Reducing the negative environmental impact caused by building processes and materials is an important element of circular construction. Sustainable construction applies to both public spaces (as it pertains to civil and hydraulic engineering) and the built environment (the construction of residential and non-residential buildings).
Circular design is gaining momentum as regards creating both a sustainable built environment and public spaces. Circular design makes buildings more adaptable and facilitates the high-value reuse of a structure’s materials once they have reached the end of their life. This toolbox article summarises the circular design of buildings in eight core principles.
CIMPA, an EU-funded H2020 project, aimed to develop a recycling chain for post-industrial and post-consumer multilayer films from food and agricultural applications. This complex approach combines innovative compositional sorting, mechanical and physical recycling and an advanced decontamination process.
In March, the European Commission released its Circular Economy Package which includes a proposal for an Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR). The ESPR identifies a Digital Product Passport (DPP) as key, enhancing the traceability of products and their components.
Circular Buildings: constructing a sustainable future is the latest addition to a series of publications from Holland Circular Hotspot about circular challenges and opportunities in different sectors including infrastructure, plastics, manufacturing and textiles and apparel industries.
It explores how circular economy concepts can help tackle challenges in the building sector, supporting the transition towards a more sustainable and futureproof industry. It provides 25 good practices from the construction value chain and offers a framework for an international shift towards circular construction comprising policies, measurement standards, collaboration initiatives and knowledge exchange.
The consortium CIRCULAR FoodPack worked on solutions to enable the circular use of plastic packaging, focusing on the most sensitive product category: food. The project aimed to develop recyclable packaging with at least 50% post-consumer recyclates incorporated behind a functional barrier.
Medwaves, the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre for Sustainable Consumption and Production, is about to launch the Switchers Policy Hub, a space for policymakers aiming to enable the transition towards a green and circular economy in the Mediterranean region.
Policymakers and other organisations are asked to respond to a survey by 15 July 2022 to help Medwaves build a more impactful Policy Hub.
