Maasmechelen (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Grobelco in Maasmechelen opened a washing facility in August 2025, turning 90% of contaminated construction sand into reusable material. Spokesperson Luc Didden highlighted its role in sustainability; Minister Jo Brons praised it.
AS VRT News reported, construction company Grobelco in Maasmechelen has opened a new washing facility that will allow it to recycle more construction waste. The company works in roadworks, earthworks, demolition, and processing rubble into reusable materials.
Normally, some small granules remain contaminated after sorting and cannot be used. The new machine can wash these granules and turn them into high-quality material that can replace primary raw materials. Luc Didden, spokesperson for Grobelco, said the facility makes it possible to recover waste that was previously unusable.
What can Maasmechelen’s Grobelco facility do for construction waste recycling?
Luc Didden, spokesperson for Grobelco, said the facility changes that.
“There is more and more of that contaminated residual sand that is of little use. That problem is getting worse. Thanks to this installation, we can turn 90% of it back into real sand,”
he said.
Flemish Minister Jo Brons praised the facility and called it a point of pride for the region.
“This washing facility is something we can be proud of in our country. Circularity requirements are becoming increasingly strict, and it is important that our companies actively participate in this transition,”
he said.
“It’s important that we reuse as many raw materials as possible,”
says Brouns.
“Ultimately, raw materials are finite, so reuse is the key.”
Grobelco, based in Maasmechelen, has been active in the construction industry for over 30 years. The company works in roadworks, earthworks, demolition, and recycling construction rubble. In recent years, contaminated residual sand from construction waste has become a growing problem.
Traditional sorting could not recover much of this material, which created more waste and increased the demand for natural sand. In 2024, Belgium and the EU introduced stricter rules on circularity and recycling in construction projects. Grobelco’s new washing facility, opened in August 2025, responds to these challenges.
