BENGALURU: Construction waste is a major problem that persists in India, however, none of the stakeholders including builders, developers and individuals buying commercial and residential spaces are inclined to convert the debris into resourceful materials that can reduce building costs.
To address this, Bengaluru-based NGO Saahas Zero Waste (SZW) partnered with Space Matrix, a design consultancy firm to ensure sustainable disposal of construction waste across its projects. The initiative, Re:Source, aims to integrate circular economy concepts into construction and demolition (C&D) waste management in India starting with Bengaluru and a few other cities.
The firm will segregate construction waste at the source level after which Saahas with minimal processing through its partners convert the waste into the same or other types of materials. This recycling will have a positive impact on the environment and be cost-effective for stakeholders. Usually, construction materials cost 50-60 percent of a project’s budget.
Akshay Lakhanpal, CEO, Space Matrix, said, “Despite existing policy frameworks like the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016, responsible disposal remains a daunting challenge in India. Through our collaboration, we have taken proactive steps to lead this change. We discussed the project’s objective and details with our clients, and they were completely on board to work with us to reduce the environmental impact of the construction waste and comply with the regulations.”
In its pilot project for a brownfield fit-out (already constructed land) in the city for an area which spanned 19,570 square feet, it generated over 43 tonnes of waste between August and November 2023. During the project use of effective recycling and reuse methodologies resulted in a 48 per cent reduction in landfill waste. There was also a reduction of 15.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions, 20.5 tonnes of materials were recycled, and 0.4 tonnes were sent for co-processing.
Currently, India accounts for 35 percent to 40 percent of construction waste globally, but just about 1% of the waste materials are recycled, and the rest end up in landfills. The green building certification lists that 85-95% of the recycling rate should be achieved during construction but doesn’t.
“The segregated waste can be of different types such as plywood, concrete, ceiling and floor tiles, insulation frameworks and more. In the future, we want to be able to build a robust ecosystem where we can recycle this material and use it in our own projects so that we become completely sustainable. Currently, there are limitations and loopholes in the system that need to be addressed,” said Sandhya Hegde, Head -Operations, Sustainable Solutions, Space Matrix.
Meanwhile, Shobha Raghavan, COO Saahas Zero Waste, speaking about the urgency for recycling said in the context of India’s overall C&D waste, these circular economy principles can significantly address environmental concerns and contribute to the fight against climate change.