Circular Economy for Buildings and the Standards Developing Across Europe

Simon Guy • 10 September 2024

Evolving policies and standards relating to a more circular built environment is a fast-moving feast, even over the Summer months. So, it seems like an opportune moment to flag up a few developments that might have gone unnoticed in la grande rentrée. Gilli Hobbs of Reusefully writes.

In terms of standards, the European standards committee CEN TC/350 SC1 (Circular Economy in Construction) is a sub-committee of CEN TC 350 Sustainability of Construction Works. The overall vision SC 1 is to provide the construction sector with a uniform approach that will facilitate and strengthen the construction industry’s transition to a more sustainable, circular economy, such as developing a common language and harmonisation that will contribute to scalability through standards focusing on use and reuse of materials. 


This Autumn sees the first meetings of new working groups covering aspects of circular data (including building and product/material passports), circularity assessment (including environmental performance and circularity indicators), reuse of construction products and materials, and designing for circularity (including reversibility, adaptability and reused content). A fifth working group will be established later in the year focused upon pre-demolition and pre-redevelopment audits. 


Most British Standards are developed at an international level, either through organisations that work globally (e.g. ISO) or just within Europe (e.g. CEN). BSI is closely involved with these organisations and its technical committees can nominate members to participate in the development of international standards. BSI is obliged to adopt all European standards (ENs) and to withdraw any existing British Standards that conflict with them. It is also possible to develop British Standards entirely within the UK, where not covered by international standardisation. 

EU Construction & Demolition Waste Management Protocol

I chair B/558/1 which is the BSI mirror committee to CEN TC350 SC1 Circular Economy in Construction and experts from this committee have been appointed to represent the UK on each of the existing and newly formed working groups. Standards work is mainly on a voluntary basis so this is only possible though the dedication of many individuals and organisations who donate valuable time to input their knowledge and help gain consensus. 


A good example of where these groups can also input directly into policy development is the newly revised EU Construction & Demolition Waste Management Protocol including guidelines for pre-demolition and pre-renovation audits of construction works which was published last month. Various rounds of consultation enabled this update. B558/1 Circular Economy in Construction committee members contributed to this revision and it now contains guidance and templates for pre-demolition and pre-refurbishment audits. The previous guidance is referenced in EU Level (s), EU Taxonomy for demolition activities and many other policy documents, such as EU Circular Economy Action Plan 2020. These will be updated with references to the revised protocol in due course. 

If you want to be kept up to date with the circular construction standards developing across the UK and Europe, sign up to our newsletter here, or contact us for more information.


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