Journal of Cleaner Production 221 (2019) 167e175

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Journal of Cleaner Production

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jclepro

Construction and demolition waste management in Saudi Arabia:

Current practice and roadmap for sustainable management
Nawaf I. Blaisi
Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O Box 1982, Dammam, Saudi Arabia

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's (KSA) population growth has demanded that the country expand its
Received 24 December 2017 housing and infrastructure inventory inevitably resulting in an accumulation of construction and de-
Received in revised form molition waste (C&D) that has the potential for the promotion of environmentally sound waste
18 September 2018
management practices. Prior to implementing best practices in the region, there is an impending need
Accepted 26 February 2019
to first understand C&D generation in the KSA. This study investigated the current challenges for
Available online 27 February 2019
managing C&D debris in the Eastern Province region in Saudi Arabia. Likewise, it provided a roadmap
and solution to manage C&D debris in relation to existing legislations and generation of C&D debris. A
Keywords:
Construction and demolition waste
review of existing regulations governing C&D was conducted through the use of interviews held with
Management relevant governmental and technical officials, over 200 surveys were administered to academic,
Saudi Arabia governmental and industrial stakeholders. Data was collected from a landfill to help quantify the
Construction and demolition amount of C&D flowing through the Kingdom's Eastern Province and construction sites were observed
to better understand how waste generators were disposing of C&D. Based on assessment of C&D waste
generation, regulation and management policies, major issues were revealed that included: (i) lack of
institution collaboration (academic, governmental and private sectors), (ii) immature strategic policies
for effective C&D management and recycling, (iii) limited coordination among C&D regulators and
generators, (iv) lack of motives, awareness and incentives to manage C&D, (v) lacking enforceable law
for debris generators (vi) improper infrastructure for disposal of landfills and absence of treatment
facilities and (vii) no suitable plan of sustainable management of landfills. C&D management can be
effectively grouped by considering three major factors, mainly: (i) economic, (ii) regulatory, and (iii)
technical factors. The key points include “promoting C&D waste recycling”, “encouraging adoption of
recycled materials to construction industry”, “enforcing regulations to prohibit illegal dumping”, and
“landfill disposal and recycling fees for debris generators”. Several other factors are also proposed and
discussed within the framework of this research. Finally, potential avenues by which environmentally
sound construction and demolition waste management practices can be imported for use within Saudi
Arabia's unique geographical and cultural climate were introduced as a roadmap containing alternative
solutions for C&D management.
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction urbanization trends progress, it is projected that the EP will absorb

a large number of new residents as indicated by governmental and
Over the last 30 years the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has private investment in the region (JLL, 2017). As a result, the KSA will
undergone rapid urbanization, spurred by high fertility rates, soon need to address the impacts this will have on the region's
immigration and rural migration to city centers (Alqurashi and generation of construction and demolition waste (C&D).
Kumar, 2016). This mass influx into urban areas has increased de- Construction and Demolition Waste (C&D) is considered a main
mand for basic infrastructure to support housing and trans- component of solid waste generation in the Kingdom of Saudi
portation needs (Opoku and Abdul-Muhmin, 2010). As Arabia (Eastern Province Municipality, 2017). Due to its severe
impacts such as resource depletion (Kofoworola and Gheewala,
2009), deterioration of land (Ferguson, 1995), pollution associ-
ated to noise, air and dust and toxic waste discharge the
E-mail address: [email protected].

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0959-6526/© 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
168 N.I. Blaisi / Journal of Cleaner Production 221 (2019) 167e175

