thumbnail_1.JPG

1.JPG

The built environment sector largely exists to serve our universal need for shelter, and as such is one of the most important consumers of raw materials in the world.

We believe the built environment should be a ‘living’ system in which building materials and products are optimally used and reused— a system that operates within the boundaries of our planet, preserves the (business) value of its resources, and ensures the well-being of its inhabitants.

Tremendous opportunities to reverse the tide and prevent a state of lock-in from happening exist for regions where the built environment sector has yet to mature. There is also still hope for those regions where the fate of the construction sector may seem set in stone.

This is why two key strategies stand out: 

- Preventing lock-in through thoughtful design
- Optimising (material value) through transformative re-design

Built environment

large_KH Built Environment Collection Banner 3.png

medium_KH Built Environment Collection Banner 3.png

small_KH Built Environment Collection Banner 3.png

thumbnail_KH Built Environment Collection Banner 3.png

KH Built Environment Collection Banner 3.png

thumbnail_Starter kit image.JPG

Starter kit image.JPG

Starter Kit collection

large_Cover.png

medium_Cover.png

small_Cover.png

thumbnail_Cover.png

Cover.png

This collection features a selection of case studies, mainly based on the [2024 Circularity Gap Report](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2024). 

In this year’s Report, we shift from exploring the what to the how: exploring the different ways that we need to ‘change the rules of the game’ and create a set of conditions that discourage the overshoot of planetary boundaries and ‘undershoot’ of human development. This process has resulted in us spotlighting 12 of the original 16 solutions, highlighting the country profile that they are most relevant to, as well as placing people at the centre of this story for the first time. Based on extensive interviews and desk research, this Report aims to show governments and industry leaders that if they want to turn theory into action and scale an economy that delivers on needs within the safe limits of the planet, they need to dismantle harmful entrenched processes and align enabling elements. 

[Circle Economy](https://www.circle-economy.com/) is a global impact organisation with an international team of passionate experts based in Amsterdam. We empower industries, cities, and nations with practical and scalable solutions to put the circular economy into action. Our vision is an economic system that ensures the planet and all people can thrive. To avoid climate breakdown, our goal is to double global circularity by 2032. 

Through the *Circularity Gap Reporting Initiative*, our mission is to deliver an annual global Circularity Metric that measures the state of the world economy and identifies key levers to transition to global circularity. 

To learn more about these interventions to accelerate the circular transition, read the [latest Circularity Gap Report 2024](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2024), as well as previous editions of the global [Circularity Gap Reports](https://www.circularity-gap.world/global).

Global Circularity Gap Report 2024

large_nasa-Q1p7bh3SHj8-unsplash.jpg

medium_nasa-Q1p7bh3SHj8-unsplash.jpg

small_nasa-Q1p7bh3SHj8-unsplash.jpg

thumbnail_nasa-Q1p7bh3SHj8-unsplash.jpg

nasa-Q1p7bh3SHj8-unsplash.jpg

Policy case

Impact on the availability of resources as well as their effect on living organisms, ecosystems, and components of the environment.

Ecological Impact

Impacts on the social fabric of the community and well-being of the individuals and families.

Social Impact

Impacts on the financial condition of a company, as well as the the economicconditions of its stakeholders and on economic systems at local, national, andglobal levels.

Economic Impact

Impact on the quantity or quality of jobs, and shifts in the labour market

Jobs

Impact on the health and happiness of human populations

Well-being

Direct and indirect reduction in economic costs

Cost Savings

Direct and indirect effects that increase revenues or the potential for new revenues, for example from new products, customer segments, partnerships or business models

Revenue Potential

Scalability

Minimise waste through diversion: Instead of sending waste to landfill, it is redirected into other industrial processes for handling, treatment, recycling, recovery, or reuse in various forms. 

Minimise waste through design: At the outset of a process of project, plan and design such that there is zero waste or minimal waste during production, use, and at end of life. 

