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Background. Laws that enable a circular economy (CE) are being enacted globally, but reliable standardized and digitized CE data about products is scarce, and many CE platforms have differing exclusive formats. In response to these challenges, the Ministry of The Economy of Luxembourg launched the Circularity Dataset Standardization Initiative to develop a globalized open-source industry standard to allow the exchange of standardized data throughout the supply cycle, based on these objectives: (a) Provide basic product circularity data about products. (b) Improve circularity data sharing efficiency. (c) Encourage improved product circularity performance. A policy objective was to have the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) voted to create a working group. Methods. A state-of-play analysis was performed concurrently with consultations with industry, auditors, data experts, and data aggregation platforms. Results. Problem statements were generated. Based on those, a solution called Product Circularity Data Sheet (PCDS) was formulated. A proof of concept (POC) template and guidance were developed and piloted with manufacturers and platforms, thus fulfilling objective (a). For objective (b), IT ecosystem requirements were developed, and aspects are being piloted in third party aggregation platforms. Objective (c) awaits implementation of the IT ecosystem. The policy objective related to the ISO was met. Conclusions and future research. In order to fully test the PCDS, it is necessary to: conduct more pilots, define governance, and establish auditing and authentication procedures.

Construction industry largely produces long-life, unique, and inflexible products; and combined with dispersed supply chains, it makes material tracking difficult. Thus, to achieve a circular economy (CE) in construction, there is a need for managing material information at the asset level to support reuse and recovery. This study explores the solutions for a CE in construction, and adopts a critical review, and a systematic search and review process. Initially the critical review for CE solutions revealed that maintaining authentic material information via material passports (MPs) and adopting industrialised construction (IC) for resource efficiency and flexibility are the key actions for CE implementation. As initial findings suggested the implementation of MPs in IC as imperative for a CE in construction, it was deemed necessary to develop a framework for MPs’ creation and management in IC. Thus, a further critical review was conducted to explore MPs and IC in detail, and a systematic search and review process extracted the actual information that goes into MPs, which was further categorised under various IC lifecycle processes at different stages of lifecycle, to present the incorporation of MPs into IC. The knowledge of MP processes and information in IC from this review is the vital component for the development of a necessary information management framework for MPs. This study can also be a basis for further research on the application of digital technologies and managerial actions required to realise operational MPs in IC, which is required for material circularity in construction.

The construction sector is responsible for about 50% of all extracted raw material and for over 35% of the EU’s total waste generation. To transition to a circular construction model, reliable and standardized information on the material composition of buildings is required. A Circular Material Passport (CMP) can organize and store such information. It provides an identity for a certain product and assigns value to it, enabling the recovery of materials by providing information for maintenance, recovery, reuse and recycling. A set of various CMPs can also be turned into a Building Materials Passport. This paper proposes a new structure for a CMP. The new CMP distinguishes itself from previous efforts to define material passports since it is aligned with the EU Level(s) framework of core sustainability indicators for office and residential buildings. This paper, firstly, reviews the relevant indicators from the Level(s) framework. Secondly, analyzes the current barriers in the development and use of material passports and proposes mitigation measure. Thirdly, identifies parameters to provide relevant information to promote circularity in the built environment. Fourthly, summarizes the findings and proposes a new structure for a lean CMP. The proposed CMP structure can be divided into three sections: 1) general data, 2) product context use and location, and 3) circularity potential. It can be concluded that indicators provided by the CMP could have the potential to be used for public procurement, as well as to define building permit criteria and assessment. Moreover, CMPs should be integrated with Building Information Modelling (BIM) and as a support tool for pre-demolition audits for identifying reusable and recyclable construction products and materials. The importance of policy development for the promotion of a standardized and regulated use of this tool needs to be highlighted.

Purpose This paper aims to conduct a qualitative assessment of synergies between information flows of a multifamily product platform used for industrialized housing and materials passports that can promote a circular economy in the construction industry. Design/methodology/approach Using a single case study method, the research assesses the availability and accessibility of materials passport-relevant information generated by a leading Swedish industrialized housing construction firm. Data is collected using semistructured interviews, document analysis and an extended research visit. Findings The research findings identify the functional layers of the product platform, map the information flow using a process diagram, assess the availability and accessibility of material passport relevant information by lifecycle stage and actor, and summarize the key points using a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis. Research limitations/implications The three main implications are: the technical and process platforms used in industrialized construction allow for generating standardized, digital and reusable information; the vertical integration of trades and long-term relationships with suppliers improve transparency and reduce fragmentation in information flows; and the design-build-operate business model strategy incentivizes actors to manage information flows in the use phase. Practical implications Industrialized construction firms can use this paper as an approach to understand and map their information flows to identify suitable approaches to generate and manage materials passports. Originality/value The specific characteristics of product platforms and industrialized construction provide a unique opportunity for circular information flow across the building lifecycle, which can support material passport adoption to a degree not often found in the traditional construction industry.

