Barriers to Implementing the Circular Economy in the Construction Industry: A Critical Review

Rabia Charef, Jean-Claude Morel and Kambiz Rakhshan
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Rabia Charef: Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, UK
Jean-Claude Morel: Laboratory of Tribology and System Dynamics, National School of State Public Works (ENTPE), 69120 Lyon, France
Kambiz Rakhshan: Leeds Sustainability Institute, Leeds Beckett University, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 8AG, UK

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-18

Abstract: To facilitate the adoption of the circular economy (CE) in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector, some authors have demonstrated the potential of recent designs that take into account the sustainable management of an asset’s end-of-life (EOL), providing an alternative to the dominant designs that end with demolition. However, there is no review of the literature that encompasses a large range of sustainable designs in the current CE context. This paper provides a critical review of journal papers that deal with the barriers to implementing sustainable designs and approaches to the EOL management of assets that have the potential to fulfil the principles of the CE. Eighteen approaches related to prefabrication, design for change, design for deconstruction, reverse logistics, waste management and closed-loop systems were found. Through an analysis of the barriers that are common among these 18 approaches, we classified them into six different categories (organisational, economical, technical, social, political and environmental). Two Sankey diagrams illustrate the interrelation between the barriers, their categories and the 18 approaches. The diagrams clearly show that most of the barriers are common to multiple approaches and that most of the barriers relate to organisational concerns. The study gives a detailed map of the barriers that would help stakeholders from the AEC sector develop strategies to overcome the current obstacles in the shift to a CE.

Keywords: sustainable asset lifecycle; circular economy; design for deconstruction; barriers; sustainable approach; critical literature review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

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