Investigating the Opportunities for Implementation of Reused Materials at a Larger Scale in New Construction How Actors can Overcome the Challenges to Implement More Reused Materials in the Swedish Construction Industry

Abstract

Material reuse in new construction has become an increasingly important topic in recent years, as the construction industry seeks to address the environmental impacts associated with building new structures. In 2020, the construction industry emitted 9.8 million tons of CO2 equivalents, which corresponds to 21 percent of the total emissions of greenhouse gases in Sweden (Boverket, n.d.). Construction and demolition processes lead to large withdrawals of virgin and finite resources. Extracting and processing such materials leads to large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions and other types of environmental problems (Göteborgs Stad, 2020). Reusing materials in new construction can help reduce waste and energy consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and preserve natural resources. Change and measures are needed in the construction industry to reduce emissions and its enormous impact on the environment. Therefore, the construction industry faces a major challenge when it comes to making a shift from linear to circular material flows. There are various incentives by the EU and municipalities in Sweden to deal with such challenges and initiate a more sustainable approach to the built environment. As a part of making this transition, it is crucial to change from traditional linear material flows into circular flows. A major component in circular construction is reusing materials in new construction projects in order to close to loops and decrease emissions and extraction of virgin materials. The purpose of the report is to review what actors in the industry can do to better meet the requirements regarding circularity in the construction industry. More specifically, the report analyzes improvement opportunities for reuse within the design and construction phases. Moreover, the current state of material reuse in construction and the readiness to further implement reuse at a large scale in new construction is examined. The reviewed literature and conducted interviews were designed to gain various perspectives of the topic and to identify potential improvement opportunities. This study provides an overview of the benefits, challenges, and opportunities associated with material reuse in new construction, highlighting the potential for this practice to promote more sustainable and environmentally conscious building practices. Main findings from the study were the importance of collaboration between the stakeholders. The suppliers carry a significant role as they possess most knowledge about the materials and can recondition, store and provide guarantees for the reused materials. From a contractor perspective, it is important to support other actors involved in the project and provide the right tools to enhance reuse when coordinating the construction projects.