C-creators is a foundation based in Amsterdam that aims at transitioning the building industry from a linear to a circular one.

Maybe you know or have visited Amsterdam; it is a lovely city, not too big, there is a lot happening and it is aiming at becoming the first Doughnut city (based on Kate Raworth's philosophy of the Doughnut Economy). There are quite some challenges ahead. In 2050 Amsterdam is estimated to have one million citizens, in fact, worldwide city dwellers will be doubled by that time. All citizens should be entitled to live within a community, with dignity and opportunity.

By 2050 250000 homes have to be built in the metropolitan region of Amsterdam, there have to be proper resources and services at an affordable cost for everyone. Infrastructure and utilities are required and will need expanding or upgrading. Both homes, infrastructure and civil engineering entail the complete building industry. Add to that the fact that the Dutch government stated it wants to become a completely circular economy by 2050 and you can understand how our focus has come about.

Have you ever thought of the impact of the building industry?

This impact is huge. Did you know that 40% of the waste in the Netherlands comes from the building industry, 80% of the energy consumption is used in the production of building materials and a mere 7% of the materials are re-used currently.

So, C-creators, together with a number of partners has created the building programme for the metropolitan region of Amsterdam. Why only a local focus? Research shows that when travelling with a maximum of 35 minutes this fact makes it easier to connect, create and trust and it is feasible to establish a network that actually works together.

Real life projects, from talking to doing

With the 6 circular themes; water, mobility, biodiversity, socio-economic impact, energy and materials, we work on real-life, actual projects. The projects showcase that a circular approach is feasible.

Our four ground rules are:

1. every project is either iconic or scalable;
2. we set the bar higher each time we work on a new project;
3. we share the gathered knowledge and insights as an open source;
4. we work with and for our community.

The power of the community is bringing together expertise, insights and co-create with unusual parties. Will we be able to change the system? The team and our partners show every day that we can create change.

We are working on over 20 projects, have a broad range of partners, including several municipalities and are organising masterclasses, community of practices, market innovation days and continue to share all we have learned and co-created.

Imagine a city that is vibrant, alive, with healthy buildings where people can feel safe, welcome, nurtured.  By 2030 60% of the population will live in cities, these cities will use 75% of our resources and contribute to CO2-emissions. So, let start building a circular economy!