Undoubtedly, construction is destroying the planet: its waste amounts to one-third of the world’s overall waste and at least 40% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions. Cue Cycle Zero, an app that aims to spread its circular economy model throughout France by providing a solution that reduces expenses and environmental impact. By uploading nearby available materials on the app, it allows users to reserve and collect items from construction sites for free! So far, they have saved 15,365 kg of CO2, the equivalent of 39,805 kilos of garbage, 822 heating days, and 116,401,515 litres of drinking water.
Green Is The New Black sat down to speak with Selim Zouaoui from Cycle Zero to better understand their sustainable intervention in the construction industry.
What are some of the scary truths behind the building and construction sector?
Selim Zouaoui: Materials are extracted around the world, processed elsewhere, and sold everywhere. The logic of globalisation in the production of low-cost materials affects quality. As a result, materials are wasted faster. Construction, like any other industry, cannot escape this logic of consumption. We produce more, at a lower cost, and throw away more.
What is the proportion of the waste generated by the industry?
S: In France, the building sector represents 69% of the waste generated (according to ADEME, 2017). Out of 326 million tons of waste generated in France, 224 million tons come from construction activities. In other words, it’s almost five times the household waste rate, which is huge.
Why does the sector generate such a large percentage of waste?
S: According to the latest report from the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), the construction sector reached the highest level of CO2 emissions in 2019, with nearly 10 GtCO2. This represents 38% of global emissions, more than a third.
It boils down to mining, manufacturing, transportation, storage, and landfill. For example, to manufacture tiles, we extract the raw materials in Africa, transform them in Thailand, and sell them in Europe, only to put them in a landfill sometimes right after purchase. The harmful effects are known as water, soil, and air pollution. Excessive energy consumption for transport increases greenhouse gases.
What are the main pillars of a circular economy?
S: In my opinion, there are three important pillars to put in place. Or more precisely, three hurdles to overcome to change things:
The first one is belief. Like the food, transport or fashion industry, change is driven by the members of society, and they need to be aware of the impact the building industry has on society. If we want to respect the Paris Agreement, we will also have to go through the improvement of this industry.
The second hurdle to overcome is the intention. Once we are aware of a problem, we still need the will to change things. In a consumerist system, the most important thing is cost. Therefore, it is necessary to think of new economic models allowing savings to be made, such as reusing materials.
Finally, the third pillar is action. Once you have become aware of a problem and want to change things, it seems necessary to have the means to bring about change. This means the entire industry must be trained to understand the circular economy and have effective tools.
Tell us more about Cycle Zero.
S: Cycle Zero was founded by Karima Lesbir, an architect specialised in execution as a project manager and trained in reusing, Jules Loubaresse, the designer of the application, and myself, an HMONP (habilitation to exercise project management in one’s own name) architect.
Cycle Zero is the first ecological and social application that allows you to donate or collect construction materials for free. Our goal is to turn waste into a resource.
The application, based on new technologies, works on the model of the circular economy by connecting individuals and professionals to lower the carbon cost of the construction sector. Our construction partners post materials they no longer need on the app (windows, sinks, hardwood, concrete blocks, etc.) to allow individuals located nearby the sites to come and collect them free of charge.
From the end of 2023, the independent application plans to work with 400 companies to reduce the environmental impact of the sector by avoiding the extraction of material, transport, transformation, and storage of waste. The free application also works on a social dimension by allowing individuals to consume better.
Selim Zouaoui ended with an apt quote by Antoine Laurent de Lavoisier, the French chemist: “Nothing is lost, nothing is created: everything is transformed.” In a sentence, that is the true spirit of the ideal circular construction economy.
FEATURED IMAGE: via Selim Zouaoui
