Environmental Impacts and Benefits of the End-of-Life of Building Materials: Database to Support Decision Making and Contribute to Circularity

Ana Antunes, Ricardo Martins, José Dinis Silvestre, Ricardo do Carmo, Hugo Costa, Eduardo Júlio and Pedro Pedroso
Additional contact information
Ana Antunes: CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Ricardo Martins: CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
José Dinis Silvestre: CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Ricardo do Carmo: CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Hugo Costa: CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Eduardo Júlio: CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Pedro Pedroso: CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 22, 1-25

Abstract: This paper outlines a methodology for structuring a generic database of environmental impacts on the end-of-life phase of buildings, which can be used at the national level, in accordance with European standards. A number of different options are also considered for managing construction and demolition waste (CDW), as well as for promoting the circularity of materials in construction. The database structure has been developed for use by the main stakeholders who decide the disposal scenario for the main CDW flows, assess waste management plans, and identify the corresponding environmental aspects. The impact categories considered in this paper are global warming potential (GWP) and the abiotic depletion potential of fossil fuels (ADP (f.f.)). This lifecycle assessment (LCA) database further facilitates the identification of important information, such as possible treatments for CDW, or suppliers of recycled materials for use in new construction. Two demolition case studies were used to confirm the benefits of the proposed database. Two demolition scenarios are assessed—traditional and selective—in order to demonstrate the advantage of selective demolition in waste management. The results obtained from the environmental assessment of CDW flows demonstrate that the proposed database can be an important and useful tool for decision making about the end-of-life of construction materials, as it is designed to maximize their reuse and recycling. An innovative online platform can be created based on this database, contributing to the reduction of the environmental impacts associated with the end-of-life phase of buildings.

Keywords: CDW; circularity; end-of-life phase of buildings; environmental impacts (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:22:p:12659-:d:680674

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