Local Supply Chains and Circular Economy for Building Materials. The PLES Project in Sardinia

Sardinia is characterized by an economic and productive system of modest competitiveness. This connotation also distresses the construction sector, which is affected by historical problems related to insularity, employment difficulties, the lack of economic resources, as well as the contingent and more general economic-production crisis. This situation, associated with the high environmental impact connected to the construction industry, highlights the potential of innovative construction solutions based on the logic of the short supply chain, the circular economy, and the eco-balance. In that context the PLES (Local Products for Sustainable Buildings) project was carried out, with the aim of developing multilayer construction systems for walls and floors made of locally produced materials mainly of natural origin. This project, funded by the Sardinian public administration, was carried out through the collaboration between a research group and a cluster of companies operating in the Sardinian territory. This paper illustrates the objectives, activities and main results of the PLES project, which carried out a feasibility assessment of local supply chains start up for the production of building materials and eco-sustainable construction systems in Sardinia, highlighting both the critical issues and the positive repercussions.