Consumers Are Demanding Circularity in Building Products
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Millennials are turning climate worry into action, insisting on circular products and take-back programs.
Consumers are growing more anxious about climate change, and that anxiety is showing up in the marketplace. They are increasingly putting pressure on manufacturers to innovate—demanding products that are not only sustainable, but that also solve the issue of disposal at end of life.
87% of Millennials and Gen Z worry about climate change.
56% believe humanity is doomed because of it.
61% feel guilty about their own environmental impact, and 45% experience shame.
75% report feelings of sadness, anger, powerlessness, and helplessness.
More than half say their climate concerns are ignored.
With this mix of guilt and frustration, young consumers are using the influence they do have—their dollars—to push manufacturers toward circular economy practices. They want products that don’t just perform well during their useful life, but also have a plan for what happens after.
Instead of a linear “take, make, dispose” model, consumers want to see products designed for circularity—where materials are kept in circulation and waste is minimized. Recycling, repurposing, and take-back programs not only keep products out of landfills, they also reduce the need for virgin materials.
That shift speaks directly to consumer values: It shows that manufacturers are actively working to shrink their footprint, conserve resources, and build smarter systems for the future.
Building product manufacturers like Mohawk and Rheem have embraced circularity well before it became a mainstream expectation. Mohawk’s award-winning flooring recycling program, ReCover, has been operating since 2006 and has diverted over 160 million pounds of flooring from landfills. The program accepts flooring from any manufacturer, which is then transformed into car parts, yarn, punching bags, and other products.
Rheem, meanwhile, achieved its goal of Zero Waste to Landfill at all 18 of its global manufacturing facilities in 2024—one year ahead of schedule. Across these sites, 90% or more of nonhazardous solid waste is now diverted from landfills, incineration, or waste-to-energy operations, with many facilities achieving diversion rates of 97% or higher.
Such initiatives reflect how environmental stewardship can be strategically aligned with business objectives and profitability.COGNITION Smart Data shows that Millennials are willing to pay more for products that can be recycled or repurposed at the end of life.
While Gen Z is still entering the workforce, they are expected to follow a similar pattern as their purchasing power grows. Circular products are therefore not just part of a sustainable strategy; they are increasingly a market expectation with real financial upside for manufacturers.
COGNITION Smart Data, Green Builder Media’s pioneering suite of market intelligence and data services, uses cutting-edge cognitive learning technology to deliver the insights you need to align products, messaging, and innovation with what homebuyers actually want.
COGNITION is the only market insights platform specifically engineered for the building industry’s sustainability transformation. We track evolving consumer behaviors, emerging technologies, policy shifts, competitive benchmarks, and market demand signals so you can adjust faster, sell smarter, and grow revenue—confidently.
Victoria Muharsky is an ESG specialist at Green Builder Media, where she leads the ESG for Building Working Group. Under her guidance, the group has successfully overseen the release of the groundbreaking ESG Defining Principles. Crafted collaboratively by industry experts, these guidelines are revolutionizing the homebuilding sector's approach to ESG and sustainability.
Consumers Are Demanding Circularity in Building Products
Millennials are turning climate worry into action, insisting on circular products and take-back programs.
Consumers are growing more anxious about climate change, and that anxiety is showing up in the marketplace. They are increasingly putting pressure on manufacturers to innovate—demanding products that are not only sustainable, but that also solve the issue of disposal at end of life.
COGNITION Smart Data confirms just how deeply these concerns run among younger generations:
With this mix of guilt and frustration, young consumers are using the influence they do have—their dollars—to push manufacturers toward circular economy practices. They want products that don’t just perform well during their useful life, but also have a plan for what happens after.
Instead of a linear “take, make, dispose” model, consumers want to see products designed for circularity—where materials are kept in circulation and waste is minimized. Recycling, repurposing, and take-back programs not only keep products out of landfills, they also reduce the need for virgin materials.
That shift speaks directly to consumer values: It shows that manufacturers are actively working to shrink their footprint, conserve resources, and build smarter systems for the future.
Building product manufacturers like Mohawk and Rheem have embraced circularity well before it became a mainstream expectation. Mohawk’s award-winning flooring recycling program, ReCover, has been operating since 2006 and has diverted over 160 million pounds of flooring from landfills. The program accepts flooring from any manufacturer, which is then transformed into car parts, yarn, punching bags, and other products.
Rheem, meanwhile, achieved its goal of Zero Waste to Landfill at all 18 of its global manufacturing facilities in 2024—one year ahead of schedule. Across these sites, 90% or more of nonhazardous solid waste is now diverted from landfills, incineration, or waste-to-energy operations, with many facilities achieving diversion rates of 97% or higher.
Such initiatives reflect how environmental stewardship can be strategically aligned with business objectives and profitability.COGNITION Smart Data shows that Millennials are willing to pay more for products that can be recycled or repurposed at the end of life.
While Gen Z is still entering the workforce, they are expected to follow a similar pattern as their purchasing power grows. Circular products are therefore not just part of a sustainable strategy; they are increasingly a market expectation with real financial upside for manufacturers.
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By Victoria Muharsky
Victoria Muharsky is an ESG specialist at Green Builder Media, where she leads the ESG for Building Working Group. Under her guidance, the group has successfully overseen the release of the groundbreaking ESG Defining Principles. Crafted collaboratively by industry experts, these guidelines are revolutionizing the homebuilding sector's approach to ESG and sustainability.Also Read