minimizing of C&D is a high priority (Yuan et al., 2011). Further- 1.1. C&D basics
more, current waste management practices in the region lag
behind environmentally sustainable best practices implemented in Construction and demolition waste is regarded as inert material
other parts of the world (Begum et al., 2007a; Peng et al., 1997). In and has high environmental risk, because of severe aesthetic
last decade, the feasibility and efficient management of C&D waste impact, leachates, pollution associated to toxicity of raw materials
has been widely published by many researchers and engineers. and its disposal in uncontrolled landfills may cause harmful con-
Their findings concluded that the key elements for successful C&D sequences (Clark et al., 2006). It is generated from several con-
management includes (i) awareness of waste management (ii) struction, demolition, and renovation activities including
waste management regulations and systems (iii) sustainable demolition of roads, buildings, and includes materials generated
building technologies and (iv) R&D in waste management (Lu from site activities (e.g., land clearing debris) (Clark et al., 2006).
et al., 2011; Lu and Yuan, 2010). For example, in 1996 an esca- The debris is mixed in nature and is highly dependent on its origin,
lating landfill tax was introduced in the United Kingdom resulting but it can generally be described as including building materials
in a declining trend of overall diversion of waste to landfills up to such as wood, metal, cardboard, gypsum and concrete or infra-
the present day (Reid, 2000). A similar trend was observed in structure materials such as reclaimed asphalt and soil (Chen and Lu,
Germany after the passage of its Landfill Ordinance in 2009, 2017; Poon, 1997).
however, progressive taxation of this nature must be well enforced A myriad of potentially hazardous material such as heavy metals
otherwise it may unintentionally promote illegal dumping. It is (arsenic, lead and mercury) have been identified as originating in
estimated that several hundred thousand tons of waste was ille- C&D (Sheridan et al., 2000). Other pollutants, including asbestos,
gally dumped in German landfills as a result of specific provisions originate in building products and pose a risk to human health if
(progressive taxes and a landfill ban) in the Landfill Ordinance not disposed of correctly (Clark et al., 2006). Furthermore, these
which increased landfilling fees beyond economic sustainability pollutants pose an immediate risk to the environment in which
for stakeholders (Reid, 2000). Likewise, in Spain, the legislation they are generated (e.g. demolition of a building) and not just when
demonstrated that all construction associated bodies are obliga- they are disposed of in landfills (Yuan, 2017). A growing awareness
tory to follow protocols and impose necessary actions to produce of illegal dumping, potential C&D recycling opportunities, and an
less C&D waste and manage it appropriately (Rodríguez et al., overall sense of environmental awareness has resulted in a desire to
2015). implement better C&D management practices in the KSA and other
Previous studies have also attempted for effective utilization parts of the world (Lockrey et al., 2016).
and recycling of C&D waste for new construction products. The
recycle and reuse C&D waste could be used as concrete and ma-
sonry (Lim and Zollinger, 2003). For instance, in few countries, road
engineers have promoted recycled C&D waste as a suitable road 1.2. C&D generation rate in Saudi Arabia's Eastern province - Saudi
based material (Poon and Chan, 2006). According to Hendriks and Arabia
Janssen (2001), nearly 90% of the C&D processed after recycling
system is generally composed of masonry and concrete. To get it The increase in the KSA's generation of municipal solid waste
implanted, the government role is to emphasize the utilization of can be traced back to increased urbanization levels, which have
processed C&D waste as a raw material for new construction sites. risen from 50% in 1970 to 80% in 2015 (Al-Hajj and Hamani, 2011)
Few studies have also investigated determining the optimal loca- and has occurred in tandem with population growth rates that have
tion and number of facilities such as recycling plants (Rodríguez averaged 3.4% per year over the past 40 years (Ouda et al., 2015).
et al., 2015). The increased demands of urbanization have also led to a rapid
Based on reviewed literature, to date, no comprehensive study development of residential and commercial units in the country's
of the construction and demolition waste stream in the kingdom of Eastern Province (JLL, 2017). These three factors will contribute
Saudi Arabia has occurred. Therefore, the aim of this study is to significantly to the amount of C&D generated in the EP as a pro-
provide the current challenges for managing C&D debris effectively, portion of municipal solid waste. However, this too suffers from
as well as provide roadmap and solution to manage C&D debris in incomplete datasets and is a potential target for future scientific
relation to existing legislations and generation of C&D debris. inquiry.
Implementing a suitable C&D management program in the Only one landfill in the EP, which is owned and operated by the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will affect a variety of stakeholders Eastern Province Municipality, agreed to provide data to re-
ranging from national and local authorities to businesses and searchers to help quantify how much C&D waste is generated in the
households (Kartam et al., 2004). This is compounded by the po- region. The EP landfill examined in this study accepts both
tential secondary and tertiary impacts that C&D generation may municipal solid waste (MSW) and C&D. Data obtained from Saudi
have on environmental degradation and human health (Clark et al., Arabia's Eastern Province Municipality on C&D generation, from
2006). Thus, construction and demolition waste streams must be 2010 to 2015, shows a sharp increase in C&D from 2010 to 2013,
fully understood before implementation of any national or regional peaking at just over 250,000 tons in 2013 and declining to 100,000
waste management programs. Due to the impending need to un- tons in 2015 (Fig. 1). This decrease is due to economic instability in
derstand C&D generation in the KSA, more than 200 surveys of the kingdom (Baumeister and Kilian, 2015). Consequently, with the
existing regulations governing C&D was conducted through the use development in economic growth, the C&D waste showed an in-
of interviews/emails held with relevant governmental and tech- crease to 131,436 and 142,985 tons in the following year 2016 and
nical officials to better understand and then summarize each 2017, respectively. However, this data only represents a part of the
regulation. C&D management practices currently being conducted total amount of C&D generated in the KSA's EP. Moreover, the
in the KSA were then outlined and discussed with respect to how presented data did not represent illegal dumping as discussed in
they were affected by applicable regulatory policy, and finally, po- section 3.2, which according to officials accounts for a higher rate.
tential avenues by which environmentally sound construction and Over the past decade, four additional landfills have been built in the
demolition waste management practices can be imported for use EP (Eastern Province Municipality, 2017). However, those sites
within Saudi Arabia's unique geographical and cultural climate operate privately and declined to provide landfill data to
were discussed. researchers.
 N.I. Blaisi / Journal of Cleaner Production 221 (2019) 167e175 169

