Circular economy in built environment – Literature review and theory development. (March 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mhatre, Purva; Gedam, Vidyadhar; Unnikrishnan, Seema; Verma, Sanjeev
• Is Part Of: Journal of building engineering. Volume 35(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-03
• Subjects: Circular economy -- Built-environment -- Construction industry -- Bibliometric analysis -- Literature review -- Theory development; Building -- Periodicals; 690.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jobe.2020.101995
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2352-7102

Abstract

Abstract: Circular economy (CE) has evolved gradually since its inception in the late 90s and has been implemented differently in various sectors across different countries. The implementation of CE in built-environment has vast benefits owing to the potential to reduce the ecological & carbon footprint of the construction industry. Numerous research articles have been published on the potential of CE in the built environment. This article aims to present a review of the evolution of literature and the development of theory in the given field. Bibliometric review on the topic is done using R software. For content analysis, the authors have analyzed the literature in the following subcategories – interpretation of CE in built-environment, CE business models, CE enablers, end-of-life management, circular building materials, material stocks, and environmental impact. The development of the theory of CE in the built-environment is analyzed by categorizing the conducted researches into various stages of theory – observation, categorization and association along with understanding if the research has been original, replicated or validated in its form. The article further points out the gaps in the literature and future scope using theory development models and suggests research implications for academicians and practitioners. Highlights: The article illustrates the evolution of literature and theory in circular economy in the context of built environment. The study categorizes the existing research into seven dimensions and identifies stages and scope of research in each stage. Most of the researches have used material flow analysis as a potential tool to facilitate urban mining or as a predictor of material stocks. Life cycle assessment is used to determine the environmental impacts of circular building practices. Important research direction for future can be: development of standard indicators to measure circularity, institution of business models for different types of constructions and validation of economic and environmental feasibility of circular constructions.