Circular economy and sustainable development goals: Exploring the potentials of reusable modular components in circular economy business model

Abstract

Circular economy (CE) is widely recognized in the built environment as a crucial strategy for improving construction industry sustainability. This strategy can meet multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and offer effective solutions to environmental issues. Prefabricated modular building systems have proven to be a circularly viable method. This opens up endless possibilities for circular building systems. However, the selection of materials and preparation of sustainability strategies are still incomplete, hindering CE concepts' translation into practice. Moreover, few studies on the sustainability of modular building components and materials have been conducted, with most focusing only on individual aspects without addressing a comprehensive approach. This study proposes a topological interlocking system for designing reusable modular components that maximize sustainability. A two-stage evaluation method (AHP-TOPSIS) is used to construct an evaluation index based on the design and material of a building component. By incorporating CE strategies for reuse with a topological interlocking system, this study explores the potential of reusable modular components in sustainable construction and lays the groundwork for a circular economy business model (CEBM).