Developing a waste journey method: A qualitative research method for identifying barriers and opportunities for realizing inclusivity and circularity in a waste management process

Urbanization is putting more pressure on waste management infrastructures in cities, which could lead to “inadequate and overburdened infrastructure” according to the United Nations (United Nations Statistics Division, 2019). Because people play an important role in the performance of waste management systems, the systems should be inclusive to...

Integration of the informal waste sector in the Indian city of Chennai: a case study: Application of the Institutional Network Analysis to a municipal waste management system

India has experienced rapid industrialisation which has led to a significant increase in consumption and, in turn, in waste generation. The informal waste sector (IWS) plays a key role in managing consumer waste. However, this sector is subject to negative social and economic conditions and its integration in formal systems remains unsolved....

Transitioning towards Circular Economy on Municipal Solid Waste Management in Bali, Indonesia

Municipal Solid Waste has been an issue that is affecting people globally. The rapid urbanization and population growth created an immense waste generation in the process, making it more difficult to completely manage the waste due to the amount and complexity of the waste composition. Indonesia is not excluded from the issue, where there is an...

The Circular Economy Transition In Existing Public Real Estate: An overview of the facts and barriers of the central government’s real estate

Problem statement - The global community is facing scarcity of finite materials and environmental pollution. In response to these mounting issues, the government of the Netherlands plans to transition to a circular economy (CE) by 2050. The shift towards a CE affects the built environment. Currently, the global building industry is responsible...

Residual Value Determination in the Context of Product-Service Systems Applied to Infrastructure Projects

This past century the demand for raw materials has risen sharply. This demand is expected to rise even further, which is not sustainable. Changing the linear model of consumption to a circular model can help to decrease levels of raw material demand. The application of service­oriented business models, called Product­Service System (PSS) can...

To lease, or not to lease? A critical evaluation of Product-Service-System building components in rental housing: How Product-Service-System building components offer value to organizations specializing in the development and management of rental housing.

This research explores the value offered by Product-Service-Systems (PSSs), also known as Product-as-a-Service (PaaS), to organizations that develop, own and operate rental housing portfolios. The Dutch national government’s ambition for a circular economy by 2050, combined with the demand for over 1 million sustainable new homes in the coming...

Digital Solutions for a Circular Facade Economy: A conceptual framework for a Facade's Product Passport to Facilitate decision making at its End of Service(EoS)

In the Dutch government attempting to become fully circular 2050, VMRG, a Dutch Metal Façade Association, has initiated several pilot projects. Two of the most prominent ones are Cirlinq, an asset management platform for documenting building facades, and FaSA (Façade Service Applicate), a collective of stakeholders aiming to use drones and image...

Circular Industrialized Construction: The current situation and its potential for expansion in Switzerland

The construction industry accounts for 40% of material resource use and produces 40% of global waste. Within this industry, various solutions have been attempted to lower the environmental impact. Two of these concepts are the circular economy (CE) and industrialized construction (IC). CE refers to an approach that embraces circular supply...

Digital Twin as Circularity Enabler of Façades in Maintenance: A Research into How A Digital Twin Can Facilitate the Circularity Maintenance of Façades

Maintenance plays a vital part in the Circular Economy (CE). Repairing, upgrading and restoring façades extends their lifecycle and reduces waste. The European Union and Dutch government have set goals to reach a circular future: in 2050 the built environment must be 100% circular. However, this demands a tremendous change in the current...

Evaluation of the energy potential of organic waste in Havenstad : From a systems modelling and behavioural perspective

Waste-to-Energy (WtE) serves as an important source to meet the growing energy demands of the world in a sustainable manner. It can help in the reduction of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions, lower the risk of environmental pollution and contribute towards the establishment of a circular economy. By generating steam or electrical energy, WtE...

Managing circular construction projects

The construction sector has been the world’s largest consumer of raw materials since years. Construction and building activities together account for 36% of global energy use and 39% of energy-related carbon dioxide (World Green Building Council, 2017). Considering the built environment puts major pressure on the natural environment, a change in...

The Circular Cornerstone: Applying a Circular Economy through Design for Disassembly to the development of Amstel III

In the first part of this Architectural master thesis the Circular Economy is studied and results are Applied to the Amstel III district in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. In this study the Circular Strategies of Europe, the Netherlands and Amsterdam are distilled into 5 main drivers. The main driver this thesis focusses on is “Design for...

Circular Urban Agriculture in The Hague: Where We Are and Where We Could Go

Cities account for approximately 75% of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. This, along with the fact that cities also account for 75% of natural resource consumption and 50% of global waste production, makes urbanization a world-wide issue (Sukhdev, Vol, Brandt, & Yeoman, 2017). Additionally, the widely-practiced urban linear economic structure...

Bring the waste back to the city: A decentralized system for waste upcycling along the IJ River

In 2050, the human population will exceed nine billion. There are limits to the capacity of the earth, while the human population keeps on growing. Our appetite for raw materials is increasing rapidly, while available resources keep on falling. As an international metropolitan city, Amsterdam will also experience a population explosion and urban...

Change towards a Circular Economy: eliminating inertia in supply chains: A concrete case of stony materials supply chain in the Netherlands

Current linear economic model entails coupling of economic growth with resource constraints and degradation of the Earth. In order to combat these negative aspects and to ensure prosperous and sustainable future, a new economic approach is emerging - Circular Economy. Besides neutralizing threats of the linear model, it also promises additional...

Creating Synergies: A business process model for the development of Industrial Symbiosis: Combining theory and practice to identify the steps that a private facilitator should take to develop a regional Industrial Symbiosis network in the Netherlands.

Circular economy principles are gaining attention in the Netherlands. Industries, consumers and the Dutch government feel increased responsibility to tackle barriers to sustainable development. The government is increasing its investments to stimulate consumers to live more sustainably and companies that develop circular products are established...

Towards a closed material cycle in the infrastructure: A Reverse Logistic network model for processing demolition waste

The construction industry is a large generator of waste. The interest in improving the resource efficiency is growing. A move towards a Circular Economy (CE) has been assigned as the solution for a more efficient use of resources in the construction industry. The aim of a circular economy is to create a system in which waste and energy leakage...