Lisbjerg Recycling Station Aarhus

GOAL no. 8, 9, 12

In Aarhus, people can drop off and pick up used building materials for free at the new recycling station in Lisbjerg, which is partially constructed from local waste. The circular facility, which is set in a scenic area, places recycling and resource awareness centre stage.

Danes produce vast amounts of waste: 845 kilos of household waste per capita per year. That is a European record which puts both climate and nature under pressure and raises the need to address how we consume, dispose of and recycle our resources. Construction waste has a high climate impact. In Denmark, it accounts for about 35 per cent of all waste or about four million tons of waste a year.

The new recycling station in Lisbjerg near Aarhus is partially constructed from waste. Many of the materials come from other local recycling stations, including timber, doors, windows, gravel and concrete. The foundation of the new building is made of crushed and recycled concrete waste. Here and there, fragments of writing on the building’s recycled timber reveal its former use.

The circular building makes it easier for people to drop off waste, as the shape eliminates the need to reverse your car with a trailer attached to it. In addition to this practical aspect, the architecture also underlines a circular mindset.

In a hall containing used building materials, private individuals, builders and local companies can drop off and pick up materials free of charge, including timber battens, doors, plywood sheets, aerated concrete blocks, bricks, tiles, roofing paper and fittings.

In the hilly landscape around the recycling station, visitors can go for a walk along the Nature Path, which combines recycling with storytelling and recreation.

This project demonstrates how awareness of consumption and recycling can be raised by building more attractive and functional recycling stations and using recycled materials and waste in construction.

Project details

Where: Ølstedvej 70, 8200 Aarhus N

Completed: 2022

Client: Kredsløb

Architects and advisors: LOOP Architects, Schønherr (landscape), Sweco (engineer)