Circular economy in construction: current awareness, challenges and enablers

TLDR

Circular economy thinking in construction is nascent, mainly focused on waste minimisation and recycling, with limited systems‑level research on business models that keep materials valuable, and a clear economic case with metrics and guidance is needed to drive wider adoption. The study analyzes industry‑wide awareness, challenges, and enablers of circular economy in construction using survey and workshop data. The authors surveyed industry stakeholders and conducted a workshop to gather data on circular economy awareness, challenges, and enablers. Survey results show widespread awareness but clients, designers and subcontractors are least informed, and the lack of incentives for designing for disassembly and reuse is a major barrier to adoption.

Abstract

The application of the concept of circular economy thinking in construction, which is in its infancy, has been largely limited to construction waste minimisation and recycling. Little research on circular economy from a systems perspective including how new business models might enable materials to retain high residual values has been undertaken. Utilising the results from a survey and a follow-up workshop, this paper provides an analysis of an industrywide perspective of circular economy awareness, challenges and enablers. The survey results indicate that while there is industrywide awareness of the concept, clients, designers and subcontractors are the least informed and this is a key challenge for greater adoption. The absence of incentives to design products and buildings for disassembly and reuse at their end of life is a significant challenge. To encourage greater implementation of circular economy principles throughout the supply chain, a clear economic case is paramount, supported by metrics, tools and guidance.