Sustainable building
1CO₂ Savings Calculator
Used scaffoldingEvery square metre of reused system scaffolding replaces newly produced steel. Enter your scaffolding area – we’ll calculate the emissions avoided in a transparent manner.
CO₂ Savings Calculator
Jeder Quadratmeter wiederverwendetes Systemgerüst ersetzt neu produzierten Stahl. Gib deine Gerüstfläche ein - wir rechnen die vermiedenen Emissionen nachvollziehbar aus.
Your input
Calculation
| Amount of steel (area × kg/m²) | 9,000 kg |
| CO₂ emissions from new steel production (× 1.7) | 15,300 kg |
| less reconditioning (5%) | − 765 kg |
| Avoided by calculation | 14,535 kg |
How we calculate & Comparison
Methodology
Rechenweg: Vermiedene Emissionen = Fläche × Stahl/m² × CO₂/kg Stahl × (1 − Aufbereitungsabschlag).
Mit den Voreinstellungen: 1 m² ≈ 29 kg CO₂e.
Basic principle (substitution / Module D according to EN 15804): Anyone who buys second-hand scaffolding avoids the production of an equivalent quantity of new steel. This prevents the manufacturing footprint (cradle-to-gate, A1 – A3) of this new steel.
- Steel per m²: selectable via the ‘scaffolding system’ (16 / 18 / 24 kg/m²; actual range ~15 – 25).
- CO₂ per kg of steel: ~1.7 kg CO₂e (hot-dip galvanised structural steel, conventional route). Primary route ~2.0 – 2.5; electric steel/scrap ~0.8 (IBU / ArcelorMittal).
- Pre-sale preparation: inspection, transport and minor repairs to second-hand goods.
- *Passenger car example: 118 g CO₂/km (average passenger car).
Adjust assumptions
Comparison
| Scaffold area | CO₂ emissions avoided |
|---|---|
| 100 m² | ≈ 2,9 t |
| 250 m² | ≈ 7,3 t |
| 500 m² | ≈ 14,5 t |
| 1.000 m² | ≈ 29,1 t |
| 2.500 m² | ≈ 72,7 t |
CO₂e, rounded, standard facade scaffolding (~18 kg steel/m²).
Your input
Scaffold aream²02.5005.000 m² Scaffolding systemCalculation
| Amount of steel (area × kg/m²) | 9,000 kg |
| CO₂ emissions from new steel production (× 1.7) | 15,300 kg |
| less reconditioning (5%) | − 765 kg |
| Avoided by calculation | 14,535 kg |
How we calculate & Comparison
Methodology
Calculation method: Emissions avoided = area × steel/m² × CO₂/kg steel × (1 − processing allowance). Using the default settings: 1 m² ≈ 29 kg CO₂e.
Basic principle (substitution / Module D according to EN 15804): Anyone who buys second-hand scaffolding avoids the production of an equivalent quantity of new steel. This prevents the manufacturing footprint (cradle-to-gate, A1 – A3) of this new steel.
- Steel per m²: selectable via the ‘scaffolding system’ (16 / 18 / 24 kg/m²; actual range ~15 – 25).
- CO₂ per kg of steel: ~1.7 kg CO₂e (hot-dip galvanised structural steel, conventional route). Primary route ~2.0 – 2.5; electric steel/scrap ~0.8 (IBU / ArcelorMittal).
- Pre-sale preparation: inspection, transport and minor repairs to second-hand goods.
- *Passenger car example: 118 g CO₂/km (average passenger car).
Adjust assumptions
CO₂ per kg of steelkgProcessing discount%Comparison
| Scaffold area | CO₂ emissions avoided |
|---|---|
| 100 m² | ≈ 2,9 t |
| 250 m² | ≈ 7,3 t |
| 500 m² | ≈ 14,5 t |
| 1.000 m² | ≈ 29,1 t |
| 2.500 m² | ≈ 72,7 t |
CO₂e, rounded, standard facade scaffolding (~18 kg steel/m²).
How CETRAC operates in a sustainable and resource-efficient manner
Nachhaltigkeit ist bei CETRAC kein Label, sondern das Geschäftsmodell selbst. Vom Lager in Leipzig hält CETRAC mit über 250.000 sofort verfügbaren Teilen auf 24.000 m² Lagerfläche große Mengen hochwertigen Stahls im Kreislauf - und beliefert damit über 54.925 Kunden in 42 Ländern.
- Reuse rather than producing new parts. Every component traded replaces a newly manufactured one – and avoids the emissions associated with its production.
