Construction & Demolition waste has two components : Major components
• Cement concrete • Bricks • Cement plaster • Steel (from RCC, door/window frames, roofing support, railings of staircase etc.) • Rubble • Stone (marble, granite, sand stone) • Timber/wood (especially demolition of old buildings) Minor components
• Conduits (iron, plastic) • Pipes (GI, iron, plastic) • Electrical fixtures (copper/ aluminum wiring, wooden baton, switches, wire insulation) • Panels (wooden, laminated) • Others (glazed tiles, glass panes) Opportunities available to reduce burden on secured landfill Reduce
Potential wastes can be identified early in the design process itself and measures should be taken during design stage to minimize the waste that may generate. Waste reduction can be achieved by design with standard sizes for all building materials, design spaces to be flexible and adaptable to changing uses and design for deconstruction. Reuse
This involves identification of waste that can be salvaged for reuse on the current project or another project or that can be donated. A comparison of the value of the materials “as it is” for salvage and to their value as materials for recycling may be considered prior to reuse in many cases. Some of these materials may be valuable to reuse on‐site; others may be sold to be used building material in another site or donated to a charitable organization
Recycle
After adopting all the options to prevent waste, salvage and reuse materials, the next step is to recycle as much of the remaining debris as possible. Recycling saves money by minimizing disposal costs.
Reinvent
Engineering systems, designs, and practices such that India creates global examples that the world can follow rather than us following international examples.
Refuse
To blindly adopt international trends, materials, technologies, products, etc. especially in areas where local substitutes/equivalents are available
The exploitation of potential resources from construction and demolition (C&D) wastes is yet anotheropportunity and future profession in the construction industry in India. Waste minimization and waste management programs are in its infancy in India. It is possible to minimize the volume of C&D waste generated by identifying the potential waste early in the design. But even with proper resource‐efficient design and by adopting proper construction and deconstruction procedure, some waste may essentially be generated in every project.
Fast track formation of BIS code on recycled material : There is a need to have a paid code forrecycled
material. The precedent has already been set by induction of exception clauses for flyash use into the manufacturing of building materials. There is a lot of research going on in this area; this research should be leveraged quickly to formulate standards and hasten the process.
Promote alternative material in buildings: Devise innovative schemes that allows new products, systems
or techniques related to housing/building not covered so far by BIS, to be certified after detailed evaluation. Construction agencies or authorities may include a material in their schedule of rates if backed by a test study based on BIS criteria. Promote alternative material for non‐structural use as an interim measure till the time standards are in place.
Revise CPWD SOR to include products made out of recycled C&D waste: Using publicly available scientific
studies done by institutes like the National Council for Cement and Building Material, the CPWD should revise its SOR to allow use of products like paver blocks and flooring tiles made out of recycled C&D waste. This will ensure market development for the recycled products making them economically viable for recyclers and reduce subsidy burden on civic bodies.
Include explicit provision on collection, disposal, and reuse of C&D waste in the draft Municipal Solid Waste and Management Rules of 2013: Also, set up a system and infrastructure for collection and disposal
of C&D waste and recycling centres with appropriate technologies.
Promote efficient construction management practices to minimise waste: National regulations and
municipal rules need to push for optimal use of building space and materials, waste prevention, use of recycled content, on‐site segregation, and collection and disposal system. The BIS is currently developing the Indian Standard Guidelines for Construction Project Management.
Promote use of alternative material in other infrastructure: Experiments by the Central Road Research
Institute, Delhi have shown that it is possible to use C&D waste for building road, embankments and pavements. This must be included in the roadmap of all infrastructure construction agencies.
Introduce tax policies to minimise waste generation and prevent unsafe disposal: Introduce taxation to
create incentive for waste minimisation.
