Demolition waste
and demolition. In this context, managing
construction waste is achieved by eliminating
waste where possible; minimising waste where
feasible; and reusing materials which might
otherwise become waste. It is envisaged that
effective waste management in the construction
industry could be achieved by adopting a waste
management hierarchy.
Construction waste management is an
essential aspect of the sustainable building and
green building practices. Going forward, the
Government and related enforcement agencies
like CIDB and CREAM will push the construction
industry towards holistic construction waste
management based on the life cycle approach.
Integration between the closed-loop approach and
the principle of a waste hierarchy is suggested by
the authors as a holistic approach in managing
waste. Towards this, CIDB as the leading body
in the industry has developed a comprehensive
training module that will act as a guide towards
ensuring that all levels of construction workforce
are trained in the principles of sustainable
construction waste management. This article
highlights some of the principles that have been
adopted in the training modules.
Construction and Demolition Waste
Definition
A general definition of the term "Construction and
Demolition waste" is any substance, matter or
thing that is generated as a result of construction
work and abandoned whether it has been
processed or stockpiled before being abandoned.
It is a mixture of surplus materials arising
from site clearance, excavation, construction,
refurbishment, renovation, demolition and road
works (EPD, 2015).
However, more importantly, is the definition
taken up by the law governing the construction
waste industry which is the Solid Waste and
Public Cleansing Management Act 2007 (Scheme
for Construction Solid Waste) Regulations 2018
(under the National Solid Waste Corporation or SW
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