Promoting Sustainability in the Construction Sector: Assessment of the Reuse of Construction Materials

• Autor(a) principal: Silva, Inês Fonseca da
• Data de Publicação: 2023
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10362/164456
• topic: Reuse; circular economy; waste hierarchy; construction sector; construction materials; construction and demolition waste (CDW); Domínio/Área Científica::Engenharia e Tecnologia::Engenharia do Ambiente

There is a growing awareness of the need to address certain environmental impacts on the planet, such as waste management. The construction sector has emerged as a significant consumer of raw materials, as well as a major contributor of construction and demolition waste (CDW). Effective management of this type of waste is critical to minimising the environmental impact and overall footprint of stakeholders. It is a considerable challenge and highlights the need for initiatives to develop circular economy approaches to value construction materials rather than letting it become waste. Among these approaches, the reuse of construction materials stands out as an effective practice for reducing the environmental pressure associated with this sector. The aim of this study is to investigate the progress of reuse practices in European Union countries, particularly in the construction sector, after the implementation of several regulations such as the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC (amended by Directive 2018/851). Another objective was to identify the barriers and drivers that influence the adoption of reuse in construction companies. Furthermore, the research aims to outline effective strategies and best practices to promote this practice in the sector. In order to achieve these objectives, a systematic literature review was conducted, providing a unique assessment focused on analysing the impact of the European Union strategies and legal frameworks implemented to promote reuse, and how these policies have influenced the direction of research in this field through the results obtained with the methodology designed. It was concluded that the field of research has evolved over time, and it was possible to identify the main barriers and drivers related to reuse. The articles obtained were mainly observed in the period from 2018 to 2023, with a significant contribution from countries such as Portugal, Italy, Spain, Finland, Belgium, and Sweden and focused on the strategies that can be implemented in the construction sector in the perspective of a circular economy. The aim of defining strategies to promote reuse was also achieved. In this way, companies, decision-makers and other stakeholders in the sector can make better decisions to promote sustainable practices.