Condition of Circular Economy in Poland

Global urbanization and growing population makes the construction industry one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Unfortunately circular economy is not implemented in construction sector in a high extent. The collected data reveals that the industry annually generates around 1.0 billion tons of solid waste globally (according to the World Bank, building materials account for half of the solid waste generated globally each year). It results in the emission of significant amounts of greenhouse gases. 39% of the world's total CO₂ emissions occur during the production of building materials, building construction and its use [1, 2].

The traditional economic model used in the construction industry must be replaced with a circular model which focuses on using materials and products of the highest quality and limiting the amount of waste to the maximum. The aim is to extend the life of buildings, as well as parts and materials, therefore maintaining their maximum value in the economic cycle.

Thus it is of great importance to implement the principle of estimating the life cycle assessment of materials and products, also involving service of products and flow of information regarding buildings, parts and materials used in them. Closing the loop by re-using the materials and products in structures results in saving the money invested in buildings and structures and access to complete information on the parts and materials enables owners to optimize maintenance and subsequent capital investments [1].

To implement the circular economy the whole construction process requires indispensable modifications, e.g. methods of waste collection, logistics, production and changing roles in the construction market - producers will also become suppliers.

Poles try to live ecologically. However, they are not aware of the principles of the circular economy. 75% of respondents have never heard of it, according to the study “The state of knowledge of Poles on the circular economy (CE)” [3]. Meanwhile, it is currently the most realistic concept that will not only protect us against ecosystem degradation, but above all will redefine the perception of needs in a world oversaturated with products. According to the study by Stena Recycling [3], basic pro-ecological activities are very popular among Poles. Most people segregate waste (74%) and save energy at home or at work (71%). Most of us also save water (68%) and pay attention not to waste food when shopping carefully (67%). More than half of Poles minimize the amount of waste by using reusable products (54%) or avoiding the use of disposable bags when shopping (52%). However, some pro-ecological behaviors, important due to the implementation of circular economy in Poland, are still undertaken much less frequently. Only 28% of respondents choose products which are environmentally friendly or in recycled packaging. The fewest people (18%) consciously choose the services or products of socially responsible companies, i.e. guided not only by economic benefits, but also by taking actions for the benefit of ecology or society.

The study showed to what extent the pro-ecological attitudes of Poles translate into awareness of the implementation of the circular economy principles in Poland. Almost three out of four respondents have not come across the concept of the circular economy – over 40% have never heard of it, and as many as 30% do not know whether they know it. Among Poles who have heard of the circular economy (29%), most people associate this term with environmental issues, i.e. the possibility of reducing the number of landfills and waste (57%) and the general improvement of the natural environment (49%). The fewest respondents mentioned circular economy in the context of new EU regulations (24%), ecological product design (28%) and CSR (29%). The activities that make up the ecological portrait of Poles and their level of knowledge about the circular economy are closely related. Poles have great potential and are ready to act for the benefit of the environment. However, Poles still too rarely pay attention to the social responsibility of companies, as well as whether the packaging of the products they buy comes from recycling. Also, too few people have heard of the circular economy in the context of ecological design. Meanwhile, the implementation of the circular economy requires high consumer awareness in these areas. The cooperation with entrepreneurs and motivating each other for positive changes is also important.

More than half of CO₂ emissions come from coal mining and the production of building materials. Cement production in Poland in 2022 amounted to 18.8 million tons and was 2.4% lower than in the previous year, while cement sales in 2022 amounted to 18 million tons. Ready-mix concrete production in 2022 amounted to 40.1 million m³, while sales amounted to 38.8 million m³ and were lower by 2.8% than in the previous year. The use of aggregate for the production of concrete was 38 million tons [4].

A decrease in production and sales, compared to 2021, was also recorded for other binders, such as lime and gypsum: 1.56 million tons of lime and 1.71 million tons of gypsum binder were produced, and 1.32 million tons and 0.92 million tons were sold, respectively [4].

In the case of wall masonry materials, there was also a decrease in both production and sales, e.g. aerated concrete produced 5.5 million m³ and 5.1 million m³ sold, building ceramics 3.6 million m³ produced and 3.1 million m³ sold, and silicates produced 1.4 million m³, and 1.365 million m³ were sold. The production of mortars in 2022 amounted to 4.3 million tons, and sales to 3.8 million tons [4].

