NEW MODEL FOR INTEGRATION LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT AND SYSTEM DYNAMICS TO SUPPORT THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION WASTE MANAGEMENT

The generation of construction and demolition waste (C&DW) in the European Union (EU) is substantial and continues to increase, representing a pressing concern. Due to its unique composition compared to other solid waste, C&DW is recognized as more complex to manage, resulting in significant environmental impacts. C&DW reduction (C&DWR) is subject to binding targets at the European level. Thus, there is an urgent need for effective C&DW management (C&DWM) strategies, and more policies should be introduced to develop a sustainable C&DW chain. Selecting C&DWM solutions is a complex task, requiring the identification of efficient strategies that balance appropriate practices, regulatory compliance, resource conservation, economic feasibility, and environmental considerations. The selection of an appropriate multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method is vital for the C&DW system. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is widely utilized to assess environmental impact, yet the economic aspect has not been adequately incorporated into the LCA process in the field of C&DWM. The life cycle costing (LCC) methodology has been tailored to assess economic performance in conjunction with LCA. To support decision-making for C&DWM alternatives, this study combines LCA and LCC outcomes, using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for weight determination and applying the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to identify the most favorable alternative. Four waste management alternatives were examined in the Lombardy region of Italy: (i) landfill; (ii) recycling for concrete production and road construction, incineration with energy recovery; (iii) recycling for road construction; (iv) recycling for concrete production and road construction. We determined that, with the implementation of various scenarios, the most suitable scenario is recycling for concrete production and road construction, with a score of 0.711/1. Recycling for road construction, with a f