Are You Guilty of Circular Economy Greenwashing?

Stop Pretending “Design for Disassembly” Is Enough

Phrases like “circular economy principles” and “design for disassembly” are meaningless if materials are never actually recovered. As an industry we have been designing bolted steel-framed structures for decades. And yet, what percentage of that steel has ever been dismantled and reused? Simply bolting something together does not make it circular. It just shifts responsibility onto the next owner, contractor or demolition crew.

It's Only Truly Circular If The Circle Already Exists

A circular economy only works if materials stay in use and flow back into new projects instead of being wasted. Too often, the claim is theoretical. Designing a building so it could be taken apart does not mean it ever will be. There is rarely a clear plan, budget or legal obligation to ensure materials are recovered. Without those, Design for Disassembly is like labelling a single-use plastic fork "100% Recyclable."

Start Reusing Materials TODAY

If you are serious about circularity, the priority must be to reuse materials today. Source reclaimed steel, timber, masonry or other components and design buildings around what is available. Form follows availability.

The buildings that are currently in design or under construction will decide whether we limit warming to 1.5 °C, 2 °C or something much worse. The carbon impact of materials is front-loaded. If we do not design using reuse now, we lose that opportunity forever.

Timber re-use at Van Hameren Houthandel, located in Ter Aar, the Netherlands

The Burden Falls On Someone Else

The responsibility for reclaiming materials is often pushed into the future. The building stands for decades and then someone else must figure out how to unbolt, clean, test and reuse the materials in a market that may not exist. By then, the original project team has moved on and the marketing claims are forgotten.

What It Actually Takes

Circular design needs more than bolted frames and good intentions. It needs real systems that make reuse standard practice:

• Designing with reused materials NOW This must be the starting point. Work with suppliers who can source reclaimed materials and adapt the design to what is available.

• Material passports Every major material should be recorded with its source, condition and how it can be recovered. This is straightforward with BIM models and digital twins. The data already exists and should always be accessible.

• Recovery facilities as standard These already exist in some places but must become the norm. It must be easier and cheaper to reuse materials than to buy new.

• Take-back agreements and binding contracts Manufacturers and suppliers must commit to reclaiming products at end of life. Contracts must include obligations and penalties for failure.

• Policy measures Tax incentives for reuse and penalties for waste must push the industry to close the loop.

It's not enough to say a building could be dismantled in the future. Circularity only counts if the loop is closed in practice. Where 'form follows availability'. Reuse what exists now and make recovery the norm.