Construction waste management in residential green buildings in New Zealand

Abstract

Purpose

Construction and demolition waste has emerged as a significant challenge for sustainable development globally. Hence, construction waste management (CWM) is considered one of the critical sustainable deliveries stipulated in various green building rating systems (GBRSs), including Homestar in New Zealand (NZ). The 6 Homestar rating is mandated for use by the national public housing provider. However, no empirical study has been conducted on CWM in 6 Homestar dwellings. This study investigates the current practice of CWM in those projects.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data were extracted from 6 Homestar built assessment submissions for 100 public housing projects. The waste reports provided quantitative data to calculate the waste generation rate (WGR), waste diversion rate (WDR) and diverted waste rate (DWR) for descriptive analysis. These findings underwent further exploration by analysing site waste management plans.

Findings

With the aid of on- and off-site sorting and the recycling centre, a significant WDR is achieved at an average of 75.6%. However, diverted waste is treated at a low-priority level in the waste management hierarchy, and WGR remains relatively high.

Originality/value

The findings of this study can serve as valuable resources for managers in formulating comprehensive waste management plans and for policymakers in developing strategies and policies towards enhancing CWM practices. The study suggested the need for further focus towards minimising construction waste (CW) from the early design plan to achieve the construction industry's zero-waste target.

Citation

Tong, N., Domingo, N. and Le, A. (2024), "Construction waste management in residential green buildings in New Zealand", Built Environment Project and Asset Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/BEPAM-03-2024-0073