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

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 enviro...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Llatas Oliver, María Carmen, Bizcocho Tocón, Nuria, Soust Verdaguer, B., Montes Delgado, María Victoria de, Quiñones Rodríguez, María del Rocío
Formato: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Recursos:Consejo General de la Arquitectura Técnica de España (CGATE)
Repositorio:RIARTE
OAI Identifier:oai:www.riarte.es:20.500.12251/2490
Acesso em linha:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12251/2490
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85104091115&doi=10.1016%2fj.wasman.2021.03.047&partnerID=40&md5=21eebcba4135f78c6856fbc91a26490f
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Gestión de residuos
Residuos de Construcción Demolición (RCD)
Sector de la Construcción
Análisis del ciclo de vida (ACV)
Reciclaje - Construcción
Edificación residencial
3305.14 Viviendas
3311.02 Ingeniería de Control
3308.02 Residuos Industriales
3308.04 Ingeniería de la Contaminación
Descrição
Resumo: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. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd