Circular Economy and Urban Mining – the Future of Construction is Sustainable

Despite full order books, the construction industry does not seem to be celebrating. After two difficult years plagued by the covid-19 pandemic, we were just about to breathe a sigh of relief when the current geopolitical situation put an abrupt dampener on things. Logistical problems and – more than anything – a shortage of raw materials are making it difficult for the construction industry to meet the rising demand for construction projects.

However, the current situation is also opening up the chance for further development – from which the industry will be able to gain long-term benefits.

Grey emissions – the climate killer

One of the main struggles faced by the construction industry is sustainability. Many people try to do their part for the environment in everyday life, such as by eating less meat or flying less often. But individual people can only do very little to stop climate change by themselves. The majority of global CO2 emissions comes from industry. And the construction industry is a major contributor.

“Grey emissions” are emissions produced during construction and in the manufacture of building materials. According to the World Green Building Council, they account for 39% of global CO2 emissions and over half of annual waste in Germany (German Federal Environment Agency).

Trees are cut down and ground sealed up, wreaking havoc on the natural CO2 storage process and flood protection. Revolutionary changes are needed for the construction industry to tackle these problems and promote environmental protection.

It all comes down to the raw materials

When it comes to making the construction industry more sustainable, a key issue is the raw materials used and what these will have to look like in future. For example, a team of researchers in Switzerland is working on developing cement that doesn’t consist of limestone, but rather magnesium carbonates. This is processed into cement using water and CO2, meaning that it binds more carbon dioxide than it emits. To improve the climate balance of construction projects, demand for alternative materials such as loam is growing. Loam is able to draw moisture out of the air and store it, absorb heat more slowly and thus keep buildings cool in summer and warm in winter. Wood is also gaining significance, and few buildings nowadays are planned without a photovoltaic system or some sort of vegetation.

A gold mine, not a pile of junk

But it will take more than just new approaches to raw materials to achieve climate targets and make the construction industry more sustainable. Another megatrend appearing in the industry is “urban mining”, which involves looking at an urban area as a storehouse of raw materials that can be used to obtain materials for new projects. For example, buildings planned for demolition can be taken down systematically and materials such as stone, wood and iron used for a new project. If the building has been well maintained, these materials will be in good condition and can be reused. Firstly, this procedure reduces waste while taking down or demolishing a building, while secondly, it cuts down on the amount of new materials required for the next project.

To make urban mining easier and more effective in future, easy demolition at a later stage needs to be taken into account when constructing new buildings. For example, new fastening methods for concrete are currently in development to enable large pieces to be separated more easily. Urban mining therefore preserves resources, reduces the burden on the environment and cuts emissions by eliminating the production of new materials.?

A second life for construction machinery

A sustainable construction process is not only possible for the raw materials themselves, but also when it comes to construction methods. The circular economy implemented in urban mining can also be applied to construction machines. Second-hand machines also enable savings on CO2 and raw materials. Industrial auctioneers such as Surplex specialise in selling used machines and supporting sellers and buyers at every step of the process. For example, if an excavator is no longer needed for in-house production, Surplex can include this in their portfolio and sell it on. This means that the device doesn’t need to be scrapped and can find a new home. This allows sellers not only to free up capital, but also to make their own operations more sustainable and prevent the additional strain on the environment caused by producing new construction machines.

Shaping tomorrow’s construction industry today

The construction sector is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to climate change. The increasing use of open spaces for housing, deforestation and the use of harmful materials are resulting in dangerously high grey emission levels that pose a threat to the global climate. But even today, the construction industry can take steps to modernise itself through the use of modern raw materials, urban mining and a circular economy of materials and machines, thereby greatly reducing their high share of global CO2 emissions.?