Improving construction circularity through stakeholder collaboration and reverse logistics

The construction industry has a waste generation problem arising from its reliance on the linear economy of make, use and dispose. Thus, there is a need for a paradigm shift to transition from a linear economy to a circular economy (CE) for construction organisations to improve circularity. In this context, this chapter focuses on end-of-life (EoL) and the construction and demolition waste (DW) management stages with emphasis on developing viable solutions to address the issue of limited information flow between supply chain stakeholders. Using the Australian construction industry as a case study due to its unprecedented expenditure on infrastructure upgrades and new construction projects, this chapter uses the theoretical lens of Burt’s structural hole theory in explaining the hidden relationships between the stakeholders to provide insights into understanding the structural holes in the supply chain networks and how they could limit the information flow. A three-tiered collaborative approach of transactional, strategic, and tactical is used in exploring information deficiencies in construction supply chains, and best practices are suggested based on information brokerage frameworks for improving construction circularity (closing the loop) through stakeholder collaboration and reverse logistics (RL). Practitioners, academics, and research students will benefit from the new knowledge for transitioning from a linear economy to a CE enabled by collaborative RL practices. The information brokerage framework will not only advance knowledge on resource recovery through integrated RL and CE strategies, tactics, and practices but also be used to guide decision-making in the built environment by assessing and evaluating the desirable practices (and capabilities) for transitioning from a linear to a CE and pathways for translating the knowledge including the science in policy and practice.