Quality and durability – two product requirements that Lindner has stood for since 1965. Since 1993, we have consistently taken these values further: for us, sustainability and the circular economy are not trends, but everyday practice. As a founding member of the DGNB, with our own life cycle assessment since 2011, Cradle to Cradle Certified® product certifications and highly detailed Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs), we set measurable standards.
Because the challenge is real: the construction industry is the most resource- and waste-intensive economic sector worldwide, exacerbated by growing raw material scarcity and the pressure to reduce CO₂. The answer? Circular construction!
Instead of linear demolition and new construction, conversion and refurbishment with selective deconstruction are now the focus. Based on EPD-supported life cycle analyses, we demonstrate how the use of resources, waste and CO₂ emissions can be measurably reduced.
This was our first thought for our range of products and services relating to ReUsed Products. ReUsed refers to building materials or products that are designed from the outset for the highest possible level of reuse and circularity.
This led to a range of measures, new business ideas and further developments, based on legal requirements such as the Waste Management Act, the EU Taxonomy and the Green Deal, as well as concepts such as the Cradle to Cradle design approach or the R-strategies.
In addition, we also offer the take-back of used products, such as our calcium sulphate floor panels. After use, these are reconditioned at our factory and, following technical inspection, resold as equivalent used products. We also take care of proper disposal or recycling at the end of the use phase.
Today’s construction industry largely follows the linear “take-make-waste” principle. The R-strategies, defined by the German Institute for Standardization (DIN) as “Circular Thinking Standards”, provide a clear framework for action on the path from linear to circular construction and business practices.
They show approaches for planning and implementing processes in the construction industry in a more resource-efficient way. The focus is on the reuse of materials, value retention and extended use cycles. These approaches are supplemented by buy-back and rental models, digital tools, as well as repair and maintenance to reduce waste and resource consumption.
As a manufacturer of interior fit-out, facade and construction product solutions, we have a particular responsibility when it comes to the use of resources. The construction sector accounts for around 40% of global material consumption and a large proportion of waste generation.
For decades, Lindner has been working on its own strategies and concepts to counteract the waste of materials and resources in the long term and to keep our products in use for as long as possible. To create a shared understanding and simplify the complexity of circular construction and the circular economy as much as possible, Lindner follows the R-strategies of DIN e. V. with concrete solution approaches:
ReThink & ReDuce – the cycle begins at the design stage
We develop products according to the principle of “Design for Disassembly”: separable by material type, documented and designed for multiple use cycles. The Cradle to Cradle Certified® Product Standard serves as an independently verified benchmark.
ReUse, RePair, ReFurbish, ReManufacture – opportunities for the continued use of used products
Under the terms ReUsed Products and the LinLoop business models, we give construction products the opportunity for a second life – whether as reused partition walls, reconditioned floor or ceiling panels, or repurposed elements for a new project.
ReCycle – keeping raw materials in the cycle
Where reuse is not possible, we ensure that raw materials are retained through material separation by type and established recycling partnerships.
