Buildings contain 50% or possibly more of all metals in use, a material that is in theory 100% recyclable. While recycling rates are relatively high due to the high value of metals, it is done in an unsystematic way and often reliant on assumptions that are not empirically validated. This makes it harder for Amsterdam to implement effective wider policies concerning urban mining, and makes existing initiatives less effective.

The AMS research institute partnered with multiple Dutch universities and research institute to map the urban mining potential of Amsterdam in a way that would allow for more targeted and more effective urban mining, and validate the assumptions behind urban mining. The research project created a methodology to estimate metal contents in buildings and validated it by real-life site visits. Then, they produced a geological map showing available materials in Amsterdam.

The conclusion of the study were five-fold:

1. Buildings before 1900 were found to not include steel in the load-bearing structure

2. Apartments smaller than 75m2 were found not to have a separate toilet and bathroom, instead the toilet was present in the bathroom

3. Recently completed buildings were found not to be included in the database

4. Some buildings with a non-residential function were found to (temporarily) accommodate a residential function

5. Some buildings were found to use electric cooking appliances rather than gas

Photo by ThisisEngineering RAEng on Unsplash