Circularity within the construction sector: organisational models based on re-manufacturing

Abstract

Unlike other industrial sectors that already apply re-manufacturing, the construction sector is slow to experiment with these sustainable practices. Hence, this paper introduces key results of the Re-NetTA project, conducted at Politecnico di Milano and funded by Fondazione Cariplo (2018-0991), which intends to outline the conditions necessary to activate circular processes in the field of tertiary construction. In order to extend the life of construction products, the paper proposes three circular models based on re-manufacturing. Developed with stakeholders and experts in an inter-sectoral and multidisciplinary approach, the proposed models represent a contribution towards sustainable design and organisational practices of construction products.

Keywords

• Circular economy
• Organisational models
• Design for re-manufacturing
• Tertiary buildings
• Construction sector