How Gained Experience Influences Perceived Levers and Barriers of Reuse Practices: Learning from North Americans

Barbara Lambec (), Maléna Bastien-Masse and Corentin Fivet
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Barbara Lambec: Structural Xploration Lab, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
Maléna Bastien-Masse: Structural Xploration Lab, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
Corentin Fivet: Structural Xploration Lab, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 24, 1-35

Abstract: This study delves into how the perception of levers and barriers for building element reuse evolves over time as individuals and practices gain experience on this topic. Three periods of business development are compared: the genesis of practice; the current situation; and future projection. The results are drawn from semi-structured interviews with 35 stakeholders from industry, academia, and government in North America. They were invited to address questions about scales, means of demand generation and adaptation, tools and capacities, and stakeholder knowledge and skills. Questions to explore neutral aspects of their practice as well as levers or barriers were also asked. A post-interview analysis identified 14 factors that influence the overall perception of challenges. It also emphasized their interconnectedness over time, allowing for a more nuanced understanding than previous synchronic studies and prioritizing challenges for different stakeholder types. Unusualness, processes, and communication emerge as time-persistent challenges intricately linked with regulatory dynamics. This study also reaffirms challenges such as costs, community dynamics, and the imperative for a societal shift. This insight assists newcomers in anticipating challenges and selecting their paths while also shedding light on current barriers and informing future projections, guiding policymakers on necessary improvements.

Keywords: reuse; deconstruction; reverse logistics; barriers and levers; semi-structured interviews; anthropology; USA; Canada (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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