ReThink and everox join forces to drive circular reconstruction in Ukraine as part of the S3 project

Kyiv, Ukraine – 23.10.2025 – ReThink, a Kyiv-based non-profit organization, and everox, a Netherlands-based leader in concrete waste upcycling, are collaborating as members of the consortium S3 (Safe, Sustainable, and Swift Reconstruction of Ukraine), uniting leading universities, businesses and NGOs from the UK, Ukraine and the Netherlands, to transform Ukraine’s reconstruction landscape with sustainable, circular building materials.

Since 2017, ReThink has been pioneering circular economy initiatives across Ukraine, with a focus on green innovations in the built environment. everox brings cutting-edge technology designed to phase out virgin raw materials in concrete production. Its process enables end-of-life concrete to be upcycled directly on site, cutting energy use significantly, lowering transportation costs and emissions, delivering high-quality construction inputs where rubble is generated. ReThink and everox are united in their commitment to sustainable rebuilding in Ukraine—leveraging the benefits of low-carbon building materials while seizing the opportunity to foster a more resilient society, demonstrating thought leadership even while facing serious national challenges.

The full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia has generated enormous amounts of concrete waste, much of it mixed-material waste that is potentially contaminated. Simply landfilling this debris would create environmental and health risks. At the same time, reconstruction requires vast amounts of building materials—far exceeding Ukraine’s domestic production capacity—leading to reliance on imports and extraction of virgin resources with heavy environmental costs. The reconstruction effort presents an opportunity to rebuild sustainably and create local Ukrainian value chains.

The first demonstration facilities in Kyiv are already operational, with a target of recycling 10,000 tonnes of rubble. While early technical adjustments limited initial processing capacity, the project has successfully proven the feasibility of end-to-end concrete upcycling in real-world conditions and is now scaling up capacity.

Thanks to funding from Innovate Ukraine programme and UK International Development , everox has sent its pilot equipment to the Ukrainian operator eco+logic, working with ReThink and everox in the S3 consortium. The partnership’s aim is to place innovative building materials technologies at the heart of Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts, by turning rubble into durable aggregates and recycled concrete fines that serve as inert fillers in new concrete. The proprietary everox equipment located at eco+logic turns rubble into three re-usable building materials:

• Recycled Coarse Aggregates (RCA)
• Recycled Fine Aggregates (RFA)
• Recycled Concrete Fines (RCF)

The reusable materials are produced with everox’s Mobile Ballistic Separation and Thermo-mechanical Separation units. These installations are complemented by the introduction of a low-energy crushing process (UOX), integrated with proven separation technologies developed by everox. Together, they form Ukraine’s first operational facility for circular concrete recycling—providing sustainable materials for reconstruction projects while also serving as a hands-on training and demonstration hub for green building practices.

By using the complete everox process, concrete debris is transformed into four re-usable products:

• Activated Cement Paste (ACP)
• Recycled Coarse Aggregates (RCA)
• Recycled Fine Aggregates (RFA)
• Fine Inert Filler (FIF).

All four products are suitable for use in new concrete. However, Activated Cement Paste stands out as a direct substitute for regular cement, enabling the creation of new concrete from recycled concrete waste with a low-carbon footprint. This innovation supports a fully circular system, in which smaller contaminants—such as plastics and wood—are eliminated during processing. This circular approach addresses key challenges by:

• Avoiding landfills and reducing waste transport
• Cutting dependency on imports and extraction of virgin raw materials
• Supplying sustainable, high-quality construction materials locally

While final data will be available in Q1 2026, the project has already generated:

• Technical know-how for large-scale circular concrete recycling
• On-site demonstration capacity in Kyiv
• A scalable model for sustainable, self-reliant construction in Ukraine

“Together with everox, we can tackle Ukraine’s reconstruction challenges sustainably,” said Roman Puchko, co-founder of ReThink. “This partnership is a game changer—it allows us not only to reduce the environmental impact of rebuilding but also to create scalable solutions for circular construction locally.”

everox CEO Thomas Petuthuguenin added: “Partnering with ReThink in Ukraine demonstrates how compact, mobile upcycling plants can address urgent reconstruction needs while cutting both carbon emissions and logistical burdens.”

Beyond material innovation, ReThink continues to train professionals in green reconstruction practices and advocate for policies supporting post-demolition material reuse. The everox pilot plant will serve as a live learning and demonstration hub, showcasing the full potential of on-site circular concrete upcycling.