Scaling reuse in the construction sector: The role of technical consultants in the transition toward a circular construction sector

Abstract

This thesis discusses the transition from a linear economy to a circular economy in the construction sector, where waste generation is minimized, and economic growth is decoupled from resource consumption. The construction industry is a key focus in this transition due to its significant resource depletion, waste generation, and ecological footprint. The European Union and Sweden, including the city of Gothenburg, have implemented initiatives to support circular construction (CC). Reusing building components is highlighted as a strategy to eliminate waste and circulate materials. However, the construction sector is a complex sociotechnical system and the industry faces challenges in adopting reuse practices due to factors such as change resistance and complex product systems. The multi-level perspective is employed in this study to better understand this system and the barriers and enablers to advance reuse in the construction sector. The study is conducted in partnership with the consultancy COWI in Gothenburg, Sweden, to gain insight into the role of technical consultants and their experience with reuse. The thesis aims to explore the circular economic transition of the construction sector in Sweden, with a focus on the role of technical consultants in facilitating this transition. The construction industry operates within a well-established infrastructure and follows a linear economic model, making it challenging to bring about change. However, there is a growing interest in reuse practices within organizations, and e.g., COWI experiences a rising demand for reuse practices from their clients. The research questions addressed in this thesis include identifying the barriers and enablers to scaling reuse in the construction sector, understanding the stakeholders that affect and are affected by technical consultants in advancing reuse, determining the regime categories in which technical consultants can influence the barriers and enablers, and exploring the roles of technical consultants in scaling reuse. The transition towards reuse and a CC sector requires collaboration among multiple stakeholders. This study emphasizes the significance of technical consultants in scaling reuse practices and identifies potential roles they can adopt in a CC industry, including reuse coordinators, reuse inventory managers, reused-product assessors, reuse educators, and reuse visionaries. Quality assurance and warranty challenges, limited external market scalability, and complex logistics emerge as major barriers, while collaboration and cooperation, well-functioning reuse logistics, increased demand and attractiveness for reuse, and climate policy and legislation are seen as significant enablers. Technical consultants can more easily influence barriers and enablers associated with knowledge and technology, although their influence on laws & regulations is more challenging. Nonetheless, technical consultants can leverage climate policy and regulations to support clients in achieving climate targets and promote reuse strategies. By understanding these dynamics, technical consultants can effectively contribute to advancing reuse practices and facilitating the circular economic transition in the construction sector.