Toward Improving Smart Waste Management in the South African Construction Industry: A Delphi Survey

Abstract

Managing construction and demolition waste (C&DW) demands a fresh perspective and significant advancements to attain a zero-waste circular economy (CE). Yet, in practice, many nations continue to generate increasing amounts of waste, creating a substantial challenge to environmental sustainability. While smart technologies offer potential solutions for transforming C&DW into a CE, numerous obstacles remain. This research, therefore, aims to investigate the strategies for improving smart waste management (SWM) in the South African construction industry. The study utilized a two-round Delphi survey to achieve consensus among expert panels. It focused on 30 strategies identified through content analysis of prior research. Data analysis involved descriptive and inferential tests, with the findings validated through interrater agreement analysis. Five (5) strategies for improving SWM were categorized into; policy and regulatory enforcement, technological integration, circular economy practices, economic feasibility, and stakeholder collaboration and engagement. The top five strategies, in descending order of significance, are penalties for noncompliance in SWM, investment in onsite recycling technologies, waste reduction strategies that decrease carbon footprint, embracing the reuse of construction materials, and affordable cost of waste management services. The study contributes practically by offering actionable insights to guide the implementation of SWM.