RECYCLING 9D BIM

Figure 1

The current use of waste from the built environment is mainly limited to low-grade recovery. Under EU recycling policy, it is an insufficient recovery or reuse of resources. Circular economy driven activities, supported by measures such as standardization of secondary raw materials and the exchange of information between stakeholders, have great potential to contribute to better waste prevention and higher and better quality recycling. [1] The reuse of resources in the EU is a long-term activity and it is accelerating. As part of the drive towards a circular economy. Transformation from the current linear economy. The first document currently in force in the design and life cycle of a product is articulated in the framework of the EU Plastics Strategy. [2] The strategy covers the years to 2030, indicating the levels to be achieved for the reuse of plastics. Covering the entire packaging sector with regulations. So that all manufactured products can be reused or recycled. The circular economy financial support platform is a tool encouraging to modify products (entire technological and transport lines). The Plastics Strategy is the start of the road, setting directions for other sectors such as electronics, mobility, mining, furniture, food, beverages, textiles and the built environment. Here we come to the announcement of the BIM 9D regulation. All circular strategies start with components and design. BIM can be an excellent tool for determining the cost of disposal or recovery of building materials. We can think of the market price of the property with the built-in resource potential (advantage) or the price of its demolition and disposal (disadvantage), changing over time. It is possible to reach the point where the BIM analysis will indicate a critical point in the price of the building due to the increase in prices of products contained in it or the tendency of increasing utilization. These concepts are not new, the EU Recycling Directive dates from 2002. Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) and Organization Environmental Footprint (OEF) methods can be used to refine the data to be used in building BIM libraries for 9D purposes. The product safety data sheet is currently available for construction products. The included card items allow you to enter calculation data into catalog cards or bim libraries: information on ingredients, physical and chemical properties, toxicological information, ecological information, waste management etc. For more information on introducing the possibility of reusing a product (including construction products), we must go back to the 2015 EC Closed Circuit Economy Package and the European Parliament's CE Directive 2009 The adopted EU package of 2015 in Brussels "Circular economy" [3] covers the entire product life cycle: from production and consumption to waste management and the market of secondary raw materials. Closing the cycle in the product life cycle is to bring benefits in the environment (reduction of emissions, energy efficiency, reduction of the use of primary raw materials, reduction of greenhouse gases) and the economy (new economic sectors, new jobs, independence of raw materials and energy from imports, lowering product prices) . All actions of the package are embedded in sustainable development and are intended to fulfill Europe's commitments. The adopted package is not only supporting the processes of closing the resource cycle in the economy, but also converting the economy's production and consumption. Key guidelines for the construction sector include the commitment to: developing environmental standards for secondary raw materials, a strategy for plastics in a circular economy and measures for the reuse of water. Directive 2009/125 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down general principles for the setting of ecodesign requirements for energy-related products contains definitions and ecodesign methods applicable to the circular economy defined 6 years later. The "Integrated Product Policy - Environmental Life Cycle Approach", which is an important innovative element of the 6th Community Environment Action Program, is to reduce the environmental impact of products throughout their life cycle, which includes the selection and use of raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, transport and distribution, installation and maintenance, use and end of life. Taking into account the environmental impact of a product throughout its entire life cycle already at the design stage opens up great opportunities to facilitate the improvement of such impact in a cost-effective manner, including through resource and material efficiency, and thus contributes to the goals of the sustainable use of natural resources strategy. [4] The product parameters indicate the following: consumption of resources, materials, energy, fresh water; emissions to air, soil and water; noise, vibration, radiation; waste generation; possibility of recycling and reuse, use of recycled materials; determination of the minimum life span with the possibility of its extension; possibility of repair and updating. Comprehensive database to be used in BIM 9D if the indications are changed to data that can feed the building database.

The Polish accent of the circular economy is the Road Map of Transformation towards a circular economy in 2019, adopted by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers. The document defines the model of economic development introduced by the EU within the framework of directives, programs and measures. The included definition of a closed loop well defines the principle of its operation: the amount of generated waste is minimized and the generated waste is managed in accordance with the hierarchy of waste management methods (waste prevention, preparation for re-use, recycling, other recovery methods, disposal) [5]. The current activities of public administration and private enterprises have been identified as activities based on the existing priorities of Europe: green economy, clean production, low-emission, sustainable development contributing to closing the loop and will be implemented in the circular economy. Regulation of the EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) system oblige manufacturers of batteries, tires, electronics, accumulators and oils to collect used products for recycling. The roadmap specifies increasing the requirements for the percentage of municipal waste recycling to 55% in 2025 and 65% in 2035. The map also indicates the need to link the system with a database on products, packaging and waste management. This can be a very useful tool for bim libraries. The Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), contained in the document, allows the Digital Twin to determine the input and output characteristics of raw materials and their impact on the environment. You can develop a detailed environmental impact analysis of a building object from within a project. The activities indicated in the roadmap include: regeneration, sharing, optimization, closing loops, virtualization, exchange as elements for changing the product marketing model: from sale (product) to rental (service). The aim is to extend the useful life of products in order to eliminate excessive waste. The life expectancy in the bim at the building management level will be critical to facility administration.

Figure 2 - World map of countries by ecological footprint

In order to explain the LCA concepts that are open today, the Environmental Footprint cites their popular definitions:

LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) - life cycle assessment. It is a management process technique aimed at assessing potential environmental threats. The essence of this method is to focus not only on the assessment of the final result of a given technological process, but also the assessment and assessment of the consequences of the entire process for the natural environment. The most common definition of LCA is as follows: “LCA is the process of assessing the effects that a product has on the environment throughout its life by increasing resource efficiency and reducing environmental burden. The environmental impact assessment can be conducted both for the product and its function. LCA is considered a "cradle-to-grave analysis". The basic elements of the LCA are: (1) identification and quantification of the environmental loads, i.e. materials and energy used, and emissions and wastes released to the environment, (2) assessment of the potential impacts of these loads, and (3) assessment of the available options to reduce loads. [6]

Ecological footprint - an indicator that allows to estimate the consumption of natural resources in relation to the possibility of their restoration by the Earth. It is the basis for the analysis of human needs for the natural resources of the biosphere [1]. Human consumption of natural resources is compared to the ability of planet Earth to regenerate them. The ecological footprint is the estimated number of hectares of land and sea needed to compensate for resources used for consumption and absorption of waste. The footprint is measured in global hectares (gha) per person. [7]

Sources:

Figure 1 - pixabay.com

Figure 2 - en.wikipedia.org

[1] Briefing No. 14/2019: Construction and demolition waste: challenges and opportunities in a circular economy; European Environment Agency, 16/01/2020.

[2] Poland News: Closing the Circuit - European Commission; ec.europa.eu; 12/10/2020

[3] Press Release: Closing the loop - European Commission; ec.europa.eu; 02/12/2015

[4] Directive 2009/125 / EC of the European Parliament and of the Council; laying down general principles for setting ecodesign requirements for energy related products; 21 October 2009

[5] ROAD MAP: Transformation towards a circular economy: circular economy - Resolution of the Council of Ministers - Poland 2019

[6] en.wikipedia.org/Wiki/Life_cycle_assessment

[7] pl.wikipedia.org/Wiki/Ślad_ekologiczny