Industry Snapshots 2024

Circularity in the built environment is no longer a concept of the future – it’s a critical approach for addressing today’s challenges and there is a lot of work already taking place across the industry. As well as hearing from British Land, Drees & Sommer, GPE and FCBS on how they are practically applying circularity principles to their projects. we had a quick-fire update session from a range of organisations that are enabling these exemplars to be scaled:

ReLondon

Tessa Devreese, Strategic Advisor for the Built Environment at ReLondon, presented the organization’s work on supporting circularity initiatives across London’s municipalities, focussing on planning policy, local authority procurement and the development of the necessary physical and digital infrastructure to facilitate circular supply chains. She outlined three projects in these areas:

Finally next year, ReLondon plan to start a project which will explore how data from the Circular Economy Statement and planning process can be extracted to better inform decision making.

They are testing and assessing various circularity metrics to determine the most impactful way to drive circularity through planning policy and client briefs.

With Tower Hamlets they atr conducting a scoping study into a construction material reuse hub, developing an understaanding of how lical authorities can support materil reuse locally and the potential social and economic benefits it might bring.

UK Green Building Council (UKGBC)

Clare Wilde, representing the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC), summarised the organisation’s multifaceted initiatives aimed at advancing sustainability and circularity in the construction industry, starting with the Circular economy guidance for construction clients, published in 2019, through to the Systems enablers for a circular economy published in 2023. Their current work is being conducted through a ‘circular economy forum’, which is a regular meeting of individuals from 50 organisations across the build environment value chain who focus on sharing challenges, lessons learnt and solutions.

Material passports have been a key point of discussion for this group, with their use being promoted in the Circular economy metrics for buildings and a current piece of work which will be a 2 page guide covering the basics of materials passports and what information should be collected.

Circular Buildings Coalition

Max Russell, of Arup representing the Circular Buildings Coalition, outlined the coalition’s ambitious mission to transform the construction industry through circular economy principles. Central to this effort is the creation of a common language for circularity, enabling stakeholders across the sector to communicate effectively and work collaboratively. By standardizing terms and concepts, the coalition aims to break down barriers and facilitate widespread adoption of circular practices.

The coalition is also focused on supporting scalable solutions that address practical challenges in implementing circularity. This includes innovative initiatives such as developing insurance models for reclaimed materials, which provide financial security and encourage reuse, as well as frameworks to streamline material reuse in construction projects. These scalable solutions aim to create a more accessible and efficient path toward sustainable practices. Five ‘Blueprint’ projects are in progress, with more to be funded in the coming year.

Additionally, Max emphasized the coalition’s commitment to researching the environmental impact of circular economy practices. By studying their potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Circular Buildings Coalition is generating valuable insights to guide the industry toward more climate-conscious approaches.

UCL’s Building Passport Alignment Project

Kell Jones from University College London presented the Building Passport Alignment Project, an initiative designed to revolutionize how data is managed and shared within the construction and real estate sectors. At its core, the project focuses on standardizing data by creating a unified framework for reporting and tracking ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) metrics. This standardized approach aims to enhance transparency and comparability, making it easier for stakeholders to assess the environmental and social impacts of their projects.

Another critical objective of the project is breaking silos by establishing a global standard for data exchange. This effort seeks to streamline the flow of information across industries and geographies, fostering collaboration and enabling a more cohesive approach to sustainability. By bridging gaps in data management and communication, the Building Passport Alignment Project is setting the stage for a more connected and sustainable built environment. A draft taxonomy has already been created and the current work is extending this to cover more reporting schemes, testing the taxonomy with passport providers, such as Madaster with the aim of producing a draft specification standard in Q1 2025. Download the White paper and stay up to date by joining the LinkedIn Group.

BuildZero

Danielle Densley-Tingley, from the University of Sheffield, introduced the BuildZero Project, a ground-breaking £6 million initiative aimed at transforming the UK’s built environment through circular economy practices. A key component of the project is the detailed modelling of the UK’s building stock to identify opportunities for implementing circular strategies. This data-driven approach enables the identification of areas where resources can be optimized, waste minimized, and emissions reduced.

Another critical aspect of BuildZero is its commitment to stakeholder engagement, bringing together construction professionals, policymakers, and the public to collaboratively envision a sustainable built environment by 2050. By involving diverse perspectives, the project fosters a shared vision and builds momentum for systemic change within the construction sector.

Danielle also highlighted the creation of actionable pathways for retrofitting and resource optimization. These pathways provide practical solutions for reducing waste and carbon emissions while extending the lifespan of existing structures.

BuildZero is looking for organisations to share material & building data to help build the national stock & flow model. If you have data, or want to keep up to date with the project’s progress, join the mailing list.

Lancaster University

Ana Costa, from Lancaster University, delved into her research on the evolution and practical application of material passport platforms, such as Madaster, shedding light on their transformative potential in the construction industry. Her work highlights how these platforms play a critical role across various stages of a building’s lifecycle. From enabling the reuse of existing materials to facilitating the construction of new structures, material passports ensure that valuable resources remain traceable and accessible throughout their lifespan.

Ana also emphasized the need for alignment between commercial services and long-term sustainability goals. By integrating sustainable practices into business models, material passport platforms can support both economic viability and environmental stewardship. This alignment not only encourages the adoption of circular economy principles but also ensures that sustainability becomes an integral part of industry operations. Through her research, Ana is contributing to a deeper understanding of how material passports can drive innovation and efficiency in the built environment.

LETI’s Circular Economy Outcome Metric

Tim den Dekker, of Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, representing LETI, unveiled the Circular Economy Outcome Metric, designed to measure the effectiveness of circular practices within construction projects. The initiative stemmed from the CIRCuIT project, with desired outcome being a single metric that can be used in client briefings. The resulting proposed metric intends to provide a clear and structured method for assessing the tangible impact of circular initiatives, ensuring that progress can be quantified and communicated effectively. It is based on an LCA approach combined with weighting factors that converts environmental impact to a monetary amount for reversing the impact.

The metric is presented as an opinion piece and LETI is seeking feedback.

What’s Next?

If you’re part of the construction, design, or policy landscape, there’s no better time to get involved. Share your insights, contribute data, or participate in ongoing projects. Together, we can shape a built environment that values circularity and safeguards resources for generations to come.

Let’s keep the conversation going. After all, transforming together is the only way forward.

Get Involved

This is just the beginning, and we’re excited to keep the conversation going. If you’d like to learn more about Madaster and how we’re helping create a circular economy in the built environment:

• Contact Us: Interested in collaborating or learning more? Get in touch with our team
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