Building waste minimization in Hong Kong construction industry

With the implementation of port and airport development projects, together with many commercial building and housing redevelopment programmes, a large amount of construction and demolition waste is being produced in Hong Kong (currently 25,000 tonnes/day). Although the use of selected construction waste for land reclamation purposes is a beneficial way of utilizing the waste, the disposal of construction waste at landfills and marine dumps has caused major environmental concerns. The landfill disposal option has also expedited the landfill shortage problem in the territory. Government sources indicated that there is an acute shortage of landfill space in Hong Kong and the continuation of disposal of construction waste at landfills would jeopardize the strategic use of landfills for the disposal of the more demanding waste types such as domestic refuse and stabilized hazardous waste. This paper describes a recent research study carried out by the authors on examining ways to minimize the production of construction waste from building sites. The research methodologies include a questionnaire survey, site visits, evaluation of alternative construction technologies including the use of new construction and management methods. The findings of the research indicate that different construction methods would produce different amounts of construction waste. The use of alternative building technologies and management methods can reduce waste production.