Chap e 2
Ci cula Ma e ials—A Mul iscale
App oach o Ci cula i y a a Building,
Componen s and Ma e ials Le el
Rocío Pineda-Ma os ,İlke Kah aman,
Genesis Camila Ce an es Puma , Vio el Ungu eanu ,
Fe nanda Paes de Ba os Gomide , and Raluca Buza u
Abs ac Sus ainable p ac ices and s a egies o enhance esou ce e iciency while
minimising was e in buildings and hei cons i uen elemen s a e key owa ds ci cu-
la i y a he u ban buil en i onmen . In his chap e h ee implemen a ion scales,
unde he pa adigm o he ci cula economy (CE), a e measu ed—i.e., buildings,
componen s and ma e ials—, conside ing bo h new and exis ing buildings’ imple-
men a ions. Aspec s such as design o adap abili y and lexibili y, modula and
lexible spaces and concep s, ene gy and wa e e iciency a e discussed. By imple-
men ing CE s a egies a he componen -le el using a mul ip onged app oach would
ex end he li espan and con ibu e o en i onmen al and economic sus ainabili y.
This includes he e u bishmen and upg ading o componen s and he adop ion o
modula cons uc ion echniques, among o he echniques and solu ions. The las pa
R. Pineda-Ma os (B
)
Depa amen o de Ingenie ía Ae oespacial y Mecánica de Fluidos, Escuela Técnica Supe io de
Ingenie ía Ag onómica, Uni e sidad de Se illa, Se illa, Spain
e-mail: [email p o ec ed]
İ. Kah aman
İzmi Uni e si y o Economics, İzmi , Tü kiye
G. C. Ce an es Puma ·F. Paes de Ba os Gomide
ISISE, ARISE, Depa men o Ci il Enginee ing, Uni e si y o Minho, 4804-533 Guima ães,
Po ugal
V. Ungu eanu ·R. Buza u
Depa men o S eel S uc u es and S uc u al Mechanics, Poli ehnica Uni e si y o Timisoa a,
Timisoa a, Romania
V. Ungu eanu
Labo a o y o S eel S uc u es, CCTFA, Romanian Academy - Timisoa a B anch, Timisoa a,
Romania
F. Paes de Ba os Gomide
PPGTE, Pos g adua e P og am in Technology and Socie y, Fede al Uni e si y o
Technology-Pa aná (UTFPR), Cu i iba, B azil
© The Au ho (s) 2025
L. B agança e al. (eds.), Ci cula Economy Design and Managemen
in he Buil En i onmen , Sp inge T ac s in Ci il Enginee ing,
h ps://doi.o g/10.1007/978-3-031-73490-8_2
25
26 R. Pineda-Ma os e al.
o he chap e p esen s he concep o ci cula ma e ials and i s ci cula i y po en-
ial a p omo e ex ended p oduc li ecycles and ans o ming was e in o aluable
esou ces. In eg a ing sus ainable and ci cula design p inciples wi hin cons uc ion
p ac ices is p oposed owa ds mo e sus ainable and esou ce-e icien indus ies’
ans o ma ions.
Keywo ds Ci cula economy ·U ban buil en i onmen ·Buildings ·
Cons uc ion ma e ials ·Design o disassembly ·Modula i y
2.1 In oduc ion
Ci cula economy (CE) p inciples ind applica ion ac oss a ious le els wi hin he
buil en i onmen , encompassing buildings, componen s and ma e ials. In a ame-
wo k o CE, a co e enan is he con inuous ci cula ion o p oduc s and ma e ials,
aiming o minimise was e and op imise esou ce u ilisa ion h oughou hei li ecycle.
This is accomplished h ough a ious s a egies, including (i) ou ine main enance
o p e en ea ly de e io a ion, (ii) euse o p oduc s in hei o iginal o m, (iii) e u -
bishmen o upg ade unc ionali y, (i ) emanu ac u ing o c ea e like-new p oduc s
om used componen s, and ( ) ecycling o con e used ma e ials in o new p od-
uc s. The essen ial pu pose is o op imise esou ce e iciency, minimise was e, and
ad oca e o sus ainable p ac ices h oughou he en i e li ecycle o buildings and
hei cons i uen elemen s.
