End-of-life management strategies to mitigate the impacts of building components on climate change: a case study

The reduction of embodied carbon emissions in buildings has a significant impact on mitigating climate change. Current studies suggest that circular economy principles have the potential to reduce environmental impacts. Recycling and reuse of deconstructed building materials during the end of the useful lifespan of a building can help reduce carbon emissions. A process-based life cycle assessment was performed for the end-of-life phase of a steel frame and precast concrete supermarket building in the UK. The amount of potential carbon emissions reduction through the adoption of a specific end-of-life management strategy was quantified. The results indicate that reusing building components provides the greatest reduction of 72% compared to landfill, whilst recycling achieves a 41% reduction. Additionally, a comparison between reuse and recycling reveals a reduction of about 33%, indicating reuse should be considered a priority in minimising embodied carbon emissions of buildings