Towards a Circular and Healthy Construction Sector

Europe’s buildings significantly contribute to pollution and resource use, making the construction sector a key player in achieving a circular and healthy built environment. People spend most of their lives indoors, yet indoor air often contains harmful substances such as PFAS, plasticisers and chlorinated paraffins released from construction materials. These pollutants also enter the natural environment through stormwater, affecting soil and water bodies.

To enable safe reuse and high-quality recycling, construction materials must be non-toxic and fully transparent in their chemical content. Toxic-free materials are essential for circularity, as hazardous substances hinder second-life use of products. The transition towards a circular economy requires policy action that promotes safer materials, better information and smarter construction practices.

Read the policy brief here.

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