# Policies as Drivers for Circular Economy in the Construction Sector in the Nordics
## 3 Results
### Drivers and Barriers for CE Business Activities
In two interviews, it was pointed out that landfilling is seen as a more cost-effective solution for the demolition company. In addition, there are extra costs from the sorting of the waste into a fraction that is clean enough to meet the quality demands of the producer of the secondary raw material. The environmental aspects and reduced costs for waste disposal were recognized as incentives and drivers for increased reuse in all interviews. Still, in one interview, it was emphasized that the financial, social, and organizational barriers of reuse were found to be more difficult to overcome compared to the technical barriers. Awareness and competence in reuse must be increased throughout the value chain for reuse aspects to be considered earlier in the process. In two interviews, the lack of numerical indicators for all CE criteria was considered a bottleneck. Achieving CE targets is often measured based only on the recycling rate, a numerical indicator used in waste management reporting. There are currently no numerical indicators for waste prevention, even if waste prevention highly supports the CE goals. It is unclear how to address the avoided waste generation, as there is currently no system to report waste prevention in environmental reporting. One interview highlighted that digitalization is a key driver for circularity. However, digitalization and digital tools cannot stand alone, as they also depend on the stakeholders' acceptance and use of the tools to be effective. Digitalization may play an important role in supporting the flow of information and the traceability of waste, i.e., the origin and treatment of waste, which is crucial for the guarantee of safety and the quality of the waste. While policies are key to raising awareness, they also need to be followed up by concrete initiatives that ensure implementation in practice. Two interviews highlighted the need for funding programs and initiatives that promote new business start-ups and other entrepreneurial initiatives for bringing ideas to the market. The drivers and barriers identified in this study all relate to the business models of the companies that were interviewed. It can be concluded that all companies stated that the current policy landscape support, to some extent, their CE activities. The key drivers and barriers related to the successful implementation of CE business models identified in the interviews are summarized in Table 4. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt} p{113.8 pt}} \hline
**Topic** & **Driver** & **Barrier** \\ \hline \multirow{3}{*}{Green Public Procurement (GPP)} & Promotes recycling and the use of secondary raw materials and reusable construction products. & Lack of information on how to set realistic GPP requirements. \\ \cline{2-3}  & & Supply and demand do not meet or the distances are too long. \\ \cline{2-3}  & & Dismantling delays the demolition process and increases costs. \\ \hline Lack of information on forthcoming material availability & & Dismounting must be synchronized with the delivery for reuse, otherwise storage costs will arise. \\ \hline Doubts about quality & & Concerns about the quality of the waste may cause a safety concern for the recovered waste streams. \\ \hline Price of secondary raw materials & & The price of secondary materials and products often exceed the price of virgin. \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Summary of drivers and barriers identified related to the successful implementation of CE business models.