MEASURING RECYCLABILITY – A KEY FACTOR FOR RESOURCE EFFICIENY EVALUATION

Abstract

The construction sector is one of the largest consumers of raw materials and energy, as well as a producer of CO2 in the European Union. To reduce environmental pollution and to preserve raw materials and energy, resource-efficient building elements must be designed. Even if laws demand resource-efficient product design in the building sector, there is no independent evaluation system for the resource efficiency of building elements (e.g., walls, roofs, floors). Such an evaluation should take the whole life cycle into account. The measurement of reusability and recyclability is therefore necessary. This article, therefore, describes the development of an evaluation system for reusability and recyclability to be included in resource efficiency assessment. Existing approaches and the special requirements of the building sector are considered. Finally, a practical example shows that the developed system is suitable for the assessment of reusability and recyclability. It can be used for the comparison of different construction methods or for the comparison of specific designs or products; thus, the evaluation system is helpful for architects as well as for product designers.