Construction Professionals Perception of Solid Waste Management in the South African Construction Industry

Proper management of the excess waste generated by the construction industry can lead to effective usage of same, and reduction in the pressure on the limited available earth resources consumed by the industry. This study presents the result of an assessment of the solid waste management (SWM) systems in the South African construction industry from the view point of construction professionals using a questionnaire survey. Data gathered were analyzed using appropriate descriptive statistics. Result reveals that construction professionals view SWM in the industry as the; re-use of waste, recycling of waste instead of dumping them at landfills, reduction of waste at source to lessens the cost of transportation and disposal, and the use of prefabricated components as a form of waste reduction. The major challenges of SWM in the industry include; inadequate formulation and application of policies, viewing implementation to be costly, and lack of mandatory waste management guidelines.