Recycling of construction and demolition waste (CDW) towards sustainable beneficial outcomes
- Authors: Agbenyeku, E. Emmanuel , Aigbavboa, Clinton
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Landfill , Recycling , Construction and Demolition Waste
- Language: English
- Type: Conference proceedings
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/72824 , uj:18333 , Citation: Agbenyeku, E.E. & Aigbavboa, C. 2015. Recycling of construction and demolition waste (CDW) towards sustainable beneficial outcomes.
- Description: Abstract: Population growth, industrialization and infrastructure development have continued to result in large amounts of construction and demolition waste (CDW) been dumped in landfills. The various enormous construction, demolition, remodeling, restructuring, renovation and repairs on domestic and industrial buildings as well as projects on infrastructure growth generate vast amounts of CDW considered low risk but of high volume. In South Africa and other African countries, CDW often ends up in landfills for lack of feasible recycling and reuse options. Considering the quantity of CDW insistently generated, it is expected that these wastes are converted to wealth if appreciated as useful resource for energy recovery, recycling or reuse. The need for recycling and reuse alternatives have increased in recent years with pressing concerns on the impacts of landfill disposal of CDW on the environment and human health. Irrespective of growing concerns, it is clear that landfilling will remain the main waste management disposal system for CDW in the foreseeable future. Hence, the study pinpoints the importance of recycling and reusing CDW towards beneficial outcomes. CDW can be profitably harnessed if properly sorted, crushed and sieved using the cheapest appropriate technology possible for concrete works. If well established, recycling and reuse alternatives can be efficiently implemented by incorporation into concrete technology with keen eyes for low cost housing schemes for social benefits.
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Impacts of landfill disposal of construction and demolition waste (CDW)
- Authors: Agbenyeku, E. Emmanuel , Aigbavboa, Clinton O. , Kukoyi, T. Oladayo
- Date: 2015
- Subjects: Leachate , Landfill , Construction and demolition waste
- Language: English
- Type: Conference proceedings
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/70169 , uj:17964 , Citation: Agbenyeku, E.E., Aigbavboa, O.C. & Kukoyi, T.O. 2015. Impacts of landfill disposal of construction and demolition waste (CDW).
- Description: Abstract: Growing population, industrialization and infrastructure development have resulted in enormous waste generation over the past decades. The disposal of vast amounts of waste remains a major challenge. However, in the globalized world recycling has become a main option for managing wastes while in other parts of the globe, landfilling is resorted to because of waste handling difficulties. South Africa is one of many countries where landfilling activities is high, as roughly 75 % of daily generated solid waste is disposed in landfills. This includes massive amounts of construction and demolition wastes (CDW) from reconstruction and development activities. South Africa depends on landfilling as a system of waste management which in the foreseeable future would linger on till feasible recycling options are initiated. Consequentially, the generation and seepage of leachate into soil, ground and surface water reserves is probable in such dump sites due to exposure of the waste bodies to rain and run-off water. A bespoke device was used in the study to investigate the impacts of disposing CDW in open dumps with mind for an unlined site relying on the geology of the area as worst case scenario. To generate leachate, the device was coupled with CDW in a bottom chamber and de-ionized water seeped through from a reservoir. Arsenic, Copper and Chromium from the generated leachate were analyzed by full spectral method on the effluent and were compared to South African standard of drinking water. Although, concentration levels of the targeted ions decreased through the test, it was clear that if CDW is not properly disposed, could contribute to consequential impacts on human and environmental health over time. Keywords Leachate, Landfill, Construction and Demolition Waste, Bespoke device.
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