Recycling Thermal Insulation Materials: A Case Study on More Circular Management of Expanded Polystyrene and Stonewool in Switzerland and Research Agenda

The limits to linear models of production based on material extraction, manufacture, use, and disposal are becoming increasingly apparent across the global economy. The Circular Economy (CE) describes an alternative to this problematic “take-make-waste” linear model that is concerned with resource efficiency and waste minimization. The construction and demolition sector represents an important focus for a CE transition due to its significant environmental impact. The use of thermal insulation to reduce energy demand associated with heating and cooling in buildings is vital for reducing the sector’s high environmental impact; however, there are significant challenges to recycling thermal insulation materials (IM). This study examines these challenges in the context of Switzerland and evaluates the potential for more circular management of expanded polystyrene and stonewool IM. The research provides an original analysis of the Swiss IM value chain in the context of the CE agenda based on a literature review, semi-structured interviews, and a workshop. Research gaps are highlighted based on scientific literature. The roles and agency of actors involved in the Swiss IM value chain are examined. Enablers of and barriers to wider IM recycling as reported by workshop participants are outlined. Interventions for tackling the current challenges faced for the recycling of thermal IM are suggested. Finally, an agenda for future research is proposed. Throughout the discussion, the importance of the involvement, commitment, and collaboration of stakeholders across the entire IM value chain for an effective and expedient transition to a CE is highlighted.

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Environmental Impact and Life Cycle Assessment of Economically Optimized Thermal Insulation Materials for Different Climatic Region in Iraq

International Journal of Engineering & Technology ◽

10.14419/ijet.v7i4.37.24094 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (4.37) ◽

pp. 163

Author(s):

Murad Saeed Sedeeq ◽

Shadan Kareem Ameen ◽

Ali Bolatturk

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Environmental Impact ◽

Thermal Insulation ◽

Impact Analysis ◽

Expanded Polystyrene ◽

Insulation Material ◽

Insulation Materials ◽

Climatic Regions ◽

Damage Categories

Environmental pollution is one of the biggest problems facing the world, even it is the most dangerous. Therefore, it becomes necessary to combine all efforts to reduce or eliminate it. Iraq is at the forefront of countries that suffer from major environmental problems. The present study aims to perform a comparative environmental assessment for three commonly available thermal insulation materials in Iraq namely expanded polystyrene (EPS), extruded polystyrene (XPS), and rock wool (RW) to select least environmental impact material. A cradle to gate life cycle assessment is performed to assess the environmental impact of each insulation material taking into account manufacturing, transportation, and installation and disposal stages. A life cycle assessment program SimaPro is used to model thermal insulation materials during its life cycle. A life cycle impact analysis method CML 2001 has been selected to assess the environmental aspects associated with two global damage categories as ozone layer depletion and global warming and two regional damage categories as acidification and eutrophication. Economically optimized amount of each insulation material is selected to represent the functional unit of life cycle assessment. The results illustrate that the EPS has the lower contribution in all environmental impact categories for all climatic regions. So, the EPS can be select as a proper thermal insulation material for the building sector from an economic and environmental perspective. The results of LCA are used to determine the amount of CO2 can be reduced per meter square of the exterior wall by using the economical amount of EPS during the lifetime of insulation material. The environmental impact results show that using EPS will contribute in CO2 emission reduction at about 81.5 % in all climatic regions in Iraq.

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A Systematic Literature Review of Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Methods for Sustainable Selection of Insulation Materials in Buildings

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13020737 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 737

Author(s):

Indre Siksnelyte-Butkiene ◽

Dalia Streimikiene ◽

Tomas Balezentis ◽

Virgilijus Skulskis

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Literature Review ◽

Systematic Literature Review ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Energy Performance ◽