waste were then generated and sent to the solid waste division at
the municipality for verification and standardization. Key thor-
oughfares and large construction sites in the Eastern Province were
observed for a period of 12 months with the approval of the EP
municipality. Observations were conducted by researchers at a
minimum of four times per month. Data collected included noting
how waste was disposed of at construction sites and whether waste
had accumulated alongside key thoroughfares and roadways, spe-
cial attention was paid to roads that led to landfills.
More than 100 semi-structured interviews were separately
conducted with different officials ranged from academia (total 64,
72% response rate through email presenting the Saudi Arabian
universities), landfill operators (total 3, 100% response rate through
personal interview representing the Eastern Province (two from
Saudi Aramco and Jubail Royal Commission, and a third one from
the uncontrolled landfill located in the Eastern Province), waste
generators (total 10, 100% response rate through personal interview
from the Eastern province), solid waste expert (total 35, 85%
response rate with 31 via email and 4 personal interviews).
Fig. 1. C&D generation of the Eastern Province landfill. Over two hundred surveys were administered to key stake-
holders in the academic, private and governmental sectors at a C&D
management symposium organized by Imam Abdulrahman bin
2. Methodology
Faisal University's (IAU) College of Engineering in April 25, 2017.
Focus groups were held with stakeholders where they could
A composite research method consisting of review of EP solid
answer the survey questions with research assistants on hand to
waste regulations, interviewees (personal, email and phone) with
answer questions resulting in a 100% response rate. The symposium
several officials (academic, government and land operators), data
also organized with several presentations and their titles are
from uncontrolled landfills, and symposia (surveys, presentation
mentioned in Table 1. These presentations were delivered by ex-
and group discussions) was adopted to fully understand the C & D
perts from the field, governmental, academic, and private sectors.
waste management in EP of kingdom. Initially, the sample of the
Lastly, the symposium was followed by 2 h discussion session. An
population to be surveyed was clearly defined and a database was
additional 55 surveys (100% response rate) were administered to
built. This includes academics, government officials, policy makers,
landfill operators, waste generators and governmental officials by
waste generators and landfill operators dealing with C & D waste
researchers at various sites throughout the EP. The major questions
management. The brief description of each is as summarized in the
to interviewees are listed in Table 2. Data obtained from surveys
following sections.
were codified into key words and categorized based on sector:
Eastern Province solid waste regulations were reviewed and
academic, governmental and industry. Summaries of survey data
summarized into one page or less documents. Summaries were
are presented in section 3.3.
then reviewed and approved by officials at relevant regulatory
agencies. Regulatory officials were contacted either in-person via
one on one interviews, via telephone, or through electronic 3. Current regulations governing C&D in Saudi Arabia
communication for verification and comment on regulations. Upon
final approval from regulatory agencies, each summarized regula- In Saudi Arabia, environmental protection regulations are gov-
tion was then verified a final time by the Eastern Province Munic- erned by multiple agencies that operate under the direction of an
ipality before being presented in the results section. Environmental Council whose goal is to ensure that Saudi Arabia is
Construction and demolition waste data were obtained from the ranked amongst the top 20 environmentally friendly nations across
Saudi Arabian Eastern Province Municipality's solid waste division. the globe and that the Kingdom's sustainable development goals
Researchers in conjunction with administrators of the EP landfill are achieved by 2020 (Khan, 2016). The three major regulatory
maintained daily records cataloging the weight of C&D hauled into bodies that make up the Environmental Council are the Presidency
the landfill. Weekly reports summarizing the quantity of C&D of Meteorology and Environment (PME), the Ministry of Municipal

