Circular Economy in Construction: An Overview with Examples from Materials Research

Abstract

<p>According to a 2017 UN Environment report, the building and construction sector together are responsible for 39% of all carbon emissions in the world. The World Green Building Council has come up with a plan to ensure that by 2050 the carbon emission from this sector can be brought down to net-zero. Such an ambitious target can only be achieved by the implementation of multiple strategies such as the use of green construction materials, use of renewable energy in lighting, heating, and cooling of buildings, increase the service life of the building and other infrastructure, ensure 100% recycling and re-use of construction and demolition wastes, etc. One of the most important strategies is the implementation of the circular economy policy. A circular economy is a system which maximises the value of the materials and products that circulate within the economy. In this paper, we discuss the origins and background of the idea of the circular economy. We illustrate the concept with the use of several real-life examples of recent research in construction materials with significant implications for the building and infrastructure construction sector. It is concluded that a circular economy is an essential and sound approach for the overall goal of achieving a net-zero carbon emission goal overall by the year 2050 set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The successful implementation in the construction sector is going to be critical if the world must achieve the goal and avoid climate catastrophe.<br></p>