Preface

Title: Preface
Author(s): E. Vazquez and V.M. John
Paper category : conference
Book title: 2nd International RILEM Conference on Progress of Recycling in the Built Environment
Editor(s): V.M. John, E. Vazquez, S.C. Angulo, C. Ulsen
e-ISBN: 978-2-35158-122-3
Publisher: RILEM Publications SARL
Publication year: 2011
Pages: XV - XV
Total Pages: 1
Nb references: 0
Language: English

Abstract: Wastes are fast becoming the raw materials of the future. Recycling can not only reduce the environmental loads caused by the extraction of an ever growing amount of raw-materials fromthe world’s resources but, also reduce the demand for space and the risk of environmental contamination associated to the concentrations of industrial wastes in landfills.

The construction industry will undergo an intense transformation from this development due toit having the highest material intensity of the economy, consuming about one half of the raw materials extracted from nature. The sector is the largest generator of waste: construction & demolition waste is perhaps the most visible part of it, but it is only a fraction of the total waste generated by the construction supply chain.

Unlike the electronic industry, there are serious limitations to reducing material intensity by shrinking its products: the built environment must be on a human scale. Consequently, the global demand for building materials is expected to grow by a factor of 2.5 over the next 40 years, mainly in developing countries.

Large scale recycling is a technological challenge demanding advanced solutions for the management of waste streams, the transformation of wastes into competitive and safe raw materials and the development of products and processes to use this secondary waste. Most of all, the processes must be sustainable, meaning they have to have low environmental impacts in order to be economically feasible and socially accepted.

Following the Barcelona conference in 2004, the Recycle 2009 proceedings give the reader an excellent overview of the major advances in the field, as well as the challenges ahead.

Online publication: 2012-02-08
Publication type : full_text
Public price (Euros): 0.00