Minimise Waste (SDG12)

Extracting resources and processing them to produce materials for use bysociety

Materials and Fuels

Societal Services

Producing building materials and providing services to create residential and non-residential infrastructure and real estate


Construction and Infrastructure

Collecting waste from households and businesses by means of refuse bins, wheeled bins, containers, etc., and providing treatment, incineration, materials recovery and reclamation, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste

Waste Management

Producing building materials and finished and semi-finished building products for construction

Construction Materials and Products

Producing basic and specialty chemicals, inks, agricultural chemical such as fertilisers and pesticides, plastics including packaging, and rubber

Chemical and Plastic

Ensure renewable, reusable, non-toxic resources are utilised as materials and energy in an efficient way

Prioritise regenerative resources

Utilise bio-based, reusable, non-toxic and non-critical materials

Regenerative materials

Using materials that can be easily reused or recycled after use

Reusable, recyclable materials and inputs

Make collected and sorted recyclables available for use by citizens, small businesses up to large scale industrial processes. 

Use recyclables

Other

'Manage' influences the use and function of physical and material elements within the urban environment. 

Manage

Infrastructure

'Mobilise' sets the direction of and builds momentum towards long-term change, while also determining how this direction is determined and governed.

Mobilise

Visions and Ambitions

Roadmaps and strategies and targets

Govern the Transition

Institutional design to enable circularity

'Regulate' changes the rules of the systems to achieve compliance through enforcement. 


Regulate

 Regulation

Monitoring & enforcement

'Incentivise' sends market signals and support to businesses, citizens and governments to promote certain activities.

Incentivise

Public-private partnerships

Develop infrastructure to support resource cycling

Economic Frameworks

Build countries consume 13% of the global material footprint, while they account for almost 50% of the population. 

Examples include countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia such as: 
- Bangladesh
- Ethiopia
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- The Philippines
- Some small island states, ...

Minimal contribution to the overshoot of planetary boundaries: these countries contribute 20% of land use change, 30% of
freshwater use, 23% of phosphorus emissions to soil, and 11% of nitrogen emissions.

To find out what country profile your country belongs to, explore [this interactive story](https://circularity-gap.world) and search for your country on the final map.

Build

National government

Eliminate waste by maximizing the recovery of resources at the end of the use phase so that they can be reintroduced into production processes


large_5R_Recover.png

medium_5R_Recover.png

small_5R_Recover.png

thumbnail_5R_Recover.png

5R_Recover.png

Recover

Process waste into valuable industrial inputs or consumer products; distribute processed waste to users.

Process waste and ensure its re-entry into industry at its highest value

The built environment, including housing, commercial buildings, and the necessary infrastructure for mobility, is essential for our livelihoods, but:
- the extraction of minerals used to produce construction materials is responsible for a quarter of global land use change,
- approximately 40% of global GHG emissions can be attributed to buildings’ construction, use and demolition, and
- construction and demolition processes drive nearly one-third of all material consumption. 

Making the built environment more circular must prioritise a heavy reduction in material use—while also closing the loop on materials and bringing secondary and renewable material choices to the fore. Our four key solutions for the built environment are:
- Make the most of what already exists: Make the most of existing materials by reusing, repurposing, upgrading and renovating following circular approaches. Where new builds are needed, use secondary materials and be as efficient as possible with urban planning solutions that follow circular design principles so that buildings can be reused, repurposed, and easily disassembled in the future.
- Be as energy efficient as possible: From the design phase, utilise circular strategies to create material- and energy efficient buildings. Couple these designs with a rollout of clean energy solutions, and prioritise energy-efficient appliances and retrofitting. 
- Utilise secondary materials: Maximise the high-value reuse of buildings and components where possible. Ideally, enable the utilisation of construction and demolition outputs and ensure that as much of it as possible is recycled to avoid the need for virgin materials, such as sand and gravel.
- Prioritise circular materials and approaches: Transition to using renewable wood, timber or cross-laminated timber instead of steel and concrete, or move to other locally available materials. Utilise mainstream modular construction and prioritise lightweight frames and structures to reduce cement and steel use, as well as green roofs where possible.



