The circular economy could make demolition a thing of the past
6 days ago
- #upcycling
- #sustainable construction
- #circular economy
- Buildings and materials can be recycled or dismantled and reassembled, as seen with the Red Bull team’s F1Holzhaus.
- The construction industry generates 2.2 billion tonnes of waste globally, with Europe contributing 450 million tonnes.
- Over 90% of construction waste comes from demolition, with significant waste also from manufacturing processes.
- The circular economy promotes designing for disassembly to recover and reuse components, replacing the linear model.
- Modularity, standardization, and reversible joints are key concepts in sustainable construction.
- Material passports help track and quantify materials in buildings for future reuse.
- Upcycling transforms waste into higher-value products, moving beyond traditional recycling.
- Examples include furniture made from previous premises' waste and building blocks from sawmill waste.
- The EcoArk façade in Taiwan is made from PET plastic bottles and can be disassembled and reassembled.
- Ancestral practices, like reusable fences in Pamplona, demonstrate circular management in construction.