The Community Centre at Bispebjerg Hospital. Photo: Bispebjerg Hospital
In the Community Centre at Bispebjerg Hospital, 80% of all the bricks are recycled from the local cemetery wall. Instead of using new materials, existing bricks were cleaned and reused, which both reduced the need for new raw materials and lowered the construction project’s carbon footprint.
The Capital Region of Denmark is also working on a new donor construction platform designed to make it easier to match buildings due for demolition with new construction projects that can reuse the materials. This is one of the solutions that have already moved from the conceptual stage into practice.
The initiative is spearheaded by the “Programme for Sustainable and Circular Construction”, which since 2023 has brought together municipalities, businesses and researchers to develop new construction methods that reduce the consumption of new raw materials and cut carbon emissions.
Line Ervolder (Conservative People’s Party), Chair of the Environment and Climate Committee in the Capital Region of Denmark, believes the programme’s results show a more circular approach to construction.
“We have shown that this is possible. We can use our resources far more wisely, reduce the need to extract new raw materials, and build in ways that have a lower impact on the climate and our resources, which is exactly the direction we need to continue in if we want to both protect nature and use our resources responsibly,” says Line Ervolder.
Soil should be used – not driven away
Today, for example, large quantities of soil from construction projects are still being disposed of as waste, even though much of it could be reused. The Capital Region of Denmark intends to change that, which is why the Region has developed the “Soil Plan” initiative, which aims to make it easier to reuse surplus soil locally rather than transporting it elsewhere and sourcing new raw materials.
Calculations show that the potential is enormous. Reusing surplus soil could save up to 1.4 million tonnes of raw materials a year in the Capital Region of Denmark alone. At the same time, thousands of journeys can be avoided because the soil remains in the local area and is used where it is needed.
Old materials are given a new lease of life
Another area where circular thinking has already been fully integrated into the Region’s own construction projects is the “New Jonstrupvang” project. The aim here is for at least 60% of the materials from the existing building to be reused or recycled in the new building. The recycled materials are thereby regarded as a resource that can be given a new lease of life in the construction process. This project alone is expected to save several thousand tonnes of raw materials and significantly reduce carbon emissions.
The Capital Region of Denmark brings the industry together
The Capital Region of Denmark has helped to bring together municipalities, businesses and research communities to develop these solutions collaboratively. The Region has set up a task force that has advised more than 30 public and private developers on circular solutions and is working with European cities and Regions to influence the forthcoming EU Circular Economy Act.
However, Line Ervolder stresses that the work has only just begun:
“We are right at the start of a massive transformation of the construction industry, and there is still a great deal to be gained. We have established a strong partnership across municipalities, businesses and researchers, and this provides a solid foundation for our ongoing work to make the construction industry more sustainable,” she says.
The Programme for Sustainable and Circular Construction will run until the end of 2026.