Interventions on Heritage Buildings (HBs) involve significant challenges due to their tangible (embodied in the material, architectural, physical and technical integrity of the cultural asset), and intangible values (linked to socio-historical–cultural and collective identity, memory, customs and symbols meanings), which must be preserved while also adapting to current sustainability and circular economy goals. However, current conservation and management practices often lack systematic tools to trace, assess, and organise material and component information, hindering the implementation of circular strategies. In line with the European Union’s objectives for climate neutrality and resource efficiency and sufficiency, Material and Product Passports (MPPs) have emerged as digital tools that enhance data traceability, interoperability and transparency throughout a building’s lifecycle. This paper examines the potential of MPPs to support circular management of HBs by analysing the structure of MPPs and outlining the information flows generated by rehabilitation, maintenance and adaptive reuse strategies. A mixed methods approach, combining literature review and data structure analysis, is adopted to identify how the different categories of data produced during maintenance, rehabilitation and adaptive reuse processes can be integrated into MPP modules. The research highlights the conceptual opportunities of MPPs to document and interlink historical, cultural, and technical data, thereby improving decision-making and transparency across intervention stages. The analysis suggests that adapting MPPs to the specificities of historic contexts, such as authenticity preservation, reversibility, and contextual sensitivity, can foster innovative, sustainable, and circular practices in the conservation and management of HBs.

Wood is one of the most fully renewable building materials, so wood instead of non-renewable materials produced from organic energy sources significantly reduces the environmental impact. Construction products can be replenished at the end of their working life and their elements and components deconstructed in a closed-loop manner to act as a material for potential construction. Materials passports (MPs) are instruments for incorporating circular economy principles (CEP) into structures. Material passports (MPs) consider all the building’s life cycle (BLC) steps to ensure that it can be reused and transformed several times. The number of reuse times and the operating life of the commodity greatly influence the environmental effects incorporated. For a new generation of buildings, the developing of an elegant kinetic wooden façade has become a necessity. It represents a multidisciplinary region with different climatic, fiscal, constructional materials, equipment, and programs, and ecology-influencing design processes and decisions. Based on an overview of the material’s environmental profile (MEP) and material passport (MP) definition in the design phase, this article attempts to establish and formulate an analytical analysis of the wood selection process used to produce a kinetic façade. The paper will analyze the importance of environmentally sustainable construction and a harmonious architectural environment to reduce harmful human intervention on the environment. It will examine the use of wooden panels on buildings’ façades as one solution to building impact on the environment. It will show the features of the formation of the wooden exterior of the building. It will also examine modern architecture that enters into a dialogue with the environment, giving unique flexibility to adapt a building. The study finds that new buildings can be easily created today. The concept of building materials passport and the environmental selection of the kinetic wooden façade can be incorporated into the building design process. This will improve the economic and environmental impact of the building on human life.

Circular Economy (CE) has proved its contribution to addressing environmental impacts in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industries. Building Circularity (BC) assessment methods have been developed to measure the circularity of building projects. However, there still exists ambiguity and inconsistency in these methods. Based on the reviewed literature, this study proposes a new framework for BC assessment, including a material flow model, a Material Passport (MP), and a BC calculation method. The material flow model redefines the concept of BC assessment, containing three circularity cycles and five indicators. The BC MP defines the data needed for the assessment, and the BC calculation method provides the equations for building circularity scoring. The proposed framework offers a comprehensive basis to support a coherent and consistent implementation of CE in the AEC industry.

Material circularity in construction requires material information at the end of life for the trading of materials. Different digital technologies (DTs) are essential for such information management. This research aims to review key aspects of developing a blockchain-based material passports (MPs) system when integrating with key DTs used for MPs. This research is based on a critical literature review, with an integrative approach that synthesises both academic and grey literature. The literature search was initiated using chosen keywords relevant to the topic to first identify the key literature. This was followed by using a snowballing technique to expand the search with further relevant literature. Building Information Modelling (BIM), digital twin (DTw) and blockchain technology (BCT) were identified as key technologies for material information management. BIM and DTw are central to the management process as all the information created and collected is modelled, visualised, analysed and stored using BIM platforms. However, existing MP platforms utilising centralised databases to store data were found to be unreliable for managing material data in an industry like construction with a dispersed supply chain and typically longer lifecycle. BCT was realised as necessary for information management in construction, as it allows us to manage information in a more decentralised, transparent and immutable manner. Furthermore, examining current research about blockchain application for information management in construction led to the conclusion that, although the studies on blockchain-based MP platforms covering the entire industry supply chain prevail, the management of material data at the built asset level throughout its lifecycle using such MP systems is underexplored. Thus, building on the literature review, a conceptual model of blockchain-based MP system is proposed in this paper, describing integration with BIM and DTw, and with relevant processes and actors to manage MP information throughout the building lifecycle. Acknowledging the limitations of a subjective literature review, the conceptual model and the ideas are proposed as a foundation for further research and develop MP system with empirical validation. Although theoretically, this study identifies the suitability of blockchain technology for managing product lifecycle information in industry like construction and provides ground for further theoretical research for planning and policy required for blockchain-based MP development and implementation.

The construction industry is responsible for nearly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions and consumes over 50% of the planet’s natural resources. As population growth continues, the demand for these resources is expected to rise. Within this context, where business models are still largely based on the Linear Economy (LE), the Circular Economy (CE) emerges as a strategy for promoting economic development while reducing dependence on natural resource consumption. To enable the transition from LE to CE, digital tools such as Material Passports (MP) are essential. An MP compiles data and information describing the characteristics of materials to facilitate their recovery and reuse. This study aims to model the MP of a wood-frame panel commercially produced by Tecverde in Brazil. The panel was designed for a building project using 2024 version of Autodesk Revit software. The proposed MP contains 49 parameters grouped into nine categories, and the data were obtained from open databases provided by the company. The results highlight existing challenges related to sustainability parameters, as well as opportunities to incorporate circular value principles into the construction industry.