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Abstract

CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND REAL ESTATE: REUSE, RECYCLING, AND RESOURCE EFFICIENCY PRACTICES IN GLOBAL AND AFRICAN PROPERTY MARKETS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Journal: Sustainable Cities and Built Environment (JSCBE)

Author: P. O. Iruobe^*1

1 University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria; email: Patience.iruobe@uniben.edu

*Correspondence: email Patience.iruobe@uniben.edu Tel. 08143885563 ORCID ID: 0000-0003-4524-9849

This is an open-access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.58757/jscbe.04.02.01

In the built environment, the circular economy has emerged as an alternative paradigm in response to escalating resource depletion, waste generation, and climate change concerns, but its incorporation remains fragmented across real estate and built environment literature. Whereas Europe and Asia demonstrate measurable progress, Africa faces a drawback due to structural and institutional barriers. This review aggregates findings from previous research on the implementation of circular economy in real estate, focusing on three spheres: reuse, recycling, and resource efficiency across property markets. It aims to determine the predominant thematic trends, key drivers, and barriers, assess geographic differences in implementation, and indicate areas of limited knowledge for future research. A systematic literature review was conducted in line with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Various searches across Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Google Scholar, and Taylor & Francis Online analyzed peer-reviewed journal articles, policy reports, and institutional publications from 2000 to 2024. Initial search records were 1,246, but only 65 studies met the inclusion criteria after screening and full-text assessment. Results from the research disclose strong implementation of the circular economy in Europe and Asia, motivated by policy enforcement, technological advancement, and institutional alliance. In contrast, implementation in Africa remains limited due to factors such as weak governance, inadequate funding, and low prioritization policy. Factors facilitating adoption include material passports, collaborative platforms, and Building Information Modelling (BIM). However, circular economy principles in valuation practices, affordable housing initiatives, equity, and urban land markets remain understudied. There is a potential for circular economy practices in real estate to reduce construction waste, improve resource efficiency, and support sustainable housing. Theoretically, the review contributes by connecting circular economy principles to valuation frameworks; by providing practical insights for practitioners, investors, and policymakers; and by striving to advance circular economy adoption in emerging economies.