The conversation revolves around the awareness and adoption of circular economy principles in the building and property sector. Ashleigh Morris notes that while 80-90% of people surveyed have high awareness of circularity, only 50-60% translate it into practice. The conversation highlights the importance of an ecosystem to make circularity work, involving full-value chain suppliers, offtake partners, and an ecosystem.
The discussion also touches on various sectors and industries that are moving towards circular economy practices, such as fashion and textiles, tech, transport manufacturing, and mining and metals. Nic Brunsdon emphasizes the importance of policy changes to drive circular economy adoption, and notes that architects can play a key role in advocating for policy changes and designing for circularity.
Arthur Mañalac highlights the importance of government legislation to drive circular economy adoption, and notes that trailblazers in the industry, such as AMP and Coreo, are already implementing circular economy practices. Dominique Hes emphasizes the need for architects to design with circularity in mind, prioritizing reuse, adaptability, and dematerialization.
The conversation concludes with practical recommendations for architects to implement circular economy principles, including designing for longevity and adaptability, and teaching students to think “reuse first”. Additionally, the upcoming National Circular Framework in Australia is expected to play a significant role in driving circular economy adoption in the built environment.