FEATURE
INGENIEUR
Sustainable Waste
Management Practices for
the Construction Industry
By Sivapalan Kathiravale, Shanmuga Kittappa, Noor Mohd Syeqqal Ismail
Environmental Preservation and Innovation Centre Sdn Bhd (EPIC)
Hj. Mohd Khairolden Ghani, Khairul Nizam Anuar Bashah
Construction Research Institute of Malaysia (CREAM)
Zuhairi Abd Hamid, Haji Razuki Haji Ibrahim
Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB)
The construction industry in Malaysia has been
quite robust for the last few years with doubledigit
growth, and this is expected to continue
in the future. The construction industry is
recognised as one of the key industries in
the country with a 10% contribution to the
nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). Moving
towards a developed nation, the number of
construction projects is expected to increase
massively. The demand in implementing
major infrastructure projects, together with
the construction of commercial buildings
and housing development programmes will
produce a large amount of construction waste.
In accordance with the increasing global
acceptance of sustainable development,
efficient waste management needs to be
emphasised. Under the 11 th Malaysia Plan
(11 th MP), holistic waste management is
highlighted as one of the strategies in adopting
sustainable consumption and production
concepts. Construction waste in the 11th
MP lists the types of waste that should be
managed in a holistic manner. Unfortunately,
the plans formulated under the 11th Malaysian
Plan did not work out but CIDB has taken
a bold step in preparing a training module
for all construction workers to ensure that
sustainable waste management is enshrined
in the construction industry. Realising the
importance of training and changing workers’
mind set, CIDB through CREAM engaged EPIC
to develop a comprehensive training module
that will be used to enhance the understanding
and put into practice sustainable construction
waste management in Malaysia.
Rapid developments have led to a rapid
increase in the generation of construction
waste for developing countries such as
Malaysia. Unmanaged construction waste results
in a negative impact on: -
a) The environment - climate change, water
and soil pollution, air pollution, ecological
imbalance;
b) The social and health wellbeing - health
hazards, use of public space, proliferation
of pests and impact on working safety; and
c) The economy - reduction in environmental
resources and energy usage, international
reputation and effect on tourism.
Despite realising these impacts, the systems
adopted in managing construction waste in
the country are still at a very poor level. The
generation of waste in the construction industry
needs to be examined by looking into the
whole life cycle of a building – planning, design
and procurement; construction; occupancy;
operation and maintenance; and renovation
36 VOL 82 APRIL-JUNE 2020