Strategies for minimizing construction and demolition wastes in Malaysia

Increasing environmental awareness has contributed to the shift of mindset among the Malaysian construction industry stakeholders. The Malaysian government has put an effort to prioritize the importance of managing construction and demolition (C&D) wastes to mitigate environmental impacts, but the recycling rate is still as low as 15%. This study was conducted to identify key principles and strategies in developing an integrated management of C&D waste via survey questionnaire sent to government agencies, developers, consultants and contractors. The final version of the survey involved 52 questions and it was sent to 480 construction actors. The results reveal that it is crucial that the process of managing the generation of C&D waste starts at the planning and designing stage so that the volume of generated waste could be decreased during the construction cycle. Suitable strategies for each stage of the construction cycle have been identified: among others, waste management plan and construction methods in the planning and designing stage; awareness and awards and regulations enhancement during procurement phase; and effective management during the stages of construction and demolition. A causal-loop diagram (CLD) for managing C&D waste was developed according to the findings.