mindful MATERIALS: Circular Economy
A linear economy goes in one direction: take → make → waste. Circularity requires a radical mindset shift: it’s a holistic approach that designs for disassembly and reuse, and creates the conditions and infrastructure to ensure reuse happens. Our resources help you identify approaches and materials that can be part of this new, urgently needed economy. A circular economy demands that we reuse and improve buildings and design for resilience, adaptability, disassembly, and reuse, aspiring to a zero-waste goal for global construction activities.
mindful MATERIALS: Circular Economy
Deep Dives
Get up to speed on complex topics. You can also earn CEUs and download PDF Spotlight Reports.
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We Must Decarbonize Existing Buildings by 2050—but How?
Feature Article
Curbing carbon emissions requires that we address our vast stock of existing buildings. Here’s how to make the case and get it done.
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Waste Not, Want Not: Case Studies of Building Material Reuse
Feature Article
Reclamation and reuse of building materials can be a tough sell and hard to design for, but many project teams have learned to make it work. Here’s how.
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Existing Buildings Are Architecture’s Future
Feature Article
Take a plain old building and turn it into something remarkable, and you’ll also help save the planet.
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LEED and WELL Product Labels: A Guide and Analysis
Feature Article
LEED and WELL encourage a lot of different programs for green products. Learn the essentials—plus what’s behind the labels.
Quick Takes
Jump straight to the essentials with these short explanations of green building concepts.
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Product as a Service: Buying the Lumen, Not the Lightbulb
Primer
Proponents of the circular economy point to PaaS as one of the strongest tools we have to take control of our energy and material waste.
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The 12 Product Rules
Infographic
These 12 product rules provide a simple approach to selecting better, healthier, and more environmentally responsible building products and materials.
Product Guidance
Unbiased information from our product experts helps you separate green from greenwash.
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Can AI Help Close the Timber Loop?
Product Review
Urban Machine developed a machine that uses AI and robotics to de-nail salvaged wood for reuse onsite.
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BuildingGreen Announces Top 10 Products for 2023
Product Review
BuildingGreen’s Top 10 industry-transforming products this year include heat pumps that use low-GWP refrigerants, products that encourage recycling and re-use, wood insulation, and more.
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Innovative Products: 20th Greenbuild Edition
Product Review
The Greenbuild expo floor was a mix of familiar faces, updates, and new, innovative products.
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Modular Carpet
Product Guide
These carpet tiles are made with natural wool or are certified NSF 140 Platinum or Cradle to Cradle v3.1 Silver or Gold. They are free of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
In The News
We break news down to the essentials and provide expert analysis.
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This Is What Circularity Looks Like: A Pragmatic Playbook
News Brief
Upending the global economy to make it circular instead of linear sounds daunting. A new resource demonstrates how to become “circular ready.”
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Glass Pozzolan Wins Innovation Award
News Brief
Urban Mining Industries’ Pozzotive glass pozzolan can replace portland cement in concrete and is now a Concrete Innovation Award winner.
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Grounding the AIA Materials Pledge in Data
News Analysis
With a Common Materials Framework, mindful Materials is mapping product labels to industry commitments.
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Reducing Whole-Life Carbon Brings Fringe Benefits
News Brief
The UKGBC says that by pursuing circularity, project teams can add financial, social, and other types of value to buildings.
Perspective
Thought-provoking opinions from the most trusted minds in sustainability.
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Press Release: Major Green Building Orgs Team Up on Material Education
Blog Post
Mindful MATERIALS has partnered with BuildingGreen to expand knowledge of the Common Materials Framework across the building product manufacturing and AEC industries.
Learning Resources
Syllabus supplements and CEU content, with automatic reporting for AIA and GBCI.
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The BuildingGreen Guide to Building Product Certifications and Ecolabels- Discounted
Special Report
This BuildingGreen publication provides a no-nonsense guide to the world of green building product certifications to help designers, purchasers, manufacturers, and others in the industry to focus on what is significant and relevant so that market forces can work and the industry can focus on bigger issues.
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The BuildingGreen Guide to Building Product Certifications and Ecolabels
Special Report
This BuildingGreen publication provides a no-nonsense guide to the world of green building product certifications to help designers, purchasers, manufacturers, and others in the industry to focus on what is significant and relevant so that market forces can work and the industry can focus on bigger issues.
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We Must Decarbonize Existing Buildings by 2050—but How?
Feature Article
Curbing carbon emissions requires that we address our vast stock of existing buildings. Here’s how to make the case and get it done.
-
Waste Not, Want Not: Case Studies of Building Material Reuse
Feature Article
Reclamation and reuse of building materials can be a tough sell and hard to design for, but many project teams have learned to make it work. Here’s how.
