Smart Energy Voices - Episode 104

Smart Energy Voices - Episode 104

Circular Economy and Sustainable Deconstruction: A Unique Approach at the City of Boulder

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In this episode, Debra Chanil welcomes Emily Freeman, Circular Economy Policy Advisor of the City of Boulder. Freeman highlights strides in three core principles of the circular economy and how Boulder's initiatives align with the city's ambitious climate action goals.

As Boulder continues its journey towards carbon neutrality, Freeman's insights offer a blueprint for other cities and organizations seeking to integrate circular economy principles into their sustainability strategies and policies.

 

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in...

  • The role of a Circular Economy Policy Advisor (04:21)
  • The value of building material reuse in reaching net-zero goals (06:02)
  • City of Boulder’s sustainable deconstruction ordinance (08:07)
  • The deconstruction of Boulder Community Hospital (9:40)
  • Future applications of the ordinance (19:48)
  • The City of Boulder as a circular economy leader (22:00)

 

Policy Advisor at the City of Boulder

As a Circular Economy policy advisor for the City of Boulder, Freeman discusses sustainability efforts in Boulder's built environment and shares her journey — from witnessing environmental degradation when she was younger to her current role shaping circular economy policies.

Freeman emphasizes the importance of recognizing materials as valuable resources and highlights the three principles of a circular economy: eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials at their highest value, and creating regenerative systems.

Reuse of Building Materials

Freeman delves into the intersection of the circular economy and sustainability goals, particularly focusing on the city of Boulder's efforts to combat climate change. Boulder's ambitious targets include an 80% reduction in emissions from city buildings by 2030, becoming a net-zero city by 2035, and reaching carbon-positive by 2040.

For the City of Boulder, recognizing the reuse of building materials is a key component in meeting these sustainability goals. Freeman discusses the critical role the circular economy plays in achieving net-zero emissions in the building industry, citing statistics on the global use of raw materials and carbon emissions from construction.

Boulder's initiatives include commissioning a report with Metabolic to assess embodied emissions and passing a deconstruction ordinance to preserve and reuse building materials.

Meeting Goals and Dealing with Challenges

Freeman spotlights a project involving Boulder Community Hospital in Boulder, Colorado. Emily shares the successes of the project, including the adaptive reuse of the pavilion building, the innovative approach to salvaging steel beams from the hospital structure, and the collaborative efforts of various stakeholders.

Boulder’s sustainable deconstruction strategy involves carefully dismantling structures to maximize the recovery of reusable materials, an approach Freeman calls “construction in reverse.” The city ordinance requires 75% or more of building materials to be recycled or reused and applies to both residential and commercial buildings.

Despite challenges, including addressing loopholes in programs, Boulder remains committed to aggressive climate action goals.

Resources & People Mentioned

Connect with Emily Freeman

Emily Freeman is a Circular Economy Policy Advisor for the City of Boulder. She oversees the success of Boulder’s deconstruction ordinance to keep carbon-intensive building materials available for reuse and recycling. Since ordinance implementation, Boulder has diverted 85%, or 111,168,000 pounds, of building materials from the landfill. Boulder’s landmark hospital deconstruction saw 93.5% diversion with the true highlight being the innovative approach to direct structural steel reuse from the hospital into new city construction. Emily leads efforts to identify policy mechanisms to further deconstruction opportunities, engage with contractors, and drive progress towards the city’s climate goals. Emily is an experienced public and private sector sustainability professional adept at developing sustainability roadmaps, analyzing waste audits, managing environmental management systems, and developing circular economy policies. She holds a Masters in Sustainability from Arizona State University. She currently serves on the Board of Build Reuse and is a Commissioner for Colorado’s Solid & Hazardous Waste Commission. In her downtime, Emily enjoys getting outside with her husband and their dog and loves teaching her three-year-old to ride a bike.

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