What
is Construction Waste? "Construction waste"
means any substance, matter or thing which is generated as a result of construction
work and abandoned whether or not it has been processed or stockpiled before being
abandoned. It is a mixture of surplus materials arising from site clearance, excavation,
construction, refurbishment, renovation, demolition and road works.
Over
90% of construction waste are inert and are known as public fill. Public fill
includes debris, rubble, earth and concrete which is suitable for land reclamation
and site formation.
When properly sorted, materials
such as concrete and asphalt can be recycled for use in construction.
The remaining non-inert substances in construction
waste include bamboo, timber, vegetation, packaging waste and other organic materials.
In contrast to public fill, non-inert waste is not suitable for land reclamation
and subject to recovery of reusable/ recyclable items, is disposed of at landfills.
The
Problem Disposal of public fill at public filling areas and
mixed construction waste at sorting facilities or landfills has been the major
approach for construction waste management. For sustainable development, we can
no longer rely solely on reclamation to accept most of the inert construction
waste. As such, the government is examining ways to reduce and also to promote
the reuse and recycling of construction waste. Nevertheless, there will still
be a substantial amount of materials that require disposal, either at public fill
reception facilities or at landfills. Today, we are running out of both
reclamation sites and landfill space. With the current trend, our landfills and public fill capacity will be depleted in the near future. In 2013, the mixed construction waste accounts for about 25% of the
total waste intake at the three existing landfills. If there are insufficient
public fill capacity and waste reduction measures being implemented, more public
fill would probably be diverted to landfills and the landfill life will be further
shortened. | 
