Construction and Demolition Waste Management Actions and Potential Benefits: A Perspective from Trinidad and Tobago

Nigel Narcis,Indrajit Ray,Gino Hosein

doi:10.3390/buildings9060150

Abstract

A study was conducted to identify the primary sources and types of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, determine current and potential management actions which can be applied to the respective wastes, and assess the potential benefits, barriers, and recommendations towards the implementation of a C&D waste management plan in Trinidad and Tobago—a Caribbean Small Island Developing State (SIDS). This process is lacking locally, and will benefit decision makers and other stakeholders in proper management of C&D waste. Currently, the primary method of waste disposal is landfilling. The structured questionnaire survey method was used to collect the data, and data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA with appropriate post-tests. Results showed that wood, plastic, cardboard, gypsum board, and steel were identified as the most wasted materials on site, with the top sources being attributable to design, operations, and residual causes. It can be inferred that if materials are not being reused, they are being landfilled, as these were the two primary waste treatment methods identified as being used for all materials. If waste management practice gathers enough support from all respective authorities and stakeholders, the general consensus is that all materials listed have recycle/reuse potential in Trinidad and Tobago. The top agreed upon advantages of C&D waste management were all directly related to sustainability, and the barriers to implementation identified were related to general lack of support from respective stakeholders and authorities. From the overall results, it can be concluded that there is not enough evidence to suggest that larger contractors have more positive attitudes and behaviors towards C&D waste management. Although the data are local, the findings from this research can be used as guidelines by the other Caribbean SIDS nations in formulating/comparing their own waste management practices.

Highlights

IntroductionOver the past few years, sustainability has become a topic that is being marketed by governmental organizations and educational institutions globally
It is clear that, when properly implemented, a construction and demolition (C&D) waste management plan will provide many benefits: to contractors in the form of cost savings, to the environment in the form of resource efficiency, and to the general public by improving public health and reducing social issues caused by waste
It was revealed that the top five (5) materials identified as being most wasted on construction sites in Trinidad and Tobago were: (1) Wood; (2) Plastic; (3) Cardboard; (4) Gypsum board; (5) Steel

Summary

Introduction

Over the past few years, sustainability has become a topic that is being marketed by governmental organizations and educational institutions globally. Trinidad and Tobago, a Caribbean Small Island Developing State (SIDS), is lagging behind in efforts to become more sustainable, as wastage continues and landfill use increases. Landfilling is the primary method of final waste disposal in Trinidad and Tobago. One thousand (1000) tonnes of waste is disposed of per day, divided among nine (9) operating disposal sites in Trinidad and Tobago; the four (4) main landfill sites being the Beetham site, the Forres Park site, the Guanapo site, and the Guapo site [1]. Solid waste management in Trinidad and Tobago has become an issue of Buildings 2019, 9, 150; doi:10.3390/buildings9060150 www.mdpi.com/journal/buildings

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