Business models for building material circularity: Learnings from frontrunner

One of the expected key outcomes of the Horizon 2020 BAMB (Buildings As Material Banks) project is new business models for material circularity. The team has interviewed four “frontrunner” cases which have pioneered in incorporating elements of building circularity. The study included well-known cases such as the new Venlo city hall (the...

Reuse of building products and materials – barriers and opportunities

BRE have been working with the reclamation sector in the UK for around 20 years to promote the reuse of end-of-life building products and materials in preference to recycling and recovery. Much of this has been dedicated to the promotion of pre-demolition and prerefurbishment audits to facilitate targets being set and markets for reusable...

The role of the client to enable circular economy in the building sector

Whilst there is an increasing recognition of the circular economy concept within the building sector, opportunities for its implementation at project level remain largely underexploited. Research has shown that challenges to its uptake include limited knowledge and awareness among stakeholders; a fragmented supply chain; an unclear business...

European circular construction alliance - adopting circular economy for internationalization and global competitiveness of European SMEs in building and construction

To reach ambitious goals of Europe 2020 Strategy, circular economy concepts need to be widely adopted. In terms of construction sector, which generates almost 10% of European GDP but on the other hand consumes enormous quantities of raw materials, other materials and energy, the idea of circular economy can be achieved by strategic,...

Bottom-up policy support: Using a construction materials model to identify and quick scan circular opportunities

Although the need for a more circular economy is supported by diverse people in both politics as well as in the scientific community, implementation of circular principles in reality is rarely occurring. This study shows how quantitative models can help to develop new policies for enhancing circularity in the construction sector. By means of a...

Challenging the current approach to end of life of buildings using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach

Life cycle thinking has been applied in the construction industry for more than 20 years for the environmental evaluation of construction products and processes. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is the tool that enables the quantification of environmental impacts using parameters appropriate to the various potential environmental impact categories....

How do current policies support a transition towards a circular economy in the built environment?

Building and construction industry consumes huge quantities of materials in an unsustainable way. As a result of a linear design approach and economic model, at the end of use, but also throughout the cycle, buildings or parts of buildings are demolished and remnants treated as waste or –best case– down-cycled. This creation of waste as well as...

Innovative waste management practices on construction sites in Brussels: Lessons learned from pilots

In recent years, waste prevention and management have gained importance due to the economic and environmental impact of waste on construction sites. Although some innovative practices have already been experimentally put in practice, it remains difficult to apply them in densely built regions due to lack of space and time, and lack of knowledge...

Novel circular economy business model of high-added value products for energy efficiency: from C&DW to aerogels

Since the Industrial Revolution, humanity’s use of natural resources has been basically the same: TAKE, MAKE and THROW AWAY; which consequently led to the indispensable problems of waste materials. Around 461 million tons of Construction & Demolition Waste (C&DW), excluding excavation materials, are yearly generated in EU28. This undoubtedly...

Deconstruction, preparation for reuse and reuse of salvaged materials on a pilot construction site in Brussels

Since a few years, the construction sector is focusing on minimizing resources exploitation and waste arising on construction sites. The European Commission has highlighted prevention and reuse as key actions for waste management. The Brussels Capital-Region is a densely built region, generating more than 600 000 tons of C&D waste each year....