Quantifying the impact of Construction Waste Charging Scheme on construction waste management in Hong Kong

Abstract

A considerable amount of solid wastes is generated every year from construction and demolition (C&D) activities in Hong Kong. The C&D waste can be classified into inert and noninert wastes, in which the inert waste is normally disposed of in public fills as reclamation materials and the noninert waste is dumped at landfills. Under the current waste generation trend, all landfills and public fills in Hong Kong will be used up within a few years. To tackle this problem, in December of 2005, the Hong Kong Government implemented the Construction Waste Disposal Charging Scheme (CWDCS) to provide financial incentives to C&D waste generators to reduce waste and encourage reuse and recycling. This paper presents the results of a study to explore the perceptions of the Hong Kong construction participants toward the CWDCS after three years of implementation. The study was conducted by a survey with follow-up interviews to experienced professionals in the building industry. The results revealed no consensus view among the construction participants on C&D waste reduction, especially regarding on-site waste sorting and recycling. The findings also revealed that 40% of the survey respondents believed that waste reduction is less than 5% after CWDCS was implemented. The interviewees expressed that some waste generation was unavoidable, although a waste disposal charge has been imposed. In addition, 30% of survey respondents agreed that the cost of CWDCS was not high enough to raise awareness about waste management on construction sites.