A Review of Industrial By-Product Utilization and Future Pathways of Circular Economy: Geopolymers as Modern Materials for Sustainable Building

Abstract

In the era of increasing climatic requirements and changing approaches towards circular economy (CE), the demand for materials designed with care for the environment is growing. This idea is especially important in the construction industry, where ordinary Portland cement (OPC) production emits a large number of greenhouse gases. The main aim of this article is to demonstrate the possibility of using industrial waste for geopolymer production according to CE goals, including closing material loops. This work is based on a critical analysis of the literature and selected case studies. The most important findings of this article allow us to confirm that the role of industrial waste in the construction industry is growing and that industrial by-products are valuable sources for geopolymer production. The development of sustainable materials allows the introduction of closed loops into production processes by making it possible to reuse materials after the end of use, which is an important issue in the context of introducing CE into practice, especially in existing systems.