In 2022, the conflict in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic and the devaluation of the yen pushed up the price of construction materials, making it difficult for the Japanese construction industry to bid and collect new projects. In this context, the need to ensure resource security and material autonomy is attracting global attention, promoting circular economy in Japan's construction industry.
Improve recycling quality
Within the framework of a circular economy, Japan's construction industry has the ability to rapidly improve the treatment, classification and reuse of waste during the construction phase, along with saving energy at construction sites. .
Furthermore, they are promoting the adoption of Building Information Modeling (BIM/CIM) to reduce resource consumption and waste. The increased use of recycled materials such as concrete and wood, coupled with a flexible design implementation to reduce the use of adhesives, facilitate ease of installation and dismantling while ensuring a long service life. .
Currently, however, they're more focused on reuse than recycling, incorporating designs to increase longevity rather than simply dismantling them. Because construction is not only mass production but also the implementation of each project according to individual bidding packages.
Design and construction units have difficulty in implementing measures such as reuse or recycling if they do not bring cost benefits to the investor.
In the housing and industrial sectors, the circular economy promotes the use of green buildings and zero energy houses, creating a sustainable environment.
Japan also aims to improve the quality of recycling in the future when the recycling rate of construction waste is maintained and stable. Maeda Construction Group has studied how to recycle asphalt and concrete into asphalt. recyclable usable.
They also reduce plastic waste and build flexible interconnection systems so that both the private and public can effectively use the land generated from construction when needed.
However, there are still challenges to be addressed. First of all, the supply-demand balance for recycled materials may be disrupted in the future. Recycled asphalt is produced in large quantities, but in the future, less road recycling than expected could create a supply-demand imbalance and affect the ability to do recycling.
Second, renewable and reused materials from contaminated soil may not be compatible with current environmental standards. This does not take into account the risk of supply chain disruption due to the constant variability of businesses, unequal in size...
What can we do?
In the construction sector in Vietnam, circular economy can be applied in the following ways:
Initially, the construction industry in Vietnam can apply circular economy principles to the design aspect of construction. This includes modular design, focus on sustainability, and especially making the design easy to install and remove. At the same time, limit the use of additives and increase the use of recycled materials along with green materials.
Next, take measures to reuse and regenerate materials during construction. This includes minimizing industrial waste and general emissions during the construction phase. At the same time, put in place regulations on reducing waste such as sorting waste at the construction site and increasing recycling of waste plastic.
In addition, motivate the use of electronic waste disposal manifests and simplify waste information management. This can help connect with nearby waste treatment units, reduce transportation costs, reduce CO2 emissions and ensure transparency in waste disposal through electronic records.
At the same time, it is necessary to develop a policy to treat contaminated soil and prevent the contamination from spreading to areas around the construction site. This includes establishing disposal and reuse practices that are consistent with current environmental regulations.
Source: Tuoitre news