Building a circular future in Southeast Europe: A roadmap for sustainable construction practices

Abstract

The objective of our study is to assess the feasibility of implementing circular economy (CE) concepts in the construction sectors of Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania. Southeast European nations, especially Romania, possess significant potential for environmental and economic advancement due to his 33% adoption of circular economy methods in the Construction sector. As the Construction industry is not only using 3 billion tons of natural raw material annually but also generate 40% of the total waste generated worldwide. We contend that by adopting CE practices, these nations can substantially diminish pollution, promote resource efficiency, and cultivate sustainable development. CE activities such as deconstruction, material reuse, easy to maintain, and waste minimization provide a revolutionary perspective. They not only mitigate the environmental impact of the building industry by decreasing resource usage and pollution, but also generate economic prospects. The implementation of CE innovation in building materials and processes has the potential to result in reduced construction costs across the whole lifespan of a project. In addition, a circular construction sector stimulates employment by generating new job opportunities in waste management, material refurbishment, and deconstruction services, so enhancing overall workforce participation. Nevertheless, harnessing this capacity necessitates a comprehensive and diverse strategy. Governments have a crucial role in implementing rules that provide incentives for investors and construction companies to adopt circular processes. These could include tax incentives for utilizing recycled materials, financial support for deconstruction training, and rules that encourage trash reduction. This study explores the distinct difficulties and possibilities encountered by each nation in Southeast Europe. Southeast Europe can establish itself as a frontrunner in sustainable construction by adopting CE. This will lead to a cleaner environment, a prosperous economy with more jobs, and improved resource efficiency and health and safety standards for construction workers.