Holistic sustainable material process – potential in local resources

I Röstlund,N Björling

doi:10.1088/1755-1315/588/4/042069

Abstract

The construction and transformation of the built environment is a key factor in the transition to a sustainable future. The interest in material’s role in this transition increased in the last few years, especially in regard to embodied energy in the construction phase. This is however only a small part of the societal and environmental impact caused by the material chain. Because the material practice in todays globalised world is increasingly complex and materials should be considered cultural artefacts that are part of ecological, social and economic systems. In this article the concept of a holistic sustainable material practice is discussed from the perspective of a relocalised material process. The concept of landscapes and social-ecological systems is used to frame this process and allows discussion of opportunities and challenges within such a process. This has been achieved through literature studies and by using Regenerative Sustainability and Circular Economy as theoretical framework. The article has explored the relocalisation of the material process from the perspective of Sweden, though many of the aspects discussed can be applied in other contexts.

Highlights

Material practice is a very intricate and complex process but in discussions regarding sustainable construction this tends to be reduced to a focus on optimization of emissions and embodied energy
There is a need for a discussion which considers the ethical dimension of material practice in regard to the wider societal and environmental impacts, since material flows both create and at the same time embody cultural, political and economic structures [4]
Because we see that the different steps in the material chain, from extraction and production to construction and use as well as the end life, have a wide impact on ecological, social and economic systems, both direct and indirect

Summary

Introduction

Material practice is a very intricate and complex process but in discussions regarding sustainable construction this tends to be reduced to a focus on optimization of emissions and embodied energy. There is a need for a discussion which considers the ethical dimension of material practice in regard to the wider societal and environmental impacts, since material flows both create and at the same time embody cultural, political and economic structures [4]. The technical development in combination with growing transport infrastructure and trade opportunities, has meant that materials no longer are bound by availability on a local scale or regional traditions. This has led to many innovations and raised standards of living conditions in many places around the world, but as side effect it tends to create an illusion of endless resources [6]. In 2019 Sweden reached the overshoot day on the 3rd of April, which means that for three quarters of the year we have lived on borrowed resources to consume and take care of the waste created

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