The Construction Industry Development Board of Malaysia (CIDB) in their vision towards Good Environmental Practices for the Construction Industry has granted a research fund to the Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI) and Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) on Waste Minimization and Recycling Potential in the Construction Industry. Various experts are involved in this project, mainly from the environmental and socio-economic disciplines. This research aims to produce standards and guideline documents as well as examples of best practices to minimise and recycle construction waste.

Objective

To determine the characteristics of construction wastes and evaluate the opportunities for waste minimization and recycling

To develop a standard method to determine waste generation and assess the potential cost savings of waste minimization and recycling of construction materials

To identify appropriate indicators on construction and construction waste management to assist policy and decision-makers in the construction industry on environmental performance.

Benefits

The study will benefit CIDB, local authorities and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) in gearing the Malaysian construction industry towards sustainable development, particularly in the area of construction waste management. The analysis of material flows will contribute to the determination of environmental cost saving at the project, state and national levels, as well as for recycling initiatives, which would then benefit developers and contractors.