Actors, knowledge and soft skills for implementing the reuse of building materials

Sammanfattning: Globally, there is a widespread consensus that the transition to circular economy (CE) within the construction industry represents a crucial pathway to achieve the decarbonization of the industry by 2050 while fostering economic growth. At the European level, policies and legislations are progressively promoting the use of circular building products and encouraging higher levels of energy and resource efficiency. In the transition of the building sector to CE, the three key resource strategies are reducing, reusing and recycling. Nevertheless, to be successful in this transition, a shift in mindset, collaborative efforts and the overcoming of various challenges and barriers on different levels and areas are requested. Cultural barriers, including the conservative mindset and lack of awareness of the benefits of CE, are identified as major obstacles. Overcoming these barriers requires the involvement of different actors and the promotion of a circular culture at the societal level. This research focuses on the reuse of building materials (RoBM) since this strategy enhances environmental benefits by increasing resource efficiency and reducing waste. The aim is to understand the dynamics that foment the cultural barriers and identify strategies to overcome them. The research questions are formulated to explore the promotion and prioritization of RoBM by identifying the actors involved and their roles and by addressing the lack of knowledge and skills in this field and of soft skills such as engagement and collaboration. The research questions were explored through an abductive form of reasoning, and quantitative and qualitative data were collected through interviews and document studies during a case study and a semi-systematic literature review. The case study focused on the characteristics describing the ecosystem of actors working with RoBM, while the semi-systematic literature review explores the implementation of CE practices in HEIs to promote sustainability.The results highlight that for the effective implementation of RoBM, the actors that are typically involved in the building process must accept new roles. Moreover, the involvement of a wider number of actors covering new roles and competencies is inevitable. Among the additionally requested actors, there are circularity experts, sustainability consultants/transformation agents and reclamation experts/material quality controllers. In addition, the research suggests that trust, positive attitudes towards reuse, willingness to align with circular strategies, collaboration from the early phases of the process and flexibility are key aspects for the future success of the ecosystem of actors working with RoBM. Regarding the acquisition of knowledge and skills and the promotion of a circular culture and awareness on the societal level, HEIs are identified in this research as one of the main responsible.