Webinar: what is circular economy in construction?
Background
The construction sector is continually adapting the way we build to deliver more sustainable assets, and we are increasingly realising the benefits of embedding sustainability as a fundamental part of the strategy and project delivery process. However, construction is still the largest contributor to waste in the UK and has scope to impact significantly on the ability to meet national reduction targets through the implementation of circular economy.
Circular Economy means we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end their life. It is a more efficient and environmentally sound alternative to the traditional linear economy in which we make, use and dispose of resources (London Circular).
Circular economy and materials resource efficiency have gained a large amount of attention at policy level with commitments from the European Union, UK devolved administrations and Local Authorities being introduced. This has driven companies to increasingly seek to incorporate circularity and resource efficiency as significant parts of their sustainability strategy. We don’t yet have a construction industry accustomed to circular economy approaches but there is increasing awareness it will produce benefits across the construction industry such as cost savings, reduced environmental impact and an enhanced reputation.
CIRIA’s Environment Panel members have identified circular economy as a key area requiring further support and development in the construction industry. In addition, CIRIA’s custodianship of the WRAP built environment database provides a useful positioning to develop further research in this field. This webinar acts as an introduction to some of the principles, issues and opportunities ahead of a series sector specific seminars in 2018 and early 2019.