Characterizing the Generation and Management of a New Construction Waste in China: Glass Curtain Wall

Abstract

Massive construction and demolition waste is generated in China's rapid development. Within this kind of waste, glass material produced form the widely applied curtain wall system contributes a lot. Currently, the majority of waste glass curtain wall is simply disposed in landfills or dumping, which not only significantly threats the scarcity of land resources, but also raises risks for surrounding environment and human health. However, there is relatively little work in China which focuses on the management of glass curtain wall waste produced from demolition and reconstruction sites. Therefore, this study systematically reviews current application and further development of glass curtain wall system in Shenzhen city (a mega city of China), and then analyzes the compositions and characteristics of the generation of waste glass curtain wall. The results show that the total gross surface area of buildings that use glass curtain wall system has approximately reached to 3 million m2 in the region (Nanshan district in Shenzhen). It also indicates that there is around 2kg of waste which could be produced from the construction of glass curtain wall per m2 and will generate more than 6000 tons of glass curtain wall waste, including the whole life cycle from manufactory and construction. In additional, several recommendations to sound management of the waste glass curtain wall are proposed based on the further review of the management strategies and process methods employed in developed counties. Overall, the findings in this study could be helpful to contribute valuable knowledge and methods to the environmental management and waste recycling in China.