Reducing Landfill Waste in Sierra Leone with Construction Industry Material Waste Management

Abstract

Rapid material waste generation is linked to rising populations and expanding trade and industry in urban locations worldwide. The problem of material waste is particularly concerning in developing countries. Sierra Leone’s ability to provide vital sanitation services, such as material waste collection, recycling, and treatment, has been over-whelmed by population increase. The waste generated by the construction sector is a big challenge to be addressed. One of the biggest hurdles to attaining sustainability on construction sites has been the high volumes of waste created from construction works and placed in landfills. Defects in waste collection, transportation, disposal, and indiscriminate waste generation and dumping have resulted in episodic risks affecting the capital's overall population. The increase in population increases construction demand, generating tremendous waste as there are no waste management practices developed for the construction industry in the country. This study investigates construction waste sources or causes in project locations. It evaluates the existing measures for material waste minimization implemented by contractors in Sierra Leone. This study also investigates previous studies on construction waste sources and proposed waste minimization measures. The researcher visited four construction sites in Freetown. The waste types produced on the project sites, at various construction or demolition phases, were investigated to understand whether there were any waste management processes and how they were implemented and managed on these sites. The research includes interviews with site supervisors about waste reduction strategies and their benefits. The main reason for material waste, according to this study, was unskilled labour leading to rework. Two case studies consolidate the finding from the analysis. This research provides a solution for this waste source through the Last Planner System (LPS). There is a difference between "planning," which means creating strategies to accomplish goals, and "control," which means bringing strategy into practice to achieve goals. The LPS is to control project output. It directs the process toward the goals, takes action to advance along the intended course; and, if necessary, find alternate means of achieving the plans when the original path is impractical.