The barriers and strategies of conducting on-site sorting of construction waste: a case study of Suzhou

With the rapid development of economy and society in the past two decades, China is confronted with unprecedented pressure from the public demanding for sustainability. Construction waste, as a chief culprit undermining the sustainability has received increasing attention. Construction waste issues in China are particularly severe due to the massive construction waste generated on the one hand and poor construction waste management on the other hand. On-site sorting of construction waste is an effective measure of construction waste management to increase the reuse and recycling rate of construction waste. However, the implementation level of on-site sorting of construction waste is rather low. There is a pressing need to investigate the barriers against it. Therefore, this study analyzes the barriers of conducting on-site sorting of construction waste with a case study of Suzhou. The results indicate that the barriers include (1) lack of on-site management of sorting, and (2) low level of environmental awareness for construction company, (1) lack of on-site management, and (2) lack of advanced demolition technologies for demolition and transport company, and (1) lack of a mature market for recycled materials, and (2) insufficient technologies for construction waste recycling company. Based on the barriers identified, three targeted strategies are also proposed in this study, including improving environmental awareness, enhancing supervision of on-site sorting of construction waste, and providing some economic incentives. The research deliverables of this study are of benefit to researchers, practitioners and government to devise more evidence-based strategies to holistically improve construction waste management performance in China and beyond.