2.2 Building Le el
The p inciples o he CE o e a ans o ma i e app oach o building design, cons uc-
ion, and ope a ion. These p inciples encou age conside a ion o a building’s en i e
li e cycle; including designing o disassembly and adap abili y o u u e uses, as well
as inco po a ing ma e ials wi h high euse and ecycling po en ial. By designing
buildings wi h ci cula i y in mind, i becomes possible o ex end hei li espan
and educe was e. The applica ion o CE p inciples a he building le el necessi-
a es a holis ic app oach ha conside s he o al li e cycle o he s uc u e. This
app oach p omo es s a egies o minimise esou ce consump ion and was e gene -
a ion h oughou all s ages, om design and cons uc ion o ope a ion, eno a ion,
and end-o -li e. Whe he i is a new building o an exis ing one, di e en app oaches
need o be conside ed.
New Buildings
When i comes o new buildings, he goal is o build o long- e m use, build e icien ly
and use ma e ials esou ce ully in o de o minimise was e. Ca e ul design and plan-
ning a e c ucial, alongside adop ing esou ce-e icien cons uc ion echniques like
2 Ci cula Ma e ials—A Mul iscale App oach o Ci cula i y a a Building … 27
p e ab ica ion and modula isa ion, o minimise was e and enhance esou ce u ilisa-
ion. Inc easing he building u ilisa ion and designing o du abili y and adap abili y
a e also c ucial s a egies, conside ing he u u e needs o he gene a ions o come.
The la e is also associa ed wi h using ci cula ma e ials wi h high ecyclabili y and
ecycled con en , low en i onmen al impac and non-haza dous componen s.
Exis ing Buildings
Fo exis ing buildings, he ocus is on adap i e euse, gi ing new pu poses and
unc ions o exis ing s uc u es. This helps owa ds ex ending he li espan o he
building and a oiding unnecessa y demoli ion and was e gene a ion. Building eno-
a ions and e o i s should p io i ise inco po a ing ene gy e iciency goals o enhance
he building’s o e all pe o mance and op imise ene gy consump ion. Addi ionally,
decons uc ion echniques can be employed o ca e ully disman le he building and
eco e ma e ials o euse, emake o ecycling.
A he buildings le el, he applica ion o CE p inciples ansla es o designing,
cons uc ing, and ope a ing buildings wi h a comp ehensi e li e-cycle app oach. This
means ocusing on minimising esou ce consump ion and was e gene a ion ac oss
he building’s li e cycle, om design and cons uc ion o ope a ion, eno a ion, and
decons uc ion.
The e a e some key s eps o ollow, as explained in he ou sub-sec ions below:
Design o Adap abili y and Flexibili y. In he wen y- i s cen u y, he dominan
ea u e is apid echnological ad ancemen . The ad en o new echnologies and
sma building concep s is eshaping people’s li es yles. Al hough buildings a e
cons uc ed wi h he in en ion o se ing o many yea s, i is clea ha in jus a
decade, he needs o occupan s can e ol e signi ican ly. To add ess his challenge,
buildings mus be designed wi h a long- e m pe spec i e, minimising he need o
equen eplacemen s o demoli ions. The emphasis is on c ea ing designs ha allow
easy modi ica ions o epu posing as e ol ing needs a ise. This adap abili y is c ucial
because he social, economic, and en i onmen al condi ions a e cons an ly changing,
necessi a ing a co esponding e olu ion in he unc ions and pu poses o buildings.
Besides aligning wi h ci cula i y, his app oach o e s dis inc ad an ages.
Designing o adap abili y and lexibili y is a pi o al s ep in ensu ing ha buildings
can espond e ec i ely o changing ci cums ances. By p oac i ely conside ing u u e
equi emen s and po en ial changes, he li espan o buildings can be ex ended, hence
educing was e, and cu ailing he necessi y o ex ensi e eno a ions o demoli ions.
