Abstract:
The construction industry is one of the leading economic players in any region. However, the continuous
construction and demolition activities have resulted in the generation of Construction and Demolition
(C&D) waste. C&D waste management in the construction industry is still at an adolescent stage where
effective reduction of C&D waste is considered as a challenging issue confronted by many economies in the
world. Improper waste management has led to several issues related to environmental, economic, and social
over the past years. Thus, C&D waste management is considered as a persuasive issue to be addressed. The
“Zero Waste” concept has emerged as a solution to eliminate the C&D waste, which eradicates waste at
the source and throughout the period of the construction activity. Many researchers have mentioned that
efficient material management or waste minimisation plan is an essential process in zero waste. In this
process, it is pertinent to consider the potential of which materials may generate less waste, re-useable, or
recyclable, i.e., diverting materials from disposal to reuse or recycling during the construction. However,
limited studies are available on zero waste management in construction industry. Therefore, this paper aims
to review the importance of zero waste concept to the construction industry by critically reviewing the
secondary data on waste management studies conducted in the construction industry. The paper further
discusses the types of C&D waste, impacts of C&D waste, origins and causes of waste, the zero-waste
concept, and the importance and its application in the construction industry. Strategies, enablers, and
barriers to implementing zero waste are discussed, and finally, a conceptual framework is developed to
achieve Zero Waste in the construction industry.
