For a long time, the construction industry has followed a linear process - extract raw materials, build structures, demolish them, and then dispose of the garbage in landfills. This approach has serious negative effects on the environment and society and is inherently unsustainable. Reconsidering traditional methods and workflows requires support from all stakeholders and a sense of urgency proclaimed by authorities. In the United States, city organizations have begun to implement new policies to keep construction waste out of landfills and support circular practices. Several cities like Seattle and Pittsburgh, have started implementing deconstruction ordinances that require older buildings to be carefully deconstructed rather than demolished. How might their key provisions influence circular practices in the country?
The construction of new buildings and the demolition of existing structures annually account for an enormous portion of the total resources extracted from the environment, generating nearly one-third of the world's total waste output. In the United States, nearly 150 million tons of construction debris go to dumps and landfills each year. To reuse and recycle building materials and components, several U.S. cities have enacted ordinances requiring older buildings slated for demolition to instead go through a careful deconstruction process.
