Wu, Huanyu (2020) Impacts of cross-regional mobility of construction and demolition waste in Australia. PhD thesis, University of Adelaide, Australia.
Abstract
There is a pressing global challenge to manage the massive generation of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, which amounts to over 10 billion tons per year and is part of the largest waste stream in the world. Inappropriate management of waste will generate a series of environmental, economic and social impacts. Recent reports suggest that multiple incentives cause C&D waste to be transported from the region where it was originally generated to other regions for further treatment. This cross-regional mobility will affect the amount of C&D waste being managed in the regions that export and import waste, thereby affecting the environmental, economic and social performance of the system. Previous studies adopted a local-closed theory to study C&D waste and there is little knowledge about cross-regional mobility of C&D waste and related impacts. To investigate these issues, this research was designed to understand the C&D waste treatment and management from a novel perspective addressing the impacts of the cross-regional mobility of the waste. This was done by: (1) investigating the management and cross-regional mobility of C&D waste in Australia; (2) evaluating the impacts of cross-regional mobility by using a novel methodology developed in this study; and (3) developing a series of recommendations for the management of C&D waste cross-regional mobility. Sufficient data was collected through a literature review, desktop surveys, site surveys, a series of expert interviews and a seminar, and professional databases to address all objectives. The study has generated many interesting results e.g., the reporting of in-depth knowledge of and the management status of C&D waste in Australia, including composition and generation, and fates1 and flows. Similarly, it quantified and mapped the C&D waste cross-regional mobility, including types of waste subjected to mobility, the routes of mobility, and associated regions. In terms of the impacts of C&D waste cross-regional mobility, the study demonstrates that if cross-regional mobility of C&D waste increases the recycling rate, this can reduce environmental impacts and increase industry income. With respect to the social aspect, if a considerable amount of C&D waste generated involved cross-regional mobility, employment opportunities for managing waste in regions that export waste will generally decrease. Based on the findings, ten optimisation strategies have been recommended for management of cross-regional mobility of C&D waste in Australia. This research is a first in Australia in considering cross-regional mobility of C&D waste management. The study offers an innovative research perspective by expanding the C&D waste management theory from the local-closed loop to a cross-regional network level. With respect to methodology, this study also improves management performance assessment methodologies for C&D waste by considering environmental, economic and social impacts of cross-regional mobility of waste. Novel assessment approaches, indicators, calculation methods and databases developed from the study will make a contribution to management performance assessment methodologies for C&D waste. In addition, the state-of-the-art information revealed in the study will enable local C&D waste management service providers to optimise their product category and investments.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Zuo, Jian; Zillante, George and Wang, Jiayuan |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction and demolition waste; construction waste; cross-regional mobility; waste management; sustainable construction; life cycle assessment |
| Index terms: | social aspect, waste management, environmental impact, state of the art, stream, methodology, survey, literature review, construction and demolition, strategy, life cycle assessment, sustainable construction, interview, performance assessment, social impact, construction waste, income, export, database, Australia, recycling, import, employment, mobility, social performance |
| Subjects: | Geography, sustainable construction, research methods, assessment methods, waste management, environmental impact, research dissemination and communication, economic analysis, water management, management, infrastructure and transport systems, data management, sociology, data collection methods, data analysis and analytics |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Research Practice, Urban Studies, Digital Applications, Human Resources, Sustainability, Geographical Context |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here