What's Next? A study to the relationship between the technical aspects and reuse potential of reused building products

Abstract

The climate crisis and resource scarcity have compelled industries to adopt new environmental and circular standards. The Netherlands has set a goal of achieving a fully circular economy by 2050, with a 50% reduction in the use of primary raw materials by 2030. In the circular built environment, circularity strategies like reuse are being implemented to reduce waste and carbon emissions. However, only about 1% of the building products that can be reused in The Netherlands are currently being reused for another lifecycle. This thesis aims to investigate the relationship between the technical aspects of reused building products and their reuse potential, which has received limited research attention thus far. To address this gap, a theoretical framework for assessing reuse potential is built through a literature review. A sampling study of over 30 building products is then conducted to evaluate their adaptability potential and disassembly level, generating a systematic overview of the technical aspects that influence reuse potential. The results demonstrate that refitability, adaptability, scalability and disassembly level are the most important aspects in determining the reuse potential for posterior lifecycles. By providing a deeper understanding of the technical aspects influencing the reuse potential of building products, this thesis aims to contribute to the development of circularity strategies in the built environment.