🏢 Built Environment

The demand for transport is rising globally—but current modes are heavily material- and fossil-fuels-intensive. Emissions from the transport system could grow by 60% by 2050, and transport is the number-one user of oil worldwide. GHG emissions result not only in warming global temperatures, but also in ocean acidification, which has severe consequences for entire ecosystems and further destabilises our climate. The transport system also drives land-use change and biodiversity loss through the development of infrastructure—also releasing harmful pollutants into the ocean. Key circular solutions:

- Embrace and enable car-free lifestyles
- Invest in high-quality public transport
- Rethink unnecessary air travel
- Electrify remaining vehicles

🚌 Mobility Systems

Businesses

Governments

Globally, 13% of global resources consumed relate to mobility. This includes transport infrastructure, from roads, to rail, to cycle routes ([Ellen MacArthur Foundation](https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy-opportunity-and-benefit-factsheets)). Virgin materials sourced to build mobility infrastructure often include cement and asphalt, which are responsible for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions (cement—a constituent component of concrete—is responsible for an estimated 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions) ([BBC](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46455844)). 

The materials that are required for the construction of transport infrastructure can be sourced from residual materials, to offset the demand for virgin resources. Construction techniques that utilise residual material are often less intensive in relation to greenhouse gas emissions, and can help to lower the material footprint of mobility infrastructure. A range of residual materials can be used within mobility infrastructure. These can come from conventional materials, such as cycled concrete and other stones and aggregate. As well as other residual materials such as plastics and rubber from end of life tyres. 

Local governments can support the cycling of materials for mobility infrastructure by mandating a certain proportion of recycled material input in tenders for new developments or renovations of existing infrastructure. For example, criteria could stipulate that all residual materials within renovations must be cycled back into the project, for example as aggregate. Alternatively, criteria could stipulate a minimum proportion of material inputs from cycled sources, or ban the landfilling of certain residual materials. Collaboration and engagement with local businesses can help local governments to identify the most appropriate criteria that the local market is able to satisfy, and support the most effective transition towards a more circular economy. 


large_andrew-kliatskyi-P46Fz8onsbs-unsplash.jpg

medium_andrew-kliatskyi-P46Fz8onsbs-unsplash.jpg

small_andrew-kliatskyi-P46Fz8onsbs-unsplash.jpg

thumbnail_andrew-kliatskyi-P46Fz8onsbs-unsplash.jpg

andrew-kliatskyi-P46Fz8onsbs-unsplash.jpg

🚌  Cycled materials for mobility infrastructure

**Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation**

![9..JPG](https://goldilocks-images.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9_aa8da1d9c6.JPG)

The manufacturing industry’s recovery from COVID-19 remains incomplete and uneven: some high-income regions achieved record-high manufacturing value added per capita in 2022 but levels in LDCs were not much higher than the 2015 baseline. 
In the aftermath of the pandemic, data show that higher-technology industries recovered faster and proved to be more resilient, pointing to the need to promote innovation and technology transfer in a way that benefits all countries. 

Inclusive and sustainable industrial development has been incorporated, together with resilient infrastructure and innovation, as Sustainable Development Goal 9 in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

To achieve Goal 9 by 2030 it is essential to support LDCs, invest in advanced technologies, lower carbon emissions, and increase global mobile broadband access.

This goal's target includes:
- develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all;
- promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries;
- increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets;
- by 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities;
- enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending;
- facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through enhanced financial, technological and technical support to African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States;
- support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value addition to commodities;
- significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020.

Sources: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal9](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal9)
[https://sdgs.un.org/topics/industry](https://sdgs.un.org/topics/industry)

large_Sustainable_Development_Goal_9.png

medium_Sustainable_Development_Goal_9.png

small_Sustainable_Development_Goal_9.png

thumbnail_Sustainable_Development_Goal_9.png

Sustainable_Development_Goal_9.png

9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure  

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

**Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable**

![11..JPG](https://goldilocks-images.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/11_05a380c82a.JPG)

The pandemic has caused major shifts in migration patterns, including huge movements of people in and out of urban areas. Furthermore, climate change and conflicts tend to have disproportionate impacts on cities. These factors mean that the world is far from achieving the goal of sustainable cities.  
In many developing countries, slum populations have been growing, putting at risk the target of adequate housing for all by 2030. Since 2015, the number of countries with national disaster risk reduction strategies has more than doubled. 

Cities are hubs for ideas, commerce, culture, science, productivity, and social, human and economic development. Urban planning, transport systems, water, sanitation, waste management, disaster risk reduction, access to information, education and capacity-building are all relevant issues to sustainable urban development.

