Barriers to circular economy practices during construction and demolition waste management in an emerging economy

The construction industry requires significant quantities of material and energy resources, which are either recycled or disposed as waste after demolition. Circular Economy (CE) facilitates the benefits of reuse and recycling of Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) and promotes the industry in cradle-to-cradle or “Resolve” paradigms. However, in emerging economies, the industry merely achieves to harness a negligible amount of the CDW's intrinsic monetary benefit and sustainability, due to multiple barriers to circular practices. This study examines barriers that obstruct the incorporation of circular economy practices in the Indian construction industry. The study uses Relative Importance Index (RII), Factor Analysis, and Regression analysis to arrive at a list of macro-environmental barriers to the use of CE in CDW. The findings are presented using the PESTEL framework, with Political, Social, and Economic factors being the dominant barriers to the use of CE in CDW in emerging economies. Results from this study point towards the need for better guidelines by regulators for recycling of CDW, incentive schemes, and overall capacity building in emerging economies.