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Sectors: Construction and buildings

Asker

Updated on 24.01.2024

Asker is Norway's eighth largest municipality, a peninsula just outside of Norway's capital, Oslo. Asker is a new municipality, created in 2020 after three municipalities (Røyken, Hurum, and Asker) were merged. 
 

The municipal council has decided to build the municipality on the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, strategies, and targets, and has decided on a climate action plan calling for a transition to a circular economy. 

Countries: Norway
Population: 96.000

More information

Asker is at the forefront of many areas, adopting sustainable principles both politically and operationally. There are between 10–20 staff currently working on circular economy (CE) initiatives. Within this CCRI-application scope, we have approximately 5–10 staff working on waste reduction, emission reduction, and reuse/circularity in the area of construction and buildings. 

Leading organisation

City of Asker (Asker municipality) 

Unit/department/section

Department of Strategy and Research 
Department of Environment and Transportation 

Link to existing circular economy action plan

The key focus areas of the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP): 
 

  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. The transition to a low-emission society requires a shift from a linear economy to a CE. Circular solutions are embedded in all six focus areas. 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 points the direction for the next 12 years. 
 

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. https://www.asker.kommune.no/sdg  

Objectives

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Other activities

Asker municipality has a dedicated reuse coordinator who works with citizen involvement in circular projects. The current largest project is to establish the ‘Omigjen (Again) recycling shopping centre’, which will house circular shops, repair, and circular services. 
 

Asker will introduce new and innovative store concepts and create ‘Omigjen’ in collaboration with local business, residents, and organisations. Research, piloting, and business/citizen engagement initiatives run throughout 2022. The ‘Omigjen circular shopping centre’ is being established at the top floor of the Slemmestad Shopping Centre. Procurement contracts with private partners and businesses are now being signed. The municipal team running this will be a shopping centre manager, a communication adviser and our own municipal ‘recycling general’, who coordinates all efforts. Read more.
 

The Asker municipality also runs pop-up, second-hand shops, work training centres, workshops and training courses in reuse and redesign, as well as an annual reuse festival where citizens come together to exchange and repair goods, clothes, and equipment. Asker also has a collaborative project with IKEA, and a circular social initiative Sisters in business.

Link to Circular Systemic Solution

Asker’s aim is to establish a comprehensive system to enhance circularity in building and construction (B&C) materials. The pilot focuses on municipal B&C projects, championing creative internal solutions and forging collaborations with key stakeholders. 


The project will encompass the following key categories:

 

  • Loose inventory/furniture and fixtures: Pioneering procurement for a digital system for furniture reuse.
  • Construction materials: Cooperating and testing solutions with external partners that offer established systems; drawing insights from the Nedre Sem Låve project for definition of standardised categories, certificates and data collection.
  • Outdoor materials: Defining long- and short-term strategies and needs for storage areas, personnel and systems within the municipality. This includes considerations like land allocation for physical storage and the zoning process.
  • (Excavation) masses: Teaming up with external partners who have mastered systems for dealing with these masses.
     

Circular economy good practices

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Key publications, policies, legislations and initiatives

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Support from CSO

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Resource use, flows and materials

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