Beyond Construction Waste Management: A Systematic Review of Strategies for the Avoidance and Minimisation of Construction and Demolition Waste in Australia
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Construction Waste Management Background
2.1. Construction Waste Management and Circular Economy
2.2. Construction Waste Management in Australia
2.3. Construction Waste Management Policy, Legislative and Voluntary Instruments
2.4. Waste Reduction Strategies
2.5. Research Gaps
3. Methodology
- Only empirical studies were included;
- Must include strategies for the reduction of waste;
- Must include Australian case studies or direct reference to the Australian context;
- Must consider construction and/or renovation of buildings.
- Papers that focus solely on the processes of recycling construction waste or on the production of materials using waste were excluded;
- Papers focusing on infrastructure construction projects were excluded;
- Review papers were excluded.
4. Results and Findings
4.1. Pre-Demolition
4.2. Design
4.3. Culture
4.4. Materials and Procurement
4.5. On-Site Activities
5. Waste Reduction Strategies and the Waste Hierarchy
6. Conclusions and Future Work
- Investigating the quantification and characterisation of construction waste from the sites of various building types—both project types (residential, commercial, etc.) as well as construction types (such as timber framed, steel framed, cladding type) to provide benchmarking data.
- Quantitative assessment of the impact of waste minimisation strategies in various contexts.
- In-depth analysis of the barriers and drivers of waste minimisation strategies for different project types (commercial, residential, industrial, etc.).
- Investigation into the interaction of stakeholders with strategies to highlight the most effective ones to be implemented by various stakeholders.
- Based on all of the above information, developing a prioritisation of the waste reduction strategies to target a balance between effectiveness and ease of implementation.
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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3 Rs [4] | Waste Hierarchy [7] | 10 Rs [1] |
---|---|---|
- | Avoid | Refuse |
Reduce | Reduce | Reduce |
- | - | Redesign |
Reuse | Reuse/Repair | Reuse |
- | Repair | |
- | Refurbish | |
Remanufacture | ||
Re-purpose | ||
Recycle | Recycle | Recycle |
- | Treat/Recover | Recover |
(Dispose) | Dispose | (Nothing should be disposed of) |
Citation | Year of Publication | Description of Study | Location/Case Study Context | No. of Strategies |
---|---|---|---|---|
[53] | 1998 | Questionnaire survey of members of two peak body organisations for builders/construction companies in Australia, focused on front-end site waste minimisation and sources of waste. | 24 survey respondents from predominantly large and experienced Australian construction companies. | 7 |
[54] | 2001 | Experimental case study intervention to explore the effect of goal setting and feedback to improve waste minimisation/ recycling in construction. | A case study sports stadium construction project in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. | 3 |
[55] | 2008 | Examination of Australian policies on construction and demolition waste. Comparison with best practice international policies. | Australia (Federal policy); NSW; Victoria; South Australia; Queensland; Western Australia. | 4 |
[11] | 2014 | Semi-structured interview study to explore the interrelationships between the critical factors of waste generation in retrofit construction, using the Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) method. | 15 construction professionals from the databases of Master Builders Australia and Green Building Council of Australia. | 8 |
[56] | 2014 | Questionnaire survey on the prevalence and importance of waste management factors in the retrofit of office buildings. | 49 construction professionals from the databases of Master Builders Australia and Green Building Council of Australia, based in the major cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. | 11 |
[57] | 2015 | Questionnaire survey to determine the dominant criteria in green rating tools. | 305 respondents from Australian construction organisations with environmental management systems. | 1 |
[58] | 2015 | Semi-structured interview study to explore attitudes and behaviours in relation to waste management practices in construction projects. | 16 participants across range of construction professions and the waste management sector, all of whom were working in South Australia. | 7 |
[59] | 2015 | Mixed methods (interviews and questionnaire survey) to identify ways to improve waste management practices in non-residential construction projects. | 16 semi-structured interviews with Australian construction and waste management professionals. 140 survey respondents, Project Managers sourced from the Australian Institute of Project Management, the Australian Institute of Building and LinkedIn. | 12 |
[50] | 2015 | A university-industry collaborative research project to identify the barriers, opportunities and strategies for reducing, reusing and recycling building and construction waste materials in the Australian Capital Region. | Five focus group workshops held throughout Australian Capital Territory, with 37 participants. | 5 |
[60] | 2016 | Questionnaire survey to determine perceptions of architects regarding education/training as a driver for design stage construction waste reduction. | 25 respondents, from South East Queensland, Australia, from the Australian Institute of Architects database. | 5 |
