Municipalities as Buyers of Reclaimed Building Material: Previous Experience and Future Outlook

Shumaila  Khatri; Hanne Sjølie; Anders Nyrud

doi:10.55845/joce-2026-4183

Authors

Shumaila Khatri Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Inland Norway, Anne Evenstads Vei 80, 2480 Koppang, Norway Author https://orcid.org/0009-0005-7552-599X
Hanne Sjølie Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, University of Inland Norway, Anne Evenstads Vei 80, 2480 Koppang, Norway Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8099-3521
Anders Nyrud Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1433 Ås, Norway Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1135-8628

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55845/joce-2026-4183

Keywords:

Circular Economy, Built Environment, Public Procurement, Reuse, Recycling, Municipalities

Abstract

Circularity of construction material can counteract the large resource and waste footprint of the built environment. The public sector purchases a large volume of material and can potentially exemplify circular practices. This study aims to gauge which factors can influence local governments to include reclaimed construction materials in their tender process. Quantitative data was collected by surveying 104 municipalities in Norway via phone interviews. The survey revealed most municipalities had limited previous experience; however, a large majority stated high future likelihood of purchasing reclaimed material, partly influenced by the municipality size, projected population growth and prior positive experiences as explained by an ordered probit model. Top-ranked enablers for incorporating reclaimed materials in the tender process are economic incentives and infrastructure improvements, whereas regulation enablers and stakeholder pressures are ranked lower. Study findings can aid policymakers to develop public procurement guidelines that support circular practices in the tender process of local authorities.

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