The impact of green buildings accreditation on construction and demolition waste minimization: A study of Hong Kong Building Environment Assessment Method using big data.

Abstract

Construction and demolition (C&D) waste often constitutes a prodigious portion of the total municipal solid waste in contributing to the environment degradation. C&D waste minimization, which is a sustainable activity for both environment and material resources, serves as an indispensible element of green building assessment systems worldwide. How green building accreditation impacts on C&D waste minimization is a valid and important research question for green building award applicants, policy-makers and other stakeholders, which was seldom studied using a quantitative approach. Therefore, this paper aims to quantify the waste minimization which existing green building assessment system can be used to achieve by analyzing a big dataset of C&D waste management recorded in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015 in Hong Kong. The waste generation rates are compared between buildings awarded with and without Hong Kong Building Environment Assessment Method (HK-BEAM) prizes to illustrate the impact of HK-BEAM on C&D waste minimization. The research findings will not only present accurately quantified effect on CWM led by green building accreditation, but also provide stakeholders with a reference for making strategies and policies on C&D waste management and green building.