Modula and Flexible Spaces. The concep o lexibili y and adap abili y in a chi ec-
u e has been p esen since he eme gence o mode nism and con inues o be highly
ele an in ou daily li es. Acco ding o K onenbu g [1], lexible design aims o
c ea e spaces ha can be adjus ed o un o eseen ci cums ances, e ol ing use needs,
and new ope a ional equi emen s. The wen ie h cen u y wi nessed a p og essi e
adop ion o modula design p inciples, bo h in building s uc u es and indi idual
p oduc s, ma king a de elopmen in indus ial his o y [2].
The e m “ lexible housing” is a mo e app op ia e ph ase o desc ibe lexibili y
in he buil en i onmen , as explained by Schneide and Till [3]. They b oaden he
28 R. Pineda-Ma os e al.
de ini ion o lexibili y o encompass all design choices ha depa om igid unc-
ionali y. This highligh s he c i icali y o c ea ing spaces capable o adap ing o
accommoda e di e se needs and unc ions o e ime.
In summa y, lexibili y and adap abili y a e c ucial conside a ions in a chi ec u e
and enginee ing a he buil en i onmen . They enable spaces o espond o changing
equi emen s and ope a ions, and he use o modula s uc u es and lexible design
app oaches can acili a e his adap abili y. The e m “ lexible housing” encompasses
he ange o design decisions ha allow o he ans o ma ion and econ igu a ion
o spaces, mo ing away om igid unc ionali y.
Ene gy E iciency. Sus ainable building design p io i ises ene gy e iciency, a c i -
ical s a egy o minimising ene gy consump ion, lowe ing g eenhouse gas (GHG))
emissions, and con ibu ing o en i onmen al well-being. To achie e his, se e al key
conside a ions should be weighed, such as:
Passi e Design S a egies. Implemen ing passi e design s a egies is impo an o
op imise ene gy lows, na u al ligh ing, in il a ion, and en ila ion. Minimising hea
loss h ough he building’s en elope using e ec i e insula ion, and educing he
e ec o he mal b idges, along wi h he managemen o sola hea gains can also
signi ican ly lowe he hea ing and cooling ene gy needs.
E icien HVAC (Hea ing, Ven ila ion, and Ai Condi ioning) Equipmen . In eg a ing
high-pe o mance HVAC sys ems wi hin a holis ic building design os e s signi ican
ene gy sa ings and imp o ed indoo he mal com o . In addi ion, adop ing ene gy-
e icien ligh ing solu ions, such as LED bulbs and ha nessing dayligh ing s a egies,
u he minimises he eliance on a i icial ligh ing.
Sma Con ols and Ene gy Managemen Sys ems. Using occupancy senso s, he -
mos a s, and sma con ols can au oma ically adjus ene gy use acco ding o occu-
pancy, dayligh , o o he ac o s; hus, op imising ene gy consump ion. While ene gy
managemen sys ems o e he abili y o le e age da a om connec ed de ices,
ensu ing e ec i e con ol and managemen elies on he implemen a ion o a
use - iendly in e ace.
Renewable Ene gy Sys ems. Inco po a ing enewable ene gy sys ems such as
geo he mal sys ems, sola powe , wind powe , biomass, o biogas can g ea ly
con ibu e o sus ainable pe o mance a ge s. Ins alling sola pho o ol aic (PV)
sys ems on oo ops o acan land can gene a e clean elec ici y, o se ing he
building’s ene gy demand and educing eliance on g id powe . In eg a ion o small-
scale wind u bines o u ilising geo he mal hea pumps o hea ing and cooling
pu poses a e also iable op ions.
I is impo an o conside use - iendliness when implemen ing ene gy-e icien
sys ems. Complexi y can hinde e ec i e managemen and usage, so he sys ems
should ha e a basic in e ace ha is easily unde s andable and manageable by use s.
Addi ionally, in eg a ing ene gy-e icien equipmen and sys ems h oughou he
building, such as HVAC sys ems, will con ibu e o o e all ene gy e iciency.
