A systemic framework to categorize Circular Economy interventions: An application to the construction and demolition sector

The Circular Economy (CE) concept has recently gained momentum as a perspective to tackle global challenges such as resource scarcity and waste management. Multiple types of interventions have been proposed to support the transition towards a CE. This paper aims to (i) categorize CE interventions; (ii) analyze to what extent these intervention categories are considered when assessing CE interventions in a specific sector (Construction and Demolition; C & D); (iii) suggest indicators for the improvement of CE assessment tools in the context of a CE transition in the C&D sector. Through a literature review and expert interviews, we developed a systemic framework that categorizes CE interventions into four groups: Research and Realize, Implement, Support, and Enable, each considering the so-called 10R-strategies established in the CE field. To understand the relevance of these intervention categories in the C&D sector, we analyzed nine indicator sets (252 indicators) used for assessing circular interventions. The results show that the category of implementation of the R-strategies receives the greatest attention. However, though marginally, some assessments also consider those significant interventions that were categorized as Research and Realize, Enable, and Support. We argue that future assessments should incorporate these interventions, to encourage a systemic approach towards a CE transition. Independently from the sector analyzed, the framework can support actors involved in a CE transition, linking their contributions to the different categories of interventions and R-strategies, with a satisfactory balance of complexity and ease of application.