This target entails multiple essential concepts such as disaster risk reduction (DRR) and sustainable transport.

To achieve SDG 11, efforts must focus on strengthening capacities for planning for urban development, improving access to public transportation, and enhancing waste management. 

Sources: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal11](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal11)
[https://sdgs.un.org/topics/sustainable-cities-and-human-settlements](https://sdgs.un.org/topics/sustainable-cities-and-human-settlements)


medium_Sustainable_Development_Goal_11.png

small_Sustainable_Development_Goal_11.png

thumbnail_Sustainable_Development_Goal_11.png

Sustainable_Development_Goal_11.png

11. Sustainable cities and communities

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

**Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns**

![12..JPG](https://goldilocks-images.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/12_ff44598f2b.JPG)

The world is seriously off track in its effort to halve per-capita food waste and losses by 2030.The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on consumption and production patterns, with disruptions to global supply chains and changes in consumer behaviour. 

Responsible consumption and production must be an integral part of the recovery from the pandemic. 
But the global economy also needs to speed up the decoupling of economic growth from resource use by maximizing the socio-economic benefits of resources while minimizing their negative impacts. 

Reporting on corporate sustainability has tripled since the beginning of the SDG period, but the private sector will need to significantly improve reporting on activities that contribute to the SDGs. 

This primarily entails environmentally sound management of "toxic chemicals" A substantial use of chemicals is essential to meet the social and economic goals of the world community, and these can be used with a high degree of safety when best practices are followed.  Gross chemical contamination, with grave damage to human health, genetic structures reproductive outcomes, and the environment, has been continuing within some of the world's most important industrial areas, and restoration will require major investment as well as the development of new techniques.
Effective control of the generation, storage, treatment, recycling and reuse, transport, recovery and disposal of hazardous wastes is another similar challenge. 
In addition,  solid wastes include all domestic refuse and non-hazardous wastes such as commercial and institutional wastes, street sweepings construction debris, and, in some countries, human wastes. As hazardous waste is frequently intermixed with other waste, this poses particular management challenges.
Finally, this target ensures that radioactive waste is safely managed, transported, stored and disposed of, with a view to protecting human health and the environment. 

To deliver SDG12, it is crucial to implement policies that support the shift to sustainable practices and decouple economic growth from resource use.

Sources: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12)
[https://sdgs.un.org/topics/chemicals-and-waste](https://sdgs.un.org/topics/chemicals-and-waste)

thumbnail_12.png

12.png

12. Responsible consumption and production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

🏢 Built environment

Based on extensive interviews and desk research, this Report aims to show governments and industry leaders that if they want to turn theory into action and scale an economy that delivers on needs within the safe limits of the planet, they need to dismantle harmful entrenched processes and align enabling elements - policy, finance, and people

- Get the economics right: Adjust fiscal policies and practices to create true prices and ensure that circular solutions are funded so that they can replace linear norms.





Finance

Regenerate strategies phase out hazardous or toxic materials and processes and substitute them with regenerative biomass resources. A circular economy aims to mimic natural cycles—by shifting to more regenerative farming practices, for example—while also maximising the share of circular biomass that enters the economy. Regeneration can happen both at the systems level (by designing regenerative processes) as well as at the product level (by switching synthetic to organic fertilisers, for example).

Regenerate

Impacts

small_climate-4803653_640.jpg

thumbnail_climate-4803653_640.jpg

climate-4803653_640.jpg

Industries

small_coast-wind-turbine-sea-sky.jpg

thumbnail_coast-wind-turbine-sea-sky.jpg

coast-wind-turbine-sea-sky.jpg

A framework of policy instruments that enabled and encourage the transition to the circular economy

Policies

medium_image-20160922-22514-1aqaw5j.jpg

small_image-20160922-22514-1aqaw5j.jpg

thumbnail_image-20160922-22514-1aqaw5j.jpg

image-20160922-22514-1aqaw5j.jpg

A framework of policy instruments that enable and stimulate the transition to the circular economy

The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

large_photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

medium_photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

small_photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

thumbnail_photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

Urban Opportunities

Whilst no two countries are the same, there are still obvious similarities between some of them, with discernible development patterns and parallels in evidence. Common problems and shared solutions help place unique country identities and individual issues in context.

