Report on Discussion about Sustainable Management of Materials in Building and Infrastructure Development
A comprehensive report has been published, summarizing the themes and potential actions discussed during the Forum on Life Cycle Approaches to Sustainably Manage Materials in Building and Infrastructure Projects, held in Arlington, Virginia, from January 30 to February 1, 2018. The forum aimed to explore strategies for managing materials sustainably throughout the life cycle of building and infrastructure projects.
The report does not aim to reach specific conclusions or decisions but instead identifies key themes and potential actions. One of the central themes identified is the application of life cycle assessment (LCA) to understand and reduce the environmental impacts associated with all stages of materials, from raw extraction to end-of-life disposal or recycling. This systemic view encourages integrating sustainability principles throughout design, construction, and infrastructure management to minimize negative environmental impacts.
Some of the potential actions highlighted in the report include:
- Implementing life cycle analysis (LCA) frameworks to evaluate and measure the environmental impacts of buildings and infrastructure components, enabling more informed decisions across project phases.
- Adopting international standards and certifications that provide consistent, verifiable metrics for sustainability, such as those being used in plastics management, to ensure common language and accountability across countries and industries.
- Translating high-level sustainability ambitions into enforceable policies, laws, and industry practices, supported by standards to enable measurable progress and avoid fragmented implementation.
- Encouraging sectors to embed circular economy principles and design for recyclability and reduced material waste at the outset, thereby reducing the life cycle impacts of materials in buildings and infrastructure.
The report emphasizes that moving beyond theory to practical, standardized, and enforceable actions—including life cycle-based metrics and international standards—is essential for sustainable management of materials in the built environment. This approach reduces environmental harm, supports circularity, and aligns policy with on-the-ground implementation.
The Forum Summary Report is a valuable resource for individuals and organizations seeking to understand the current state of sustainable materials management in the built environment. The document does not contain any consensus findings, recommendations, or agreements made by participants and does not represent any specific conclusions or decisions made during the forum. Instead, it serves as a summary of key themes and potential actions identified during the forum.
[1] Life Cycle Approaches to Sustainably Manage Materials in Building and Infrastructure Projects. (2018). Forum Summary Report. [Link to the report] [2] [3] Additional sources on sustainable materials management in the built environment. (2018). [Link to sources]
- The application of life cycle assessment (LCA) in environmental-science, as suggested by the report, could lead to more sustainable living by promoting sustainable management of materials in home-and-garden projects, reducing negative environmental impacts.
- Sustainable-living advocates may find it beneficial to promote circular economy principles in lifestyle choices, ensuring that materials used in building and infrastructure projects are designed for recyclability and reduced material waste, as per the recommendations in the Forum Summary Report.
