Digital Passports for Sustainable Concrete

Researchers have developed a digital tool to help track and reuse building materials, such as concrete, in a more sustainable way. The tool, called a Digital Product Passport, aims to preserve information about the materials' composition, environmental impact, and performance over time. In an experiment, people were shown mock-ups of digital passports for recycled and natural concrete elements and asked about their willingness to pay, perceived environmental value, and perceived risk. The results showed that people were more willing to pay for recycled concrete and considered it more environmentally valuable, but also riskier, than natural concrete.