Construction and demolition waste recycling in developing cities: management and cost analysis

Abstract

In Bolivia, construction and demolition waste (CDW) is unmanaged. The current research implemented a CDW flow analysis and a cost assessment in the city of La Paz, aiming to compare future recycling scenarios. Lack of data is challenging; therefore, a review of 31 international studies has been conducted. Results report that the waste generation rate (WGR) of concrete residential buildings can be of about 91.9–113.3 kg m−2 for construction and about 867.2–1064.8 kg m−2 for demolition. In addition, positive correlation was found in national WGR with number of inhabitants and the GDP. By these results, it was estimated that about 271,051–349,418 tonnes of CDW are potentially generated yearly in La Paz, about two times more than the CDW projected by local authorities. By the scenarios analysis, it was estimated that 56.1–71.1% of the inert aggregates can be recycled. The cost of the system is estimated between 7.8 and 31.1 USD tCDW−1, for a total annual cost (20 years horizon) of about 2.3–9 million USD y−1 depending on the management scenario. In the best scenario, an average fee of less than 1% of the current costs of a flat in La Paz can be required, potentially affordable for the local economy. The most attractive scenario involves the source separation of recyclable materials and the hybrid organization of stationary and mobile recycling facilities. Results show that a CDW management can be implemented in La Paz to foster a circular economy in developing cities.