Assessing Financial Considerations of Circular Economy Practices Across Life Cycle Stages in the Construction Industry
Tleuken A. Turkyilmaz A. Laudal T. Kildsgaard I. Paganin G. Bajare D. Karaca F.
April 2026Springer Nature
Circular Economy and Sustainability
2026#6Issue 2
The construction industry generates substantial waste, yet circular economy (CE) adoption remains sporadic despite EU regulatory pressure. Financial uncertainty and fragmented guidance keep firms hesitant. This study examines how construction stakeholders perceive CE’s financial costs and benefits across the building lifecycle. In total, 125 construction professionals participated, including 87 respondents who evaluated lifecycle-based costs and benefits and 38 Norwegian respondents who provided qualitative accounts of CE implementation cases. The combined analysis reveals that sectoral resistance stems primarily from financial concerns, underscoring the need for clearer cost–benefit expectations and regulatory incentives that make circularity economically viable. Three enablers emerge as critical: enhanced digital tools, policy innovation, and multi-stakeholder collaboration. The study contributes by empirically demonstrating how regulatory frameworks shape CE adoption through the integration of quantitative perceptions and qualitative case evidence. The implication is that targeted interventions addressing practitioners’ financial realities can accelerate the circular transition, but policies must move beyond aspiration to provide the economic certainty required for widespread adoption.
Circular Economy (CE) , Construction Industry , Cost–Benefit Analysis , Financial Considerations , Policy and Regulation , Sustainable Construction
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School of Engineering and Digital Sciences, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan
School of Business and Law, Department of Innovation, Management and Marketing, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
Director of Sustainability, Tengbomgruppen, Sweden
Department of Architecture and Urban Studies, Politecnico Di Milano, Milano, Italy
Department Industrial Engineering and Business Information Systems, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
Institute of Sustainable Building Material and Engineering Systems, Faculty of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia
School of Engineering and Digital Sciences
School of Business and Law
Director of Sustainability
Department of Architecture and Urban Studies
Department Industrial Engineering and Business Information Systems
Institute of Sustainable Building Material and Engineering Systems
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Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026