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.
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.
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.
Photo by Einar H. Reynis on Unsplash