Evaluating environmental performance of construction and demolition waste management in Tehran city using the life cycle assessment (LCA)

Rapid urbanization has increased construction and demolition waste (CDW), exacerbating issues around CDW collection, transportation, and disposal in cities lacking efficient management programs. This study applies life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate the environmental performance of current CDW management in Tehran and identify critical aspects for improvement. Using Impact 2002+, LCA was conducted for the base case (19.4% recycling), and two alternative scenarios combining landfilling, source separation, sorting, and varying percentages of CDW recycling. The life cycle inventory used primary data from field studies and secondary data from ecoinvent 3.7 and literature. Results demonstrate recycling benefits through avoided impacts from non-renewable energy, global warming, non-carcinogens, and respiratory inorganics and organics versus landfilling. Hence, findings can motivate improved CDW management based on environmental and technical factors, not just economic and political ones. Producers may be compelled to reduce waste sources, while recyclers and stakeholders are encouraged to continuously enhance C&D waste systems across Iran. Additionally, this study provides data to support other LCAs on CDW. Overall, applying LCA reveals critical ways to advance CDW management in Tehran toward a more sustainable system.