Recycling of construction and demolition waste (CDW) towards sustainable beneficial outcomes

Abstract: Population growth, industrialization and infrastructure development have continued to result in large amounts of construction and demolition waste (CDW) been dumped in landfills. The various enormous construction, demolition, remodeling, restructuring, renovation and repairs on domestic and industrial buildings as well as projects on infrastructure growth generate vast amounts of CDW considered low risk but of high volume. In South Africa and other African countries, CDW often ends up in landfills for lack of feasible recycling and reuse options. Considering the quantity of CDW insistently generated, it is expected that these wastes are converted to wealth if appreciated as useful resource for energy recovery, recycling or reuse. The need for recycling and reuse alternatives have increased in recent years with pressing concerns on the impacts of landfill disposal of CDW on the environment and human health. Irrespective of growing concerns, it is clear that landfilling will remain the main waste management disposal system for CDW in the foreseeable future. Hence, the study pinpoints the importance of recycling and reusing CDW towards beneficial outcomes. CDW can be profitably harnessed if properly sorted, crushed and sieved using the cheapest appropriate technology possible for concrete works. If well established, recycling and reuse alternatives can be efficiently implemented by incorporation into concrete technology with keen eyes for low cost housing schemes for social benefits