Towards a circular economy: evaluating effective implementation strategies for recycling and reuse programmes in Sri Lanka’s construction industry

Abstract

Construction waste accounts for a significant portion of the total waste generated in Sri Lanka. To promote a Circular Economy (CE) in the construction industry, it is essential to adopt building procedures that minimize waste, increase the use of recycled materials in new construction, and create markets for recycled and reused materials. However, the lack of modern recycling facilities and technologies hampers the effective processing and reuse of construction materials. Additionally, there is limited market demand for recycled construction materials, primarily due to concerns about product quality and the absence of standardized products. In order to promote sustainability and reduce the industry's reliance on new materials, it is crucial to implement recycling and reuse programs. Therefore, this research aims to evaluate the effective implementation strategies for recycling and reuse programs in Sri Lanka's construction industry. The literature review highlighted these existing programs and identified the challenges and opportunities for implementing recycling and reuse initiatives in Sri Lanka's construction industry. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 experts, and a questionnaire survey was administered to 48 participants to gather data. The interviews revealed strategies to address the challenges, while thematic analysis was employed to analyze the interview data, and the Relative Importance Index (RII) method was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the identified strategies. A total of 9 strategies were identified for integrating recycling and reuse programs into Sri Lanka's construction industry. The findings of this study may enable to enhance the sustainability in the construction sector by minimizing waste and promoting sustainability goals.