Scotland's Path to a Circular Construction Hub: What's Next?
We sat down with Nick Ribbons, from the construction department of Zero Waste Scotland, our partner organisation managing the Scottish showcase within the CirCoFin project. Nick brings us the latest developments from the implementation of a Circular Construction Hub in the region of the Scottish Central Lowlands. With the project half-way through, we look into the latest updates from our showcase partner, the pre-feasibility study for the CCH and the vision ahead for the next year. Read our conversation Nick below.
CirCoFin: Over the past year, what progress has been made toward establishing a regional Circular Construction Hub model across the Scottish Central Lowlands?
Nick: Over the past year, Scotland has undertaken the pre-feasibility phase of CirCoFIn. This began with a formal launch that stimulated lots of media interest and engagement from across the built environment sector.
Because of the specific Scottish context and our unique geographic challenges, we did not have an individual city preselected as a location for a CCH. We therefore undertook a multi-criteria analysis in the prefeasibility phase to shortlist locations based on a number of criteria. The shortlisted locations are being further explored during the feasibility phase.
In addition to this, we carried out over 10 one-to-one interviews with key actors such as: main building contractors; reuse hub operators; circular economy consultancies, designers and interdisciplinary consultants. This was structured around the CirCoFin interview template with some added questions relating to key considerations for siting a CCH. We also hosted a workshop with a broad representation of stakeholders from across the sector to gather opinions and expertise to inform the design of a CCH.
We have now progressed to the feasibility phase of the project and will be carrying out a series of region-specific, co-creation workshops in each location to understand the issues, barriers and solutions from the perspective of the local municipalities, supply chain and other actors. We will also carry out a national level material flow analysis (MFA) as well as technical, operational, business and financial modelling activities.
CirCoFin: A key ambition is to coordinate circular construction across multiple municipalities. What have been the main governance or policy challenges in aligning different local authorities?
Nick: Yes, this ambition is supported by Scottish Government Policy such as the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) and the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030. We appreciate that this will present challenges, and this is a key reason that we are engaging with the municipalities in the identified regions and fostering a co-creation approach.
CirCoFin: Rather than creating a single physical hub, you are developing a regional network of shared infrastructure for circular construction. How is this cooperative model taking shape in practice?
Nick: We have the ambition to create a bankable model for a centralised reuse hub that could be upscaled and rolled out across Scotland to create a wider network of hubs. In practice, this will be designed in collaboration with key stakeholders identified through the engagement process.
At this stage in the process, we are yet to understand this; however, there are early insights emerging from research and innovation for digital tracking and it is recognised as an area that has potential to be further developed during the operation of a CCH should a business model prove viable.
CirCoFin: Over the next couple of years, what concrete progress would signal that the regional Circular Construction Hub model is truly becoming operational and scalable?
Nick: Over the next couple of years, progress would be demonstrated by levels of awareness of the hub model in the sector, rates of usage of any hub quantifiable via the volume of materials being exchanged, demand for different locations, and reduction in the use of raw materials.
CirCoFin: Smaller municipalities are central to this approach. How are they responding to shared logistics, cooperative management structures, and joint investment models?
Nick: Scotland was the only CirCoFin Showcase partner that did not have a pre-selected CCH site coming into the project. Zero Waste Scotland has therefore undertaken detailed assessments to shortlist three of the 32 local authority (municipalities) regions. For those three areas; Falkirk, North Lanarkshire and Glasgow, we are holding regional workshops to identify key issues and opportunities. The Glasgow workshop has been held and findings are being analysed. A further workshop for Falkirk and North Lanarkshire will take place on 20th May in which we expect insights relating to shared logistics, cooperative management structures and investment.
CirCoFin: Digital tracking and improved material flows are essential to making regional reuse viable. What early lessons have emerged from testing these systems across different territories?
Nick: At this stage in the project we have not tested digital material tracking tools but our investigations confirm that these are essential to communicate the value of materials and give confidence to buyers. With regard to material flows we are currently carrying out a material flow analysis for Scotland looking at how key materials flow through our economy. This project concluded this week and results are being reviewed.
Learn more about the Scottish CirCoFin Showcase.
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