Life Cycle Assessment of Waste Products of a Green‑Neighbourhood

Abstract

[Abstract] This research aims to quantify and to compare the effect of the energy mix of 150 countries on the waste products generated by an eco-neighbourhood. To perform this comparison, the same neighbourhood design is applied to in 150 countries, but four parameters are adapted to each country: energy mix, local climate, building materials and occupants’ mobility. The life cycle of the neighbourhood was assessed over 100 years. This environmental impact was evaluated by the Pleiades simulation software under four phases (construction, use, renovation, and demolition). Among the four local parameters (energy mix, local materials, climate, and transport), the energy mix has the most significant effect on the waste product emission. In this sense, the results showed that the most important quantity of waste products (35.3% of the total) is generated during the demolition phase. What is more, the application of photovoltaic panels in eco-neighbourhood increases up to 12% of the total waste product emission over 100 years. Globally, in the 150 Countries, 80% of waste products come mainly from building materials and domestics and the waste product emission per occupant was between 10 and 20% higher in developed countries (USA, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, etc.) than in poor or developing countries (Madagascar, Cameroon, Vietnam, Haiti, Costa Rica, Afghanistan, etc.). Finally, the waste generation concentration of an occupant of an eco-neighbourhood was estimated to be around of 322 kg per year.