Decarbonising and Advancing the Sustainability of Construction and Demolition Waste Management in Australia: A Regionalised Life Cycle Assessment Across States

Abstract

The construction sector generates a substantial proportion of Australia’s total solid waste, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable and circular resource management approaches to mitigate environmental impacts. This study evaluates the environmental performance and circularity potential of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) management across five Australian states. Three representative building cases were modelled using both national-average and state-specific recycling rates and electricity generation mixes. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was conducted to compare two end-of-life pathways: landfill and recycling. Key parameters, including transport distance and substitution ratio, were also examined to assess their influence on carbon outcomes. The results show that regional variations in electricity generation mix and recycling rate have a strong influence on the total Global Warming Potential of C&DW management. States with cleaner electricity grids and higher recycling rates, such as South Australia, exhibited notably lower recycling-related emissions than those relying on fossil-fuel-based power. The findings highlight the importance of incorporating regional characteristics into sustainability assessments of C&DW management and provide practical insights to support Australia’s transition toward a circular and low-carbon construction industry.