Future Research ◽

Multi Criteria Decision Making ◽

Insulation Materials ◽

Advantages And Disadvantages ◽

Selection Of

The European Commission has recently adopted the Renovation Wave Strategy, aiming at the improvement of the energy performance of buildings. The strategy aims to at least double renovation rates in the next ten years and make sure that renovations lead to higher energy and resource efficiency. The choice of appropriate thermal insulation materials is one of the simplest and, at the same time, the most popular strategies that effectively reduce the energy demand of buildings. Today, the spectrum of insulation materials is quite wide, and each material has its own specific characteristics. It is recognized that the selection of materials is one of the most challenging and difficult steps of a building project. This paper aims to give an in-depth view of existing multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) applications for the selection of insulation materials and to provide major insights in order to simplify the process of methods and criteria selection for future research. A systematic literature review is performed based on the Search, Appraisal, Synthesis and Analysis (SALSA) framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. In order to determine which MCDM method is the most appropriate for different questions, the main advantages and disadvantages of different methods are provided.

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Environmental Impacts ofJatropha curcasBiodiesel in India

Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology ◽

10.1155/2012/623070 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-10 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Simon Gmünder ◽

Reena Singh ◽

Stephan Pfister ◽

Alok Adheloya ◽

Rainer Zah

Keyword(s):

Environmental Impact ◽

Environmental Impacts ◽

Value Chain ◽

Jatropha Curcas ◽

Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Mineral Fertilizer ◽

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽

Fertilizer Application ◽

Assessment Procedure

In the context of energy security, rural development and climate change, India actively promotes the cultivation ofJatropha curcas, a biodiesel feedstock which has been identified as suitable for achieving the Indian target of 20% biofuel blending by 2017. In this paper, we present results concerning the range of environmental impacts of differentJatropha curcascultivation systems. Moreover, nine agronomic trials in Andhra Pradesh are analysed, in which the yield was measured as a function of different inputs such as water, fertilizer, pesticides, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Further, the environmental impact of the wholeJatropha curcasbiodiesel value chain is benchmarked with fossil diesel, following the ISO 14040/44 life cycle assessment procedure. Overall, this study shows that the use ofJatropha curcasbiodiesel generally reduces the global warming potential and the nonrenewable energy demand as compared to fossil diesel. On the other hand, the environmental impacts on acidification, ecotoxicity, eutrophication, and water depletion all showed increases. Key for reducing the environmental impact ofJatropha curcasbiodiesel is the resource efficiency during crop cultivation (especially mineral fertilizer application) and the optimal site selection of theJatropha curcasplantations.

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Brief Analysis on Application of PVC Foam Materials in Building Material Industry

Materials Science Forum ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.944.729 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 944 ◽

pp. 729-735

Author(s):

Xin Xu ◽

Quan Jiang

Keyword(s):

Polyvinyl Chloride ◽

Thermal Insulation ◽

Building Material ◽

Future Research ◽

Building Industry ◽

Material Industry ◽

Building Material Industry ◽

Healthy Development ◽

Insulation Materials ◽

Concrete Form

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam materials are good materials that take the place of wood and are widely used in building material industry. This paper analyzes and summarizes the application of PVC foam materials in fields such as thermal insulation materials, concrete-form and resilient flooring and explores the characteristics of PVC foam materials concerned by different fields as well as the key future research & development directions, so as to promote the healthy development and application in building industry.

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Design for Supply Chain: Evaluation of Supply Chain Metrics

Volume 4: Design and Manufacturing ◽

10.1115/imece2008-67649 ◽

2008 ◽

Author(s):

Karthik Manohar ◽

Kosuke Ishii

Keyword(s):

Supply Chain ◽

Product Design ◽

Value Chain ◽

Global Economy ◽

Customer Value ◽

Quality Function Deployment ◽

Critical Role ◽

Future Research ◽

Value Chain Analysis ◽

Social Environmental

This paper describes the first phase of the authors’ Design for Supply Chain research that seeks to address supply chain excellence the product design process. In a global economy, companies must address supply chain issues beyond the traditional viewpoint of logistics, trucking, warehousing and include other considerations that affects design and manufacturing decisions. To include supply chain perspectives in the design of products and manufacturing processes, supply chain performance data play a critical role. This paper examines the source of data pertinent to design for supply chain using methods such as Customer Value Chain Analysis and Quality Function Deployment. A multi-industry benchmarking study also highlights the different approaches to Design for Supply Chain and emerging challenges of Social and Environmentally Responsible Supply Chains. The study revealed that lead time, quality and social/environmental metrics are the most important metrics for design for supply chain. Future research will address the refinement of metrics, the definition of the relevant data for product design, and effective approaches to incorporate the information into the product definition process.

