Definition and Types of Construction Waste
– Construction waste is any kind of debris from the construction process.
– The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines construction and demolition materials as debris generated during the construction, renovation, and demolition of buildings, roads, and bridges.
– Construction and demolition (C&D) waste is categorized into three categories: non-dangerous, hazardous, and semi-hazardous.
– Types of waste include C&D materials used in new building and civil engineering structures, as well as building waste that can account for 10-15% of the materials used in a building.
– In the United States, construction and demolition waste increased from 135 million tons in 1990 to 600 million tons in 2018.
– 90% of C&D waste in the United States comes from the demolition of structures.
– Construction waste frequently includes hazardous materials such as fluorescent lights and batteries.
Causes and Factors Contributing to Construction Waste
– Construction waste can be categorized into design, handling, worker, management, site condition, procurement, and external factors.
– Irresponsible beam cutting and fabrication issues contribute to steel waste on construction sites.
– Difficulties in controlling concrete delivery amounts lead to waste in premixed concrete.
– Poorly designed details and irresponsible cutting of pipes and wires result in waste.
– Improper material storage and human error contribute to construction waste production.
– The unsustainable consumption of raw materials creates business risks, such as higher material costs and disruptions in supply chains.
Recycling and Reuse of Construction Waste
– The waste hierarchy framework prioritizes the 3Rs: reduce, reuse, recycle.
– Many elements of construction waste can be recycled, such as rubble and waste wood.
– Roll-off containers are often used to transport construction waste.
– Recycling and reusing construction waste can help reduce the waste of materials.
– Different countries adopt different numbers of Rs in their waste management strategies.
Landfilling and Disposal of Construction Waste
– Certain components of construction waste, like plasterboard, are hazardous when landfilled.
– Landfilling is one of the alternatives for dealing with construction waste.
– Plasterboard and other hazardous materials should be properly disposed of to prevent environmental harm.
– Landfilling construction waste can contribute to the accumulation of waste in landfills.
– Proper waste management strategies aim to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.
Government Regulations, Initiatives, and Implications of Construction Waste
– Waste management fees can help mitigate levels of construction waste.
– Determining waste management fees for construction waste is challenging.
– The European Union emphasizes recycling building materials and adopting a cradle-to-grave ideology in construction.
– The United States does not have a national landfill tax or fee.
– Financial incentives have shown positive results in reducing construction waste.
– Construction waste charging schemes, waste management guidelines, and enforcement of waste disposal regulations are government initiatives.
– Construction waste has financial implications such as increased project costs, fines, and penalties for improper waste disposal, and loss of potential revenue from recycling. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Construction_waste
Construction waste or debris is any kind of debris from the construction process. Different government agencies have clear definitions. For example, the United States Environmental Protection Agency EPA defines construction and demolition materials as “debris generated during the construction, renovation and demolition of buildings, roads, and bridges.” Additionally, the EPA has categorized Construction and Demolition (C&D) waste into three categories: non-dangerous, hazardous, and semi-hazardous.
Of total construction and demolition (C&D) waste in the United States, 90% comes from the demolition of structures, while waste generated during construction accounts for less than 10%. Construction waste frequently includes materials that are hazardous if disposed of in landfills. Such items include fluorescent lights, batteries, and other electrical equipment.
When waste is created, options of disposal include exportation to a landfill, incineration, direct site reuse through integration into construction or as fill dirt, and recycling for a new use if applicable. In dealing with construction and demolition waste products, it is often hard to recycle and repurpose because of the cost of processing. Businesses recycling materials must compete with often the low cost of landfills and new construction commodities. Data provided by 24 states reported that solid waste from construction and demolition (C&D) accounts for 23% of total waste in the U.S. This is almost a quarter of the total solid waste produced by the United States. During construction a lot of this waste spends in a landfill leaching toxic chemicals into the surrounding environment. Results of a recent questionnaire demonstrate that although 95.71% of construction projects indicate that construction waste is problematic, only 57.14% of those companies collect any relevant data.
