Mapping the barriers to circular economy adoption in the construction industry: A systematic review, Pareto analysis, and mitigation strategy map

The construction industry is a top priority in the transition to a circular economy (CE) due to the significant ecological footprint, wastage, and depletion of enormous resources. However, as an industry ill-reputed for a stringent change resistance, complex products, and among the least digitized in the world, the transition to CE in construction suffers unprecedented barriers. This study conducted a systematic review of fifty-three relevant studies to investigate and map the barriers to CE adoption in the construction industry. The analysis revealed a growing scientific research interest in the barriers from 2018 to 2022. The study established ninety-five (95) barriers to CE adoption in the construction industry, prioritized and ranked using citation frequencies. The study developed eleven taxonomies (i.e., typologies or categories) of the barriers, including cultural, market, knowledge, financial, management, regulatory, technological, supply chain, stakeholder, technical, and organizational barriers. The most persistent taxonomies of the barriers include financial, knowledge, regulatory, management, and supply chain barriers. The study discussed the possible interactions between the barriers responsible for the push effects and chain reaction mechanisms leading to CE failure in the construction industry and established the need for an integrated strategy to break the chain. It proposed a strategy map containing targeted intervention mechanisms and countermeasures to mitigate the vital few barriers in the various taxonomies of the barriers. The findings provide a holistic understanding of the main causes of the unsuccessful transition to CE in the construction industry and provide a sound basis to develop integrated strategies to improve CE adoption.