Advancing Circular Economy Innovation: A Multi‐Criteria Tool for Evaluating Construction Materials

ABSTRACT

The construction industry is a major consumer of raw materials and a significant contributor to environmental impacts, highlighting the importance of circular material selection. This study presents a structured framework for assessing construction materials based on circular economy (CE) criteria to support informed and transparent decision‐making. A three‐phase methodology was adopted, comprising criteria prioritisation, rubric development and validation, and material‐level assessment using evidence from peer‐reviewed literature. Eleven CE criteria were weighted through expert judgement and applied using a validated multi‐criteria rubric to evaluate 10 commonly used construction materials. The findings reveal clear variation in circular performance across materials. Cross‐Laminated Timber achieved the highest overall weighted circularity score (4.15), driven by strong performance in reusability, non‐toxic properties, and embodied carbon, while conventional materials such as PVC pipes recorded the lowest score (2.80), primarily due to poor reusability and disassembly performance despite high availability and market maturity. These results demonstrate that end‐of‐life value retention and lifecycle circularity are more influential than market‐driven factors in determining material circularity. The proposed assessment framework offers a robust and evidence‐based tool for circular material selection in the construction industry.