5th Press Release | November 2025
RECONMATIC Advances Smarter Construction and Demolition Waste Management with AI and Robotics
The European project RECONMATIC is helping to transform how construction and demolition waste (CDW) is managed by testing and integrating automated solutions grounded in digital technologies, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics, in line with circular economy principles.
Construction is one of the EU’s most resource-intensive sectors, relying heavily on mineral and other non-renewable materials, and it accounts for 36% of total waste generated in the European Union, much of it produced during construction and demolition activities.
RECONMATIC aims to increase recycling rates and reduce the environmental impact of the sector by piloting innovative approaches to identifying, sorting, and recovering valuable materials from mixed waste streams.
From prototype to real-world validation
One of the solutions being developed within the project is a robot prototype designed by the research and technological development centre TECNALIA. The prototype has been delivered in November 2025 to Reciclados Sostenibles RESCO (Valladolid, Spain) for validation in a real operational environment.
High-precision identification powered by AI
The robot is designed to detect and classify different materials within mixed CDW flows using hyperspectral sensing technologies (specifically NIR). Combined with AI, this enables materials to be identified and characterised with a level of precision that goes beyond human vision.
Based on this identification, the system sends signals to an articulated robotic arm to separate selected materials automatically. This precise, automated sorting helps optimise waste management processes and supports the production of high-value recycled aggregates that can replace natural aggregates, reducing pressure on natural resources and lowering the construction sector’s environmental footprint.
According to Javier Llorente, CEO of RESCO, “Applying these technologies to recover construction materials represents a step change for the sector’s sustainability. It allows us to see buildings as a ‘bank of materials’, a temporary repository that retains value and can be reused again and again once the building is no longer useful in its current configuration. These technologies also elevate the role of waste managers, who must evolve into material manufacturers and help the construction industry move toward zero waste in the not-too-distant future.”
According to Inés Díez Ortiz, a researcher at Tecnalia’s materials laboratory, “Participation in European projects is a major opportunity to develop innovative technologies for construction and demolition waste treatment. These advances make it possible to obtain even cleaner material streams than those available today and to add greater value to secondary streams.”
She added that “this supports progress toward sustainability in the sector, an essential aspect, since responsible resource management helps reduce environmental impact, improve buildings’ energy efficiency, and encourage practices that foster more balanced and resilient urban development.”
