Building a sustainable future

About the CIRCON project

The urban population is growing globally, and so does the demand for housing and accommodation, reflected in the growing intensity of construction-related activities. Consequently, the consumption rate of construction materials and products grows along with increased construction and demolition waste (C&DW) generation. This calls for action as natural resource extraction and processing for construction processes play a considerable role in global biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions, and C&DW already comprises one of the largest waste streams in the EU and Iceland.

Overview

Mitigating the toll on the environment taken by the construction sector demands transforming the sector into a more circular one, thereby preserving the value of construction materials and keeping them on the market as long as possible. And doing so requires solid and systematised knowledge of circular construction. Laying the foundation of such knowledge is the main goal of the CIRCON (The circular economy in construction: eco-design of circular buildings) project.

Objective

The project aims to increase the knowledge of circularity in Icelandic and Polish construction sectors by, among others, creating guidelines on circular construction principles. This website includes the main issues related to circular construction, but we treat it as a starting point and a base we want to develop constantly. This is why, if you have any comments or experiences that could enrich the guidelines and provide relevant information for the readers, please contact us at: kjag@graennibyggd.is. We can be part of change together.

Project partners

Our project partners have long-standing experience in both practical and research aspects of circular economy implementation in the construction sector.

Green Building Council Iceland

GBCI

Since 2010, Green Building Council has promoted environmental awareness and green action planning for the building and infrastructure sector, lobbied authorities to pass legislation directing the market in a more sustainable direction, and educated and connected stakeholders involved in the urban planning and building sector.

Visit GBCI website

Polish Green Building Council

PLGBC

Polish Green Building Council has realised the mission of making sustainable construction the norm in Poland since 2008, cooperating with various experts. The key areas of PLGBC activities are buildings decarbonisation and adaptation to climate change, circular economy in the construction sector, biodiversity increase, and improving society’s quality of life.

Visit PLGBC website

Silesian University of Technology

SUT

The Silesian University of Technology is one of the leading Polish universities in technology and innovation. The team appointed to the project has over 30-year experience in waste management and circular economy principles gained while working with national and international research, governmental, and industrial partners.

Visit SUT website

Circular construction

Materials circularity

Circular design

Circularity indicators

(definition and indicators)

Examples

of circular buildings

Download Compendium

Information on funding

Information on EEA and Norway Grants

The EEA and Norway Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway towards a green, competitive and inclusive Europe.

There are two overall objectives: reduction of economic and social disparities in Europe, and to strengthen bilateral relations between the donor countries and 15 EU countries in Central and Southern Europe and the Baltics. The three donor countries cooperate closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA). The donors have provided €3.3 billion through consecutive grant schemes between 1994 and 2014. For the period 2014-2021, the EEA and Norway Grants amount to €2.8 billion.

The priorities for this period are:

  • Innovation, Research, Education and Competitiveness;
  • Social Inclusion, Youth Employment and Poverty Reduction;
  • Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Low Carbon Economy;
  • Culture, Civil Society, Good Governance and Fundamental Rights;
  • Justice and Home Affairs.

Eligibility for the Grants mirror the criteria set for the EU Cohesion Fund aimed at member countries where the Gross National Income (GNI) per inhabitant is less than 90% of the EU average.

The EEA and Norway Grants scheme consists of two financial mechanisms. The EEA Grants are jointly financed by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, whose contributions are based on their GDP. Norway Grants are financed solely by Norway.

​More information can be found on: https://eeagrants.org/

Information on co-funding by the national funding of Poland

Pl Flag And EmblemThe co-funding from the Polish state was granted to the project within the program: Environment, Energy and Climate Change, program area: Climate.

Photo by Einar H. Reynis on Unsplash