Scottish Central Lowlands,
United Kingdom
By addressing logistical and policy challenges across diverse territories, Scotland provides a replicable model for regions made up of smaller municipalities aiming to reach critical mass through cooperation.
Context
The Scottish Central Lowlands is a key geographic corridor running from the east to the west coast of Scotland, home to most of the nation’s cities and approximately 75% of its population. It is Scotland’s economic and construction heartland, where much of the country's building activity takes place. The region is uniquely positioned to lead the transition towards circular construction because of its concentrated urban development, strong infrastructure links, and diverse construction markets.
3.5 million
Population
1,550 km²
Area
Regional level
Upscaling
Scotland’s commitment to creating a circular built environment has been clearly outlined in the Circularity Gap Report, developed by Zero Waste Scotland in partnership with Circle Economy. This national study identified circular construction as one of Scotland’s seven priority opportunities to reduce its environmental impact. By adopting more resource-efficient planning and construction practices, Scotland could cut its material consumption by over 11% and reduce its carbon footprint by more than 11.5%. Within this strategic context, the Scottish Central Lowlands presents a critical opportunity to bring circular solutions to scale.
The Scottish showcase aims to deliver a collaborative Circular Construction Hub (CCH) model that supports both urban and rural areas, helping smaller municipalities and local authorities access shared resources and services that enable material reuse. Rather than focusing on a single physical site, the Scottish showcase will develop a regional network and shared infrastructure to support circular construction at scale. Through this model, the showcase is expected to build the foundations for a practical, scalable system that helps reduce construction waste, lowers carbon emissions, and makes it easier for businesses and public authorities to access reusable materials. By fostering regional cooperation, Scotland will also produce governance structures, logistics solutions, and business frameworks that can be replicated in other multi-city regions across Europe.
The focus of the Scottish Central Lowlands showcase is on developing the systems, partnerships, and policies needed to create a functioning circular construction ecosystem that spans several cities and rural areas. The project will work to address the challenges of coordinating logistics and material flows across municipal boundaries, making it easier for materials to move efficiently between sites. Stakeholder engagement will be a key part of the process, with efforts to involve local authorities, businesses, construction companies, and national bodies in shaping the solutions. The showcase will explore how digital tracking, cooperative management structures, and shared investment models can help smaller municipalities overcome barriers to circularity.
Contact: CirCoFinProject [at] zerowastescotland [dot] org [dot] uk (CirCoFinProject[at]zerowastescotland[dot]org[dot]uk)
Partners
Zero Waste Scotland
