CIRCULAR AND SUSTAINABLE: MATERIALS FLOW OPTIMISATION OF ITALIAN BUILDING RENOVATION PROCESS

Abstract

The paper shows the possible materials flow optimization in order to achieve circular and sustainable strategies of building renovation process. Through direct-interview to operators and stakeholders, the barriers and levers of circularity within the building process are investigated. The renovation process is particularly interesting because it takes into account the end of life management of existing building and the demolition waste management, and the design process of building renovation, consequently the construction waste management, the new technological solutions and the use of new materials. First of all, the influence factor of design and waste management decision making and the operators' relationships are highlighted. The analysis shows that operators are not related to each other in a continuous way and there are difficulties in cooperation and information sharing. After that, analysing the obstacles and the levers for materials reuse and recycling, the research shows that there are economic barriers, logistic barriers for recycling materials. Other obstacles that concern the reuse are: the lack of expert operators for disassembling and reassemble, economic aspects for the cost of reconditioning, aesthetic aspects, logistic barriers, and, the responsibility aspect to use reused elements which don’t have a performance certification. Regarding the levers for reuse and recycling of materials and building elements, in Italy there are no economics incentives; however, the main levers for the recycling of building materials, is represented by the Green Public Procurement according to which there are “minimum environmental criteria” mandatory to public building, such as a mandatory “recycling content”, “selective demolition” and “recyclability of materials”.

Then, the analysis investigates on the potentially avoidable waste, generated during the renovation process: two main steps when it is possible avoiding waste are identified. Both steps generate waste that concerns new materials. The first is the fit-out substitution stage in a rented building. The second is the construction stage.

Successively, the research investigates the stakeholders’ interest in new business models which change the traditional business dynamics towards the conservation and the extension of the useful life of products. It is possible to note, that there is interest among operators, but difficulties to apply business model (like product service system) at building level still remain, because of the buildings is an immovable object with a long lifespan.

Finally, the paper defines the main legislative improvements useful to achieve a circular building process in Italy, identifying top-down and bottom-up initiatives. Then the paper shows the strategic partnerships identifying the operators to link for a better information exchange useful to activate circular business models. Moreover, the paper identifies the building renovation process phases during which the operators must be stimulated to use Life Cycle tools as decision-making support for assessing sustainability, in order to activate only sustainable circular strategies. Analyzing the entire process, it is possible to identify how the application of the Life Cycle tools is determined in the “prevention” phase or upstream, during the design process, and in the “management” phase or downstream, during the building end of life and waste management.

Finally, the article presents the results of participation in the working group on the circular economy of the Green Building Council Italia (GBC), which represented a further opportunity of discussion with Italian building sector stakeholders.