- Tested quality. Second-hand scaffolding is checked for functionality, dimensional accuracy and safety before it is resold. Second-hand does not mean inferior.
- Extend service life. Steel scaffolding is built to last for decades. CETRAC ensures that it reaches the end of its service life rather than being scrapped prematurely.
- Availability & supply chains. Second-hand goods are available immediately and free projects from the constraints of long lead times and fluctuations in the price of raw materials for new materials.
The closed-loop system: buy-back guarantee
CETRAC doesn’t just sell second-hand scaffolding – the company also buys it back. Scaffolding in perfect working order is taken back up to five years after sale at a price just 15% below the list price. This literally closes the material cycle: what is sold today returns to the warehouse tomorrow and finds a new home in another project – rather than being scrapped. This is exactly how a circular economy works in practice in the scaffolding industry.
The CO₂ benefit – calculated in concrete terms
Wie groß der Effekt ist, lässt sich beziffern. Auf Basis transparenter Annahmen vermeidet ein Quadratmeter wiederverwendeter Gerüstfläche rund 29 kg CO₂e. Für ein durchschnittliches Fassadengerüst summiert sich das schnell:
Basis: ~18 kg of steel/m² × ~1.7 kg of CO₂e per kg of steel, minus 5% for processing. Figures are approximate
Circular economy in the construction sector: from consumption to reuse
The construction industry is responsible for a significant proportion of global resource consumption. The way out of this dilemma lies in the circular economy: keeping materials in circulation for as long as possible, rather than disposing of them after a single use.
Second-hand scaffolding is a prime example of this. It is:
- Durable – can be used for decades,
- standardised – compatible with all manufacturers and combinable across different systems,
- Fully reusable – without downcycling, whilst maintaining the same level of quality.
In this way, the used scaffolding trade contributes directly to sustainability targets, such as those increasingly required by the EU taxonomy and corporate ESG reports. For construction companies, purchasing used scaffolding thus becomes a contribution that can also be documented.
Why scaffolding is an underestimated driver of sustainability
Steel is the backbone of any structural framework – and one of the most CO₂-intensive building materials of all. Conventional steel production in a blast furnace generates around 2.0 to 2.5 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne of steel. This is precisely where the opportunity lies: every component that is given a second, third or fourth life does not need to be produced from scratch.
A steel scaffold is the ideal choice for this. It is robust, standardised, can be used for decades and is almost entirely reusable. Whilst other building materials end up in landfill at the end of their life cycle, a scaffolding component remains in use for generations – provided there is a functioning market for certified second-hand goods. CETRAC serves this market.
Embodied carbon: the carbon footprint lies in the manufacturing process
The majority of scaffolding’s environmental impact does not arise during its use, but during its manufacture (raw materials, smelting, galvanising). This ‘grey energy’ has already been expended as soon as the component comes into existence. Reuse continues to utilise this energy rather than expending it a second time. That is the essence of the environmental benefit – and it is measurable.
What this means for your building project
Sustainable construction and cost-effective construction are not mutually exclusive – when it comes to scaffolding, the two go hand in hand:
- Lower costs than new products, whilst offering comparable functionality and safety.
- Available immediately, with no lead times for new production.
- A verifiable environmental contribution for tenders, ESG reporting and sustainability-focused clients.
- Value retention – a certified system framework retains its second-hand and resale value for years.
FAQ: Sustainable Construction Using Second-hand Scaffolding from CETRAC
Yes. Inspected used scaffolding meets the same standards and safety requirements as new scaffolding. Steel does not lose its load-bearing capacity through reuse; what matters is that the components are inspected and maintain their dimensional accuracy.
Based on transparent assumptions of around 29 kg CO₂e per square metre of scaffolding area, as this eliminates the need for energy-intensive steel production. For 500 m², this amounts to approximately 14.5 tonnes of CO₂e.
Because steel production is highly emission-intensive, generating around 2 to 2.5 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne. Reuse avoids precisely these production emissions.
Yes. Second-hand scaffolding is cheaper than new, available straight away and retains its value – so there are both environmental and economic benefits.
It stays in the cycle. CETRAC buys back scaffolding in perfect working order up to five years after sale – with a difference of just 15% from the list price. This means the material is reused rather than scrapped.
CETRAC supplies certified scaffolding systems and components from leading manufacturers – including Layher, Peri, Hünnebeck, Altrad, Rux, Plettac and MJ – as well as formwork systems from Doka and Peri. The range includes façade, modular, masonry, roofing and other types of scaffolding, both new and second-hand.