Circular economy: current view from the construction industry based on published definitions

Figures & data

Figure 1. Lansink’s Ladder (RecyclingNL, CCA 3.0 license). Note: A (Prevention), B (Reuse), C (Recycling), D (Energy), E (Incineration), F (Sorting).

Table 1. CE actions hierarchy adapted from Cramer (2014) and translated by RLI (2015).

1.	Refuse: preventing the use of raw materials
2.	Reduce: reducing the use of raw materials
3.	Reuse: product reuse (second-hand, sharing of products)
4.	Repair: maintenance and repair
5.	Refurbish: refurbishing a product
6.	Remanufacture: creating new products from (parts of) old products
7.	Repurpose: product reuse for a different purpose
8.	Recycle: processing and reuse of materials
9.	Recover: energy recovery from materials

Figure 2. Biomass and anthropogenic mass estimates since the beginning of the twentieth century on a dry-mass basis.

Source: Elhacham et al. (2020).

Figure 3. Article-selection process illustrated using a PRISMA flow diagram.

Figure 4. Number of articles with CE definitions per year.

Table 2. Sample coding dimensions.

	Mentioning of (in sample)
1		Reduce
2		Reuse
3		Recycle
4		Recover
5		Waste hierarchy
6	Systems perspective
7		Micro-systems perspective
8		Meso-systems perspective
9		Macro-systems perspective
10	Aim: Sustainable development (SD)*
11	Aim: All dimensions of SD
12		Environmental quality
13		Economic prosperity
14		Social equity
15		Future generations (time dimension)
16	Enabler: Business models
17	Enabler: Consumers

* SD only, without subdimensions.

Table 3. Coding results on core principles.

Mentioning of (in sample)		%
CE dimensions
	Reduce	92
	Reuse	100
	Recycle	100
	Recover	58
	Waste hierarchy	22
Systems perspective		34
	Micro	16
	Meso	9
	Macro	12

Note: Full sample = 101 definitions.

Table 4. Coding results on aims and enablers.

Mentioning of (in sample)		%
Aims
- Sustainable development (SD)		20
- All dimensions of SD		41
	Environmental quality	73
	Economic prosperity	68
	Social equity	41
	Future generations (time dimension)	8
Enablers
- Business models		45
- Consumers		16

Note: Full sample = All 101 definitions.

Table 5. Comparison with Kirchherr, Reike, and Hekkert (2017).

Mentioning of (in sample) …		% Kirchherr ≥2012	% Construction sector	Dif.
CE dimensions
	Reduce	48–49	92	>
	Reuse	75–76	100	>
	Recycle	73–75	100	>
	Recover	6–7	58	>
	Waste hierarchy	23	22	≈
Systems perspective		47	34	<
	Micro	22	22	=
	Meso	24	9	<
	Macro	22	12	<
Aims
- Sustainable development (SD)		12	20	>
- All dimensions of SD		13–14	41	>
	Environmental quality	35–36	73	>
	Economic prosperity	45	68	>
	Social equity	16–18	41	>
	Future generations (time dimension)	1	8	>
Enablers
- Business models		14	45	>
- Consumers		20	16	<

Cramer, J. 2014. Milieu, Elementaire Deeltjes (Environment, Elementary Particles). Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press.

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RLI (Council for the Environment and Infrastructure) 2015. Circular Economy: From Wish to Practice. The Hague: RLI. https://en.rli.nl/sites/default/files/advice_rli_circular_economy_interactive_def.pdf

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Elhacham, E., L. Ben-Uri, J. Grozovski, Y. Bar-On, and R. Milo. 2020. “Global Human-Made Mass Exceeds All Living Biomass.” Nature 588 (7838): 442–444. doi:10.1038/s41586-020-3010-5.

 PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar

Kirchherr, J., D. Reike, and M. Hekkert. 2017. “Conceptualizing the Circular Economy: An Analysis of 114 Definitions.” Resources, Conservation and Recycling 127: 221–232. doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.09.005.

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