Construction waste management performance in green building: Contextualising LEED in China

Abstract

Construction waste issues have raised considerable concern in recent decades. Green building (GB) has been adopted around the globe as a strategy to curtail building-related environmental issues, including construction waste. Particularly in China, with the soaring construction activities tied to urbanization and urban regeneration, massive construction waste has been generated, imposing tremendous pressure on the industry and beyond. China is also vigorously pursuing a national GB strategy, but its effects on construction waste management (CWM) are yet to be confirmed. This paper evaluates CWM performance in GB by putting the dyads into China's particular Political, Economic, Social, and Technical (PEST) context. By analysing a total of 310 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited GB projects in China, it is surprisingly discovered that GB does not prominently improve CWM. The paper goes further to understand the causes of the mediocre CWM performance, by conducting ten semi-structured interviews with GB and CWM practitioners in China. Finally, a comprehensive PEST analysis is conducted to discuss the situation in the context of China. Factors such as (a) incomplete CWM regulations in China, (b) lack of economic incentives, (c) lacklustre awareness about CWM, and (d) lack of advanced technologies, caused the CWM performance in GB. Based on the PEST analyses, some targeted strategies are also recommended. This study is of benefits to both researchers and practitioners in the GB industry.