The polish construction sector utilizes tremendous amounts of raw materials, energy and water – 228.6 million tons per year. The increase factor of resources excluded from the economic cycle equals 35.2%. As the polish construction sector expands, the need for resources increases [5].

The new circular economic model needs new economic indicators, both domestic and business. They have been created in recent years and are starting to be used to monitor progress and plan activities. The indicators used to measure the circularity of the economy at the global, European Union and Polish level, as well as for a single company are presented.

Monitoring the circular economy is a challenge due to the complexity of the circular economy idea. Thus, the most commonly used set of indicators examines various aspects of circular economy, such as the use of recycled materials or the production of waste. The material flow is also studied, often visualized on the Sankey diagram (Fig. 1) [6]. It presents the flow of raw materials in the economy, from their acquisition to becoming waste - which should be closed in circular economy.

Eurostat also calculates the Union's circularity index, also known as the material circularity index. It determines the level of materials recovered and returned to the economy (in other words, it determines what percentage of materials used in the EU economy come from recycling). Currently, the circularity ratio is 11.9%. Its tendency is growing – it is 3 percentage points more than in 2014. In 2023, the framework for monitoring the circular economy in the EU is to be updated to include the tasks included in the new Circular Economy Action Plan adopted in 2020. Indicators on resource use, including consumption and material footprints, are to be developed.

Poland has not yet developed its own circular economy monitoring framework. This task is included in the government road map [7]. The first recommendations have already been made under the “Oto-GOZ” Gospostrateg project [8]//. In order to track the circularity of the Polish economy, the indicators of sustainable development calculated by the Central Statistical Office can be used. The Central Statistical Office is responsible for transferring data from Poland to Eurostat as part of the EU circular economy monitoring. Data on Poland is available on the Eurostat website. Poland's circularity index (circular use of materials) is 9.8%. It is lower than the EU average and has been decreasing since 2010.

In 2019 the Council of Ministers approved the “Road map of the circular economy” prepared by the Ministry of Development and Technology [7]. Poland's priorities within the circular economy include:

The definition of the circular economy presented in the CE Polish Road map is a model of economic development in which the added value of raw materials/resources and products is maximized or the amount of generated waste is minimized and the resulting waste is managed in accordance with the waste management hierarchy (waste prevention, preparation for reuse, recycling, other recovery methods, disposal). The efficiency condition is maintained.

The CE Polish Road map emphasises activities at all stages of the life cycle, starting with product design, through raw material acquisition, processing, production, consumption, waste collection to its management as an alternative to “take - make - use - throw away”. The document is divided into 5 chapters covering the topics of sustainable industrial production, sustainable consumption, bioeconomy, new business models and implementation, monitoring and financing of circular economy.

In the construction sector the producer is responsible for collecting more waste and recycling as much as it is possible within the construction process. This is to be implemented already within the design process by incorporating technological and material solutions which limit the amount of waste to the minimum. Recommendations also apply to LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) product specifications and its life cycle.

The CE Polish Road map indicates circular bioeconomy, biological cycle of renewable resources and wastes from food production as one of the greatest potentials for the circular economy in the historical and constructional context. The scale of building products in this context varies from facades, structures, modular construction to furniture and fabrics. There is potential for interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral innovations [12].

According to the report of the Supreme Audit Office on actions to reduce the generation of plastic wastes and its proper management [13] the actions of the Minister of Climate and Environment, as the body responsible for shaping the policy related to waste management in the country, as well as other public administration bodies subject to inspection, as well as the advancement of conceptual and legislative work by both the Minister of Climate and Environment and the Minister of Development, were insufficient. It is a significant obstacle in implementation of the CE model in Poland.

The basic barriers on the road to circular construction in Poland are:

Nowadays new activities have been undertaken to promote the CE in the polish construction sector. The Minister of Climate and Environment with support of the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management signed the contract to finance the CIRCON project – the circular economy in the construction sector: eco-design of circular buildings. The aims of the project are to strengthen the implementation of CE in construction sector, to prepare a handbook on design of the buildings according to the rules of circular economy and to disseminate knowledge on circular buildings’ design among the architects, engineers, academic teachers, students and production, investment and execution companies [14].

