Integrated Modelling of Material efficiency and Environmental impacts of building materials Cycles

• Applicant: Professor Dr. David Laner
• Subject Area: Architecture, Building and Construction History, Construction Research, Sustainable Building Technology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 490612391

Based on resource-saving principles, circular economy policies strive to reuse, recycle, or reprocess waste materials. Accordingly, whole supply chains need to be revamped to rely increasingly on end-of-life treatment rather than raw material extraction. While this goal is clearly necessary from a resource depletion perspective, it is worth asking whether potential rebounds occur. First, reintroducing waste materials in the economy can be done as long as they do not bring along banned contaminants. Second, one-to-one recycling is often not achievable due to quality degradation. Third and last, health and environmental impacts also occur as materials are dispersed or reprocessed. Here we aim at modelling the stocks of residential buildings in Germany to analyze the potential presence of contaminants, the recycling potential of plastics in these buildings, as well as the health and environmental impacts of the whole value chains.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Luxembourg
• Cooperation Partner: Dr. Thomas Gibon