Aluminum and glass are essential to the built environment, yet producing them requires significant energy and (until recently) virgin raw materials, with environmental impacts ranging from habitat disruption to water pollution to manufacturing emissions.

Recycling aluminum requires just 5% of the energy needed for primary production. Similarly, incorporating recycled glass into manufacturing reduces demand for virgin sand, energy consumption, and associated carbon emissions.

But effective circularity relies on a systems approach. 

Building owners and developers play an essential role in choosing to recover materials from existing buildings and helping return them to industrial supply chains.

The challenge is making these practices actionable at scale.

That requires investing in recovery infrastructure and collaboration across the building industry to keep valuable materials in circulation.

Hosted at Greenbuild International Conference & Expo 2026, experts from Healthy Materials Lab, Hydro, Saint-Gobain and The Durst Organization will explore what it takes to move from innovations to global-scale circularity. We look forward to the conversation with Anirban Ghosh, Hilde Haugen Kallevig, Sydney Mainster, and Jonsara Ruth.