Challenges in the Construction Material Reuse Supply Chain

Leela Kempton¹, Emma Heffernan²

1. University of Wollongong
2. Sydney University

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 422 to 432. DOI 10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_41.

Abstract

One of the key principles of the circular economy is to circulate products and materials at their highest value, that is keeping materials in use in their original form. At the end of a building’s life, there is considerable value left in many of the materials, which can be reused or repurposed to maximise the retention of value in these assets. However, time and financial pressures often result in full demolition of the building, resulting in destruction of these materials in favour of quick removal. Whilst high recycling rates may be able to be attained, the lack of value preservation in downcycling is not aligned with the circular economy. One of the many hindrances to the reuse of materials is the lack of an available market for on-selling materials. In this research, we reviewed the state of the construction material reuse market in NSW, Australia. Through investigating current players and undertaking eleven interviews, we reviewed the processes, challenges and opportunities of the market. For this specific context, the salvage material industry was found to be mostly small family-based organistions which often operate in conjunction with a limited number of demolition companies to undertake pre-demolition salvage. Challenges faced by the industry included time pressures, lack of value or appreciation of value, and increasing safety requirements for site access. Opportunities to maximise the uptake of material salvage focus on legislation, construction design and quality, education and a proactive approach to demolition.

Keywords

Session

Presented in Track O, Saturday 9 November 2024, 16:15 to 18:15, room WG 1001, Auckland University of Technology. Session chair Dr Kamal Dhawan.

How to Cite

Kempton, L., & Heffernan, E. (2025). Challenges in the Construction Material Reuse Supply Chain. 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. 422–432). Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-4051-5_41

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.