Circular construction in Europe: Handbook for local and regional governments

It goes without saying that the construction sector has to become more sustainable and circular, and cities and local authorities should play a major role in
this transition. In line with the EU Commission’s Green Deal and Circular Action Plan 2020 and legislative proposals, such as the Fit for 55 package, that set the green and circular transition as a key priority for the EU, the CityLoops project has focused on circular economy solutions for bio-waste and construction and demolition waste, including soil. In CityLoops, six European medium-sized cities -
Høje-Taastrup and Roskilde (Denmark), Mikkeli(Finland), Apeldoorn (the Netherlands), Bodø (Norway), and Seville (Spain) - piloted a series of circular economy actions with the aim of achieving material circularity. Starting in October 2019, the cities implemented different demonstration actions and tested many
tools and processes, alongside with specialised partners in this field. Based upon the learnings and outcomes of the CityLoops project, this handbook aims to inspire and guide local and regional European public authorities of all sizes to know more about the different steps to follow, but also private entities that
want to know more about the current practices, their role and the opportunities in the transition towards a circular construction sector. Moving away from the linear model entails overcoming many obstacles. Thus, the question that has led us
throughout this handbook has been “What lessons can we learn from the experimental projects, and what could have been done differently?”. This report
is an evidence-based and practical handbook on how to implement a circular construction strategy for those who would like to start this journey, supported
with various concrete tools, methods, and case studies for inspiration. It also showcases pioneers’ projects beyond CityLoops, to demonstrate that
circular construction is a flourishing topic with more and more projects running all over Europe. The handbook has the following structure: the first chapter aims to explain and understand the context in which the transition to a circular construction sector could happen and the benefits it might bring. The second chapter dives into the role of public authorities and governance approaches, explaining how implementing a circular construction strategy could impact the organisation inside and outside the local authority. Chapter three corresponds to the implementation stage. Following the different steps of the value chain that may be encountered in a circular construction project, it fleshes out each of
them by emphasising how they can be rethought aand adapted to meet circularity practices. The last chapter gives an overview on how beneficial circular
practices could be with regards to the economic and environmental perspectives and how local authorities should proceed to influence this market shift.
However, this handbook is tailored to provide a first level of information. Many tools, instruments and study cases have been developed all over the four
years of CityLoops. In order to provide the most comprehensive and useful resources, we have gathered the instruments, tools, guidance and experiences from cities in some replication packages to delve deeper into specific topics. Those are mentioned throughout the document with this sign and listed at the end of the document. They can be viewed and downloaded on the CityLoops website.