LIFE CYCLE: COMPARATIVE APPROACH OF EUROPEAN COUNTRIES

The construction sector is one of the most material-intensive and power-consuming industries having a negative impact on the environment. The adverse environmental factors include greenhouse gas emissions, depletion of natural raw materials, extensive landfilling or dumping in the sea. In this regard, resource conservation, waste minimization, as well as the reduction of harmful substances emissions into the atmosphere, hydrosphere and soil are considered currently as the most significant environmental challenges. At the same time, the principles of material recycling and recovery are widely implemented in material production practices, as they are crucial for the construction industry. Approaches, such as life cycle assessment (LCA), that could minimize the environmental impact are being actively developed. Usually, the analysis of the environmental balance of products over the life cycle is carried out in stages, starting from the extraction of the raw materials and ending with the stage of the material recycling or processing into new products. This article provides a comparative analysis of successful European practices and analyzes in detail categories used for assessment of the environmental impact of a construction project throughout its life cycle. The larger implementation of these approaches into practice will reduce the negative impact on the environment, as well as comprehensively solve many environmental and material challenges.