The construction sector faces a dual imperative: to accommodate growing infrastructure needs while radically reducing environmental impacts through material innovation and circular economy approaches. This research article synthesizes theoretical foundations, material-specific studies, procurement policies, life cycle assessment (LCA) findings, and practice-focused case evidence to develop a coherent, publication-ready framework for integrating novel green materials and circular procurement into the lifecycle of buildings. Drawing strictly from the provided literature, the article constructs an integrated narrative that links material science innovations—such as recycled aggregate concretes, geopolymer matrices with industrial by-products, wood-chip and demolition timber concretes, and thermoplastic composite prototypes—with process and policy mechanisms including procurement reform, supply-chain coordination, and LCA-driven end-of-life strategies. The methodology is abductive and qualitative, combining systematic combining of case-oriented insights with interpretive synthesis to generate actionable propositions for design, procurement and end-of-life decision-making (Dubois & Gadde, 2002; Creswell & Poth, 2016). Key results indicate that material substitution and reuse can be made technically viable without sacrificing structural performance when combined with adaptive procurement models and targeted policy levers (De Luca et al., 2017; Francesconi, 2012; de Brito et al., 2006). The discussion critically examines trade-offs—durability versus embodied carbon, operational performance versus reuse potential—and points to limitations in existing LCA practice for end-of-life stages, arguing for procedural and methodological improvements (Pierluca et al., 2017; Droege et al., 2021). The article concludes with a detailed, multi-actor implementation roadmap that links design-stage circularity checks, procurement incentives, and end-of-life planning to ensure material cascades and minimize waste. This synthesis contributes a theoretically informed and practically applicable template for researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers aiming to operationalize circular construction while maintaining structural and economic viability.

Circular economy, green building materials

De Luca, P.; Carbone, I.; Nagy, J.B. Green Building Materials: A Review of State of the Art Studies of Innovative Materials. J. Green. Build. 2017, 12, 141–161.

Pierluca, V.; Noemi, A.; Di Gregorio, F.; Umberto, A. Life Cycle Assessment of the End-of-Life Phase of a Residential Building. Waste Manag. 2017, 60, 311–321.

Francesconi, L. New Building Materials in Structural Engineering: Structural Concretes Made with Coarse and Fine Recycled Aggregates. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy, 2012.

Kasai, Y.; Kawamura, M.; Zhou, J. Production Process and Bending/Compressive Strength of Wood-Chip Concrete with Demolished-Timber. J. Struct. Constr. Eng. (Trans. AIJ) 1995, 60, 1–10.

Posi, P.; Foytong, P.; Thongjapo, P.; Thamultree, N.; Boontee, P.; Kasemsiri, P.; Cao, T.; Chindaprasirt, P. Preliminary Study of Pressed Lightweight Geopolymer Block Using Fly Ash, Portland Cement and Recycled Lightweight Concrete. Key Eng. Mater. 2016, 718, 184–190.

Pangdaeng, S.; Phoo-ngernkham, T.; Sata, V.; Chindaprasirt, P. Influence of Curing Conditions on Properties of High Calcium Fly Ash Geopolymer Containing Portland Cement as Additive. Mater. Des. 2014, 53, 269–274.

Layachi, B.; Nourredine, A.; Laurent, M.; Raoul, J. Propriétés Mécaniques et Durabilité Des Bétons à Base de Graviers et Sables Recyclés Issus de Béton de Démolition. In Proceedings of the Deuxième Conférence Internationale Francophone Nouveaux Matériaux et Durabilité, Douai, France, 16–17 November 2015; hal-01366521. Available online: https://hal.science/hal-01366521v1/document (accessed on 26 March 2025).

Xanthos, M.; Dey, S.K.; Mitra, S.; Yilmazer, U.; Feng, C. Prototypes for Building Applications Based on Thermoplastic Composites Containing Mixed Waste Plastics. Polym. Compos. 2002, 23, 153–163.

Keskisaari, A.; Kärki, T. Raw Material Potential of Recyclable Materials for Fiber Composites: A Review Study. J. Mater. Cycles Waste Manag. 2016, 19, 1136–1143.

de Brito, J.; Goncalves, A.P.; dos Santos, R.R. Recycled Concrete Production. Multiple Recycling of Concrete Coarse Aggregates. Rev. Ing. De Constr. 2006, 21, 33–40.

Bima, A.M.; Tafida, A.; Baba, D.L. Appraisal of Construction Project Procurement Policies in Nigeria. American Journal of Engineering Research, 2015, 4(3), 19–24.

Cattolica, D. Advancing the Circular Economy: Exploring Landscape and Developments for Circular Public Procurement in Sweden and Scotland. IIIEE Master Thesis, Lund, Sweden, 2018.

Chang, Y.T.; Hsieh, S.H. A Preliminary Case Study on Circular Economy in Taiwan’s Construction. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, Vol. 225, No. 1, 2019, p. 012069.

Chopra, S.; Meindl, P. Supply Chain Management, Strategy, Planning and Operation. 2007.

Creswell, J.W.; Poth, C.N. Qualitative Inquiry and Research Design: Choosing among Five Approaches. Sage Publications, London, 2016.

Davis, P.; Love, P.; Baccarini, D. Building Procurement Methods. Cooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation, Brisbane, 2008.

De Valence, G. Innovation, Procurement and Construction Industry Development. Australasian Journal of Construction Economics and Building, Vol. 10, No. 4, 2010, pp. 50–59.

Droege, H.; Raggi, A.; Ramos, T.B. Overcoming Current Challenges for Circular Economy Assessment Implementation in Public Sector Organisations. Sustainability, Vol. 13, No. 3, 2021, p. 1182.

Dubois, A.; Gadde, L.E. Systematic Combining: An Abductive Approach to Case Research. Journal of Business Research, Vol. 55, No. 7, 2002, pp. 553–560.

Kanther, S. Circular Framework in the Design & Planning Phase of Construction. Full-Text Theses & Dissertations. 2025. https://jdc.jefferson.edu/diss_masters/47

Alwi, S.; Hampson, K.D.; Mohamed, S.A. Waste in the Indonesian Construction Projects. 2002.

Asif, M.; Muneer, T.; Kelley, R.J. Life Cycle Assessment: A Case Study of a Dwelling Home in Scotland. 2007, 42, 1391–1394.

Begum, R.A.; Siwar, C.; Pereira, J.J.; Jaafar, A.H. Attitude and Behavioral Factors in Waste Management in the Construction Industry of Malaysia. 2009, 53, 321–328.

Bekker, P.C.F. A Life-Cycle Approach in Building. Building and Environment, 1982, 17, 55–61.

Berggren, B.; Hall, M.; Wall, M.J.E.; Buildings. LCE Analysis of Buildings–Taking the Step towards Net Zero Energy Buildings. 2013, 62, 381–391.