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A New Energy Saving Roofing Insulation Board System of Polyphenylene Foam Concrete

Key Engineering Materials ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/kem.531-532.421 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 531-532 ◽

pp. 421-424

Author(s):

Dong Zhou Xia

Keyword(s):

Energy Saving ◽

Thermal Insulation ◽

Foam Glass ◽

Expanded Polystyrene ◽

Glass Block ◽

Engineering Practice ◽

Foam Concrete ◽

Insulation Materials ◽

New Energy ◽

Board System

In engineering practice, the most widely used roof insulation materials are expanded perlite, expanded vermiculite, extruded polystyrene board (XPS), expanded polystyrene board (EPS), foam glass block，rigid polyurethane foam insulation layer, and so on. These products have many advantages, such as light weight, high compressive strength, good integral property, convenient construction. But there are a lot of defects at the same time, such as bad fireproof performance and durability, environmental pollution, and so on. So we need an efficient roofing insulation materials to meet the growing needs of the roofing energy saving, energy saving roofing insulation board system of polyphenylene foam concrete just meet this demand, it has the characteristics of thermal insulation, lightweight and compressive resistance, waterproof and moistureproof, fire durable, and simple structure. Through the application of this new materials in practical engineering, the energy saving roofing insulation board will provide an efficient and practical material for future roof thermal insulation and energy saving.

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Prospects for the Application of Wavelet Analysis to the Results of Thermal Conductivity Express Control of Thermal Insulation Materials

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14175223 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (17) ◽

pp. 5223

Author(s):

Oleksandra Hotra ◽

Svitlana Kovtun ◽

Oleg Dekusha ◽

Żaklin Grądz

Keyword(s):

Thermal Conductivity ◽

Wavelet Transform ◽

Data Processing ◽

Thermal Insulation ◽

Control Method ◽

Measurement Data ◽

Conductivity Measurement ◽

Differential Method ◽

Expanded Polystyrene ◽

Insulation Materials

This article discusses an express control method that allows in situ measurements of the thermal conductivity of insulation materials. Three samples of the most common thermal insulation materials, such as polyurethane, extruded polystyrene, and expanded polystyrene, were studied. Additionally, optical and organic glasses were investigated as materials with a stable value of thermal conductivity. For the measurement of thermal conductivity, the express control device, which implements the differential method of local heat influence, was used. The case studies were focused on the reduction of fluctuations of the measured signals caused by different influencing factors using wavelet transform. The application of wavelet transform for data processing decreased the thermal conductivity measurement’s relative error for organic glass SOL and optical glasses TF-1 and LK-5. The application of wavelet transform thermal conductivity measurement data for polyurethane, extruded polystyrene, and expanded polystyrene allowed to reduce twice the duration of express control while maintaining the same level of measurement error. The results of the investigation could be used to increase the accuracy in express control of the thermal conductivity of insulation materials by improving the data processing. This approach could be implemented in software and does not require a change in the design of the measuring equipment or the use of additional tools.

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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF VARIOUS THERMAL INSULATION MATERIALS

Oil and Gas Business ◽

10.17122/ogbus-2021-1-40-59 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 40

Author(s):

Asgat M. Gazizov ◽

Aidar A. Zairov ◽

Regina R. Yangirova ◽

Marsel R. Timerov

Keyword(s):

Environmental Impact ◽

Impact Assessment ◽

Environmental Impact Assessment ◽

Thermal Insulation ◽

Insulation Materials

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A CASE STUDY OF THE INCREASE OF CARBON DIOXIDE DUE TO THE APPLICATION OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY REGULATIONS IN SERBIA

Contemporary Materials ◽

10.7251/comen1802159n ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Marina Nikolić Topalović ◽

