Urban mining is the process of recovering and reusing materials of existing buildings. An Urban Mining Model is about preserving stock of materials present in existing buildings. It is an applied contribution towards stepping-up of circularity in the housing construction sector with a focus on optimal re-use of secondary building materials and, at the same time, reduction of CO2 relates to the use of new building materials. For city governments in particular, this model shows different possibilities for re-use based on aspects such as quality, residual value, environmental impact and logistical implications.
BOB (Bouwmaterialen in Beeld/ Building materials in Sight) is a prediction urban mining model on the supply and demand of construction materials until 2020-2050 (see figure below). It has been applied for Assen Municipality, for which the model compared three scenarios to build in a circular manner and this resulted in a useful overview of the pros and cons per scenario and indicator. Moreover, a quick scan in Amsterdam metropolitan region, regarding the effects of circular building on logistic flows and the use of space, showed that up to a quarter of this large number of new homes can be built in a circular fashion with used materials.
Source: TNO, 2020
Product life cycle stages & Modules (EN15978): Full value chain
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