Potential recyclable materials in buildings: A framework for greenhouse gas emissions assessment of residential buildings in Singapore

Author

• Pradeep Alva
• Riccardo Talami
• Wanyu Pei
• Goran Sibenik
• Martin Mosteiro-Romero
• Clayton MILLER, Singapore Management UniversityFollow
• Rudi Stouffs

Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

6-2026

Abstract

As countries aim to reduce resource consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Whole Life Carbon Assessment (WLCA) has become a vital method for quantifying embodied and operational GHG emissions. However, few studies have conducted WLCA on an urban scale, often addressing operational or embodied GHG emissions in isolation without considering their cumulative impact. This study introduces a city-wide WLCA framework to assess the potential recyclable materials of urban building stock, using Singapore as a case study with 5915 public residential buildings. Upfront GHG emissions are calculated from material intensity and building information, while operational emissions are based on energy use and building age. Mean reference values for embodied and operational GHG emissions are set at 5901.6 tCO2[jls-end-space/]e and 22.6 kg CO2[jls-end-space/]e/m2.yr, respectively. By comparing individual values and reference values, we analyse the potential recyclable materials that highlight the environmental impact of the building stock and the availability of resources.

Keywords

Circular economy, Life cycle assessment, Material reuse, Recycling, Resource management, Sustainability metrics

Discipline

Asian Studies | Environmental Sciences | Physical and Environmental Geography

Research Areas

Integrative Research Areas

Publication

Resources, Conservation and Recycling

Volume

232

First Page

1

Last Page

13

ISSN

0921-3449

Identifier

10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108954

Publisher

Elsevier

Citation

Alva, Pradeep; Talami, Riccardo; Pei, Wanyu; Sibenik, Goran; Mosteiro-Romero, Martin; MILLER, Clayton; and Stouffs, Rudi. Potential recyclable materials in buildings: A framework for greenhouse gas emissions assessment of residential buildings in Singapore. (2026). Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 232, 1-13.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/cis_research/635

Copyright Owner and License

Authors-CC-NC

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108954