[61] | 2018 | Objective quantification of demolition waste from fitout projects on “A” grade office spaces. | Sydney Central Business District (CBD), NSW, Australia. 23 office fitout projects (ranging from over 20,000 m2 to under 1000 m2 of office space) observed. | 4 |
[62] | 2018 | Proposal of a novel approach for splicing patterns of reinforcing steel for the optimisation of material usage (waste minimisation). | A case study 6-storey building. | 2 |
[63] | 2021 | Online questionnaire survey of building designers and demolition contractors to explore the impact of technical design principles on the ability to reuse building components. | NSW, Australia. 172 survey respondents (129 engineers/architects; 43 demolition contractors). | 2 |
[64] | 2021 | Action Research exploration of computational design approaches for waste minimisation, including workflow development using Python, Grasshopper and Revit. | Case study multi-unit residential building in Australia, using standard material size data from a large Australian building materials supplier. | 2 |
[65] | 2021 | Questionnaire survey of members of three peak body organisations for builders/construction companies in Australia, focused on front-end site waste minimisation and sources of waste (after [53]). | 53 survey respondents across Australian public and private sector construction organisations, representing a broad range of construction activities (e.g., infrastructure to residential). | 10 |
[66] | 2021 | Survey of stakeholders in construction projects to identify critical construction waste management measures. | New South Wales (NSW), Australia. 240 survey respondents (project managers, architects, structural engineers, contractors, site managers, quantity surveyors). | 11 |
[67] | 2021 | Case study comparison of waste generation for conventional versus modular construction, based on construction waste rates derived from the literature. | Two case study buildings: (1) Secondary dwelling in Sydney (63 m2); (2) three-storey public school in Central Coast NSW (2220 m2). | 1 |
[68] | 2022 | Semi-structured interview study of current waste minimisation practices and expert perceptions of waste management and minimisation. | 50 participants (BIM managers, site engineers, project planners, architects and project estimators) from the Australian construction industry. | 10 |
[69] | 2022 | Semi-structured interview study to explore the factors affecting construction and demolition waste management in NSW. | 19 experts from within the construction waste management supply chain in NSW, Australia. | 8 |
[70] | 2022 | Online questionnaire survey to explore the barriers and opportunities for effective construction waste management in Australia. | 132 respondents from across the waste management supply chain (construction, waste recovery, landfilling) in Australia. | 5 |
[71] | 2024 | Expert interviews and two surveys, across academic and practice, to identify drivers, barriers, and strategies for implementing material circularity practices. | Australian construction industry. 19 interviews, 160 survey responses (Survey 1), 70 survey responses (Survey 2) with academics, consultants, contractors and public sector. | 8 |
[72] | 2024 | Online survey with construction supply chain to explore differences in attitudes and perceptions towards C&D waste management across stakeholder groups, in order to understand how C&D waste management can better facilitate the transition to a circular economy. | 104 complete survey responses from three stakeholder groups: Principal contractors, sub-contractors and design consultants. Randomised recruitment via public databases of Master Builders Australia and Architects Registration Board NSW. | 7 |
[73] | 2024 | Investigation into circular economy strategies aimed at minimising C&D waste in Australian construction projects. | 20 interviews with circular economy professionals and 4 case studies of buildings with sustainability aspirations. | 10 |
[74] | 2025 | Questionnaire survey focused on Designing out waste practices, which was used to develop a model connecting barriers, enablers and practices. | NSW construction professionals, with 76 valid responses analysed. | 6 |
Citation | Year of Publication | Organisation | Report/Document Title | Description of Report | No. of Strategies |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
[75] | No date | Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA) | Construction Waste Management Plan Guidelines | Guidance for local government, developers, property owners and builders in Western Australia, on waste management in construction projects to encourage diversion from landfill. | 9. |
[76] | 2004 | Master Builders Association Victoria (MBAV), and EcoRecycle Victoria | The Resource Efficient Builder: A Simple Guide to Reducing Waste | A guide to reducing the amount of waste produced in construction, to help builders comply with Council and State regulations in regard to waste minimisation and environmental management plans. | 7 |
[77] | 2011 | Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPC), and Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (QDERM) (Report produced by Hyder Consulting) | Construction and Demolition Waste Status Report: Management of Construction and Demolition Waste in Australia. | Status report on resource recovery within the C&D sector in Australia. Including barriers, opportunities and recommendations for improved waste management. | 8 |
