ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the history of the circular economy and politics surrounding it, as well as some of the challenges associated with construction in the 21st century. Dismissing the variances for the moment, the rank does indicate that perhaps many of the government’s laws and policies, albeit adopted through the European Union (EU) in many cases, have set the right political framework for change. The EU’s Circular Economy Package has been many years in coming; proposed new recycling targets were originally put forward in July 2014 alongside a series of circular economy proposals by the former Environment Commissioner Janez Potocnik. The requirement for a well-designed waste management system should form a fundamental part of the design and planning process because 80% of all environmental costs are predetermined during the conception and design phase of a project.