Table 1
Details of experts and presentations held in IAU.

Expert Position/Affiliation Presentation Title

No

1 Chairman/Environmental engineering department,IAU Construction and Demolition Debris Management from the Environmental and Beneficial Use
Sides
2 Director of waste, minerals and resources/AECOM Construction Waste Management - International Good Practice Review
corporation)
3 Counselor/Ministry of Environment water and agriculture Waste Management and National Environmental Strategy in Saudi Arabia
4 Dean/College of engineering, IAU A framework of Sustainable Life Cycle Waste Management for Construction projects in Saudi
Arabia
5 Specialist/Environment protection department, Saudi The Role of EIA in Mitigating the Impacts of C&D Waste
Aramco
6 Head/Solid waste management, eastern province The role of Eastern Province Municipality for managing C&D waste
municipality
7 Chairman/Construction engineering department,IAU Potential Use of Construction Waste in Construction Industry in Saudi Arabia
170 N.I. Blaisi / Journal of Cleaner Production 221 (2019) 167e175

Table 2
Questioner presented to the key stake holders.

Questions- Academic officials; policy makers; waste generators; land operators

1 What are the roles of academia, solid waste authorities, generators and land operators for solving and managing C&D waste issues?
2 What are the main issues with managing C&D waste in Saudi Arabia?
3 The Kingdom developed Vision 2030, how that will help solving C&D issues? What are the C&D waste generators roles with Vision 2030?
4 Do the authorities, and waste generators consult with academia for C&D related matters?
5 Why the Kingdom is behind with implementing good C&D management?
6 Why are there lack of cooperation with the academic sector?
7 How do authorities making sure waste generators are obeying the C&D management regulations?
8 What are the main obstucles dealing with authorities in issues related to C&D management?
9 Why research concerning C&D are lacking in Saudi Arabia?
10 Any incentives from the authorities for good C&D management practices?
11 Do C&D generators keep track of C&D data related matters (e.g., generation weigh)?
12 Overall, there are no engineered landfill in the Kingdom, except few and owned by big companies like Saudi Aramco. Why?
13 The US and other developed countries developed good landfill operation with tipping fees and other requirements, any chance to adopt some of these initiatives?
14 How can we go forward with C&D issues from the academic, authorities', waste generator and land operator standpoint of view?

