The built environment is responsible for almost 50 per cent of raw materials consumption in Europe. The construction industry is the largest source of waste generated annually in Europe, producing 33% (821 million tonnes). Construction produces nearly half of all waste in Ireland (8.8 million tonnes of construction and demolition waste was generated and collected in Ireland in 2019 according to the EPA).
Over the last number of years, the world at large has been focusing on the journey of switching to renewable energy. However, this will only address 55% of global emissions. The remaining 45% come from the fact that we are stuck in a linear economy (take-make-dispose), and we are constantly extracting from the Earth to make goods. Construction is an activity that requires numerous extractions and numerous goods to create the buildings and infrastructure that surround us every day.
To limit the effects of climate change, we must transition to a sustainable, nature-based model. This model is called the circular economy.
A circular economy is a system where we keep the materials that we have already extracted to their highest value and reuse these materials. In this system there is no waste. Everything flows and copies the regenerative cycles of nature. This allows us to avoid extraction from the Earth’s finite resources and reduce carbon emissions. If the construction industry alters the way they practice, it could have a hugely beneficial effect on the environment.
This webinar series will showcase a selection of actions we can take as an industry to transition to the nature, positive economy that is the circular economy. These amazing speakers are not just preaching circularity, they are doing circularity!
14/09/22 | Biological Materials and Circular Products
Speakers: Tom Robinson Adaptavate, Patrick Gately Graphenstone. Paul Lynch Ecococon,
To create a circular building, we need to be mindful of the materials that the building is made of. In this webinar, innovative circular and biological products will be showcased such as; Adaptavates Breathaboard, a plasterboard that can be composted back to the earth; cradle-to-cradle certified paint from Graphenstone and Ecococons’ biobased, strawbale panel building systems.
Along with choosing biological materials, it is important to also choose biological, cradle-to-cradle finishes in buildings.
This introductory webinar will be running for an extended time of 1 hour and 30 minutes as it is occurring during World Green Building Week.
21/09/22 | Biological Materials
Speakers: Oskana Bondar Biohm
Biohm has been developing one of the most innovative biological construction materials on the market. Biohms. focus is on mycelium; a network of fungal threads that grows underground. Biohm has been developing new strains of fungi that can be used to develop a range of products, including a new building insulation. Mycelium insulation is naturally fire resistant. It also has high insulation levels and sequesters carbon. It is an incredible circular alternative to most current insulation products that are highly carbon intensive to manufacture. Many current insulations are petrochemical based, release VOCs and are difficult to recycle.
28/09/22 | CASE STUDY: Material Reuse in Ireland and pre demolition audits
Speakers: Phillipa King Southern Waste Region, Diarmuid Hayes; Enda Power; Kaitlin Roche Limerick 2030
Under what conditions can you reuse secondary materials in Ireland? Are there any precedents?
Philippa King and the developer, Limerick 2030, demonstrated recently at the Opera Square Project in Limerick, that you can reuse construction materials if the materials are utilised as a direct use. The Southern Waste Region in conjunction with Limerick 2030, and contractor, John Sisk & Son put in place a reuse and repurpose sustainability programme in which brick, stone and other materials were reused from the Opera Square project site to other sites in Limerick. A vital part of this programme was the process of conducting a pre-demolition audit, which provided an understanding of key products and construction materials that can be reused on/off site, and a list of materials that can be repurposed and remanufactured.
05/10/22 | Circular Building Toolkit
Speaker: Conor Hayes, ARUP
Developed by Arup and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, this toolkit brings together strategies, case studies and tools for designing more circular buildings, meaning reduced waste and carbon for a healthier planet and healthier people.
In the Circular Building Toolkit, the principles of the circular economy have been translated into a prioritised set of strategies and actions relevant for real estate projects. It has been designed aligned with international policies. The framework is based on relevant international best practices and policies such as: EU Taxonomy and EU Level(s).
The strategies are also aligned with circular economy recommendations from the World Green Building Council as well as National Green Building Councils. The toolkit focuses on creating a circular toolkit for your project focusing on topics such as; build nothing, build for long term value, design for longevity, design for adaptability, design for disassembly, refuse unnecessary components, increase material efficiency, reduce the use of virgin materials, reduce the use of carbon intensive materials and design out hazardous/ polluting materials.
Conor will bring us through why the tool was developed and how designers can utilise the tool in this webinar.
12/10/22 | Material Passports and Zero Waste Sites
Speakers: Rachel Hoolahan ORMS, Alan Cawley SISK
What is a material passport and why are they important for circularity in buildings? Rachel Hoolahan, Orms sustainability co-ordinator and UKGBC Design for Circularity working group leader, will lead us through why material passports are key to implementing a circular economy in construction. She will focus on the importance of giving materials an identity outside of the building.
On average, the construction industry throws away 20% of all material arriving on site. This means that for every five dwellings built, one dwelling’s worth of stuff goes to landfill or even incineration. The amount of waste generated on construction sites can be reduced considerably by changing the way that buildings are designed and constructed. Alan Cawley will lead us through SISKs process of creating zero waste sites in Ireland. This will act as a helpful precedent for others to learn from their process.
19/10/22 | Material reuse: marketplace and construction waste
Speakers: Knut Sverre Westby or Michael Curtis Loopfront, Sam Chapman K-Briq
Loopfront is a material reuse platform, based in Norway, that creates an easy to access way for people to reuse and recycle materials. It takes materials that would be going to waste and gives them visibility and a traceable digital identity. This allows these materials, that may have gone directly to landfill, to find a second life in an efficient and economical manner. A big part of Loopfront is data reporting, which allows users not only to see the financial benefits of their efforts, but also the environmental data that can assist in gaining access to green financing and project certifications.
K-briq is an innovative circular material that uses recycled demolition and construction waste to create an unfired brick. This brick takes materials that would go to landfill and puts them back into a circular loop by creating structurally sound bricks. Over 90% of the brick is made from demolition and construction waste. It has only one-tenth of the embodied carbon of a conventional masonry unit.
26/10/22 | Sheeps Wool Session
Speakers: Liam Donohoe UK Hempcrete Ltd/ Slán Eco Ltd, Pat Byrne Agile Committee
In this session, the focus is on the biological material, sheep’s wool, in the Irish context. How can we implement utilising Irish sheep’s wool as insulation in our buildings? What are the advantages and barriers of introducing a sheep’s wool insulation industry in Ireland? What is the process of creating this industry?
02/11/22 | Biological Materials and Circular Products
Speakers: Tom Woolley Hemp, Niall Crosson Ecological Building Systems
Biological materials are those that be returned to the biosphere and allowed to biodegrade. In this webinar, Tom Woolley and Niall Crosson will lead us through several examples of biological materials available in the Irish market today. Tom will be focusing on hemp and the hemp industry in Ireland and the advantages of using hemp (a crop grown naturally in Ireland) in our buildings.
Bookings
Bookings are open for this event.
Sign up for our Course Mail! This course, delivered in four easy-to-read emails, will take you through the basics of Circular Economy in the Built Environment with key principles and the latest research.
Bookings
Bookings are closed for this event.