Circular construction in Europe:Handbook for local and regional governments

• Main Authors: Coluccia, Chiara, Petitjean, Leslie, Christensen, Thomas Budde, Simonsen, Graves, Kernel, Pernille Kern, Buchard, Martin Visby
• Format: Book
• Language: English
• Published: ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability e.V 2023
• Subjects: Cirkulær økonomi; Byggeri; Circular Economy; Construction; demolition; Recycling; /dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/responsible_consumption_and_production; SDG 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production; Bodø; Norway
• Online Access: https://forskning.ruc.dk/da/publications/e8b31939-21c2-488f-be09-0020898e033f; https://hdl.handle.net/1800/e8b31939-21c2-488f-be09-0020898e033f; https://rucforsk.ruc.dk/ws/files/97775882/City-Loops-Circular-Construction-handbook.pdf; https://cityloops.eu/fileadmin/user_upload/Resources/City-Loops-Circular-Construction-handbook.pdf

It goes without saying that the construction sector has to become more sustainable and circular, and cities and local authorities should play a major role in this transition. In line with the EU Commission’s Green Deal and Circular Action Plan 2020 and legislative proposals, such as the Fit for 55 package, that set the green and circular transition as a key priority for the EU, the CityLoops project has focused on circular economy solutions for bio-waste and construction and demolition waste, including soil. In CityLoops, six European medium-sized cities - Høje-Taastrup and Roskilde (Denmark), Mikkeli(Finland), Apeldoorn (the Netherlands), Bodø (Norway), and Seville (Spain) - piloted a series of circular economy actions with the aim of achieving material circularity. Starting in October 2019, the cities implemented different demonstration actions and tested many tools and processes, alongside with specialised partners in this field. Based upon the learnings and outcomes of the CityLoops project, this handbook aims to inspire and guide local and regional European public authorities of all sizes to know more about the different steps to follow, but also private entities that want to know more about the current practices, their role and the opportunities in the transition towards a circular construction sector. Moving away from the linear model entails overcoming many obstacles. Thus, the question that has led us throughout this handbook has been “What lessons can we learn from the experimental projects, and what could have been done differently?”. This report is an evidence-based and practical handbook on how to implement a circular construction strategy for those who would like to start this journey, supported with various concrete tools, methods, and case studies for inspiration. It also showcases pioneers’ projects beyond CityLoops, to demonstrate that circular construction is a flourishing topic with more and more projects running all over Europe. The handbook has the following structure: the first chapter ...