Roskilde, Denmark
Roskilde Municipality is committed to implementing circular economy on an operational level. It sees circular economy as a holistic practice with roots firmly planted in the classical concept of sustainability - based on an environmental, social and economic perspective. Local recycling and reuse address the challenges related of the dwindling supply of raw materials for construction e.g. gravel. Local reuse has the added environmental benefit of reducing CO2 emissions and energy consumption, brought about by a reduction of transport of heavy materials to and from the building sites.
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Making circular projects competitive
The focus of Roskilde Municipality is on testing the day-to-day processes of handling recycled material on-site, and then optimising the processes on-site and in procurement, based on the knowledge gained from hands-on experience. The practical experience gained has given Roskilde Municipality confidence in the fact that circular projects can compete with traditional projects economically, as well as from social and environmental perspectives. For example, planning for minimising soil excavation can reduce transport. A circular project is characterized by an increased budget for worker wages on-site, bolstering the social perspective, while there is a decreased budget for transport and material production, which supports the environmental aspect.
Towards a sustainable building industry
Implementing recycling and the reuse of building materials including soil as a natural component in daily operational processes, can really contribute to the transition to a more sustainable building industry. This is achievable through clear circular economy goals and strategies that lead the way both politically and practically. Roskilde Municipality is therefore highly dependent on collaboration between local stakeholders from civil society, the private sector and the research community through local partnerships. Many of the circular economy solutions used in Roskilde Municipality are developed together with specialists, contractors, research units and civil servants. The established and growing knowledge from these partnerships is the foundation of the green public procurement strategies in the municipality. The outcome is the social, economic and environmental benefit of upscaling the capacity of a well-tested circular economy.
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