Use of recycled construction and demolition waste as substrate in constructed wetlands for the wastewater treatment of cheese production.

Recycled building debris has recently emerged as a suitable wetland infill substrate due to its low density, exceptional water absorption capabilities, and high porosity. This study investigated, for the first time, the use of construction demolition wastes (CDW), and rock processing residues (RPR) as substrate materials in vertical-horizontal flow hybrid constructed wetlands for the treatment of cheese production wastewater. Results showed that the use of both CDW as well as RPR, as substrate material, provided an equal or even better quality of treated wastewater compared to the conventional use of gravel as a substrate.