Circular economy adoption barriers in built environment- a case of emerging economy

Abstract

Built environment consumes vast volumes of natural resources and also poses several environmental threats owing to mining, construction emissions, and waste disposal processes. Thus, it is imperative that the principles of circular economy (CE) be adopted to enable the recirculation of resources back to the construction system. However, in the emerging economies, owing to numerous barriers, the momentum for achieving accountable progress towards CE adoption in the construction sector has not been adequate. This research article aims to understand & examine the factors that obstruct the incorporation of CE in the built environment or the construction sector in India. A total of sixteen barriers hampering the adoption of CE in built environment are identified and categorised under six categories of economic, environmental, technical, societal, governmental, and behavioral barriers. The research uses Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method to analyse the barriers and develop a cause-effect relationship among them. This study reveals that the most predominant barrier to adopting CE in the Indian construction sector is an environmental barrier. The lack of environmentally safe material recovery processes and high operating costs for running a circular supply chain are other significant barriers. Authors further stress on the interdependence of factors and propose appropriate enablers to facilitate CE in built environment. The study's findings are intended to enable policy and decision-makers of the built environment to implement CE effectively.