Transition to a Circular Economy
Provide a Transition to Circular Economy Template and a Best Practice Guidance Document to assist builders in adopting circular practices within the Irish construction sector.
Project description
Currently, only 1% of building elements are reused after their initial application, despite many materials being technically reusable. This project aims to address the low rate of reuse and high waste generation, enabling future generations to easily adapt, extend, disassemble, and reuse buildings and their components.
We aim to provide essential guidance to help homebuilders minimise waste throughout the building’s lifecycle. This includes designing buildings for adaptability, facilitating future disassembly for material reuse, and implementing efficient construction techniques.
Central to our innovation is the development of a Transition to Circular Economy Template and a Best Practice Guidance Document tailored for the Irish market, where comprehensive guidelines are currently lacking. This toolkit will offer clear strategies, tools and examples to integrate circular principles into projects.
By supporting homebuilders in embracing circular economy principles, we promote lasting improvements in sustainable resource use and waste reduction across the construction sector.
Goal
- To Develop and Distribute a Transition to Circular Economy Template: We aim to create a detailed and practical Transition to Circular Economy Template tailored for the Home Performance Index (HPI) Certification and usable by everyone in the industry. This template will provide homebuilders with clear, actionable guidelines on integrating circular practices into their projects, covering aspects such as material selection, design for disassembly, and waste minimization.
- To Develop and Distribute a Best Practice Document: Our second objective is to compile and disseminate a Best Practice Document that highlights successful examples and strategies for implementing circular economy principles in construction. This document will include case studies, design approaches, and practical tips that homebuilders can use to reduce waste and enhance sustainability. By showcasing proven methods and real-world applications, we intend to inspire and guide the construction sector towards more resource-efficient and circular practices.
- To Raise Awareness and Foster Industry-Wide Adoption
Timeline
Project end date: November 2026. The results are expected to be delivered at the end of the project.
Funders
Who supported the project?
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Community Foundation Ireland
IGBC Team
Who Works On This?
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Fernanda Rocha
Fernanda joined IGBC in 2024 working on the Home Performance Index (HPI) Certification. A civil engineer with an MSc from the Technical University of Munich, she specialised in Energy Efficient and Sustainable Design and Sustainable Transport Planning. Previously a Sustainability Consultant and Project Manager in Amsterdam, Fernanda brings expertise in embodied carbon reduction, life cycle assessment and circular economy in the built environment. Fernanda administrate the EPD Ireland programme and lead circularity projects. -
John Fingleton
John joined IGBC in 2019 to manage the Home Performance Index (HPI) Certification. An architect with experience across Ireland, England, Spain and the US, he holds a Masters in Low Energy Building Design and previously worked in the sustainability team at Ethos Engineering. At IGBC, John leads the delivery of the national and European projects, the HPI certification programme and our work on climate adaptation. John is a LEED Accredited Professional in ID+C and BD+C.
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How to Get Involved
If you have any questions about this project and want to get involved, please contact Fernanda.