The construction industry operates within a linear economy of make, use, dispose. Buildings are stripped out and torn down with astonishing regularity while new buildings are constructed from hard-won virgin materials. But raw materials are becoming scarce, and the demands for them are exploiting fragile ecosystems, even as the global demand for resources continues to rise.

Policy makers and organisations are beginning to look for a more regenerative, circular economy model. The construction industry demands over half the world's extracted materials and generates around a third of...