Panattoni Park Ostrov North won a competition of the Ministry of Industry and Trade

Panattoni Europe, the industrial space developer, triumphed in the 3rd year of the Transformation of Waste to Resources competition announced by the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The developer was awarded the 1st prize in the category entitled Best Use of Secondary Materials in the Building Industry at the ceremonial announcement in the Wallenstein Palace yesterday. The jury was impressed by the record-breaking level of construction waste recycling and its estimated utilization as construction material in the forthcoming Panattoni Park Ostrov North project. When Škoda Ostrov, the producer of trolleybuses, closed down, a large brownfield remained at the site. This brownfield is now being revitalized into a new industrial zone. The Transformation of Waste to Resources competition is aimed at companies, schools and municipalities, and awards inspiring projects seeking new utilization for secondary materials. The goal is to save primary resources and nature.

“We are one of the first major developers of industrial space focusing on brownfields. We are currently preparing over 2 million square meters of such areas in the Czech Republic. The award by the Ministry of Industry and Trade confirms that our strategy is correct. We apply the BREEAM ecological certification of buildings as early as at the construction stage and consistently ensure the lowest possible impact on the environment as well as the surroundings of our industrial zones,” said Pavel Sovička, Panattoni Europe Managing Director for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

“The circular economy is not just about laws, but also about personal responsibility. The Ministry of Industry and Trade is launching a large awareness and education campaign by engaging elementary, secondary as well as tertiary schools into the Transformation of Waste to Resources competition. Amazing projects were presented by 126 competitors and the Ministry awarded the best ones. Congratulations to all participants,” said Karel Havlíček, the Minister of Industry and Trade, during the ceremonial announcement of the winners.

In compliance with the requirements of the Czech Environmental Inspectorate, Panattoni Europe succeeded in separating and recycling a record-breaking 98.7% of demolition waste in the process of the revitalization of the Ostrov site, which, therefore, did not have to go to a landfill. An exceptional figure of 96.7% of the aforementioned volume was then recycled and treated directly at the site and will be used as a substitute for natural resources. This has significantly reduced the impact on the environment and the immediate surroundings.

During the initial remediation work, 12,700 tonnes of hazardous waste was separated on site based on the type of contamination for ecological disposal. 106,400 tonnes of demolition waste was left. The developer plans to re-use 103,000 tonnes of recycled material for the construction of the industrial zone, thus replacing the primary natural raw materials. This will save approximately 10,300 trips of lorries out of the site.