Improving Circularity in Construction – a Coordination Perspective on Mineral Wool reverse flows

Övrigt konferensbidrag, 2025

Implementing circular economy principles in practice presents significant challenges. These include technical barriers related to the handling and upgrading of materials, as well as market-related obstacles stemming from underdeveloped and inefficient markets for circular materials. Circular material flows inherently increase the exchange of resources, thereby introducing new interdependencies. Substitutability and pricing are closely tied to the availability and quality of materials.In construction projects, high levels of interdependence exist among the various actors involved in relation to material and resource flows. Achieving circularity and ensuring a consistent supply of recyclable materials thus necessitate enhanced coordination among stakeholders. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to explore the coordination requirements in circular construction processes and to propose effective coordination mechanisms that support circular supply chain initiatives. 
   The focus is specifically on the supply side, aiming to ensure the availability of high-quality material volumes suitable for recycling by mineral wool producers. The study adopts a case study approach, examining the material flow of mineral wool within a residential construction project. Data were collected through interviews, direct observations, and analysis of internal project documentation. The findings provide a detailed account of the interdependencies characterizing material flows and underscore the importance of early-stage planning and strong interorganizational relationships as key coordination mechanisms. The paper contributes by identifying which coordination mechanisms various actors need to implement to maintain stable and efficient flows of circular materials in construction, decreasing present uncertainty of quality, quantity and location. Time uncertainty can be decreased through sharing of plans.