Unclear rules slow down the reuse of building material

Despite setting ambitious goals for the circular economy, very little building material is reused in Sweden. New research demonstrates that the obstacles are not primarily technical, but rather organisational and legal.

The construction and demolition sector generates large amounts of waste and significant climate emissions and, while there is considerable potential to reuse material already in circulation, opportunities for reuse are restricted. A newly published licentiate thesis by VTI and Linköping University doctoral student Bosinuola Sherifat Razaq underlines that the causes are to be found in the interaction between actors, regulations and planning processes.

“We can see that the obstacles are not solely technical or related to materials, but to do with how organisations collaborate and how regulations work in practice,” says Razaq.

Construction projects involve multiple actors ranging from municipalities and developers to contractors and transporters. The thesis reveals that, while these actors are mutually dependent, dependencies change as the project progresses.

The problem is that these relationships are often not sufficiently clear or coordinated, leading to bottlenecks that make it difficult to plan the reuse of materials.

“One important conclusion is that decisions reached early in the project, before construction begins, are highly significant to whether materials can be reused later,” says Razaq.

A lack of information about the quality and availability of materials makes reuse more difficult. When uncertain, actors often choose simpler solutions, such as shipping materials to landfill.

The study also reveals that legislation and planning processes often hinder circularity. Sweden has a number of different regulations concerning waste management in the construction industry, but these are perceived as ambiguous and sometimes contradictory.

While municipalities have a key role to play in increasing circularity, municipal departments often work in parallel rather than towards shared goals. This creates a complex situation for companies trying to navigate the various regulations and requirements. Furthermore, many municipalities do not have a dedicated function with responsibility for construction and demolition waste, making coordination difficult.

“The regulatory framework contains few specific instructions on reuse. This leads to uncertainty and hesitancy on the part of actors,” says Razaq.

The thesis suggests several potential paths to increased circularity. Among the needs highlighted by the study are improved collaboration between actors, increased knowledge sharing and clearer legislative support.

One recommendation is investment in digital passports describing the origins and properties of materials, thus reducing uncertainty. Another is placing greater emphasis on circularity in the pre- and post-construction phases of projects, when many critical decisions are made.

At policy level, the study calls for more specific and coordinated regulation, particularly at EU level.

The influence of organisational dependencies and planning frameworks on construction and demolition (C&D) waste circularity in Sweden (Diva)