As the ecological awareness of the polish society is constantly rising [3] the opportunities to implement the circular economy in companies and institutions become more real.

The implementation of the circular economy in Poland encounters numerous difficulties and obstacles, both legislative and technical. However, it should be emphasized that Polish companies see the need for change and the needs of the market and adapt their activities to new challenges.

In the construction sector, advanced solutions in accordance with the assumptions of the circular economy are introduced both in prefabrication and in the production of building materials. Innovative actions extend the life cycle of products by increasing their durability and maintaining the expected properties at a very high level. An example of such is the technology of insulating permanent formwork made of high-density expanded polystyrene modified with the addition of graphite, which ensures high thermal insulation parameters of the building, thanks to which it achieves low energy demand, low GHG emissions and a long service life (100–150 years). The technology of making this material allows the use of recycled waste, as well as the subsequent recovery of raw materials and thermal insulation components [15].

Another example is the formwork made of polyisocyanurate (PIR) polymer plates used for the construction and thermal insulation of foundations, basements and external walls of buildings. The slabs are connected in parallel with ladders made of reinforcing steel. The advantage of this type of formwork is the reduction of waste and CO₂ emissions associated with formwork transport [15].

The assumptions of the circular economy are also introduced in the production technology of hydraulic binders, which include ash from coal combustion. This by-product of combustion, after appropriate transformation, is widely used in geotechnical applications, e.g. as the base of roads, car parks, for elements of road surface structures, embankments and as cubature filling for land levelling [15].

The producers' offer also includes 100% recycled aggregates used for the production of concrete and mixes for unbound foundations - road stabilization or land hardening. The lower bulk density of this type of aggregate allows material savings of 25% compared to the consumption of natural aggregate in the same implementation [15].

A major problem at present is the management of ashes from the incineration of municipal waste, which, due to their properties, are currently only stored. New technologies for solidifying dust from municipal waste incineration have appeared, thanks to which a durable product is created, with high strength and reduced leachability of harmful substances, which can be used for road foundations, soil stabilization, but also safely stored in landfills without negative effects on the environment [15].

Research was also conducted on the possibility of making clinker-free binders, which would be used in slurries, mortars and hydrotechnical mass concrete. These binders include only a by-product of fluidized bed combustion of brown coal (fly ash) and a product of the metallurgical industry in the form of granulated blast furnace slag. The clinker-free slag-fly ash binder does not require chemical activators for the binding reaction, and the composites mixed with it present properties characteristic to cement composites [16, 17].

An alkali-activated slag binder was also developed, which can be used for the production of mortars and concretes with high resistance to chemical corrosion [8].

Similarly, low-emission concretes are produced, the production of which reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 60% compared to the standard technology [18].

Research is also conducted on the use of ashes from municipal waste incineration as an additive to hardening slurries during the construction of cut-off walls in hydro-engineering structures [19].

All the examples cited above allow for a significant reduction in CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere, both by using waste for their production instead of natural resources, but also thanks to good technical parameters enabling significant savings in energy consumption.

The Polish construction industry significantly operates in a traditional linear model of economy, although new technologies and management methods are implemented. Transition to a circular economy model is necessary for ecological and economic reasons as well as social good. The main aim is to significantly limit the negative impact of the construction sector on the environment. Pursuing this goal may achieve many advantages. Transforming to the circular economy model in construction sector means utilizing the materials and products to the maximum degree and limiting the amount of waste, thus lengthening the life of buildings and materials. This approach will bring measurable benefits such as maintaining the highest values of buildings and materials in an economic circulation.

The identified barriers in the financial, organizational, social and technological areas, especially slow legislative processes are necessary to overcome. Public authorities should assume the role of a leader in the implementation of the circular economy, also in the construction sector. Without changing the regulations only a small percentage of companies would transform their activities towards the CE. For this purpose, it is necessary to use public procurement as a stimulus for innovation and growth of the market for circular products. The next step is to introduce the circular business models and technologies which are to be implemented and which play a fundamental role in the building design process and should be applied at the same beginning [20].

Nowadays, public awareness of circular economy increases and the difficult times (climate changes, high inflation, war in Ukraine) may turn out to be a driving force for changes towards the CE also in the construction sector.