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 6 hours ago



The sustainable construction agenda is shifting from headline innovation to measurable delivery across buildings, infrastructure and finance. The World Green Building Council’s Advancing Net Zero work, set against IRENA’s warning that electrification and renewables remain too slow, reinforces the need for net zero carbon buildings backed by cleaner grids, heat electrification and stable policy.

Certification alone will not deliver net zero whole life carbon. The sector needs whole life carbon assessment, lifecycle assessment and life cycle thinking in construction to guide sustainable building design, low carbon design and credible decarbonising the built environment.

The UK debate over the Boiler Upgrade Scheme is therefore material to environmental sustainability in construction. Any reduction in support for heat pumps would slow one of the clearest routes to cutting operational emissions in existing homes. Energy-efficient buildings require long-term policy certainty, robust life cycle cost analysis and practical sustainable building practices, not fragmented incentives. Green construction must be judged by building lifecycle performance, carbon footprint reduction and the carbon footprint of construction, including embodied carbon, embodied carbon in materials and the specification of low embodied carbon materials.

Climate adaptation is now becoming core construction policy. A £1.6m programme to install flood-resilience measures in 100 East Midlands homes after Storms Babet and Henk shows resilience retrofit moving into mainstream housing delivery. The River Trent restoration analysis, indicating £10bn in economic gains and more than £7 of benefit for every £1 invested, strengthens the case for green infrastructure, sustainable urban development and nature-based investment as serious economic strategy.

Future growth in construction will need to align with circular economy principles, circular economy in construction, resource efficiency in construction and circular construction strategies. Low carbon construction materials, renewable building materials, green building materials, green building products and environmental product declarations (EPDs) will become central to sustainable material specification and eco-design for buildings. New building demand that ignores flood risk, heat demand, end-of-life reuse in construction and the wider environmental impact of construction risks creating stranded assets. Sustainable architecture, eco-friendly construction and low-impact construction are entering a stricter phase, where BREEAM, BREEAM v7 and whole life carbon performance will matter as much as planning consent, capital cost and short-term market recovery.

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