Circular Economy Development in the Wood Construction Sector in Finland

Abstract

Circular economy development is about a system level change towards enhanced sustainability and circularity covering both biological and technical cycles. This study aimed at exploring, identifying, analyzing and synthesizing the current state of and future outlook on CE development in the wood construction sector in Finland as perceived by various sectoral companies. This study focused on multiple themes related to the importance of the various aspects of a CE and associated approaches in this particular sector. This study applied a qualitative research approach, and a questionnaire survey was the specific method. The survey was sent to both architectural and construction sector companies. This study addressed a gap in research and contributes to the better understanding of the current state of and future outlook on CE development in the wood construction sector. The results indicate that the CE concept is mostly considered to be an important part of building design and construction. However, some respondents found that this concept is new to them. Interestingly, the cascading use of wood and the assessment and measurement of a CE were not at all familiar to many respondents. Particularly important CE aspects in the wood construction sector include, for example, sustainability and the long life cycles of products, components and materials; co-creation and cooperation covering the whole life cycle of construction and the whole supply chain; training and competence development; and design for a CE, sustainability and long life cycles. Many essential elements of a CE were in use, coming into use or in consideration by many of the sectoral companies.

Company Perspectives on Circular Economy Management, Assessment and Reporting in the Kymenlaakso Region in Finland

“…Overall, the chosen survey themes, questions and answering options were based on (1) review of international, EU, national and regional sources (e.g., [1][2][3][4][5][8][9][10]19,20]); (2) literature review and previous studies (e.g., [6,7,[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]); (3) our previous studies [42][43][44][45][46][47][48]; and (4) assessment of the global, EU and national operational environment for CE with special emphasis on management, assessment and reporting aspects. Similar to our previous studies, face validity (peer review) [38] was applied to check the coherence and quality of the overall questionnaire and its parts.…”

“…Interestingly, one study did not find significant evidence of any influence exerted by the drivers related to resource exploitation risks, the pursuit of environmental values and regulatory pressure [53]. Our previous studies indicate that (1) CE is considered to be important as a concept; (2) CE is a relatively new concept to many companies; (3) companies need to be familiarized with essential CE aspects such as the cascading use of resources, products as services and sharing platforms; and (4) many essential elements of CE were already in use, coming into use or are under consideration [42].…”

“…(3) assessment approaches could encompass, for example, traceability of all materials including specific tools such as electronic passports; and (4) specific tools such as product certification and information modeling are very important [42]. Research on circular manufacturing has included a focus on assessment methods and models in the context of evaluation of the circularity of entities or to support decision processes.…”

Optimizing Forest-Biomass-Distribution Logistics from a Multi-Level Perspective—Review

“…For example, when combining LCA and multi-stakeholder models in the planning of forest-biomass-distribution logistics for wood processing, it is important to decide whether to consider the ecological impacts associated with forest cultivation, wood production, product manufacturing and use, and waste disposal (ash, low-quality wood, and non-timber waste) to reduce or avoid CO 2 emissions and substitute non-renewable fuels. Parameters outside the scope of the business analysis of forest-biomass-distribution logistics can have a significant impact on the environment [156][157][158].…”

Low-Carbon Emissions and Cost of Frame Structures for Wooden and Concrete Apartment Buildings: Case Study from Finland

“…Strategies such as bio-based carbon capture and storage, timber construction, and the utilization of wood products emerge as crucial measures for mitigating net greenhouse gas emissions [12]. Timber construction, specifically, holds the potential to sequester carbon within buildings, thus contributing to the expansion of Finland's existing carbon sink and facilitating progress toward national carbon neutrality [13]. Presently, only approximately 3% of raw timber employed in domestic construction serves as a prospective long-term carbon store or sink [14].…”