Circular Economy
The built environment needs to move away from the take-make-waste economy. For a sustainable future, a regenerative, circular economy that rewards the reuse of finite materials and resources must take its place.
What is the Circular Economy?
At its simplest, the circular economy prioritises the reuse of materials, preventing the over extraction of natural resources and the number of usable materials that end up in landfill. More widely, it’s an economic model that builds overall system health by gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources. Its visionary principles consider a different way of doing business, placing more importance on regenerating nature, carbon reduction and sustainable resource management than our current system. In practice, it can look as small as a refill hub for groceries in a commercial development, or be more significant like retaining a building’s structure and utilising second hand steel.
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Circular Economy Principles
Maximise reuse (including refurbish and repurpose)
Design buildings for optimisation
Use standardisation
Products as a service
Minimise impact and waste
How can we enable a Circular Economy?
On an asset or business level the principles empower us to make the decisions that promote a circular economy. However, we need systems change so that all of industry can embrace circularity. As part of our Advancing Net Zero programme, our 2023 report System Enablers for a Circular Economy, identified eight enablers we can harness to create this shift.
- Collaboration & early engagement
- Second-hand materials market
- Design for disassembly/ design principles
- Green contracts and leases
- Tax & legislation
- Green financing
- Metrics, benchmarks, and indicators
- Education
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Explore the Circular Economy
News and Blogs
Embracing Circular Economy Design principles and interconnected enablers for Sustainability
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Using the tools we have to build a circular economy
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Collaboration and Early Engagement to Enable a Circular Economy: Opportunities and Barriers
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UKGBC launches new toolkit to accelerate the transition to a circular built environment
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All Circular Economy Resources
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Reused Steel Stockmatcher
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Online registry of materials used in buildings
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Circular economy metrics for buildings
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Low carbon bricks made from industrial waste
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Globechain
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System Enablers for a Circular Economy
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Enviromate
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Sustainability Yard
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Platform optimising designs for homes based on modular kit of parts
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Spaces for the sale, donation and recycling of items
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2050 Materials
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How Circular Economy Principles can impact carbon and value
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