30-06-2012, 08:02 AM
Abstract: Construction solid waste has caused serious environmental problems. Reuse, recycling and reduction of
construction materials have been advocated for many years, and various methods have been investigated. However, the
effectiveness of its applications seems limited. This paper examines rates of reusable and recyclable waste for six major
types of building materials: plastic, paper, timber, metal, glass and concrete. The rates of reusable and recyclable waste
define as ratios of actual reusable and recyclable material over total construction waste. Five case studies are conducted in
Hong Kong for the investigation. It is found that “metal” has the highest rate of reusable and recyclable waste and
“plastic” has the lowest rate. This examination leads to the identification of the major barriers on reuse and recycling of
construction materials in the local construction industry. Recommendations to improve the reusable and recyclable rates
are also discussed.