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M. Migliore et al.
new markets, capable of activating new skills and entrepreneurship and innovating
the production processes according to the circular economy perspective (strategies
downstream of production and consumption) (Lacy and Rutqvist 2015). At this aim,
the different stages of the life cycle of the products should be made interdependent and permeable, in order to facilitate the exchange of materials, information
and knowledge between the various production sectors. This implies a change of
paradigms-involving culture, information and production processes-in the direction
of a strategy focused on recognising the economic potential of recyclable waste and
the possible involvement of a plurality of subjects: the companies extracting raw
materials, the manufacturers processing raw materials; the designers and manufacturers of products; the designers and manufacturers of complex systems (buildings,
consumer goods, equipment, etc.); the managers of the use phase (maintenance and
upgrades); consumers/users; the managers of demolition/disassembly processes; the
designers and the manufacturers of secondary raw materials and recycled products.
This is a very complex scenario, in which stakeholders, belonging to different sectors and disciplines, interact on both a strategic and operational level and exchange
information and materials.
2 Circular Economy Approaches for the Construction
Sector
If the construction sector is considered, many questions arise, connected both with
the areas and ways of application of the circular economy and with the roles of the
many operators involved, such as:
• how to reconfigure existing building products and/or design new ones in order
to reduce waste and/or characterise scrap and by-products, so that they can be
applicable, as recyclable for other sectors;
• how to reconfigure existing building products and/or design new ones in order to
use scrap and by-products from other sectors, thereby lowering production costs
and increasing the environmental value of buildings;
• how to design the building systems for disassembling parts for reuse/recycling;
• how to assess and communicate the environmental quality of building products
involved in recycling processes.
Considering circular economy, these and other issues open up to multiple perspectives of innovation for the construction sector and to new market segments involving
the need for new skills, related to various stakeholders, for example:
• the manufacturers of building materials and components, that may offer recyclable
waste that can become secondary raw materials for other sectors;
• the construction firms, that may offer recyclable waste that can become secondary
raw materials for other sectors;
M. Migliore et al.
new markets, capable of activating new skills and entrepreneurship and innovating
the production processes according to the circular economy perspective (strategies
downstream of production and consumption) (Lacy and Rutqvist 2015). At this aim,
the different stages of the life cycle of the products should be made interdependent and permeable, in order to facilitate the exchange of materials, information
and knowledge between the various production sectors. This implies a change of
paradigms-involving culture, information and production processes-in the direction
of a strategy focused on recognising the economic potential of recyclable waste and
the possible involvement of a plurality of subjects: the companies extracting raw
materials, the manufacturers processing raw materials; the designers and manufacturers of products; the designers and manufacturers of complex systems (buildings,
consumer goods, equipment, etc.); the managers of the use phase (maintenance and
upgrades); consumers/users; the managers of demolition/disassembly processes; the
designers and the manufacturers of secondary raw materials and recycled products.
This is a very complex scenario, in which stakeholders, belonging to different sectors and disciplines, interact on both a strategic and operational level and exchange
information and materials.
2 Circular Economy Approaches for the Construction
Sector
If the construction sector is considered, many questions arise, connected both with
the areas and ways of application of the circular economy and with the roles of the
many operators involved, such as:
• how to reconfigure existing building products and/or design new ones in order
to reduce waste and/or characterise scrap and by-products, so that they can be
applicable, as recyclable for other sectors;
• how to reconfigure existing building products and/or design new ones in order to
use scrap and by-products from other sectors, thereby lowering production costs
and increasing the environmental value of buildings;
• how to design the building systems for disassembling parts for reuse/recycling;
• how to assess and communicate the environmental quality of building products
involved in recycling processes.
Considering circular economy, these and other issues open up to multiple perspectives of innovation for the construction sector and to new market segments involving
the need for new skills, related to various stakeholders, for example:
• the manufacturers of building materials and components, that may offer recyclable
waste that can become secondary raw materials for other sectors;
• the construction firms, that may offer recyclable waste that can become secondary
raw materials for other sectors;