ENABLING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY

Transitioning to a circular economy is key to helping reduce our global resource use and will help to reach net zero and reduce our impacts on biodiversity and nature. UKGBC’s system enablers for a circular economy report listed Metrics, benchmarks, and indicators and one of the 8 enablers which will help the build environment transition to a circular economy.  

Over the past 2 years members of the UKGBC Circular Economy Forum have formed a working group to investigate current circular economy metrics and collate their thoughts on how they could practically be used on built projects. This deep dive is the result of an industry review of best practice guidance, tools and indicators, which has formed the basis for the building circularity metrics discussed in this paper. 

Currently there are no widely agreed circular economy metrics for the build environment. This paper aims to stimulate the conversation on consistency in measuring and reporting circular economy metrics by collating some of the suggested metrics for the building level.  

There are many benefits of measuring and benchmarking circular economy as outlined in this metrics report, including helping to establish what successful circular economy implementation can look like. This report looks at seven potential metrics for the building level and why it is an important consideration at a building level.  

1. Dematerialisation (Upfront,), Kg/m2 GIA 
2. Dematerialisation (Life Cycle), Kg/m2 GIA 
3. Design for Disassembly & Re-use, % (tonnes) 
4. Material: 
5. Re-used % (tonnes) 
6. Remanufactured % (tonnes) 
7. Recycled % (tonnes) 
8. Material Database and Passport % (tonnes) 
9. Design for adaptability % (Area) 
10. Embodied Carbon (kgCO2e/m2 GIA) 

UKGBC Circular Economy Forum 

This deep dive has been created by members of the Circular Economy Forum, a group of industry experts convened by the UK Green Building Council to facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. The findings and insight enclosed within this report represent the views of the report authors. 

Source: UK Green Building Council