The construction industry is the biggest consumer of energy and resources – accounting for 39% of greenhouse gas emissions and more than 50% of resource extraction and solid waste production. The concept of the circular economy — a restorative and regenerative system that aims to eliminate waste by continually reusing materials and products — is increasingly gaining attention as a way to overcome these challenges.
The CI:RCLE project team aims to investigate circular potentials of the local built environment by capitalizing on material reuse and recycling; new construction methods; the reactivation of embodied carbon, water, and knowledge; green job creation; and new business models of production and construction. CI:RCLE represents a wide and diverse community of academic and industrial partners promoting and enabling circular construction through integrated research, case study projects, and policy recommendations in support of the City and Town of Ithaca’s Green New Deal and 2030 carbon-neutrality goals.
Team
Felix Heisel, Circular Construction Lab, Department of Architecture College of Architecture, Art, and Planning
Mark Milstein, Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise, Johnson Graduate School of Management SC Johnson College of Business
Community Partner
Finger Lakes ReUse, Inc.
Ithaca Neighborhood Housing Services
Cornell Cooperation Extension of Tompkins County
Trade Design Build
Taitem Engineering, PC
