A Circularity-based Planning Approach for Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste Management: A Case Study of Malaysia

Abstract

In recent years, Malaysia has faced an intense demand for infrastructure development and the construction industry has become an integral part of transforming the country into a developed nation. Large numbers of development works are perturbing and they are subject to the improper management of construction and demolition (C&D) wastes. Lacking in methods for managing C&D wastes throughout the construction cycle has jeopardized the effort to preserve the environment. Circular economy (CE) was used as a basis to improve the C&D waste management system in Malaysia. We have developed a circularity-based planning approach to managing the wastes with an idea to maximize the resources. We collected the feedback from the construction actors in Malaysia to identify the suitable 3R principles of reduce, reuse and recycle and waste minimization strategies to be adopted throughout the construction cycle. Based on the feedbacks, we introduced a circularity-oriented framework of C&D waste management that could be applied throughout the construction cycle. Then, we tested the effectiveness of the framework by conducting a simulation process using system dynamics modelling. The results revealed that the waste generation could be significantly reduced – that indirectly mitigate the environmental impacts.