Background The data from annual reports, issued by the Romanian Environmental Protection Agency, concerning the state of the environment in Buzau County show that around 80 000-90 000 tonnes per year of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) is generated in the county. However, the official information concerning C&DW is very general and does not break down the composition of the waste generated. Objectives The main objective of the VAL-C&DW project was to develop a demolition waste management system, through knowledge gained of the generation, collection, recovery and disposal of construction and demolition waste in Buzau County. The project aimed to analyse the quantity and composition of all categories of waste within the scope of the project (i.e. categories pertaining to Class 17 of the European Waste List). The project then aimed to demonstrate its new methodologies for waste treatment, collection, transport and re-use in a pilot scheme in Buzau County. From this, the project sought to develop a code of best practices, concerning the separate collection at source of construction and demolition waste, and to develop a coherent decision-making process for the construction and demolition waste management system. Results The VAL-C&DW project team in Romania (coordinating beneficiary Buzau County Council and partner Natura Management SRL) successfully implemented several necessary steps on the path to the recycling of construction and demolition waste (C&DW), specifically in the fields of analyses, information on stakeholders, evaluation of options for C&DW recycling, permission for and implementation of the first treatment plant, and the corresponding logistics. The project evaluated different waste streams and the types of treatment required, and conducted a detailed analysis (Life-Cycle Assessment) of the impact on the environment of secondary raw materials generated from treated construction and demolition waste. Following a feasibility study, the VAL-C&DW team identified the best location for the treatment plant. The mechanical treatment plant was set up, has been approved by Buzau County Council, and is fully operational, with a capacity sufficient for the county. After approving the treatment plant in May 2014, the council contracted its management and related services to a private company established by Buzau County Council itself. Material was collected from this time, with the treatment plant starting real operation in January 2015, after a permit was granted by the County’s Environmental Protection Agency. Therefore, the project’s demolition waste management system is in place, approved and operating, but a longer-term goal is to change the habits and motivation of the stakeholders. The project started the process of fostering this change, but it may take years to arrive at a considerable market for C&WD recycling products. The project helped valorise the recovered materials, in the form of products, for example, for anti-dust surfacing on dirt roads and for ground levelling. At present it is not possible to use the output material for many other purposes as ‘real products’, because the discussion and legal definition of the ‘waste to product’ transition at the EU level is still ongoing. To support this decision was one of the objectives of the VAL-C&DW project and suggestions for the definition of the requirements concerning C&DW waste are contained in the project report ‘End of Waste’. The project published a range of documents and manuals, including ‘Elaboration of the Best practice code for separate collection at source of construction and demolition waste’, ‘LCA Report regarding mineral aggregates and recycled aggregates’, and ‘Analysis of the national situation regarding construction and demolition waste generation, collection, treatment and recovery’. All the project documents are available on the project website, which incorporates a C&DW database with thematic reports and summaries of the activities within different local administrations of Buzau County. The project represents an important step in reducing the environmental impacts caused by the construction and demolition industries. This starts with the environmental damage involved in extracting gravel and sand from river beds (as is commonly done in Buzau County) and concludes with waste being landfilled, at financial and environmental cost, or dumped into the environment. To stop these unsustainable working practices, a step by step approach is needed. The LIFE project has contributed the theoretical and practical steps. The next steps should be on the legal side, with restrictions for ecological damage caused by quarries and dumping, obligations to include ecologically sound C&DW recycling into permits for public and large construction projects, and a resolution of the ‘end of waste status’ discussion. The operation of the VAL-C&DW pilot system is therefore an important step on the path toward closed material cycles. This will help reduce the quantities of disposed construction and demolition waste at the local and regional level, as well as to save raw materials and landfill space. Further information on the project can be found in the project's layman report and After-LIFE Communication Plan (see "Read more" section).