The construction industry represents about 12% of Canadian Gross Domestic Product and has a tremendous impact on our environment. Much of this is associated with the use of resources and creation of emissions and waste .

Approximately 30% of total energy use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions result from operating buildings. Furthermore, it is estimated that anything from 10% to 30% of greenhouse gas emissions are generated indirectly by the production and transport of building materials and construction and demolition waste .

Canada’s GHG production in 2003 was 740 million tonnes (Mt) per year, rising 3% over the previous year . The country’s Kyoto commitment is to reduce emissions to 6% below 1990 levels, which equates to about 571 MT/year, by between 2008 and 2012. If nothing is done, Canada's emissions in 2010 are predicted to be over 800 MT, fuelled by an expected increase in GDP of about 30%. This would exceed the Kyoto commitment by over 30%.

In addition to global warming, other concerns involve the rapidly depleting reserves of mineral resources, and creation of waste that needs disposal. At the same time land filling is becoming more expensive and Canada has set targets for reductions of materials to landfill. The construction industry is the dominant user of most non-energy minerals. As a result of ever-expanding economies and populations, the world's demand for materials is creating enormous pressure on natural resources. As the continually escalating costs of oil demonstrate, scarcity of resources can cause incredible increases in costs for commodities that were once taken for granted. This shift to resource scarcity in the future will make recycling and reusing existing resources particularly important.

Canada also ranks second only to the USA in per capita generation of solid waste per year. Currently construction and demolition waste (C&D) equal about 27% of the total waste stream in Canada, representing 3.4 Mt in weight (Figure 1). In addition approximately 40% of the annual national resource expenditure is consumed by the construction industry. In today’s global economic climate, competitive advantage realised through efficient resource use is likely to generate increasing strategic benefits. In Europe, C&D waste has been identified as a primary waste stream and targeted for reduction. Both Sweden and Germany have programs to reduce C&D waste by 50% in 10 years, and other European countries are following, partly driven by new European Union directives.

Canadian construction and demolition waste

References

1. CIRIA, Environmental impact of building materials, Vol. A – summary, Publication SP116, Construction Industry Research and Information Association, London, UK, 1995.
2. Busby, P. Building Kyoto, Canadian Architect, July 2002
3. Environment Canada, 2005, Canada’s 2003 greenhouse gas inventory, http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/ghg/2005summary/2005summary_e.cfm
4. CCA, 2001., A best practice guide to solid waste reduction, Standard Construction Document CCA 81, Canadian Construction Association.
5. Alberta CRD Waste Advisory Committee, About Construction, Renovation & Demolition Waste, See: http://www3.gov.ab.ca/env/waste/aow/crd/about_crd.html