Ecosystems and Reuse of Building Materials: An Exploratory Study

The implementation of circular economy strategies, such as the reuse of building materials, represents a valid opportunity for the building and construction sector to diminish the consumption of raw materials and generate revenues and, thus, to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals 11 and 12. However, the reuse of building materials is still limited. Previous studies suggest that one reason is the lack of communication and collaboration among the actors involved. By using an ecosystem perspective, this study focuses on the characteristics of the ecosystem of actors involved with reuse of building materials. An exploratory research approach was used, which consisted of scientific literature and six semi-structured interviews with actors in the Öresund region. The interviews were conducted to elaborate on the characteristics that best represent this ecosystem. The results suggest that these characteristics are (a) complementariness and collaboration, (b) capability to evolve, (c) willingness to align to circularity, and (d) platformization. In particular, these characteristics highlight the needs of (1) collaboration among the actors already in the early stages of a project, (2) more actors and new roles in the ecosystem, (3) awareness of the objectives and values which guides the ecosystem, and (4) better knowledge and use of the ecosystem platforms.