The Joint Research Centre provides a pathway to overcome cradle-to-grave construction frameworks and bring more circularity to the construction sector.
A recent report on circular technologies in construction, published by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), provides an insightful analysis and strategic roadmap for fostering a circular economy within the European construction sector. It follows a workshop organised in 2023, with the support of DG GROW and the New European Bauhaus, and was based on the DG RTD’s industrial technology roadmap for circular technologies in the European Research Area.
The construction sector significantly contributes to the European economy, accounting for nearly 10% of the EU’s Gross Value Added. Yet, this industry also generates 35% of the EU’s total waste, making it the biggest waste stream on the continent. The transition to a circular economy is essential to meet the European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan objectives, aiming to halve residual waste by 2030. This report emphasises the role of standardisation and is aligned with the current roll-out of the CEN CENELEC Strategy 2030 and the European Commission’s Standardisation Strategy to ensure that standardisation drives Europe’s competitiveness and resilience.
The report identifies four strategic areas that could benefit from enhanced standardisation:
- frameworks and indicators to measure circularity: establish clear metrics and indicators for assessing the circularity of construction processes and materials while developing standardised definitions, performance criteria, and measurement procedures.
- quality assurance of reused and recycled materials: build trust among consumers and stakeholders, highlighting the importance of rigorous testing and certification standards, defining end-of-waste criteria, and ensuring materials meet safety and performance standards.
- design for circularity, adaptability, and disassembly: significantly reduce waste by encouraging circularity by design, addressing guidelines for designing buildings that can adapt to changing uses and be easily deconstructed at the end of their life cycle.
- building information management: establish effective data management and interoperability standards for supporting circular construction by creating digital building logbooks and ensuring data formats and management practices are standardised across the industry.
To bridge the gap between current practices and the ideal state of circular construction, the report recommends a multi-faceted approach and enhanced collaboration between industry stakeholders, policymakers, and the scientific community. The report suggests leveraging platforms like the Putting Science Into Standards (PSIS) workshops to facilitate dialogue, develop cohesive strategies, and conduct pre-normative research to establish foundational knowledge and technologies to support future standards. This includes studying new materials, design techniques, and lifecycle assessment tools. For widespread adoption, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), it is crucial to identify and promote cost-effective methods for implementing circular construction practices. Further, one recommendation stresses the need to ensure that new standards are aligned with existing and forthcoming policies, such as the Construction Products Regulation and the European Commission’s Circular Economy Action Plan.
The report outlines a clear path for advancing circular construction through standardisation and calls for (i) clear objectives and focused standards to address the most critical gaps in circular construction practices, (ii) stakeholder engagement by actively involving stakeholders from across the construction ecosystem in the standardisation process to ensure that standards are practical and widely accepted and (iii) continuous improvement, by regularly updating standards to reflect new technological advancements and research findings, ensuring that the construction sector remains at the forefront of innovation and sustainability.
The transition to a circular economy in the construction sector is a complex but essential task. By focusing on standardisation, quality assurance, innovative design, and effective data management, the European construction industry cannot only significantly reduce waste but also enhance sustainability and remain competitive on the global stage. This report serves as a guide for policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers committed to driving this transition.