MIRA – a digital platform for inventorying buildings with a focus on materials

Time to Digitalize Construction Waste Inventories

Every year, the construction sector generates enormous amounts of waste from renovations and demolitions.

A significant share of this is hazardous waste – materials containing substances like asbestos, freon, PCB, or heavy metals. Despite legal requirements for thorough inventories prior to renovation or demolition, large amounts of both hazardous waste and recyclable materials are stil overlooked. The reason? Inefficient working methods and a lack of digital tools.

The consequences are serious. Workers risk exposure to asbestos without proper protective equipment. Freon from old insulation is released into the atmosphere. Environmental toxins like PCBs spread into nature.

At the same time, recyclable materials are incinerated – an enormous waste of resources. Our solution starts where it needs to: with the inventory. MIRA is a digital platform for building material inventory, focused on identifying a l types of waste and materials with recycling potential.

The Challenge: Lack of Structure and Knowledge

Platforms like Palats and CC Build have played an important role in reuse inventories, but there is currently no equivalent tool for waste and recyclable material assessment. Inventory results today depend entirely on the consultant’s expertise – even though the inventory is critical for demolition planning and waste handling.

A poor inventory can lead to hazardous waste being overlooked – which not only increases costs for property owners, but also raises the risk of incorrect handling. It can also lead to flawed procurements, where essential services like hazardous waste removal or recycling haven’t been priced in from the beginning, resulting in costly change orders.

Missing hazardous waste like asbestos isn’t just costly – it’s a major occupational health risk. PCBs can cause cancer and affect reproduction. Improper handling of freon contributes to climate change. The list goes on, and the human and environmental costs are high.

The construction sector is facing a major shift. Sweden’s goal is net-zero emissions by 2045. To get there, we need to drastica ly increase recycling and reduce our use of virgin raw materials. Many building material manufacturers are already working to increase the recycled content in their products – but knowing what can be recycled requires knowledge, sampling, and structure.

Another issue is how inventory results are presented. Today, they are often delivered as PDFs – static reports with varying quality depending on the consultant’s experience. The focus is usua ly on identifying hazardous waste, rather than on materials that could be recovered. There is no national standard for how inventories should be conducted, and no comprehensive training for professionals in this area. The Solution: A Digital Tool Covering the Whole Process

We’re developing MIRA – a platform that digitalizes and improves the entire inventory process. Everything from sampling points and photos to waste lists, lab orders, and recycling recommendations is gathered in one place.

We are also developing the MIRA method – a structured inventory methodology inspired by investigative work. After many years as a police investigator, systematic thinking comes natura ly to me. Just like in a criminal investigation, you need to clearly show what you know, what you suspect, and where uncertainties exist. The same principle applies to building inventories.

MIRA wil also act as a knowledge hub. Consultants can receive real-time guidance – such as which sampling method to use for specific materials, or how to determine whether something is hazardous waste or recyclable.

Smarter, Safer, More Efficient

With MIRA, inventories are done directly in a digital drawing. Sampling points, photos, notes, and analyses are automatica ly linked. This saves time and creates more accurate data for planning, procurement, and material management.

Systematic inventories also boost recycling rates. By identifying more recyclable materials and connecting them with the right partners, new circular flows are created – and emissions are reduced.

MIRA – Sustainable Construction for the Future

It’s time to modernize the construction industry and equip it with the right tools to meet future demands. With MIRA, we can create safer work environments, lower environmental impact, and a more circular
construction sector – where every resource is used wisely and handled correctly from the start.