Whilst this classification is far from clear-cut and exhibits some overlap, it does underline how the discourse on transitioning to a circular economy needs to account for both differences and commonalities, if we are to arrive at a more strategic and instructive analysis. It also allows to highlight a set of key themes that are likely to be central to the countries that fall under the respective profiles. 

Country profiles (Build, Grow, Shift)

thumbnail_bgsimage 14.png

bgsimage 14.png

A framework to distinguish between different country profiles and their circular transition needs.

Browse case studies by type of implementing stakeholder.

Implementing stakeholders

The Circular City Actions Framework provides urban changemakers with five complementary strategies they can use to start working towards a more circular system. 

The framework is action-based to provide users with concrete strategic directions and showcase the desired outcomes of each strategy. 
The framework consists of five complementary **strategies**, under which **sub-strategies** provide further detail. Finally, each sub-strategy consists of a diversity of tangible **solutions** which are framed in relation to key thematic areas. 

Note: solutions are currently focused on:
- 🍏 **Food systems**
- 🏢  **Built environment**
- 👕📱  **Consumer goods**
- ⚡ **Energy Systems**
- 🚌 **Mobility Systems**
- 💧 **Water Systems**

More thematic areas are coming soon...

'Click through each of the five strategy cards below to explore the framework and circular economy case studies in more depth!'



This framework was developed in collaboration with ICLEI, Metabolic and Ellen MacArthur Foundation with support from the MAVA Foundation. Read more about it [here]( https://circulars.iclei.org/action-framework/). 



Circular City Actions Framework

large_Circular-City-Actions-Framework-infographic-scaled_gray background.jpeg

medium_Circular-City-Actions-Framework-infographic-scaled_gray background.jpeg

small_Circular-City-Actions-Framework-infographic-scaled_gray background.jpeg

thumbnail_Circular-City-Actions-Framework-infographic-scaled_gray background.jpeg

Circular-City-Actions-Framework-infographic-scaled_gray background.jpeg

An action-based framework for local governments working towards circular cities

Thematic Areas

City Stakeholders

![fh.JPG](https://goldilocks-images.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/fh_45de648312.JPG)

**These 17 Goals recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.**

The SDGs build on decades of work by countries and the UN, and especially on the Millennium Declaration adopted in September 2000 at UN Headquarters in New York which let to the elaboration of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce extreme poverty by 2015.

In 2015, the Paris Agreement was signed. A major blueprint came out of this: The Sustainable Development Goals: 17 overarching goals—and 169 targets—that governments are aiming to meet by 2030. Significant progress has been made in terms of poverty, health and inequality, but there's still a way to go. This is where the circular economy comes in: by circulating resources multiple times, the circular economy tackles issues of scarcity and allows all to access what they need—without overburdening the earth. If it's implemented in a holistic way—affording attention to social considerations and the fair distribution of resources— it also offers a pathway for achieving the SDGs; and the link between the two is ever-growing. To read more about the link between the SDGs and the circular economy, click [here](https://www.circle-economy.com/blogs/how-the-circular-economy-can-help-us-reach-the-sustainable-development-goals).

It is the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) which provides substantive support and capacity-building for the SDGs and their related thematic issues. TheDSDG plays a key role in the evaluation of UN systemwide implementation of the 2030 Agenda and in advocacy and outreach activities relating to the SDGs. In order to make the 2030 Agenda a reality, broad ownership of the SDGs must translate into a strong commitment by all stakeholders to implement the global goals. DSDG aims to help facilitate this engagement.
Alongside this, the annual High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development serves as the central UN platform for the follow-up and review of the SDGs.
In addition, the UN Secretary-General presents an annual SDG Progress report, which is developed in cooperation with the UN System, and based on the global indicator framework and data produced by national statistical systems and information collected at the regional level.

To read more information: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals](https://sdgs.un.org/goals)

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

large_sdgs.png

medium_sdgs.png

small_sdgs.png

thumbnail_sdgs.png

sdgs.png

![Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png](https://goldilocks-images.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/Screen_Shot_2024_10_21_at_16_53_12_12858da6aa.png)

Based on the work of [Bocken et al. (2016)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309699661_Product_design_and_business_model_strategies_for_a_circular_economy), the Four Flows Framework serves as a simple framework for managing resource flows in a circular economy by using less (Narrow), using for longer (Slow), using again (Cycle), and using clean, regenerative materials and energy (Regenerate).

