Critical success factors for the effective management of construction waste: a study in Brazil

Abstract

Construction is a major contributor to the development of growing countries. However, it produces negative environmental impacts, such as the significant consumption of natural resources, and is the sector that generates the most waste in the world. Some authors argue that this can be minimized with the implementation of effective construction waste management (CWM) practices at construction sites, and a good strategy to define these practices is the application of the critical success factors (CSF) method, as this method helps to reduce the complexity of management tasks. In this way, this research aims to identify the CSFs for improving CWM on the construction sites of the municipality of Natal/RN (Brazil). The method was applied in five stages, including the literature review, questionnaire application, calculation of the questionnaire results, definition of CSF, and CSF interpretation with the help of interviews. Altogether, based on the 19 success factors selected in the review, 13 CSFs were defined based on quantitative analysis. The first three factors were as follows: CSF1—To develop and apply the Construction Waste Management Plan (CWMP) at the construction site; CSF2—To encourage the reduction of construction waste; and CSF3—To dispose of the construction waste generated at legally authorized sites or recyclers/cooperatives. Stakeholders of the sector in the city investigated in this study have mechanisms for effectively implanting the CWM practices at their construction sites, which, through measures aimed at the management of CW, will contribute to the minimization of waste generation in Natal/RN.