The 'Policies Enabling the Reuse of Construction Products in the Nordics' report provides a commentary on the recent development of key building legislation that promotes or hinders the reuse of construction products in the Nordics, including European and Nordic national policies. The findings indicate that it is not one single policy that hinders the possibility of reusing construction products. Rather, reuse is hindered by the sum of complexity resulting from not only the policy framework, which has been developed based on sometimes conflicting priorities, but also from cultural, market based and technical barriers.
As the European Union’s policy priorities change with the introduction of the European Green Deal, there is a window of opportunity where the legislative foundation for reusing construction products is being improved. The Nordic countries may take further advantage of this window of opportunity through cooperative Nordic efforts. One low-hanging fruit is harmonising upcoming Nordic policies, methodologies, and definitions related to reusing construction products.
The sustainable construction project
The project under which this report is developed aims to increase the capabilities for reusing construction products within the Nordic construction industry. The project aims to provide teachers in vocational education across Nordic countries with inspirational teaching materials and tools, thereby equipping students with hands on knowledge about reusing construction products. To ensure a holistic approach in the development of teaching materials, the project initially investigates the regulatory framework within which the teaching materials operate.
About the program
The programme supports the green transition of the Nordic construction sector by creating and sharing new knowledge, initiating debates in the sector, creating networks, workshops and best practice cases, and facilitating Nordic harmonisation of regulation for buildings’ climate impact.
