Designing Out Waste: Circular Economy Training Course for the Built Environment (Online / Remote)
1Summary
Construction is one of the most resource-hungry industries on the planet, and most of what it consumes is still designed to be thrown away rather than reused. This training course from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy asks built-environment professionals to rethink that assumption, introducing circular economy principles as a practical alternative to the traditional take-make-dispose model.
Across the programme, participants work through waste reduction and circular material flows, the business models that make circularity financially viable, and the technologies — from AI-driven sorting to blockchain-based material tracking — now enabling it at scale. Real project examples and case studies anchor the theory, so attendees leave able to apply circular thinking to design decisions, renovations and infrastructure planning on their own projects.
2Objectives and target group
Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be able to:
- Apply circular economy principles and business models to the built environment.
- Design practical waste management and circular material flow strategies.
- Evaluate technologies and innovations that enable circular construction.
- Assess financial viability and build a business case for circular practices.
- Analyse real case studies to apply circular economy principles to their own projects.
Who Should Attend
- Business leaders and executives assessing climate-related risks and opportunities.
- Sustainability and environmental professionals overseeing transition to net zero.
- Architects, engineers and construction professionals shaping built assets.
- Investors and decision-makers evaluating sustainable building opportunities.
3Course Content
Module 1: Rethinking Waste in the Built Environment
- Waste management strategies: source reduction, recycling, upcycling, waste-to-energy
- Life Cycle Assessment for evaluating environmental impact and resource savings
- Construction and demolition waste: reuse, recycling and responsible disposal
Module 2: Circular Economy Principles and Policy
- Definition, principles and importance of the circular economy
- Alignment with sustainable development goals
- Global and local policies and regulations supporting circular practices
Module 3: Circular Material Flows and Design
- Designing for disassembly, modular and reversible construction
- Circular procurement and sustainable supply chain management
- Tools and technologies for tracking material flows
Module 4: Business Models and Economic Value
- Circular business models: product-as-a-service, sharing economy, remanufacturing
- Cost savings, revenue streams and market opportunities
- Building a circular business case and overcoming implementation barriers
Module 5: Innovative Technologies for Circular Solutions
- AI-driven sorting, robotics and advanced recycling technologies
- Bio-based, recycled and composite construction materials
- IoT, blockchain and digital tools for material tracking and industrial symbiosis
Module 6: Applying Circular Principles in Real Projects
- Case studies of successful circular economy projects
- Retrofitting and circular renovation strategies
- Circular economy in urban planning and building a circular roadmap