Circular Economy and Sustainable Deconstruction: A Unique Approach at the City of Boulder

Smart Energy Voices

In this episode, Debra Chanil welcomes Emily Freeman, Circular Economy Policy Advisor of the City of Boulder. Freeman highlights strides in three core principles of the circular economy and how Boulder's initiatives align with the city's ambitious climate action goals.

As Boulder continues its journey towards carbon neutrality, Freeman's insights offer a blueprint for other cities and organizations seeking to integrate circular economy principles into their sustainability strategies and policies.

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…

• The role of a Circular Economy Policy Advisor (04:21)
• The value of building material reuse in reaching net-zero goals (06:02)
• City of Boulder’s sustainable deconstruction ordinance (08:07)
• The deconstruction of Boulder Community Hospital (9:40)
• Future applications of the ordinance (19:48)
• The City of Boulder as a circular economy leader (22:00)

Click here for detailed show notes

Resources & People Mentioned:

• Metabolic
• KL&A

Connect with Emily Freeman

• On LinkedIn

Emily Freeman is a Circular Economy Policy Advisor for the City of Boulder. She oversees the success of Boulder’s deconstruction ordinance to keep carbon-intensive building materials available for reuse and recycling. Since ordinance implementation, Boulder has diverted 85%, or 111,168,000 pounds, of building materials from the landfill. Boulder’s landmark hospital deconstruction saw 93.5% diversion with the true highlight being the innovative approach to direct structural steel reuse from the hospital into new city construction. Emily leads efforts to identify policy mechanisms to further deconstruction opportunities, engage with contractors, and drive progress towards the city’s climate goals. Emily is an experienced public and private sector sustainability professional adept at developing sustainability roadmaps, analyzing waste audits, managing environmental management systems, and developing circular economy policies. She holds a Masters in Sustainability from Arizona State University. She currently serves on the Board of Build Reuse and is a Commissioner for Colorado’s Solid & Hazardous Waste Commission. In her downtime, Emily enjoys getting outside with her husband and their dog and loves teaching her three-year-old to ride a bike.

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