The concept of circular economy is gaining popularity in Europe and elsewhere. Both recycling of waste and ecodesign are components of circular economy. The key factor in circular economy is to reduce primary material intensities, while keeping the quality of products high.
Promoting circular economy and subsequently gaining environmental improvements from circularity often relies on many interrelated aspects such as relationships between regional waste management, sorting practices, possible reuse or improvements of recycled materials' quality, regulations and standards, and possible market for future recycled products.
At RISE, Division of Built Environment, Department of Infrastructure and Concrete Constructions, Unit of Infrastructure Management, focuses on innovative modeling initiatives combing Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) into complex systems in order to improve knowledge for more sustainable urban construction waste management.
Therefore, developing an environmental system analysis (ESA) model for waste management including and presenting interactions of different subsystems with one another with LCA framework could reflect the environmental performance of circular economy in construction sector better.
By developing an ESA model, flow of materials (and energy) and emissions circulating into and out of the system could be controlled. It aims at providing a basis for decisions and planning for a more sustainable behavior at an individual, organizational, and societal level.
Please contact us for more information about the methodology!