2 Ci cula Ma e ials—A Mul iscale App oach o Ci cula i y a a Building … 29
By inco po a ing hese s a egies and echnologies, buildings can signi ican ly
imp o e he p e ailing com o condi ions and, a he same ime, educe hei ene gy
consump ion, educe ca bon emissions, and ad ance a mo e sus ainable u u e. I is
essen ially impo an ha designe s p io i ise ene gy e iciency in building design and
cons uc ion o c ea e en i onmen ally esponsible and esou ce-e icien s uc u es.
Wa e E iciency. Wa e managemen in buildings encompasses he implemen a ion
o s a egies and echnologies o op imise he u ilisa ion, conse a ion, and o e all
managemen o wa e esou ces. The goals o e ec i e wa e managemen include
elimina ing was e ul p ac ices and unnecessa y expenses associa ed wi h he use
o clean wa e , educing he eliance on eshwa e esou ces o p ese e ecological
balance, and ensu ing adequa e wa e supply in a eas acing wa e sca ci y. By imple-
men ing e icien wa e managemen p ac ices, buildings con ibu e o achie ing
sus ainable wa e use, conse a ion, and esilience in he ace o g owing chal-
lenges o wa e sca ci y. This can be achie ed h ough he adop ion o wa e -e icien
appliances such as dishwashe s and washing machines, and ix u es—e.g., oile s,
showe heads, and auce s.
G ey wa e ecycling p o ides wa e sa ings o up o 50% in esidences. Fo
comme cial pu poses such as ho els and do mi o ies, his a e exceeds 60%. The
wa e used o ba he and wash hands accoun s o 50–60% o o al g eywa e , he
g eywa e om he washing machine accoun s o 25–35% o o al g eywa e , and
he g eywa e om he ki chen accoun s o 50–60% o o al g eywa e .
Rainwa e ha es ing sys ems ha e huge po en ial o educe wa e consump ion
in buildings.
2.3 Componen Le el
The p inciples o he CE ex end beyond he building i sel , encompassing he indi-
idual componen s ha o m i sel . This includes he use o componen s ha a e
designed o disassembly, acili a ing hei seamless sepa a ion and subsequen euse
o ecycling. By inco po a ing ci cula design p inciples in o he selec ion and use
o componen s, i becomes possible o minimise was e and maximise esou ce
e iciency. A he componen le el, se e al key s a egies can be used o p omo e
ci cula i y:
(1) Encou aging P oduc -as-a-Se ice (PaaS) Business Model: Emphasising he
PaaS model can acili a e he sha ing and eusing o componen s, p omo e
esou ce e iciency, and educe was e.
(2) Suppo ing Re e se Logis ics and Take-Back P og ammes: Sma ake-back
sys ems and e icien e e se logis ics keep esou ces in he loop, enabling
ecycling and epu posing o ma e ials a hei end-o -li e.
(3) Designing o Repai abili y: Emphasising epai abili y in componen design
ex ends hei li espan and educes he need o eplacemen s. This can include
using easily eplaceable pa s o p o iding access o epai s.

30 R. Pineda-Ma os e al.
(4) P omo ing Remanu ac u ed Componen s: Encou aging he use o emanu ac-
u ed componen s ins ead o new ones con ibu es o esou ce conse a ion and
educes he demand o new p oduc ion.
(5) Facili a ing Componen -Sha ing Pla o ms: P o iding pla o ms o indi iduals
o o ganisa ions o sha e componen s os e s esou ce sha ing and educes he
o e all demand o new p oduc ion.
(6) Collabo a ing o Resou ce and Componen Sha ing: Collabo a ing wi h o he s
o sha e esou ces and componen s u he educes he equi emen o new
p oduc ion and upholds ci cula i y.
(7) Encou aging Inno a ion in Sus ainable Ma e ials and Technologies: The suppo
o esea ch and de elopmen in he componen ield p omo es he de elopmen
o inno a i e ma e ials and echnologies ha enable sus ainable and ci cula
componen s.
(8) Raising Awa eness and Demons a ing he Bene i s: Educa ing consume s,
p oduce s, and policy make s abou he ad an ages o implemen ing componen -
le el ci cula i y can ele a e public awa eness and d i e esponsible consump ion
beha iou s.
(9) Ad oca ing o Suppo i e Policies and Regula ions: Ad oca ing o policies
and egula ions such as ax incen i es o ex ended p oduce esponsibili y laws
ha suppo CE p ac ices a he componen le el can u he d i e adop ion and
implemen a ion.
In he buil en i onmen , implemen ing CE s a egies a he componen le el
necessi a es a mul ip onged app oach, encompassing he euse o building elemen s,
he e u bishmen and upg ading o componen s, and he adop ion o modula
cons uc ion echniques. These s a egies ex end he li espan o componen s, educe
was e, and con ibu e o en i onmen al sus ainabili y.
Reusing Componen s
While he e m o CE may be ecen , he unde lying p inciples o esou ce eco e y
and componen euse ha e a long his o y, da ing back o p e-indus ial imes and
p ac ised ex ensi ely hen [4]. Ma e ial eco e y is a complex p ocess in luenced
by nume ous ac o s, encompassing economic changes, echnological ad ance-
men s, and e ol ing ends such as ashion. In pa icula , he euse and ecycling
o me als ha e been p ac ised since hei e y i s u ilisa ion [5]. The landscape o
decision-making is e ol ing, wi h en i onmen al conside a ions gaining signi ican
weigh alongside adi ional economic and social ac o s. Due o his impo ance
and inc easing ma e ial cos s, he disassembly and euse o componen s is a ac ing
mo e a en ion [6]. Recognising he impo ance o sus ainable p ac ices, he En i-
onmen al P o ec ion Agency (EPA) de eloped a ool o measu e he ene gy sa ings
om esponsible ma e ial managemen . Thei indings demons a e ha ecycling
and sou ce educ ion can conse e signi ican ene gy and minimise g eenhouse gas
emissions, con ibu ing o a heal hie plane [7]. Achie ing seamless decons uc ion
hinges on wo key ac o s: (1) inco po a ing he igh echnologies in o he design
2 Ci cula Ma e ials—A Mul iscale App oach o Ci cula i y a a Building … 31
p ocess; and (2) de eloping inno a i e building sys ems and echnologies ha p io i-
ise componen eusabili y. By combining hese app oaches, we ge close o a ci cula
cons uc ion model whe e ma e ials ha e mul iple li es.
The Canadian S anda ds Associa ion (CSA) has eleased a d a guide ou lining
p inciples and s a egies o Design o Disassembly and Adap abili y (D DA) in
buildings, o e ing aluable guidance o a chi ec s, enginee s, and cons uc ion
p o essionals [8]. This esea ch uses li e cycle assessmen (LCA) me hodologies o
comp ehensi ely e alua e a ious app oaches owa d euse o ma e ials and compo-
nen s in he buil en i onmen . By p o iding designe s wi h obus da a and insigh s,
he s udy aims o de elop a p ac ical e alua ion ool o selec ing building laye s and
componen s ha op imise bo h en i onmen al pe o mance and eusabili y po en ial
[6].
The p ac ice o eco e ing and inco po a ing indi idual componen s sal aged
om p e ious cons uc ion p ojec s in o new buildings is called “componen euse”.
This can encompass s uc u al elemen s like beams and columns, o nons uc u al
componen s like cladding panels, b icks, and e en s ai cases. Compa ed o ecycling,
eusing building componen s o en i e s uc u es ypically equi es less ep ocessing,
leading o a mo e signi ican educ ion in en i onmen al impac [6]. The U.S. (Uni ed
S a es) En i onmen al P o ec ion Agency (EPA) s udy e ealed ha componen euse
o e s signi ican ly g ea e en i onmen al bene i s han ecycling, wi h was e educ-
ion e o s leading o mo e han 60% highe ene gy and GHG emissions sa ings
[7].
Implemen ing a ma e ials euse s a egy equi es signi ican lexibili y om design
eams, necessi a ing an openness o adap ing plans as componen s become a ailable.
