Sustainable Measures to Improve Construction and Demolition Waste Management on Construction Projects

Ntebo Ngcobo¹, Opeoluwa Akinradewo², Tsundzukani Maluleke¹

1. University of Johannesburg
2. University of the Free State

Published in Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024), edited by Ali GhaffarianHoseini, Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, Farzad Rahimian and Mahesh Babu Purushothaman. Springer Nature, Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, volume 591, 2025, pages 1661 to 1669. DOI 10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_158.

Abstract

Inadequate waste management in building projects highlights the need for a thorough assessment of present procedures and the implementation of sustainable measures, especially in urban areas like Johannesburg. To address the issues raised by construction and demolition (C&D) waste, sustainable waste management techniques such as waste segregation, recycling, and appropriate disposal techniques are essential. It is essential to adopt sustainable practices like the 3R principle (Reduce, Recycle, Reuse) and put waste pre-diction tools, site waste management plans, and regulatory frameworks in place to control waste management practices. The study used a quantitative approach to its investigation among South African construction professionals. The respondents’ responses were analysed using the Mean Item Score (MIS) and Kruskal Wallis. The results show that using environmentally friendly and sustainable building materials and implementing mobile recycling units on construction sites is a critical sustainable measure to enhance construction and demolition waste management in construction projects. Based on the study’s findings, it is recommended that there is a need to improve construction and demolition waste management, encourage eco-friendly material adoption, foster community engagement through workshops, and recognise informal waste workers’ contributions.

Keywords

Session

Published in the proceedings.

How to Cite

Ngcobo, N., Akinradewo, O., & Maluleke, T. (2025). Sustainable Measures to Improve Construction and Demolition Waste Management on Construction Projects. In A. GhaffarianHoseini, A. GhaffarianHoseini, F. Rahimian, & M. B. Purushothaman (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment (SASBE 2024) (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering, Vol. 591, pp. 1661–1669). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_158

About the Conference

Presented at SASBE 2024, the International Conference on Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, held in Auckland from 7 to 9 November 2024 and chaired by Professors Ali and Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini, founders of GDI Academy. The version of record is published by Springer Nature; this page is the conference archive record kept by GDI Academy.