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Prioritizing the principles of circular economy among built environment professionals

Kofi Agyekum (Department of Construction Technology and Management, Building Science, Engineering and Materials Research Team, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana)
Judith Amudjie (Department of Construction Technology and Management, Building Science, Engineering and Materials Research Team, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana)
Hayford Pittri (Department of Construction Technology and Management, Building Science, Engineering and Materials Research Team, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana)
Annabel Morkporkpor Ami Dompey (Department of Construction Technology and Management, Building Science, Engineering and Materials Research Team, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana)
Edward Ayebeng Botchway (Department of Architecture, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana)

Built Environment Project and Asset Management

ISSN: 2044-124X

Article publication date: 31 October 2023

Issue publication date: 10 September 2024

364

Abstract

Purpose

Circular economy (CE) is guided by principles, the key being the R-framework. All R-frameworks have a hierarchy. Although several studies have prioritized these principles, there is still an urgent call for country-specific prioritization. This study prioritized circular economy (CE) principles among Ghana's built environment (BE) professionals.

Design/methodology/approach

An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was adopted. Six principles of CE were identified through a review of related literature and incorporated into a questionnaire. In total, 162 questionnaire responses were received. The quantitative data were analyzed through descriptive and inferential analyses. The data were further validated via semi-structured interviews with eight interviewees of different professional backgrounds in the BE.

Findings

The findings revealed that BE professionals in Ghana highly perceived CE principles as important. The findings further revealed the order of prioritization of the CE principles as follows: (1) recycle, (2) reuse, (3) repair/remanufacture, (4) renewable energy usage, (5) redesign and (6) reduce. To further elaborate on these prioritized principles via the qualitative phase, the interviewees agreed to and confirmed the importance of the identified principles through their verbatim comments.

Originality/value

Although there is a growing interest in research regarding CE in the Ghanaian construction industry, its principles have yet to be prioritized and ranked by professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry. This study unearths why, in terms of prioritization of the CE principles, the construction industry in Ghana does not follow the well-known hierarchy (i.e. reduce, reuse and recycle) in the order of high to low level of circularity.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the Guest Editors and Reviewers whose comments helped to shape this manuscript and made this project a success.

Funding: This work was partially funded by the College of Art and Built Environment (CABE) Research Fund, KNUST.

Citation

Agyekum, K., Amudjie, J., Pittri, H., Dompey, A.M.A. and Botchway, E.A. (2024), "Prioritizing the principles of circular economy among built environment professionals", Built Environment Project and Asset Management, Vol. 14 No. 5, pp. 734-750. https://doi.org/10.1108/BEPAM-04-2023-0077

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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