Timely access o accu a e in o ma ion h oughou he design p ocess is highly impo -
an . Ha ing p ecise dimensions o eclaimed componen s eadily a ailable in he
ea ly s ages o he design empowe s in o med decision-making.
Reuse o s uc u al componen s enjoys g ea e easibili y when he in ended new
pu pose aligns wi h he o iginal unc ion. Inco po a ing such as componen s in o
a new p ojec is acili a ed by simila s uc u al layou s and p ese a ion o he
o iginal span sizes in he new design. Clien engagemen plays an impo an ole in
d i ing he success o decons uc ion and euse s a egies. Thei decisions ega ding
budge , design goals, and le el o isk ole ance signi ican ly impac he easibili y
and success o such p ojec s. The decision o euse ma e ials in a p ojec demands a
nuanced app oach, conside ing he unique cha ac e is ics o each si e and he con ex
o he p ojec . Fac o s such as loca ion, a ailable space, p ojec imelines, and speci ic
design equi emen s all ha e a signi ican impac on he easibili y and sui abili y o
u ilising p e iously used ma e ials.
Re u bishmen (Repai -Repain -Re o i ) and Upg ading
The en i onmen al oo p in o he cons uc ion indus y can be signi ican ly educed
h ough e u bishmen , solidi ying i s posi ion as a i al ace o he CE. Alongside
epai , emanu ac u ing, and di ec euse, e u bishmen empowe s he indus y o
p io i ise esou ce conse a ion and was e educ ion.
32 R. Pineda-Ma os e al.
Re u bishmen in ol es he p ocess o imp o ing buildings by cleaning, deco-
a ing, and eequipping hem o achie e ene gy e iciency and sus ainabili y goals. I
o en includes elemen s o e o i ing, which ocusses on upg ading exis ing building
componen s and sys ems o enhance hei pe o mance.
Re u bishmen encompasses he a ge ed in e en ion on de ec i e o ou da ed
elemen s, such as componen s and su aces. This in ol es epai o eplacemen
while p ese ing he co e s uc u e. This app oach p omo es he conse a ion o
exis ing buildings while simul aneously enhancing hei unc ionali y and aes he ics.
Fu he mo e, e u bishmen can ex end o upg ades in i e p o ec ion, acous ics,
and he mal pe o mance, ul ima ely leading o an o e all inc ease in he building’s
quali y and sus ainabili y.
Re o i s, on he o he hand, e e o he p ocess o s eng hening, upg ading,
o adding addi ional equipmen o a building a e i s ini ial cons uc ion. This
o en includes imp o ed he mal insula ion, ene gy-e icien HVAC sys ems, o e en
enewable ene gy sou ces, oge he wi h he aim o imp o ing building pe o mance
and minimising en i onmen al impac .
By implemen ing e u bishmen and e o i ing p ac ices, he cons uc ion sec o
can con ibu e o esou ce conse a ion, was e educ ion, and he p omo ion o
sus ainable building p ac ices. These app oaches allow o ex ending he li espan
o exis ing buildings, signi ican ly educing he need o cons uc ion p ojec s made
wi h elemen s om new ma e ials, he eby minimising he associa ed en i onmen al
impac s.
2.4 Ma e ial Le el
The cons uc ion indus y can unlock signi ican en i onmen al bene i s by
emb acing he p inciples o CE. P io i ising ecycled ma e ials in buildings educes
he dependence on i gin esou ces, minimising was e and GHG emissions. This
pa es he way o a mo e sus ainable and esou ce-e icien u u e o he buil
en i onmen .
The concep o ci cula ma e ials e ol es a ound he eusing, ecycling, o
ans o ming o ma e ials wi hin a closed-loop sys em. This app oach ep esen s
a pa adigm shi , ansi ioning om he adi ional “use and h ow away” model
owa ds a mo e e icien pa adigm o u ilising exis ing esou ces h ough euse.
