Second-hand is trendy: T-shirts, mobile phones or sofas – there is a wide range on large online platforms such as eBay classifieds. And for many buyers, the topic of sustainability is becoming increasingly important, which increases demand. According to a survey by the “Statista” portal, almost half of German consumers bought a second-hand product in 2020.
If Münster University of Applied Sciences has its way, this development should soon find its way into the construction industry. “Office buildings have a lifespan of 50 to 80 years, but the term of commercial leases is usually a maximum of ten years,” says engineer Dirk Klöpper. “When a new company moves in, it is remodeled and a large part of the interior fittings is disposed of. And that even though the components are still perfectly fine.”
Klöpper and colleagues from the Institute for Infrastructure and the Environment at the University of Applied Sciences have therefore developed solutions and business models in the “RessProKA” project that give permanently installed building products such as doors, floor panels and ceiling elements a new life. In order to keep the building products used for commercial premises in the cycle for as long as possible, the scientists distinguish between return options, return obligations and classic leasing contracts.
“Leasing is what we strive for,” says Klöpper. As with the car, the building products should remain the property of the manufacturer during use and be returned after the agreed term. The advantage for the user: The manufacturer takes over the complex dismantling and offers its products at a much lower price than if you bought them. The components are then shredded in order to be able to manufacture new products from them, or – much more frequently – reprocessed for new users.
This works particularly well with gypsum fiber boards for the floor. “We have an extremely good CO₂ balance with a savings potential of 75 percent compared to the comparable new product,” says Klöpper. This is a tangible advantage for investors who can get low-interest loans for the construction of real estate if they comply with sustainability criteria. A southern German manufacturer of interior design systems and project partner of the FH already offers its customers the second-use floor panel.
For the establishment of a leasing system, however, politicians still have to create the framework, especially in tax and leasing law, emphasizes Dirk Klöpper.
