Opportunities for Recycling in Building Cycle Renovations: A Case Study of PVC Roofing Membranes

Published

April 11, 2025

Author(s)

Buddhika Hapuwatte, Ashley Hartwell, Richard Krock, Brian Whelan, Tribu Persaud

Abstract

Increasing global efforts towards a circular economy and emissions reductions emphasize alternative pathways for end-of-use recovery of products through value extension practices such as repair, refurbishment, and recycling to replace direct landfilling. Given the size of the built environment sector, including materials and construction, opportunities for emissions reductions are sought after. Embodied emission reduction efforts target not only new construction but also building renovations. This includes assessing the impacts associated with routinely replaced building materials. For comparison of options during renovations, the ability to measure the embodied emissions of the incoming material as well as those of the material being removed from the buildings is essential. Information on incoming materials is increasingly available from documentation such as environmental product declarations—EPDs and product carbon footprints—PCFs. The impact of the latter, the material removal, depends largely on the chosen end-of-use recovery pathway. Consequently, building owners and other stakeholders in the renovation process seek to compare the emissions of different end-of-use pathways to select the most advantageous alternative. This paper presents the quantification of the emissions avoidance potential of alternative end-of-use pathways for routinely replaced materials by comparing them to the emissions of business-as-usual practices. Specifically, we examine the potential for avoidance through recycling polyvinyl chloride (PVC) single-ply roofing membranes of commercial buildings as a case study. First, we identify possible closed- and open-loop recycling pathways for this material and characterize the process steps involved. Then, we compile the relevant process data from representative EPDs, the U.S. Life Cycle Inventory (USLCI), and PVC recyclers. Using this data, we estimate the potential benefits of recycling these membranes when compared to the business-as-usual scenario of landfilling. Preliminary results show that closed-loop recycling and open-loop recycling of PVC roofing membranes can result in carbon avoidance. This process characterization and analysis can aid engineers, designers, and built environment practitioners as they perform Whole Building Life Cycle Assessments (wbLCAs) and support end-of-use management decision-making during cycle renovations (i.e., periodic renovations throughout a building's lifecycle). More broadly, this work highlights the utility of expanding recycling infrastructure for PVC membrane products and provides a case study for firms seeking to adopt carbon avoidance quantification.

Proceedings Title

Proceedings of 2025 REMADE Circular Economy Technology Summit & Conference

Conference Dates

April 10-11, 2025

Conference Location

Washington, D.C., DC, US

Conference Title

2025 REMADE Circular Economy Technology Summit & Conference

Pub Type

Conferences

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Keywords

circular economy, polyvinyl chloride, recycling

Citation

Hapuwatte, B. , Hartwell, A. , Krock, R. , Whelan, B. and Persaud, T. (2025), Opportunities for Recycling in Building Cycle Renovations: A Case Study of PVC Roofing Membranes, Proceedings of 2025 REMADE Circular Economy Technology Summit & Conference, Washington, D.C., DC, US, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=959491 (Accessed May 9, 2025)