Recycling of construction and demolition waste in Brazil: 1986-2008

Abstract

Although the recycling of construction and demolition waste (CDW) is a recent activity in Brazil, it has grown substantially over last 5 years. This article aims to provide an overview on CDW recycling between 1986 and 2008 by analyzing the amount of building sites that have adopted CDW management and sorting; and the rate of implementation of recycling plants/year, their processing capacities, operational profiles (public or private), and operational conditions, especially medium and large-sized construction companies. About 1% of Brazilian construction companies have been assisted to devise CDW management plans. The results show that the amount of existing recycling plants has grown after CONAMA 307 resolution, but these still use a very simple recycling process. The quality control of the CDW aggregate must be improved in order to reduce its variability. Some alternatives to improve processing techniques, and the quality of CDW recycled aggregate are also presented. Such alternatives can potentially contribute to develop the market for CDW.