Zero waste in renovation

The huge amounts of waste produced during building and renovation is a serious environmental problem, which is worsening as building activities are increasing over the years. This paper investigates in a case study possibilities for reducing waste production in renovation activities. It is found that a different approach of the plan11lilg phase results in more materials belilg left in situ or being re-used and a change in floor plans leads to more re-use of materials, less waste and less need for new materials. The achievable reduction of environmental impact is calculated with Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) calculations. The environmental impact of this renovation project could be lowered by 5-10%, which is promising for other ones. More precise data on impact of waste reduction will be obtained if LCA are improved.