Integrated statutory waste management framework for the sustainable built environment

Purpose – Rapid urbanization and economic progress generate a significant quantity of waste from the built environment. Unawareness among the key stakeholders about the statutory requirements for waste management leads to ineffective practices and severe environmental concerns. The aim of this study is to develop an integrated statutory waste management framework (ISWMF) for the built environment to identify and implement the legal aspects of waste management practices in a national context. Design/methodology/approach – About eight waste management rules were considered to identify the statutory requirements from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. A total of 12 statutory requirements for the seven organizational contexts were identified. Through inferential statistics, stakeholder awareness about the legal requirements of waste management practices was assessed. An integrated statutory waste management framework was developed and evaluated by implementing it in a one-year case study project. Findings – The results observed that 70% of stakeholders in the built environment are unaware of the statutory requirements for the waste management practices. The framework's adoption correctly identified the statutory requirements for waste management practices in different organizational contexts. Implementing the statutory requirements in the case study project resulted in a reduction of 308 tons of CO2 emissions. Furthermore, the circular economy promoted 35.67 tons of recyclable materials. Also, enabled the organization to maintain all the compliance requirements related to the aspects of waste management. Research limitations/implications – The researchers will use the findings to understand the statutory requirements for waste management practices in the built environment. A continuous improvement interface shall be further developed to synchronize the upcoming amendments or changes in the statutory requirements. Practical implications – The research findings will enable industry practitioners or any organization to identify and understand their statutory requirements for waste management practices. Implementing the framework will mutually benefit the organization and the environment. Social implications – The research findings promote awareness about the statutory requirements of waste management practices among the stakeholders in the built environment. Furthermore, the actual implementation of the proposed framework significantly increases recycling promotion and reduces the environmental CO2 footprint. Originality/value – This study is the first to take into account the actual statutory requirements for various wastes generated from the built environment within a national context. The proposed framework can also be applied in other national contexts, taking into account the relevant waste management rules and acts. Additionally, the reported benefits encompass both environmental and economic aspects.