Auf der Konferenz wurde das Paper von unserer Nachhaltigkeitsreferentin Erika Müller präsentiert.
Background: With the Covid-19 pandemic, there came a substantial growth in mask usage and therefore mask waste, as many countries introduced obligatory mask wearing in public spaces. Although many institutions have created waste management systems to overcome the overflow of waste created, these were all more in line with “firefighting” strategies than long terms solutions. The systems imposed cause a great amount of negative environmental impact and must be re-examined. As most mask material is non-recyclable, one must find ways to otherwise sustainable use them.
Objective: The objective of this paper is to evaluate the position of consumers and construction companies in regard to innovative and sustainable construction materials, as well as to find out about their behavior and knowledge in single-use mask waste. A popular idea is the use in construction materials like concrete. This way used masks will be recovered and alternatively reused. For this to happen, there must be a large interest. Construction companies will only act upon these ideas if there is enough commercial interest, and that can only happen if the public is aware of the option. The objective of the study is to see the market size on a small scale.
Methods: First a literature research was chosen to create a basis of understanding as well as identifying research gaps for the formation of this study. To ensure the quality of the literature review, the respective journals were verified through listings of the German “VHB-JOURQUAL 3”. Then in 2023 an explorative online survey of customers was conducted; the sample consists of 118 people. In addition to consumers, three constructions companies were also examined via explorative business expert interviews. The data obtained was analyzed with the help of descriptive statistics using. Open answers were clustered and categorized.
Results: The explorative survey showed that there is not only a clear interest in sustainable building materials, but also a lot of customers who are concerned about the mask waste. The explorative expert interviews with the constructing companies showed, that they were open to the use of new and sustainable materials, specifically when customers estimate it.
Conclusion: The data shows a clear market for sustainable construction materials, as well as a willingness from construction companies to provide these. Practical implications recommend to introduce a company-wide circular economy system in the construction sector.
