Asker is at the forefront of many areas of the circular economy (CE) and is adopting sustainable principles both politically and operationally. In the municipality, there are between 10–20 staff currently working on CE initiatives. Within this CCRI-application scope, we have approximately five staff working on waste reduction, emission reduction, and reuse/circularity in the area of construction and buildings.

Urban rural predominance

Intermediate

Vision and objectives

The pilot set out to move from one‑off reuse initiatives to a joined‑up, practical system for circular use of building and construction materials across municipal projects. The plan covered five material streams: furniture and fixtures; construction materials; outdoor materials; and excavation masses. It aimed to put in place a user‑friendly digital platform to make reuse easy, standardise categories and certification for materials, and develop storage and logistics so that circular practices could become routine rather than exceptional. Collaboration across municipal departments and with external partners was a cornerstone of the approach.

Implementation journey

The team progressed from mapping and design into implementation. A reuse platform was launched and tested; responsibilities were clarified; and a dedicated reuse team was formed. Practical cooperation was built with external centres and marketplaces, and a mobile storage and shop concept was piloted to handle materials before resale or reuse. The Nedre Sem Låve demonstration project provided hands‑on learning, including testing and documenting reused timber, roof tiles and bricks, and applying the Circularity Index method. Alongside this, the municipality ran co‑creation workshops with over sixty value‑chain stakeholders to identify eight actionable recommendations for scaling reuse. Some actions slowed due to capacity, funding and market readiness, but adjustments were made and communication of findings kept stakeholders engaged.

Key results

The Nedre Sem Låve project showed strong, measurable outcomes:

• 400 tonnes of reused materials (23% of the building’s total weight), 4 tonnes of reclaimed materials and 500 tonnes of recycled materials, and 850 tonnes (59% of total) designed for future reuse.
• Low‑carbon concrete with 100% recycled aggregate saved about 50 tonnes of CO₂, over 60% lower than industry norms.

These results built municipal skills and confidence, enabled the city to set minimum reuse requirements in future projects, and strengthened collaboration with contractors and reuse centres.

Deliverables and outputs

• A functioning digital platform to support reuse transactions, reporting and marketplace links, developed through an innovative procurement process and launched for municipal use.
• A feasibility study and recommendations that frame an upcoming business plan for distributed storage and logistics, with defined KPIs and governance needs.
• Documented methods and test results from Nedre Sem Låve, shared nationally, plus adoption of the Circularity Index for project monitoring
• A set of reports: Solution booklet, Roadmap and Recommendations and next steps, which consolidate the solution description, the implementation roadmap and the transition guidance.

Vision for the future

Asker’s next step is to turn the feasibility study into a full business plan and political case for a municipal reuse and repair centre and distributed storage, supported by clear mandates and resourcing. The long‑term vision is a stable, interoperable system that links logistics, storage and digital marketplaces, reduces demand for new materials, cuts waste‑handling costs, and embeds reuse clauses and KPIs across procurement. The city intends to keep building partnerships with neighbouring municipalities and private actors, expand use of the Circularity Index, and maintain capacity so circular construction becomes standard practice.

Link to existing circular economy strategy and/or action plan

Circular economy considerations are embedded in the Climate Change Action Plan for Asker Kommune (Temaplan Handling mot Klimaendringene).

The key focus areas of the Action Plan are:

1. Transition, change management and communication
2. Climate-smart foods
3. Sustainable consumption
4. Future-oriented buildings and facilities
5. Green mobility
6. Nature as a carbon store/Nature-based solutions

The transition to a CE is crucial to reaching the low-emission society. However, the transition to a low-emission society requires a shift from a linear economy to a CE. Therefore, Circular solutions are embedded in all six focus areas of the Action Plan. CE means that there will be a more efficient use of resources within the municipality, which will contribute to new green jobs and business models. This is a good economic model for the municipality, its citizens, and businesses – and is absolutely necessary to avoid a lack of resources in the future.

Responsible consumption (SDG 12) is also a politically decided focus area for Askers sustainable development programme.

The plan is cross-sectoral and applies to 100 % of municipal divisions and services, as well as for municipal initiatives and interactions with Asker’s business community and citizens in a long-term commitment to 2033.

Leading organisation

City of Asker (Asker municipality)

Unit/department/section

• Department of development and construction
• Department of Strategy and Research
• Department of Environment and Transportation

Participation in other relevant initiatives

• Covenant of Mayors
• CARE
• TransScale (financed by DUT: Driving Urban Transitions to a sustainable future - DUT Partnership) 
• ReDo (financed by the EU programme Interreg Öresund-Kattegatt-Skarrak)