Events

Circwood: Recirculating wood within the built environment

In Finland, more than one-third of construction and demolition waste is wood.
Circwood project
In Finland, more than one-third of construction and demolition waste is wood. A pile of wood waste in Tarastejärvi recycling center. Photo by Chiara Piccardo.

Our remaining carbon budget for this century, 800 million tons of CO2eq, might be surpassed because of the unsustainable use of material resources. Therefore, the recirculation of waste materials for new production is crucial.

In Finland, more than one third of construction and demolition waste is wood. To meet the European recycling target by 2020 as well as the national circular economy strategy, we need to increase the amount of recycled and reused wood.

Wood is a temporal carbon storage, so prolonging the life cycle of wood products can contribute to mitigating climate change. Furthermore, the implementation of Design for Disassembly (DfD) principles in constructions might increase the reuse of wood products.

CircWood aims at modelling the effect that recirculating wood materials within the built environment have on the sustainability of wood use. The exhibition shows how recirculating wood waste is both a technical issue and a creativity challenge.

Working group:  Chiara Piccardo, Post-doctoral Researcher;  Andrea Bandoni, Designer in Residence; Saara Kantele, MA student; Pirjo Kääriäinen, Professor of Practice; Mark Hughes, Professor (all Aalto University). 

Contact: [email protected]

Designs for A Cooler Planet

Designs for a Cooler Planet – Helsinki Design Week 2019

During September 2019, Aalto University's exhibition programme for Helsinki Design Week, titled 'Designs for a Cooler Planet' will introduce solutions for more sustainable lifestyles in Otaniemi

  • Published:
  • Updated: