Towards zero waste in construction: A case study using green building certification systems

Abstract

In many countries of the world like Turkey there are extensive civil engineering constructions in the forms of buildings, skyscrapers, dams, bridges, canals, culverts, pipes and roads. Each one of these activities lead to wastages that need to be dealt with ecosystem friendly coupled with economic, social and environmental sustainability purposes. Construction materials from the resources through their usages and demolishment need special attention for end-product as minimum as wastage generation after reuse possibilities. The linear process of successive resources, usages and landfill end planning is the simplest alternative, which has been applied so far in any country or society, especially, by local governments and companies. Although, between usage and the landfill are interstate reuse benefits, but they are marginal, because the landfills bury large amounts of reuse benefits. Since almost ten years, circular waste treatment programs came into view with extensive consideration, which prior to landfill extracts demolishment materials as much as possible for reuse with the aim of zero waste (ZW). The application sources and possibilities of this trend is exposed for Turkish construction circles with the commercialization of more demolished materials for extra economic return. Thus, this study can be useful to policy and decision makers in developing the ZW guidelines in construction sector by using Site Waste Management Plans (SWMP)s.