Use of EPD System for Designing New Building Materials: The Case Study of a Bio-Based Thermal Insulation Panel from the Pineapple Industry By-Product

Diego Armando Arellano-Vazquez, Luca Moreschi, Adriana Del Borghi, Michela Gallo, Gustavo Islas Valverde, Miguel Mayorga Rojas, Lorena Romero-Salazar and Juan Carlos Arteaga-Arcos
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Diego Armando Arellano-Vazquez: Facultad de Arquitectura y Diseño and Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca 50100, Mexico
Luca Moreschi: Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of Genova, 16145 Genova, Italy
Adriana Del Borghi: Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of Genova, 16145 Genova, Italy
Michela Gallo: Department of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (DICCA), University of Genova, 16145 Genova, Italy
Gustavo Islas Valverde: Facultad de Arquitectura y Diseño and Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca 50100, Mexico
Miguel Mayorga Rojas: Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca 50210, Mexico
Lorena Romero-Salazar: Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca 50210, Mexico
Juan Carlos Arteaga-Arcos: Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Toluca 50210, Mexico

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 17, 1-17

Abstract: This study shows the benefits of using the environmental product declarations (EPDs), based on ISO 14025:2013, for the configuration and conceptualization of new building materials. Using a quantitative evaluation on these phases of design, it allows one to create materials with lower impacts, in comparison with the existing ones. In this paper, it is proposed to evaluate the potentiality of this tool in the development of a panel from pineapple by-products from agroindustry, used as a thermal insulator. The issue of environmental sustainability was pursued, employing the assessment of the environmental impacts according to characterization methods defined by the International EPD ® System. By comparing the possible compositions of the materials under development, with certified environmental declarations of commercial materials, it is possible to identify and select optimal compositions decreasing up to 98.28% of impacts in acidification potential or up to 99.38% for photochemical oxidation—with respect to traditional materials—already at the design stage, where the changes on the composition or the facilities decision have fewer complications.

Keywords: eco-design; by-products; EPD; industrial resiliency; low-impact materials (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:17:p:6864-:d:403259

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