Can we build our way to carbon neutrality? According to this research, the answer lies in reimagining the lifecycle of our most common material: concrete.
Within the ambitious framework of the European New Green Deal, this study explores how Eco-design and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can transform the construction sector from a major polluter into a pillar of the circular economy.
By focusing on the “green design” of products and the rigorous recycling of construction and demolition waste, the authors demonstrate how we can significantly reduce the 36% of emissions currently tied to our built environment.
The findings suggest that “circular cities” are not built with magic, but with the careful, innovative recycling of the materials we already have. For the modern policymaker, this paper provides the evidence that concrete recycling isn’t just an industrial process, it’s a vital strategy for a resource-efficient, carbon-neutral Europe.
Learn more about this paper here: https://doi.org/10.3390/su13042139
Reference
Bonoli, A., Zanni, S., & Serrano-Bernardo, F. (2021). Sustainability in Building and Construction within the Framework of Circular Cities and European New Green Deal. The Contribution of Concrete Recycling. Sustainability, 13(4), 2139