although they extract materials from demolished sites and deconstruction, many still end up buying new materials due to a lack of information on availability. In addition, companies have to bear high logistic charges to procure materials from distant demolition sites. Global positioning systems (GPS) and artificial intelligence (AI) solve this problem by providing location-specific information about material availability to project owners. Startups develop platforms that connect companies to nearby demolition sites and inform them about the materials available for reuse.
Norwegian startup Material Mapper connects builders to available construction materials in the same area. The startup builds an AI-powered tool that allows builders and municipalities to find excess reusable building materials locally. Construction companies input the address to obtain all demolition sites around the new building project. The tool then provides the type, quantity, and availability of the reusable materials at the given site. This technology brings construction companies further to achieve their zero waste construction goals.
GREEN BIMLabs advances Circular Construction
Buildings are not traditionally built with circularity in mind, which results not only in material waste but also in high maintenance costs. Additionally, construction companies often face high disposal costs as landfilling charges vary according to the environmental impact of the materials. Therefore, startups develop software-based solutions to provide data-driven insights on building circularity. This cuts building costs by allowing construction companies to select appropriate materials, predict structural failures, and reduce waste.
German startup GREEN BIMLabs builds a solution to analyze and predict the circularity, health, and cost performance of buildings. The startup’s product, Aikana.Incycle, uses advanced analytics to evaluate the reusability and recyclability of building materials as well as assembled systems. This allows construction managers to perform selective disposal of expired components in an assembled structure. GREEN BIMLab’s Aikana.Salience leverages detailed material documentation to predict hazards and detect contamination. Further, Aikana.Scient incorporates the financial impact of circularity and toxic potential by analyzing the cost of building materials and products for the entire life cycle.
Discover more Construction Startups
Construction startups such as the examples highlighted in this report focus on reverse logistics, construction waste management, waste-to-resource as well as material reuse. While all of these technologies play a major role in advancing the construction industry, they only represent the tip of the iceberg. To explore more construction technologies, simply get in touch to let us look into your areas of interest. For a more general overview, you can download our free Construction Innovation Report to save your time and improve strategic decision-making.
