An integrated model of life cycle assessment and system dynamics for construction and demolition waste management and reduction in Italy

Abstract

A considerable amount of produced construction and demolition waste (C&DW) has necessitated effective investigation on its life-cycle impacts and benefits to achieve a sustainable waste management chain. However, previous studies have predominantly relied on static approaches, which fail to account for the dynamic changes in the life cycle of C&DW management, thereby limiting the scalability and transferability of information across diverse spatial and temporal contexts. To address this gap, a dynamic life cycle assessment (LCA) model was developed with assistance of system dynamics (SD) method to evaluate environmental performance under various C&DW reduction (C&DWR) policies. This model simulates the real-time impact scores of Italy's C&DW management (C&DWM) system for the period 2010 to 2050. Initially, a base model was developed to evaluate the environmental impact of C&DWM. The base model was subsequently expanded to evaluate various C&DWM scenarios, including resource use, CO₂ emissions, and overall environmental performance. Scenario analyses suggested that the adoption of waste reduction policies (e.g., simultaneously increasing landfill tax, decreasing design changes, applying low-waste technologies, and improving regulation execution) could effectively mitigate resource use and environmental burden. The results demonstrated that these policies would significantly influence the life cycle performance of C&DW. The environmental impact of the integrated policy exceeded that of all single policies. The integrated scenario, which would result in the greatest reduction in carbon emissions, exhibited considerable benefits. Furthermore, it is recommended to promote the development of C&DWM measures and renewable energy with high utilization rates to mitigate the impact of waste accumulation and ensure sustainable development.