Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Research (GJETR) · Research article · Open access
Life-Cycle Based Evaluation of Organic Waste Valorization for Low-Carbon Construction Materials in the United States
Casper Uyapo Gate, Wycliff Oduor, Mariam Dauda
2 July 2026 · Vol. 2, Issue 7, pp. 269-277
DOI: 10.65150/EP-gjetr/V2E7/2026-02
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What is this article about?
The construction industry is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, largely driven by the carbon-intensive production of Portland cement. At the same time, the United States generates substantial volumes of organic waste from agricultural, forestry, and municipal systems, much of which remains underutilized.
Article at a glance
- Published
- 2 July 2026
- Volume / issue / pages
- Vol. 2, Issue 7, pp. 269-277
- ISSN
- 3051-3782 (online) · 3051-3774 (print)
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0 — free to read and reuse with attribution
- Peer review
- Double-blind, at least two independent reviewers
- Publisher
- EP Journals Group
Abstract
The construction industry is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, largely driven by the carbon-intensive production of Portland cement. At the same time, the United States generates substantial volumes of organic waste from agricultural, forestry, and municipal systems, much of which remains underutilized. Integrating life-cycle assessment (LCA) with organic waste valorization presents a promising pathway for reducing the embodied carbon of construction materials while advancing circular economy objectives.This narrative review synthesizes recent literature on the use of organic waste-derived materials in construction, including agricultural residue-based supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), biochar-enhanced concrete, sewage sludge ash (SSA), and geopolymer or alkali-activated binders. Comparative analysis is conducted using a common reference system based on conventional Portland cement concrete representative of U.S. practice. Reported reductions in embodied carbon vary across pathways: agricultural ash SCMs achieve 15–35%, biochar concrete 10–30%, SSA 10–25%, and geopolymer systems range from –20% to +50%, depending on methodological assumptions. Results indicate that direct material substitution pathways generally provide greater carbon reduction benefits than waste-to-energy alternatives. However, significant methodological inconsistencies particularly in system boundaries, functional units, and allocation methods, limit cross-study comparability.The study proposes a pathway suitability framework to guide context-specific material selection. Achieving large-scale implementation will require regulatory alignment, durability validation, and targeted infrastructure investment to fully realize the decarbonization potential of organic waste valorization in construction.
Keywords: life-cycle assessment, embodied carbon, supplementary cementitious materials, geopolymer binders, organic waste valorization
Cite this article
Casper Uyapo Gate, Wycliff Oduor, & Mariam Dauda (2026). Life-Cycle Based Evaluation of Organic Waste Valorization for Low-Carbon Construction Materials in the United States. Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Research, 2(7), 269-277. https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-gjetr/V2E7/2026-02
@article{Casper2026,
title = {Life-Cycle Based Evaluation of Organic Waste Valorization for Low-Carbon Construction Materials in the United States},
author = {Casper Uyapo Gate and Wycliff Oduor and Mariam Dauda},
journal = {Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Research},
year = {2026},
volume = {2},
number = {7},
pages = {269-277},
doi = {10.65150/EP-gjetr/V2E7/2026-02},
url = {https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-gjetr/V2E7/2026-02}
}Questions about this article
Who wrote this article?
Casper Uyapo Gate, Wycliff Oduor, Mariam Dauda.
Where and when was it published?
In Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Research, Volume 2, Issue 7, pages 269-277, published by EP Journals Group on 2 July 2026.
Is this article free to read?
Yes. It is open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) licence, so anyone can read, share and reuse it with attribution.
What is the DOI of this article?
10.65150/EP-gjetr/V2E7/2026-02 (https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-gjetr/V2E7/2026-02).
How do I cite this article?
APA: Casper Uyapo Gate, Wycliff Oduor, & Mariam Dauda (2026). Life-Cycle Based Evaluation of Organic Waste Valorization for Low-Carbon Construction Materials in the United States. Global Journal of Engineering and Technology Research, 2(7), 269-277. https://doi.org/10.65150/EP-gjetr/V2E7/2026-02
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