Assessment of carbon emissions of building interior decoration and renovation waste disposal in the fast-growing Greater Bay Area, China

Abstract

Continuing urbanization and significant improvement of lifestyle have ushered in high demand for building floor area, inevitably leading to a rapid increase of interior decoration and renovation activities, which in turn produce a massive quantity of decoration and renovation waste (DRW). However, like many other countries with unremitting demand for building space and infrastructure, China has failed to attach adequate attention to DRW management. Using the yield-per-area method and life cycle assessment approach, this study aims to characterize the generation, flows, management and environmental impacts of DRW from commercial housing in nine cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), a highly developed economic zone in China. The results show that the production of DRW in the GBA increased from 0.16 million metric tons (Mt) in 1999 to 2.6 (±10%) Mt in 2018, with an annual growth rate of 16%. Ninety-five percent of the DRW is directly disposed of via simple landfilling. Although the recycling rate is relatively low, it still generated a benefit of 119,000 tons CO₂eq mitigation in 2018. According to scenario-based analysis, improving the recycling rate and encouraging the use of prefabricated decoration could go a long way toward tackling the DRW problem. These findings can help reveal the full impacts of DRW in the GBA, and also provide a reference for other cities to take action.

Keywords: Carbon emissions; Characterization; Decoration and renovation waste; Life cycle assessment; Management.