Recycled waste of construction industry in Malaysia: A review

Abstract

The increasing demand in the construction industry has led to a vast development in recent years. However, the impacts of this development are arising such as the increasing amount of waste. The majority of construction solid waste is dumped in landfills despite of its recyclable potential. Therefore, there should be a more viable solution to answer this issue. The objective of literature review is to obtain the information of each kind of construction waste that is most recycled with the methods. The review is based on the articles related to the recycled waste issues in Malaysia. In terms of recycling methods, paper and cardboard waste is mostly recycled into new paper while asphalt waste does have potential as aggregates for new asphalt layer. Moreover, brick and glass waste which are commonly found in demolition can be turned into pozzolanic materials and filler or glass fibre respectively. Meanwhile, the metals waste may be recycled as new metals while plastic waste can be turned into other plastic products or composite. Lastly, the timber and concrete waste can be recycled as boards and concrete aggregates respectively. The recycling system of construction waste is regulated by several bodies in Malaysia: National Solid Waste Management Department, Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation Malaysia (SWCorp), and Department of Environment Malaysia.