Addi ionally, he de elopmen o new cons uc ion ma e ials based on ze o ca bon
p inciples can also be conside ed pa o he ci cula ma e ials app oach, as hey lowe
cos s, speed up cons uc ion, imp o e quali y and sa e y, and ex end he li espan o
buildings.
The use o ci cula ma e ials in cons uc ion o e s se e al bene i s. I educes
was e, conse es esou ces, and lowe s he en i onmen al impac o he buil en i-
onmen . Some inno a i e cons uc ion ma e ials and sys ems ha con ibu e o ci cu-
la i y include sel -healing conc e e, conc e e can as, opmix pe meable, ae ogel, and
nanoma e ials. These ma e ials o e imp o ed du abili y, s eng h, and sus ainabili y.
2 Ci cula Ma e ials—A Mul iscale App oach o Ci cula i y a a Building … 33
To p omo e ci cula i y a he ma e ials le el, se e al s a egies can be imple-
men ed:
(1) Ma e ial Reco e y and Recycling: Implemen ing s a egies o eco e and
ecycle ma e ials om demoli ion o eno a ion o buildings, such as conc e e,
me als, o wood, educes was e and conse es esou ces.
(2) Closed-Loop Ma e ial Sys ems: Encou aging he adop ion o ci cula ma e ials
wi hin cons uc ion and manu ac u ing p ocesses. These ma e ials p io i ise
ease o sepa a ion, ecycling, and euse.
(3) Ex ended P oduce Responsibili y (EPR): Encou aging manu ac u e s o ake
owne ship o hei componen s beyond he poin o sale, including esponsible
ecycling, epu posing, o al e na i e end-o -li e solu ions.
(4) Digi al Pla o ms and Ma e ial Passpo s: Using digi al pla o ms and ma e ial
passpo s p o ides in o ma ion abou he o igin, composi ion, and ecyclabili y
o building ma e ials, acili a ing hei u u e euse o ecycling.
(5) Op imise Ma e ial Usage: P ac ices such as educing o e design, dec easing
he weigh o p oduc s, and elimina ing was e in p oduc ion p ocesses help
op imise ma e ial usage and minimise was e.
(6) Bio-based Ma e ials: Explo ing he de elopmen and use o bio-based ma e-
ials ha a e enewable and biodeg adable con ibu es o ci cula i y and
sus ainabili y.
(7) Ad anced Recycling Technologies: The implemen a ion o ad anced ecy-
cling echnologies, including chemical ecycling and upcycling, acili a es he
ex ac ion o aluable ma e ials om was e s eams.
(8) Collabo a ion wi h P oduc Designe s: Collabo a ing wi h p oduc designe s
o selec ma e ials ha align wi h p inciples o CE, such as ease o disassembly
and ecyclabili y, p omo es ci cula i y.
(9) LCAs: Conduc ing LCAs o e alua e he en i onmen al impac o ma e ials
and p oduc s, conside ing ac o s om ex ac ion o disposal.
(10) Lean Manu ac u ing P ac ices: P omo ing lean manu ac u ing p ac ices o
minimise ma e ial was e du ing p oduc ion.
(11) S akeholde Engagemen : Fos e ing mul i-s akeholde collabo a ion,
including manu ac u e s, consume s, and policymake s, o educa e and
ad oca e o he use o ci cula ma e ials and esponsible consump ion
p ac ices.
(12) Suppo i e Regula ions: Ad oca ing o egula ions ha manda e minimum
ecycled con en in p oduc s.
(13) Inno a ion and Collabo a ion: Collabo a ing wi h esea ch ins i u ions, s a -
ups, and indus y pa ne s o d i e inno a ion in ma e ials and ci cula i y.
Sus ainable Ma e ials Selec ion
E alua ing he sus ainabili y o building ma e ials can be guided by s anda ds like
EN 15,804:2012 +A2:2019, which es ablishes ounda ional p inciples o En i on-
men al P oduc Decla a ions (EPDs) in he cons uc ion sec o . EPDs play a key ole
in g een building assessmen ools, o e ing insigh in o a p oduc ’s en i onmen al
40 R. Pineda-Ma os e al.
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