Construction and demolition (C&D) waste is a
significant waste in Ireland. Common approaches to divert this waste from the
waste stream include: improved construction site management; on-site
segregation; recovery and recycling. More recently, attempts have also been
made to eliminate waste in the design process.
Furthermore, it is increasingly common in construction projects to hear
of ‘materials management’ approaches in
place of ‘waste management’. These efforts to minimise waste and treat waste as
a resource are welcome, but unless such efforts are carried out on a whole life
basis, they may just result in waste being transferred from one lifecycle stage
to another. This paper considers C&D
waste optimisation from a lifecycle perspective by expanding on existing
research and using a hybrid of corporate methodologies specifically adapted
here for the construction industry, to identify and prevent waste generation
across the business ecosystems that contribute to the design, construction,
operation and end-of-life of a building. The paper explores the adaption of
methodologies such as value chain analysis, business eco-systems, and total
quality management for whole life waste optimisation in construction projects.
The various actors and stakeholders that form these business ecosystems are
mapped and their roles and interactions throughout the major stages of a
building’s life from inception to demolition are characterised. This paper posits that significant waste
minimisation can be achieved through an integrated material management process
considering all actors involved in the delivery of construction projects, which
can be facilitated through a systematic appraisal of the business ecosystems
involved.