[78] | 2014 | Burbank Australia, and The Housing Industry Association (HIA) (Report produced by Centre for Design and Society, RMIT University) | Waste avoidance and reuse strategies for residential buildings in Australia | Report on a project to develop and disseminate strategies and practices to minimise residential construction waste sent to landfill. Waste audited from case study houses constructions pre- and post-implementation of strategies. | 7 |
[79] | 2016 | University of Queensland Property and Facilities Division, Sustainability Office | Construction & Demolition Waste Reduction Guideline | Sustainable procurement guidelines on waste reduction in construction and demolition projects. | 6 |
[13] | 2018 | Australian Government, state and territory governments, and the Australian Local Government Association. | National Waste Policy: Less Waste, More Resources | A national waste policy which encompasses a circular economy across all sectors of consumption and production, in order to maintain the value of resources for as long as possible. | 4 |
[5] | 2020 | NSW Environmental Protection Agency (NSWEPA) | Construction and Demolition Waste: A Management Toolkit | A waste management toolkit for the tender, contract and project management phases of construction. Focuses on the avoidance of unlawful waste disposal in NSW. | 4 |
[80] | 2023 | Australian Government, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) | YourHome: Australia’s Guide to Environmentally Sustainable Homes: Waste minimisation | Guidance for homeowners planning to build or retrofit/designers on ways to reduce construction waste through both design and construction stages of a project. | 14 |
Category | Strategy | Academic Literature | Grey Literature | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | References | No. | References | ||
Pre-demolition | Pre-demolition audit | 2 | [56,69] | 2 | [75,79] |
Design | BIM | 11 | [55,56,62,64,65,66,68,71,72,73,74] | 0 | |
Design for adaptability | 2 | [59,73] | 1 | [80] | |
Design for disassembly | 7 | [11,55,56,61,63,73,74] | 4 | [75,77,79,80] | |
Waste efficient design | 14 | [11,53,56,58,59,60,62,64,65,66,68,71,72,74] | 5 | [13,76,78,79,80] | |
Culture | Clear communication | 9 | [11,53,56,59,68,71,72,73,74] | 2 | [75,80] |
Contractual requirements | 5 | [58,59,66,71,73] | 3 | [5,77,80] | |
Waste reduction culture | 10 | [11,53,56,58,59,60,65,66,69,70] | 1 | [80] | |
Waste reduction targets | 10 | [11,53,54,56,59,66,69,70,71,73] | 2 | [77,80] | |
Training, education and guidance | 13 | [54,56,58,59,60,65,66,68,69,70,71,72,74] | 3 | [13,75,77] | |
Materials and Procurement | Accurate estimation | 2 | [68,69] | 4 | [76,78,79,80] |
Material or component reuse | 12 | [11,55,56,57,58,59,61,68,69,70,71,73] | 7 | [5,13,76,77,78,79,80] | |
Materials handling | 4 | [53,65,66,68] | 3 | [75,78,80] | |
Prefabrication | 9 | [59,63,65,66,67,68,72,73,74] | 3 | [75,76,80] | |
Supply chain partnerships | 13 | [11,53,56,58,59,60,65,66,68,69,70,71,73] | 7 | [13,75,76,77,78,79,80] | |
Reusable temporary works | 1 | [65] | 1 | [78] | |
On-site Activities | On-site waste segregation | 9 | [55,56,61,65,66,69,72,73] | 6 | [5,75,76,77,78,80] |
Waste management plan | 13 | [11,53,54,56,58,59,60,61,65,66,68,69,72] | 5 | [5,75,76,77,80] |
Category | Strategy | Hierarchy | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Avoid | Reduce | Reuse | Recycle | ||
Pre-demolition | Pre-demolition audit | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Design | BIM | ✓ | |||
Design for adaptability | ✓ | ||||
Design for disassembly | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Waste efficient design | ✓ | ||||
Culture | Clear communication | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Contractual requirements | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Waste reduction culture | ✓ | ||||
Waste reduction targets | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Training, education and guidance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Materials and procurement | Accurate estimation | ✓ | |||
Materials handling | ✓ | ||||
Material or component reuse | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Prefabrication | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Supply chain partnerships | ✓ | ✓ | |||
Reusable temporary works | ✓ | ||||
On-site activities | On-site waste segregation | ✓ | |||
Waste management plan | ✓ | ✓ |
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Heffernan, E.; Kempton, L. Beyond Construction Waste Management: A Systematic Review of Strategies for the Avoidance and Minimisation of Construction and Demolition Waste in Australia. Sustainability 2025, 17, 7095. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17157095
Heffernan E, Kempton L. Beyond Construction Waste Management: A Systematic Review of Strategies for the Avoidance and Minimisation of Construction and Demolition Waste in Australia. Sustainability. 2025; 17(15):7095. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17157095
Chicago/Turabian StyleHeffernan, Emma, and Leela Kempton. 2025. "Beyond Construction Waste Management: A Systematic Review of Strategies for the Avoidance and Minimisation of Construction and Demolition Waste in Australia" Sustainability 17, no. 15: 7095. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17157095
APA StyleHeffernan, E., & Kempton, L. (2025). Beyond Construction Waste Management: A Systematic Review of Strategies for the Avoidance and Minimisation of Construction and Demolition Waste in Australia. Sustainability, 17(15), 7095. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17157095