In the United States, the majority of single-family homes are built with a wood structure. © iStock/chris ryan 2. French Senate - Senators' questions, Creation of an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for building products and materials, 2021. In some cases, digital technology can come to the rescue. Today, many collaborative online marketplaces allow construction stakeholders to reference all the materials that can be reused. The digitalization of information reinvents the logistics of construction and demolition by proposing an alternative distribution process that is quicker and more sustainable. This new supply chain encourages the emergence of new areas of expertise, such as the storage of second-hand materials. The improved logistics is helping to spearhead a sustainable economy – preserving virgin resources while securing supplies. In France, the new Extended Producer Responsibility scheme illustrates the desire to act collectively to ensure the widespread sorting, reuse and recycling of the 46 million metric tons of waste the construction sector generates every year2. Some recycling channels are already well established, such as the recycling of glass wool, glazing and plasterboard. Placo® incorporates an average of 20% recycled material in its products, and intends to reach 30% by 2030, in order to reduce the amount of gypsum extracted from quarries. Thinking in a circular way requires a profound transformation of the way we produce and build. For manufacturers, this means investigating different areas, aiming for resource conservation, building reversibility, material recovery and reuse, and waste recycling. To implement these principles, construction stakeholders must collectively devise new ways of working to build a more resilient economy. 60 SAINT-GOBAIN
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