By uniting industry leaders and innovators, the project aims to transform inefficiency into circularity, reducing costs, congestion, and CO₂ emissions while creating a smarter, greener city.  
The initiative made possible through the collaboration of Embuild.Brussels, Buildwise, Shipit Multimodal Logistics in cooperation with Xella, Vanheede Environment Group, Valipac, Brussels Environment, Louis De Waele, and SmartLife, represents an important step toward more circular and efficient construction logistics. Data from major construction companies such as Louis De Waele, Democo, CIT Blaton, BPC Group, Jacques Delens, and Eiffage Valens were collected and analyzed for this purpose. 

A solution for a major urban challenge 

Every day, around 16,000 trucks circulate in Brussels, 4,000 of which are linked to construction activities. As many as 1,000 of those construction trucks run less than half full. This not only causes unnecessary costs and additional traffic congestion but also increases CO₂ emissions. Moreover, logistics represent on average 10% of total construction costs, a significant factor that is frequently underestimated. 
These figures highlight the potential for improvement: better-loaded trucks, combined deliveries, and especially smarter return logistics for waste and surplus material. 

Xella and Shipit: partners in efficient and sustainable logistics 

For several years, Xella has been working with Shipit to optimize deliveries to construction sites in Brussels. By combining multimodal logistics (including inland waterways) with improved delivery planning, CO₂ emissions are reduced and efficiency is increased. 
With the ReloAD project, Xella aims to take the next step: organizing circularity for its materials. Through active participation in this initiative, Xella contributes to a closed-loop material cycle in the construction sector. 

From surplus to raw material 

Concretely, through ReloAD, Xella wants to collect surplus Ytong autoclaved aerated concrete from construction sites in Brussels. Shipit places Ytong BigBags on site, where leftover pieces are collected. Once enough material has been gathered—enough for a full barge load—the surplus is transported via inland waterways to the Xella factory in Saint-Saulve (Northern France). There, it is processed and reintegrated into the production of new Ytong blocks. 
This approach perfectly aligns with Xella’s circular ambitions, where waste no longer marks the end of a chain but rather the beginning of a new cycle. 

A shared commitment to circularity 

During the kick-off event, numerous partners—including Knauf, Xella, Sto, Pierret, Deceuninck, Wienerberger, Reynaers Aluminium, and AGC Group—came together to reinforce their commitment. In the coming months, they will test and further optimize the quality of the streams collected through ReloAD. 
The launch of ReloAD marks a tangible step toward a circular future for the Brussels construction sector, driven by collaboration, innovation, and shared responsibility.