Evaluating the COVID-19 impacts on the construction and demolition waste management and resource recovery industry: experience from the Australian built environment sector

Abstract

The COVID-19 crisis has brought unprecedented challenges to many sectors, including the built environment. The construction and demolition (C&D) waste management and recovery industry is an essential service provider to this sector. Like other industries, this industry has been affected by the pandemic in many ways. However, in Australia, this impact has not been thoroughly investigated. This study, therefore, explores COVID-19 impacts on the Australian C&D waste recovery and construction industry as the major waste consumer and generator. To achieve this aim, a literature review and a series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 participants representing five stakeholder groups (government, construction, waste recovery, material supplying and consultancy) across five Australian states. The research findings established that there is a critical need for leveraging digital technologies, developing business contingency plans, creating coalitions between government and industry, and diversifying supply chains to reduce supply chain risks. This study also uncovered a range of targeted responses and recommendations to manage pandemic-induced disruptions and improve the circular economy in the industry. Our findings can immediately assist industrial practitioners and government decision-makers in managing the impacts of COVID-19 on the waste recovery activities in C&D waste and other waste streams. Graphical abstract

Solid waste management: Case of the cities of Rabat, Sale, and Temara

“…The construction and demolition debris dropped throughout the confinement period due to the city's construction activity ceasing (Shooshtarian et al., 2022).…”

“…The construction and demolition debris dropped throughout the confinement period due to the city's construction activity ceasing (Shooshtarian et al, 2022). In addition, a large part of this waste remains recoverable, reducing the volume of waste to be eliminated and the cost of associated management, and subsequently, the reduction of the cost of environmental degradation.…”

Circular economy in action: the application of products with recycled content in construction projects – a multiple case study approach

“…Each state and territory has developed different waste management strategies and guidelines to address the growing issue of waste landfilling (Shooshtarian et al ., 2020b). Some argue that events such as the ban on waste export imposed by some countries (Shooshtarian et al ., 2021), increased construction activities in the infrastructure sector (Shooshtarian et al ., 2022f; Ratnasabapathy et al ., 2020) and COVID-19-related construction material supply shortages (Shooshtarian et al ., 2022a, b; Caldera et al ., 2022) have together influenced the advancement of the Australian waste management system.…”

“…market development and stimulation. While previous research has investigated these factors in detail (Shooshtarian et al ., 2022a, b; King et al ., 2020; Ratnasabapathy et al ., 2021), the decision-making ecosystem for procuring PwRC, which is based on organisational motivations, challenges and mitigation strategies, is unclear.…”

Project Performance in the Global Construction Industry during the Covid-19 Era

“…Four distinct coping strategies were identified, with the most prevalent being construction firms collaborating with one another to share expertise, building materials and personnel in order to successfully complete projects (Salami et al, 2023;Sutterby et al, 2023;Yan & Li, 2022). The second most popular coping strategy was the integration of digital technology such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and other remote working software to enable building professionals to work collaboratively and seamlessly without having to meet face-to-face (Cherian & Arun, 2022;Shooshtarian et al, 2022;Wang et al, 2022). Construction firms also relied on government support in the form of subsidies and palliatives such as cash assistance for construction workers who were forced to work less hours due to Covid-19 restrictions (Jha, 2021;Oey & Lim, 2021;Raoufi & Fayek, 2021).…”