ABSTRACT
Resource efficiency is about how carefully resources are used and wastes are managed during project construction, operation and decommissioning. This chapter covers the use of materials, land, energy and water; and waste management. It explains application of the techniques that allows the consideration of resource efficiency and waste management to be more robust and better documented in the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA). The aim of the ESIA scoping and baseline study stage is to identify which issues relating to resource efficiency may be significant during project planning and decision-making. An important component of resource efficiency assessment is energy and mass balance. Some countries have legislation on sustainable production and consumption, resource efficiency or waste avoidance. Concepts of resource efficiency can apply to the whole life cycle of the project and of the products it produces. Historically, life cycle assessment (LCA) has been carried out for individual products like building materials or vehicles.
