An LCA-based model for assessing prevention versus non-prevention of construction waste in buildings Articles uri icon

authors

  • LLATAS, CARMEN
  • BIZCOCHO TOCON, NURIA
  • SOUST VERDAGUER, BERNARDETTE
  • MONTES, M. V.
  • QUIÑONES, ROCIO

publication date

  • May 2021

start page

  • 608

end page

  • 622

volume

  • 126

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0956-053X

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1879-2456

abstract

  • Waste generated by the Construction Sector represents an environmental problem in many countries. To achieve increasingly eco-efficient waste management, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) provides an objective method for the quantification of the potential impact that waste management exerts on the environment. Traditionally, LCA has focused on the evaluation of non-prevention scenarios once the waste is generated, mainly by showing the benefits of recycling vs. disposal. Consequently, the literature has hardly addressed the positive environmental impacts caused by waste prevention, that is, the reduction at source, which constitutes the preferred option of any waste management hierarchy. Therefore, this study proposes a model to simulate the environmental performance of the prevention vs. the non-prevention of construction waste production. The model is applied to an urban system of residential buildings in Spain. The results provide evidence of the environmental benefits achieved with the prevention scenario. The prevention scenario reduces the construction waste generated in the non-prevention scenarios by up to 57%. Furthermore, it allows a potential reduction of up to 4.6 and 171.1 times the impact caused by the disposal scenario; and up to 1.7 and 8.3 times those of the recycling scenario. The model can be implemented in other contexts with other reference buildings, and enables the environmental benefits of reduction strategies to be studied, thereby providing a tool to guide and support decision-making during the building design stage. Moreover, the results obtained can help professionals and policymakers to incorporate effective construction waste prevention measures in waste prevention plans and programs.

subjects

  • Architecture

keywords

  • building; construction waste (cw); design; life cycle assessment (lca); prevention; waste management