These different principles of circular economy can be applied to our socioeconomic metabolism: we can design stocks like buildings, infrastructure, machinery, and vehicles to be rich resource mines for the future, and design manufactured goods and consumables to be cycled and made regenerative. Furthermore, the focus must also centre on getting more value out of fewer materials. Achieving the aims of a circular economy—minimising material use, regenerating the Earth, and preventing material losses—can be done through these four key strategies mentioned above.

Source: Circle Economy. (2023). *[The circularity gap report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023)* (p.22). Amsterdam: Circle Economy. 

Four Flows Framework

medium_Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png

small_Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png

thumbnail_Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png

Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png


The central government has been using plastic waste in road construction to properly utilise the material which otherwise is not recycled. So far, one lakh kilometre of road has been constructed using plastic waste, Hindustan Times’ sister publication Hindustan reported.The construction of every kilometre of road required nine tonnes of bitumen and one tonne of plastic waste. This means for every kilometre of road, one tonne bitumen is saved, which costs about Rs 30,000.Plastic roads consist of 6-8 per cent plastic, while 92-94 per cent is bitumen.Union minister Nitin Gadkari had announced the usage of plastic waste in road construction in 2016. Since then, plastic waste has been used in constructing one lakh kilometre of road in 11 states. In this financial year, the figure will double, according to Hindustan.The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) used plastic waste in its roads for the first time in 2018. The MCG has now made the use of plastic waste mandatory in the construction of arterial roads.Assam started using the waste material from this year.Plastic has been used in the 270-kilometre-long Jammu Kashmir National highway. About 1.6 tonne of plastic waste was used in the two-kilometre-long stretch of Delhi-Meerut highway news UP Gate, according to Hindustan. It has also been used in constructing the road connecting Dhaula Kuan to the airport in Delhi, the report in Hindustan said.India generates at least 25,940 tonnes of plastic waste daily, equivalent to the weight of around 4,300 elephants. Of this, about 60 per cent gets recycled, according to the Union environment ministry. The rest gets dumped in landfills, clogs drains, goes into the ocean as micro-plastics, or is burnt, leading to air pollution.In the absence of a proper waste management system, the plastics that get recycled are often dirty, which makes the re-cycling process water-intensive and expensive. 
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON  

NEW DELHI: The government has made it mandatory for road developers to use waste plastic along with bituminous mixes for road construction to overcome the growing problem of disposal of plastic waste in India’s urban centres. Road developers will now have to use waste plastic along with hot mixes for constructing bitumen roads within 50 km of periphery of any city that has a population of over five lakh. In recently released guidelines for developers, the government said that in case of non-availability of waste plastic, the developer has to seek the road transport & highways ministry’s approval for constructing only bitumen roads. "Urban local bodies, which are usually short of financial resources, can make money by selling the plastic waste generated by cities to road developers. They can signs memorandums of understanding with the road construction companies," a senior government official told ET. India generates 56 lakh tonne of plastic waste annually. As per a study by the Central Pollution Control Board, 60 large cities in India generate over 15,000 tonne of plastic waste every day. Delhi generates close to 7,000 tonne of waste every day, of which over 10 per cent is pure plastic but cannot be disposed even by waste-to-energy plants because of environmental reasons. In an observation earlier this year, the Supreme Court had said that the country was sitting on a plastic time bomb. Plastic will add to the longevity of roads by making them water resistant and also increasing the resistance of roads to change in weather. The government expects this measure to bring down the cost as well for road developers, from about Rs 10 crore for one km of road length at present. "The cost factor is yet to be analysed, but it will be slightly less than 100 per cent bitumen," the official said. The ministry will also encourage state governments and rural development ministry to make use of plastic waste mandatory in construction of roads.  "The same technology can also be used for construction of rural roads as it will enhance their quality as well as longevity. These roads can have a plastic coating mixed with bitumen," the official said. Indulge in digital reading experience of ET newspaper exactly as it is.Read Now(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.)Download The Economic Times News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.

