From Waste to worth: digitalizing secondary materials market in construction.

Abstract

The construction industry remains one of the largest consumers of raw materials globally, contributing approximately 39% of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions and generating substantial volumes of construction and demolition waste (CDW). Despite growing recognition of circular economy (CE) principles as a pathway toward sustainable construction, the secondary construction material market continues to operate informally, with no structured discovery, valuation, or trust mechanism in place. This research addresses the critical gap of underdeveloped digital infrastructure for secondary material procurement in the Sri Lankan construction sector. The study pursues three objectives: (1) to review the current technological landscape and assess the potential of digital technologies to support CE practices; (2) to identify key limitations and barriers affecting material circularity in construction; and (3) to investigate challenges in integrating primary and secondary material markets within construction procurement systems. Adopting a narrative literature review complemented by a questionnaire survey administered to thirty-one construction industry professionals, the study systematically identifies barriers to secondary material reuse. The findings confirm the total absence of a formalised secondary material market in Sri Lanka, with procurement occurring exclusively through informal networks. Three structural failures are identified: no price determination mechanism, no quality assurance or certification pathway, and no organised discovery infrastructure. These findings collectively demonstrate the urgent need for a dedicated digital platform to bridge the information and trust gap between suppliers and buyers of secondary construction materials, thereby facilitating CE implementation in the construction industry.