Use of LCA and LCC to help decision-making between downcycling versus recycling of construction and demolition waste

Today construction and demolition waste (CDW) is mostly reused for low-value applications, such as backfilling material or low-quality aggregates for road construction. However, new recycling opportunities are currently attracting a considerable interest of the construction industry, such as the possibility of using CDW as high-quality aggregates in road construction. In addition to the technical challenges, the success of new recycling processes also depends on their environmental sustainability and economic viability. By using an environmental life-cycle assessment (LCA) and an economic life-cycle costing (LCC) analysis to compare different end-of-life alternatives for CDW, the chapter highlights the environmental and economic drivers in CDW management. The combination of environmental and economic results can indeed provide more informed support for policymakers.