Adoption of Circular Economy Practices in the Built Environment—A Survey of US Construction Industry Stakeholders

Millions of tons of construction and demolition waste are sent to landfill sites each year. The circular economy (CE) production and consumption model aims to reduce waste and extend the usage lives of products and infrastructure. Implementing CE in construction enhances sustainability by reducing resource use. In the past decade, barriers and drivers for CE implementation in construction have been identified. However, their applicability may vary in the US due to cultural differences. There is currently a lack of studies examining the perception of specific barriers and drivers related to CE practices in the US. This study assesses stakeholders' views on the barriers and drivers within the US construction industry. Data were collected through an online survey completed by 63 CE and sustainability, architecture, engineering, and construction stakeholders. Information was analyzed using the relative importance index and the Kruskal-Wallis test. The study findings highlight the top three barriers hindering CE implementation, which include a lack of experience, unfamiliarity with design and construction techniques, and insufficient performance information on reclaimed construction materials. While the top three drivers that promote CE implementation are environmental sustainability, image enhancement, and gaining a competitive advantage.