Follow the waste: ensuring alignment between construction and demolition waste practice and policy

Research Project, 2018 – 2020

The Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry stand for a large part of the overall waste generated in a country. Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) contributes to environmental degradation and presents a significant challenge to a sustainable planet. Due to new EU regulations, the amount of recycled and reused waste needs to increase to 70% in 2020 which requires new work practices and guidelines for the industry. In CDW literature, management questions and renovation waste have been neglected. We focus on renovation waste practices of multiple stakeholders starting from the construction site towards reuse, recycling or deposing of waste. We apply the theoretical perspective of institutional work to gain an understanding of how, why and when actors work to shape sets of institutions - habits - as well as disrupt these practices. This PhD project focuses on how CDW practices on building sites can be better aligned with the national policies and regulations to achieve a more resource efficient recycling and reuse of waste material. To study this we look at the current practices of CDW on site and how they align with the new policies through interviews, observations and following waste from site to its end-station. Furthermore, we study how contractors exercise institutional disruptive practices through intervention dialogues. The project contributes to increased knowledge on CDW practices and how to work towards more sustainable CDW in Sweden.