Sustaining the world’s current consumption levels would require the ecological resources of 2.3 planets by 2050. However, we can decouple the world’s growth from the consumption of the Earth’s resources by shifting from a linear “take, make, waste” economy to a circular “reduce, reuse, recycle” one, writes Holcim CEO Jan Jenisch in an article for the World Economic Forum.
Seeking to drive the circular economy in construction, the Zug-headquartered company claims to be continuously advancing its portfolio of green building solutions. These include Susteno, the world’s first cement containing 20 per cent recycled construction and demolition waste (CDW). Holcim is also partnering with Bloomberg Media to create the Circular Cities Barometer. Covering 25 cities across the world, the aim is to inspire other cities to take action to enable change.
This is because, according to Jenisch, cities will be at the centre of the shift from a linear to a circular economy. He cites the example of Seattle, which recycles or composts nearly 60 per cent of its municipal solid waste. When it comes to construction, he writes, Zurich illustrates the sector’s enormous potential. “We launched Susteno there because the local authorities evolved their regulatory norms to allow cement with 20% recycled CDW inside,” explains Jenisch.
Ultimately, he believes that creating a circular economy is the “business opportunity of our time”. He says: “It strengthens local economies in a socially-inclusive way, creating far more jobs than taking the traditional linear approach to waste."
