Join our EU Green Week 2025 Partner Event!

Building Circular Futures: Advancing Circular Economy in Construction in the Western Balkans

We’re excited to announce an upcoming partner event co-organised by RECONMATIC and the Western Balkans Circular Economy Hub, two active members of the Circular ConstructionCluster, committed to accelerating sustainability in the built environment.

📅 Date: Tuesday 10 June 2025

🕚 Time: 11:00–13:00 (CEST)

🌐 Location: Online

🗣️ Language: English

🔗 Registration closes: Monday, 9 June 2025 at 20:00 (CEST)

REGISTER HERE

The construction industry plays a crucial role in the transition towards a circular economy. This event brings together experts, researchers, and professionals to discuss the current state of circular economy practices in construction across the Western Balkans. With valuable insights from Green Building Councils, participants will learn from successful case studies of companies in the region as well as innovative European projects.

In the circular economy roadmaps for all six Western Balkan countries, the construction and built environment sector has been identified as one of the three main areas where interventions are needed due to their significant environmental impact.

The event aims to identify challenges, uncover opportunities, exchange knowledge, and inspire collaboration to drive sustainable transformation. It also marks the start of a series of follow-up webinars and events that will foster long-term partnerships and impactful projects within the construction sector.

Event Agenda

1. Welcome & Introduction (10 minutes) – Brief introduction to the circular economy in construction in the Western Balkans

2. Session 1: The Role of Green Building Councils in Advancing Circular Economy (30 minutes) – Presentation by a representative from a Green Building Council – Key recommendations from European Green Building Councils for promoting circular practices

3. Session 2: Case Study of Circular Economy Practices in the Construction Sector (30 minutes) – Successful Circular Economy Practices in the RECONMATIC Project – Presentation of leading European examples of circular economy adoption in construction

4. Session 3: Status Quo of Circular Economy Practices in the Construction Industry (20 minutes) – Overview of current practices in the Western Balkans – Challenges and opportunities for implementing circular economy principles – Best practices from the region

5. Networking & Interactive Discussion (20 minutes) – Facilitated discussion for participants to share insights, challenges, and ideas – Opportunities to connect and collaborate

6. Closing Remarks & Next Steps (10 minutes)

This event is part of EU Green Week 2025 and provides a vital space for dialogue and partnership-building in one of the most impactful sectors for sustainability.

About the Organisers

RECONMATIC is a co-funded project by Horizon Europe and the UKRI, aiming to embed life-cycle construction and demolition (C&D) waste management into every stage of a building’s life - planning, construction, operation, and deconstruction. It develops automated and digital tools to improve communication among stakeholders, reduce waste, and enhance reuse and recycling. The project focuses on cleaner material streams, better logistics, and optimised waste processing. With 23 partners from 7 countries, its consortium spans the full value chain. 

The Western Balkans Circular Economy Hub strives to be the focal point where different stakeholders connect in order to foster collaboration, networking and knowledge sharing between them with the goal of speeding up the transition to circular economy in the region. 

The Hub is supported by the RECONOMY Program and managed by the Institute for Research in Environment, Civil Engineering and Energy. RECONOMY is an inclusive and green economic development program of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), implemented by HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation in the Eastern Partnership and the Western Balkan countries.

The Circular Construction Cluster was launched in January 2024 by the Horizon Europe project RECONMATIC. It brings together EU-funded projects to accelerate circularity and climate neutrality in construction by promoting collaboration, waste traceability, and learning resources. The Cluster facilitates the exchange of technical expertise, joint communication campaigns, and shared exploitation strategies. It also supports co-organisation of events and contributes to standards and best practices. Its core mission is to prevent, reuse, and recycle construction and demolition waste across the industry.

Join us at this EU Green Week 2025 Partner Event to explore how circular economy principles can transform construction in the Western Balkans and beyond. Click here to register.

---

RECONMATIC’s participation in this event, as well as the communication around it, is coordinated by Egle Joneliunaite, Communication and Dissemination Manager at Future Needs, who leads Dissemination and Exploitation for Business and Education within the project.