Circular economy terms and concepts

The goal of the circular economy is to minimize the carbon footprint and the amount of waste generated by construction.
In practice, circular economy means reusing energy and materials during both the construction process and the entire lifecycle of a building.

Circular Economy Glossary for Construction Circular economy in construction

Reuse and recycling of building materials and components

For example, concrete hollow-core slabs can be removed from a building scheduled for demolition and reused in a new construction.

Materials are selected in a way that takes their entire life cycle into account

For example, what kind of waste is generated during material production, during the use of the building, and during renovations or demolition.

Manufacturing materials in a modular and pre-industrial manner

This reduces waste and increases the possibility of reusing them. In practice, building components are manufactured in standardized pieces that can be easily combined and reused like Lego bricks.

Designing buildings to be flexible

Meaning that they can be easily adapted for different uses, for example from offices to apartments.

Increasing energy efficiency and using renewable energy

For example, smart building technology is used to optimize heating and cooling, or solar panels are installed.

Utilizing building information modeling

In other words, 3D information models in the design of construction projects. The building information model can be used to optimize material waste and resources and solve potential problems already in the design phase.