Scotland has been chosen as one of four European locations to develop a groundbreaking ‘Circular Construction Hub’, an EU-backed initiative aimed at revolutionising the reuse of building materials and slashing construction waste.
Scotland will join Munich, Lisbon, and Denmark in piloting the Circular Construction Hub, a project funded by the European Union’s Circular Construction Finance (CirCoFin) programme. The hub will act as a second-hand marketplace for building and infrastructure materials, with the goal of making the reuse of these resources the norm across the sector.
What Is a ‘Circular Construction Hub’?
A Circular Construction Hub is a centralised marketplace and logistics platform where construction materials – such as steel beams, bricks, timber, and fixtures – can be traded, reused, and repurposed instead of being sent to landfill. The initiative aims to:
- Keep valuable materials in use for longer
- Create new business opportunities and jobs in repair, reuse, and remanufacturing
- Improve economic resilience by reducing reliance on new, high-carbon materials
- Support Scotland’s net zero and waste reduction targets, as construction waste currently accounts for up to 50% of all waste in the country
The hub will be developed by Zero Waste Scotland, which will conduct feasibility studies and engage with the construction sector, aiming to have an investment-ready model by December 2027.
Scotland’s selection reflects both the country’s ambition and its challenges. Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland, noted: “Developing a workable model for a Circular Construction Hub is an important opportunity for Scotland to lead by example and build on the success of our existing network of smaller community and commercial hubs across the country. It has enormous potential to help us forefront reuse as a convenient and aspirational option for businesses and simultaneously generate promising opportunities for sustainable investment in Scotland.”
The move comes as Scotland’s material reuse rate stands at just 1.3%, one of the lowest globally, signalling “untapped potential for job creation and economic growth through better resource management”. The government’s 2030 Route Map for waste and emissions reduction has already received strong support from the construction sector, with 82% backing plans for regional hubs.
Acting net zero secretary Gillian Martin said: “There are huge opportunities in having an economy which makes reuse and recycling the default choice. We have already seen businesses creating jobs by turning what we might otherwise throw away into valuable new products and services. This Circular Construction Hub pilot helps to progress actions from our 2030 Route Map – by helping to tackle construction waste, which accounts for up to 50% of all waste in Scotland. It will also secure supplies of critical construction materials and help construction businesses save money by keeping construction materials in use for longer.”
The EU-funded project will run to December 2027. Zero Waste Scotland will lead on feasibility studies, sector engagement, and the development of a business case, aiming to create a model that could be replicated across Scotland and beyond. The initiative is expected to address challenges such as quality assurance, regulatory barriers, and the need for digital tools like Building Information Modelling (BIM) to track materials.
