Recycling is reported throughout human history but has come a long way since...

Circular Economy Platform 3 years ago

Recycling is reported throughout human history but has come a long way since the time when humans reused broken tools and pottery when materials were scarce. . May 17 marks World Recycling Day, officially declared by UNESCO, and aimed at raising awareness on the importance of recycling as a tool for proper waste management and to paliate climate change. . But what is recycling? Recycling is understood as the mechanism through which a certain material is processed to later give it a new use. In this way, we put that material back into operation and prevent it from becoming waste. . Glass, paper, metal and plastic are recyclable materials and there are numerous specialized entities in charge of processing this type of waste. . Reduce and reuse before recycling Before recycling, we should consider reducing and reusing. After all, the purpose remains the same: making the most of resources and reducing waste. . We can reduce our waste by shopping mindfully, trying to find unpacked goods or products with a biodegradable packaging. It is key to reduce plastic packaging, as plastic waste is currently the biggest pollution problem we are facing. . Simple actions such as using tote bags or buying unpacked products can make a huge difference. But there’s also a lot we can do by reusing materials. We can give written paper a new use, by using it to take notes, or reuse plastic containers to give them a new use at home. . More about Circular Economy Platform of the Americas visit: www.circulareconomyplatform.org . Building a Circular Conscious Continent 🌱 #workersday2022 #diadeltrabajador2022 . #circulareconomy #economíacircular #economiacircular #inclusiveeconomy #circulareconomyplatform #circulareconomyforum #foroeconomiacircular #cefa2017 #cefa2018 #cefa2019 #arubatv #aruba #cepamericas #zerowaste #sustainabledevelopment #desarollosostenible #cradletocradle #c2c #blueeconomy #biomimicry #closedloopcycleproduction #ecodesign #upcycle #sustainabledesign #cefaV

layersDaily Sustainability Digest

Published about 7 hours ago



The £41m funding boost for a Thames heat pipeline marks a significant shift in sustainable construction, moving decarbonising the built environment from policy ambition to practical green infrastructure. Capturing surplus industrial heat for up to 650,000 London homes strengthens the case for energy-efficient buildings, low carbon design and sustainable urban development at district scale. Rising household energy bills make heat networks an economic necessity as much as a net zero carbon priority.

A UN-backed taskforce has proposed measures to attract more capital into climate adaptation and resilience, reinforcing the need to treat environmental sustainability in construction as an investment issue rather than a compliance cost. Heat stress, drought, flooding and grid pressure now affect insurance, asset values, planning risk and construction programmes. Developers and lenders are being pushed towards whole life carbon, life cycle cost and building lifecycle performance as core measures of long-term value.

Materials remain a critical weakness. UK trials on bio-based, biodegradable and compostable products show that innovation in green building materials, renewable building materials and low carbon construction materials must be matched by recycling systems capable of processing them. The findings strengthen the case for lifecycle assessment, sustainable material specification, environmental product declarations (EPDs), resource efficiency in construction and clear end-of-life reuse in construction. Without stronger circular economy infrastructure, embodied carbon in materials and the wider carbon footprint of construction will remain difficult to reduce.

Industrialised construction faces the same systems challenge. Factories, standards, logistics, procurement and dependable demand must mature together if modern methods are to support low-impact construction, eco-friendly construction and carbon neutral construction at scale. Circular economy in construction depends on circular construction strategies, not isolated green building products.

The direction for sustainable building design is clear: net zero carbon buildings require whole life carbon assessment, net zero whole life carbon targets and credible evidence on embodied carbon. BREEAM, BREEAM v7, eco-design for buildings and sustainable architecture are becoming more important as clients seek measurable carbon footprint reduction across design, construction, operation and reuse. Sustainable design is no longer defined by individual products, but by integrated networks that reduce the environmental impact of construction across the full building lifecycle.

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