The economy is flourishing in Reburg! Small and big businesses pop up around circular practices. This is certainly the case within the building sector. A lot of valuable materials and components coming out of deconstruction and refurbishment works are re-introduced on the market for new applications. Companies such as MeccaLegos, developing open building systems, Facilitoutatis, managing building transformation processes within the building stock, and Urban Metabolism, a partner in reverse logistics for redundant and unfit building components, are able to make their businesses profitable thanks to a strong collaboration with each other.
But it’s not only about making profit, balancing financial costs and benefits! All these companies are also creating added value for end-users, for example through sustainable product service systems , and for society, for example by extending the life span of buildings and building products.By doing so, they avoid waste and the use of primary resources.
In order to help companies in setting up flourishing circular practices, a framework of business models has been created over the last decades to assist start-ups and established companies. Through circular business models, new or existing value propositions towards customers are reinforced with strategies to create closed material or component loops and ways to intensify collaboration within the value network. Also, alternative financing strategies are suggested, to arrange the ownership of circular goods.
In order to avoid unsustainable trade-off effects, such as an increase in materials production due to multi-functional use, or an increase of transport due to a decentralised logistic system, a profound sustainability assessment is required before new circular practices are introduced. Because each building context is different, building professionals can rely on circular building assessment tools!
Signals of change
