Building a sustainable future: the circular economy at the heart of construction projects

This has the effect of making housing construction more expensive, so that not only owners, but also construction companies and developers are more frequently asking themselves the question of the profitability of projects.

The circular economy in construction, essential to continue building to the extent necessary, at a reasonable cost level and without harming the environment, aims at sustainable and economical management of resources. This solution focuses on reducing consumption, recovery and recycling of construction materials and energy.

However, the circular economy encompasses other activities such as the redesign of production processes and business models. As a result, technical, economic and institutional processes and frameworks need to be developed and adapted. And this not only at the local level, but also at the regional and global level.

Time is running out in the French construction sector, as it is argued that the absence of a climate-neutral business model by 2045 will not be sustainable.

The circular economy: advantages not to be overlooked

The circular economy is leading the construction sector into a major transformation process, with multiple benefits for the environment.

• Controlling the exploitation of resources and reducing the volume of waste have a positive impact on the quantity of raw materials extracted and transformed throughout the life cycle of a building.
• Lower purchasing and transportation costs reduce the total cost of construction projects.
• Depending on technological innovations, the progress of the digital transition and the measures taken by the authorities, further financial savings could be achieved in the future.
• Creation of jobs and economic activities in the local raw materials, construction and recycling industry.

Construction waste: a question of recycling

In France, since the reuse and recycling of construction waste can be improved, the circular economy, still in its start-up phase, shows good prospects. Each year, approximately 46 million tonnes of waste and rubble are produced by the construction sector in France[2], 49% of which comes from the demolition of buildings. A very small quantity is reused due to the lower quality of a large part of construction waste which is not comparable to that of the original raw material.

In this context, it is important to note the difference between recycling and reusing construction materials:

• Reuse: A product can be reused with minimal transformation or modification
• Waste Recycling: Recycled materials require a labor-intensive process to disassemble and return to their original state.

Depending on the type and size of a construction project, reusing or recycling materials therefore offers great potential for savings.

Realizing this commitment

In addition to recycling and reusing building materials, many concrete solutions contribute to improving sustainability in construction, such as optimizing materials from the design stage of new buildings, modular construction, the use of local and bio-sourced materials, digitalization facilitating coordination between all stakeholders in the construction project, and the introduction of product passports clearly indicating which materials are used in real estate.

How these points can be put into practice depends on a number of factors, such as the type and size of the construction project in question, for example.

Digitalization to optimize sustainability in construction

Lever in the evolution of the construction sector towards the circular economy, digitalization makes it possible to optimize the processes of planning, construction and operation of real estate. Projects monitored by digital technologies facilitate collaboration between the different actors.

First of all, through waste management, which represents a crucial issue, where digitalization provides concrete solutions. This mechanically translates into optimized use of materials and minimized waste production, thus improving the overall quality of projects.

Finally, traceability and transparency are another benefit of digitalization. These tools make it possible to create a transparent network of evidence, from design to delivery. This traceability facilitates the monitoring and potential reuse of materials, fully in line with the principles of the circular economy. At the same time, these solutions considerably simplify compliance with environmental regulations, which are proving to be just as challenging for construction players.

[1] Source: Global State of Buildings and Construction Report, published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC). In 2022, the sector accounted for 37% of global CO2 emissions related to energy and operational processes.

[2] Source: French Building Federation

Tribune by Álvaro Vega, Regional Manager France, Spain, Italy and Latin America, PlanRadar (LinkedIn).