Factors affecting construction waste management streams in Australia

Construction and Demolition Waste (C&DW) represents a significant proportion of industrial waste going to landfill. The aim of this research was to determine the current factors affecting C&DW management on construction sites in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. In order to achieve this aim, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19C&D practitioners and stakeholders, interview data were analysed using Nvivo software. Key factors that underlined waste management processes on construction sites were identified. These include; identifying economic values of diverted material, potential for onsite sorting, knowledge, experience and training of site operatives, a need for tenders to include accurate predictions of waste management costs and the identification of improved methods of C&DW collection and disposal. This research reveals the key factors identified by the industry specialists in NSW that would potentially hinder C&DW management targets. Accordingly, the findings are valuable to managers and environmental stakeholders concerned with C&DW management.