Planning Reclamation, Diagnosis and Reuse in Norwegian Timber Construction with Circular Economy Investment and Operating Costs for Information

Abstract

Different actors in the circularity transition of the timber construction sector investigate, propose and implement workflows to enable the reclamation of materials from unused construction and their reuse in new projects or renovation projects. This study sought to evaluate different workflows in the Norwegian timber construction sector based on the perceived practical problems, opinions and attitudes of value chain actors. This multiple-method study, conducted in September 2021–March 2023, utilised desktop-based document research, marginal and participatory observations and interviews with innovation actors in Southern Norway, focused on planning the reclamation, diagnosis and reuse of (solid) timber. This study synthesised and validated opinions and experiences concerning investment and operation costs and highlighted the need for integrated resource management from a value chain perspective. The study proposes a framework for a set of processes for managers and recommendations for policy, practice and research. This paper initiates a discussion regarding whether CE implementation should be planned by local governments, be self-organised or require an intermediary governance model. In addition, this paper concludes with a call for future steps investigating the (perceived) fair distribution of costs, benefits and risks, as well as a multilevel workflow for data and information resources.