 As of 2017, nearly 8,300 million tonnes of virgin plastics have been produced globally. Of this, only around 9% is recycled and about 12 % incinerated and so a total of about 79 % finds its way into landfills or the natural environment. There has been numerous studies & researches to overcome the growing problem of plastic waste disposal. One possible solution that has made its mark in following years is using plastic for road construction. In 2015, the Union Government issued guidelines for use of plastic waste in roads of National Highways on pilot basis.  The problem of Plastic Waste in India India consumes an estimated 16.5 million tonnes, as per this June 2018 report of Down to Earth. Additonally, according to industry body FICCI, 43 per cent of India’s plastics are used in packaging and are single-use plastic. Consequently almost 80 percent of total plastic produced in India is discarded. Some of it is either burnt leading to air pollution, ends up in landfills or clogs drains. It chokes animals who eat plastic bags, etc. Plastics found in fields blocks germination and prevent rainwater absorption. Use of Plastics for Road Construction: Background Since 2001, the plastic man of India R. Vasudevan, Dean, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, and his team at the Centre for Studies on Solid Waste Management (CSSWM) have been researching on feasibility of using Plastics in construction of roads. Laboratory results of mixing waste plastic with heated bitumen and coating the mixture over stone proved positive and he implemented the use of plastic waste on a road constructed inside the premises of his college in 2002. In 2006, the Thiagarajar College of Engineering received the patent for this technology. Later, a performance appraisal by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) showed that plastic roads did not develop familiar defects: potholes, rutting, ravelling or edge flaw, even after four years. Additional Benefits of using Plastics for Roads Besides improving environment sustainability, roads made by Plastics are found more durable and cost-effective. Plastic and bitumen bond well together because both are petroleum products. This combination enhances the road’s ability to carry weight, as well as its life. The roads also show greater resistance to damages caused by heavy rains. ‘Plastic roads’ constructed since 2002 have not developed blisters or potholes, Dr. Vasudevan Key Benefits: Overall consumption of bitumen decreases.While asphalt roads last for three years, roads with plastic have longevity of seven years. (Increased  Marshall Stability Value) Water does not seep through – hence less stripping and potholesRoad does not crack or melt, so maintenance cost of the road decreases.Increased load withstanding property( Withstanding increased load transport)No leaching of plastics and no effect of radiation like UV. Economics of Use of Plastics for Construction in Roads It has been found that modification of bitumen with shredded waste plastic marginally increases the cost by about Rs. 2500 per tonne. However this marginal increase in the cost is compensated by increase in the volume of the total mix, thereby resulting in less overall bitumen content, better performance and environmental conservation with usage of waste plastic (1). Present Status of use of Plastics for Roads: The process of using plastics for road construction gained momentum in 2015, when Union government issued guidelines on plastic use with hot mixes for bitumen roads around urban areas. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued guidelines for use of plastic waste in wearing course of National Highways on pilot basis. The plastic waste has been used in the state of Tamil Nadu for about 11 Km length and about 1 Km length in the state of Kerala. Subsequently, India has built one lakh kilometres of roads in at least 11 states using discarded plastic (2). The front runners have been following cities: How Many Kilometres of Road has been constructed using Plastic India ? As of July 2021, 703 km length of National Highways have been constructed using waste plastic in wearing coat of flexible pavement. This information was given by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written reply in the Lok Sabha (3).   Additionally, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued guidelines for mandatory use of waste plastic in Periodic Renewal with hot mixes and in wearing coat of service road on National Highways within 50km periphery of urban area having population of more than 5 lakhs. Read Ahead: How Plastics are used for making roadsPlastic Man of India 

India

large_blob

medium_blob

small_blob

thumbnail_blob

blob

Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG)

Municipality of Tamil Nadu

Ministry of Road Transport and Highways 

National Government of India

<p>The Indian government has made the use of waste plastic in road construction mandatory to reduce plastic waste. All roads constructed within 50 km of the periphery of any city with a population of over 500,000 must use a 'plastic mix'. The ‘plastic mix’ (combined with traditional materials) is cheaper than 100 percet bitumen road and increases life expectancy by raising water resistance. An additional income stream for local councils is created from the sale of plastic waste.</p>