An investigation into the impact of procurement systems on waste generation: The contractors' perspective

While it is recognised that Construction Procurement Systems (CPS) and waste reduction have an effect on achieving sustainability, little research has been undertaken in the evaluation of the impact of CPS on construction waste generation. The research presented in this paper aims to investigate the impact of CPS on waste generation. A postal questionnaire survey was administered to the top 100 contractors in the UK targeting procurement managers and environmental/ sustainability managers to obtain their views to evaluate current practices of CPS and future trends; examine impact of CPS on waste generation; and identify potential CPS to integrate waste minimisation strategies. The findings revealed that the most popular CPS in practice is design and build. Contractors believe CPS do have an impact on waste generation in construction. Specifically, integrated design and build and separated - cost reimbursable CPS have shown a significant impact on waste generation. Results also indicate that integrated CPS have major potential to integrate waste minimisation strategies than the management-oriented systems and separated systems. The content should be of interest to contractors, clients, and organisations dealing with procurement, waste and sustainability.