Scenarios Of Glass Disposal In Australia From Circular Economy And Life Cycle Assessment Perspective

Abstract

The growing rate of consumption has drawn attention to measurable environmental impacts leading to the development of sustainability tools that can inform environmental, economic and social decisions. Façade glass is a widely used material that is highly recyclable material and is an important material for sustainable assessments as it promotes ideas of Circular Economy if it is done properly after taking into account the quantification of environmental impact associated with recycling activities. Design of sustainable products requires having a lifecycle perspective, including analyzing various End-of-Life (EoL) scenarios. This paper aims to investigate scenarios of when glass is disposed to demonstrate the applicability of glass in a Circular Economy. Life Cycle impact Assessment (LCA) and Circular Economy (CE) literature is critically reviewed to identify progress in research, methodologies employed and areas that require more research which this paper aims to resolve. It was determined recovery, also known as EoL, strategies for glass used in the Australian built environment lacked research despite the growing imperative of sustainable consumption. A typical glazing unit in a facade system was selected for assessment along with three (3) disposal scenarios. Quantifying the environmental impacts are to be interpreted in a LCA along with glass recovery strategies involving recycling, landfill and/or incineration with heat recovery. A CE assessment is performed by interpreting LCA environment impacts associated with the activities required to achieve circularity in a typical apartment in Sydney, Australia. This provides insights supports decision-makers who seek sustainable consumption through ideas of Circular Economy.