The construction and property industry has a huge impact on the planet with an enormous amount of resources, materials, water and energy processed during the construction and operation of buildings.
Recent research data (2018) from Global Engineering firm, Arup shows that globally between 10-15% of building materials are wasted during construction, 35-40% of offices are not used during working hours, 50% of residential dwellers report living in too much space and 54% of construction materials are landfilled with most materials unsuitable for reuse because they contain toxic elements.
Consumption and use of natural resources has generally followed a linear approach. Materials are sourced, used and finally disposed of as waste. A recent National Geographic article estimated that in 2015 that 93 billion tonnes of global resources were extracted with only 9.6 billion tonnes of these resources recovered.
The circular economy is a concept that seeks to change this and aims to shift to a system where we:
Regenerate natural systems
Design out waste and pollution
Keep products and materials in use
Applying circular economy principles to building design and construction brings social, environmental and economic advantages. A 2017 report by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation for Trade and Development estimates that Australia can gain an additional $24 billion in economic value by embracing the principles of the circular economy.
The webinar to be presented by Arup's resource and materials engineering experts will explore:
Understanding the key principles of the circular economy
Why the transition to a circular economy is beneficial
Understanding of how the circular economy can be applied as business, design and material strategies to maximise sustainable and economic outcomes
Understanding of how to undertake material selection to reduce waste, energy and environmental impacts
Understanding of how new technologies and innovative processes can aid the construction and design methodology for more sustainable buildings
Cost to attend is $85 per person plus GST. Save 20% when you book for a group of 4 or more. Purchase includes a recording of the webinar.
Joyanne Manning
Joyanne Manning is the Arup Australasia Resource and Waste Management Leader and Principal of the firm. She is highly skilled in the field of waste and resource recovery management over 20 years industry experience in Europe & Australasia. Joyanne is at the forefront of developing CE principles in Australia and was integral in the organisation of the World Science Festival (WSF) CE round table think tank discussion in 2017 the WSF Foresight CE workshop in 2018. Joyanne is currently chair of the NSW Circular/Open Cities taskforce on Circular Economy and was chair of one of the five working groups at the National Plastics Summit in Canberra in March 2020. She has presented numerous times of the CE including the WSF 2018, ISCA National Conference 2018 and the World Engineering Convention, 2019.
Lauren Howe
Lauren Howe is a Materials Engineer who recently moved over to Australia from Arup’s headquarters in London. As a Materials Engineer, Lauren works closely with engineers, architects and other designers to specify materials with consideration of performance, aesthetics, durability, budget and sustainability. Over recent years she has worked on several projects focusing on the application of circular economy principles and the sustainability with respect to materials over their life cycle. This has included applying CE principles at a precinct level and to infrastructure projects. Lauren was also one of the contributors of the collaborative publication between the Ellen Macarthur Foundation and Arup “From Principles to Practices - First Steps Towards a Circular Built Environment”.
Lilli Thannhauser
Lilli Thannhauser is an Environmental Engineer in the Environment and Resources group at Arup. She has worked in the field of waste management since 2016 and is well-versed in the overarching approaches to municipal solid waste and construction and demolition waste management and the application of circular economy principles. Lilli has been involved in the scheme development of multi-use, residential, hospital, galleries and precinct developments with a focus on how waste is going to be managed and serviced during operation. Lilli regularly works with architects, builders and developers to develop Waste Management Plans for infrastructure projects which detail the operational waste management strategies that promote sustainable, circular infrastructure that can be readily integrated into a development.