ABSTRACT
The context of recycling Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) and transformation of waste materials into resources is based on the life cycles of buildings, structures and materials. The perception of the context is anchored in the understanding of the linkage between the processes or elements of the life cycles. This chapter discusses the life cycle thinking expressed in circular economy, resource effectiveness and CDW management. The framework of CDW generation and management is split into three general transformation scenarios: single-building transformation scenarios (old building to reused building and old building to new building) and a multi-building transformation scenario. One of the major problems with recycled building materials is the issue of toxic substances in the existing buildings and structures, as indicated by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. In the period from the 1950s until the 1980s, when the impact of toxic substances in building materials became known and their use stopped, asbestos and Polychlorinated biphenyl were employed extensively.
