Minimising waste related to major building elements and materials in the Sri Lankan construction industry through circular economy practices

Abstract

CE concept reverses “make, use, dispose of,” which generates a massive pile of waste in the current linear economy by creating a loop/circle as in nature [1]. Hence, a Circular Economy (CE) model would be an excellent solution to maintain the generation of construction waste [2], which is to be implemented at the earlier stages of construction projects [3]. Construction is a major buyer of resources. The individual disposal of construction materials and elements contributes highly to construction waste in Sri Lanka, e.g., timber, bricks, doors, and windows. Construction material wastage is high during construction and demolition [4]. As per the survey by [5], construction waste is generated due to activities such as discarded building materials, debris from renovations, and demolitions. Therefore, applying CE practices concerning major building materials and elements is essential to minimise waste proactively. Although many research studies have been conducted worldwide to investigate how to adopt CE principles in building materials and elements (e.g. [6], [7] ), there is a dearth of studies in the Sri Lankan context. Accordingly, this research is mounting the research problem: “How CE practices can be adopted in building materials and elements to minimise C&D waste in the Sri Lankan Construction industry?” Thus, this study aims to guide the adoption of CE practices in major building materials and elements to minimise C&D waste in Sri Lanka.