Circular Skin: Circular supply chains for housing renovation

Abstract

Over the last years, humanity has realised that the current ways of production, distribution and consumption are putting an enormous burden on our planet. One of the most efficient ways to reduce energy consumption is to insulate the entire exterior of the house, including walls and roof, which has proven to be economically viable for areas with cold winters and significant heating requirements, like the Netherlands (Lucero-Álvarez et al., 2016). In the Netherlands, a high number of dwellings require more energy-efficient insulation. In this renovation process, the materials used ought to be chosen wisely, not to cause harm to the environment. TU Delft, alongside AMS Institute, Ymere and Dura Vermeer is working on creating a Circular Skin for the energy retrofitting of Dutch houses. After several tests, the TU Delft Circular Skin proved that technically it is possible to integrate the circularity into facade renovation skin. Circular Skin enhances circular solutions like recycling, repair, refurbishment or reusing the components of the product that will determine a decrease of the raw materials consumption and energy expenditure. (EMF, 2015) Even though the technical design of the Circular Skin was proved to be circular, its integration in a circular supply chain is still uncertain. This study aims to determine the possibilities and limitations of stakeholders in implementing the Circular Skin created by TU Delft in the circular supply chains, constituting the main question. This report will propose new models of circular supply chain and analyse the feasibility of the circular supply chains in the housing renovation sector. Alongside the economic concerns about the transition to circularity, the research will discuss resource efficiency and the environmental impact of every measure.