Unlocking Sustainable Practices in China’s Construction Industry: Reducing Waste, Revaluing Materials, and Enhancing Efficiency
The objective of this project is to determine methods of waste reduction and revaluing waste product that gets generated by the construction industry. In this project, we specifically look at data related to construction industry in China. China has the largest construction market in the world, so determining waste management solutions for their industry would be largely applicable to other nations as well. In the analysis we aim to determine which types of materials and buildings generate the most waste in terms of Co2 emissions. This will help us understand which materials we should be prioritizing in the industry to mitigate waste product. By the end we should have a better understanding of which materials and buildings are significant contributors to the waste product. This will allow us to produce and propose solutions/recommendations to improve materials efficiency and to revalue and reduce waste.
Emission intensity is a measure of the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced per unit of activity, in this case, per unit of material consumed. It helps evaluate the environmental impact of material consumption in relation to the emissions generated. The first formula is used to calculate the emission intensity for Cement, Steel, Glass, and Aluminum all of which are measure in metric tons. The second formula is used to calculate the emission intensity for Timber as it is measured in cubic meters so we divide must using different units. Using these formulas we are able to understand which materials contribute the most towards emissions relative to the amount that they are being consumed.
Opportunities for Improvement / Proposed Solutions
Now that we have identified the materials that contribute significantly to waste and CO2 emissions we can develop some solutions. One of which might be to consider using more sustainable materials, such as recycled/locally sourced materials. The industry should aim to use materials with lower embodied carbon which is essentially the carbon emissions that are associated with their production and transportation.
In terms of buildings, we’ve learned that residential buildings and industrial buildings are the two largest sources that contribute to CO2 emissions by a large amount, whereas on-site buildings and heat and steam consumption contribute a very small amount in comparison. As a result we should focus on residential buildings and industrial buildings. For these types of buildings it is important to focus on Energy-Efficient Designs. This might include improving the insulation to reduce heating and cooling energy needs, including solar and geothermal as forms of generating clean energy, and educating residents about energy saving practices.
More specific practices might include designing the building in a way in which it can be easily disassembled, which would allow for material reuse and/or recycling. Prefabricated components would mean that there would be less on-site waste as these components are produced off-site.
Along with this more nations across the world, as it pertains to this industry should start adopting carbon capture and storage technology which allows CO2 emissions to be captured from industrial processes and stored underground.
Another opportunity might be to advocate for supportive policies and regulations. This solution entails governments offering incentives for sustainable construction practices. An example might be providing tax breaks for adopting eco-friendly materials and practices.
Impact Assessment
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Utilizing materials with lower emission intensities will allow us to realize an approximate 52.95% decrease in CO2 emissions in the construction industry annually
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We could see an even bigger decrease by using more sustainable materials such as composites, fiberglass, and bamboo all of which are stronger on a pound-for-pound basis in terms of lengthwise flexural strength
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Through the implementation of more sustainable materials, the construction industry could realize a potential annual savings of $5.52 billion in carbon mitigation costs.
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The Future Force
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