Milenko Stanković

Keyword(s):

Energy Efficiency ◽

Environmental Impact ◽

Thermal Insulation ◽

Carbon Footprint ◽

Environmental Protection Agency ◽

Energy Class ◽

Total Carbon ◽

Reference Object ◽

Insulation Materials ◽

Embodied Carbon

In order to demonstrate the environmental impact of the increased flow of thermal insulation materials and facade joinery with improved thermal characteristics, the analysis of the carbon footprint for two scenarios for the needs of the research was done as a consequence of the new regulations on the energy efficiency of the facilities. For each of the analyzed scenarios, a project and an overview of works on the basis of which quantities of construction materials, activities and processes that participate in the construction of the analyzed scenarios were calculated (S1 and S2), were made. The reference object (S1) is designed without thermal insulation layers, the energy class „G“, and the scenario (S2) is designed in the energy class „C“, which according to the new regulations is a condition for the construction of new facilities. The study uses the Life Cycle Analysis (LCA), a methodology that is the basis for Carbon Lifecycle Analysis (LCACO2), or calculation of the carbon footprint of the facility. Construction carbon calculator, Environmental Protection Agency UK, is used to calculate the carbon footprint, and for the calculation of operational energy, the URSA Construction Physics 2 program. The study showed that the embodied carbon for the scenario (S1) is 138,40 tonnes CO2 e, with less impact on the environment. The higher values of the embodied carbon have a scenario (S2) of 148,20 tonnes CO2 e. The carbon imprint from the phase of construction, or less impact on the environment, has a scenario (S1). However, after ten years of using the facility, the scenario (S1) due to the larger carbon footprint from the operational phase becomes a scenario with a higher environmental impact, with a total carbon footprint of 186,16 tonnes CO2 e, and the scenario (S2) after ten years of use of the facility has a total carbon footprint of 163,86 tonnes CO2 e. The scenario (S1) and (S2) achieve the same values of the total carbon footprint after 3,05 years of use of the facility and (S2) has since then become a better choice from the aspect of the environment. The research has shown that the embodied carbon is neglected in the calculation of the environmental impact of the facility, as well as the average when the benefits can be expected from the application of measures for energy-efficient buildings. The research also points to the need for low-carbon thermal insulation materials to bridge the gap between the demand for the extinguishing of buildings on the one hand and the efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to mitigate climate change.

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Relational contracts and value chain governance: exporter approaches to overcoming transaction costs in Rwanda's coffee sector

Journal of Agribusiness in Developing and Emerging Economies ◽

10.1108/jadee-07-2021-0176 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Andrew Gerard ◽

Maria Claudia Lopez ◽

John Kerr ◽

Alfred R. Bizoza

Keyword(s):

Developing Countries ◽

Transaction Costs ◽

Value Chain ◽

Foreign Firms ◽

Future Research ◽

Relational Contracts ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Relational Contracting ◽

Content Type ◽

Coffee Sector

Purpose In developing countries, local buyers often rely on relational contracting based on reciprocity and trust. This paper analyzes relational contracting and global value chain (GVC) governance by focusing on how domestic and foreign coffee exporters in Rwanda confront challenges.Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 representatives of Rwandan private, Rwandan cooperative-owned and foreign exporters, and four coffee sector stakeholders.Findings Foreign firms export most Rwandan coffee, and local exporters express concerns about their ability to compete. Rwandan exporters face challenges accessing capital, competing with foreign firms and managing high transaction costs. They use relational contracts to reduce transaction costs, and they benefit from a monopsony zoning regulation that reduces competition. Foreign exporters face regulatory challenges: a government-set coffee price and the zoning regulation. They vertically integrate to reduce costs and lock in suppliers through prefinancing.Research limitations/implications Future research should analyze differences between local and foreign exporters in other contexts to advance understanding of the different challenges faced and contracting approaches used.Originality/value Few GVC governance studies address the role of relational contracts in contexts where enforcement is costly. Considering relational contracts within GVCs can improve value chain analysis, specifically in the developing countries where many GVCs start.

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