The Materials Bank of the City of Porto: Flow of Processes to Recover Tiles in Urban Operations of Historic Buildings

Abstract

The recovery and reuse of materials are one of the main objectives of the circular economy (CE) to minimize the environmental impacts of the construction industry. Public policies, citizen cultural awareness, urban mining practices, and analysis of material flows are being increasingly investigated seeking the reinsertion of materials into the economy. These practices are particularly important when they aim to protect the history and culture of a country, as in the case of Portuguese tiles, which constitute a significant part of Portuguese cultural heritage and must be safeguarded and protected. This article presents a case study of the Materials Bank (MB) of the City of Porto, Portugal, which aims to recover and protect the tile heritage of historic buildings in the municipality. The study sought to map the flow of processes that enable the formation of the MB, due to the joint efforts of local governance and public policies. The flowchart obtained guides managers to create public policies associated with actions for the maintenance and reuse of building materials in buildings related to historical and cultural heritage. It is observed that from legislation and engaged governance, it is possible to accelerate the operation of circular actions in the built environment and promote greater awareness about the reuse of secondary materials and the protection of historical heritage.