and Rural Affairs (MOMRA) and the Ministry of Environment, precautions for storage, safe transport, treatment and disposal. The
Water and Agriculture (MEWA). The brief details of their main re- waste generators shall coordinate and cooperate with regulatory
sponsibilities are stated in Table 3. authorities to determine the procedures related to the final disposal
MEWA, previously known as the Ministry of Agriculture, was of the waste resulting from drilling, demolition and construction
established by Royal Decree No, A/133, in 2016 and is tasked with operations, while ensuring that all precautions necessary to protect
authoring all regulation pertaining to environmental matters while the environment and its natural resources have been taken into
MOMRA is responsible for the governance of solid waste manage- consideration.
ment in the Eastern Province. The PME was established by Royal An additional MOMRA regulation defines the terms construc-
Decree No. 7/B/13061, on August 25, 2001, and tasked with tion and demolition waste as being:
authoring environmental policies in Saudi Arabia. Each of these … produced from construction, maintenance, demolition and
regulatory authorities have overlapping responsibilities that have settlement, as well as waste from road paving and other materials.
made it difficult to govern C&D with cohesive and clear legislation. MOMRA sets a number of rules for governing management of
This issue is common in other industrialized nations and is a result solid waste streams including rules for C&D disposal, as well as
of complex policy issues becoming increasingly difficult to regulate rules for transporting the debris to landfills as summarized below.
as the shared responsibilities of governmental agencies continue to Chapter 9 section 23 of the MOMRA solid waste management
overlap (FAO & WHO, 2001). This increased complexity leads to less legislation:
cross-talk among departments and further exacerbates the issue
(Alomirah et al., 2010).
Requires owners of buildings and structures under construction
or restoration and drilling sites to erect a temporary fence
around the building and prevent the placement of any waste
3.1. C&D legislation language outside the confines of the fencing

Encourages owners of completed buildings and buildings still
Decree No. 7/B/13061 under section 12, developed by PME under construction or restoration to allocate containers for
specifies the regulatory language governing C&D as: waste collection and ease of transfer to designated sites
A person who digs, destroys, builds or transfers any waste or
dust resulting from these works shall take the necessary

Table 3
C&D management authorities.

C&D authorities Main responsibilities

Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME)
Evaluate overall environmental matters, including collection of samples and conducting
environmental research

Enforce environmental regulation established by MEWA

Promote environmental awareness

Monitor pollutant emissions in the air, water, and land for compliance with MEWA regulations

Inspect pollutant generators within the domain of the Eastern Province municipality

Conduct environmental tests on water, land, and air samples
Ministry of Water, Agriculture and Environment (MEWA)
Establish of national environmental protection strategies

Develop legislation and regulation governing all aspects of the environment, including solid waste
related matters

Review and evaluate existing legislation and suggest amendments in coordination with responsible
regulatory authorities

Supervise the conduct of strategic studies and research on the environment
Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs (MOMRA) - Solid waste
Execute all solid waste management projects such as design and landfill location
management
License solid waste management projects to subcontractors

Implementation of Solid waste management rules and regulations

Analyze the performance of those contractors who are working on solid waste management projects

Train all employees regarding solid waste management

Induct investment bidding in solid waste management

Enforce penalties who violates rules regarding solid waste management
 N.I. Blaisi / Journal of Cleaner Production 221 (2019) 167e175 171

Establishes a directory of owners that are seeking contractors implementation of new and improved waste management prac-
for rehabilitation or renovation of their properties and makes tices in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. Additionally, local sym-
this directory available to licensed contractors for bidding posia were held to administer surveys and questionnaires (Table 2)
purposes to key stakeholders involved in the management of C&D to better

Authorizes and issues licenses for new developments, restora- identify these issues. The symposium “Construction and Demoli-
tion of old buildings and waste hauling tion Waste (C&D) Management, Gaps and Opportunities” is the first

Inspects construction sites and work done by waste haulers to of its kind in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia concerning C&D waste,
prevent illegal dumping held in April 25, 2017 at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University in

Issues fines and citations for illegal dumping of debris cooperation with the Saudi Arabian Section of the Air and Waste
Management Association (ETMA). The main aim is to tackle the
As indicated by the summary of legislation pertaining to C&D management, treatment and disposal of C&D waste, as well as
above, it was determined that legislation regulating the collection, presentation from the academic and private sectors associated with
treatment or disposal of C&D is sparse compared to legislation in current management practices, environmental impact assessment,
other developed countries (European Commission 2012). Further- life cycle assessment framework, and beneficial use of C&D waste
more, the legislation summarized above does not contain any followed by open discussion with all involved parties. Represen-
language intended to guide regional authorities on best practices or tatives from the presidency of Meteorology and Environment,
waste prevention. Dammam Municipality, Saudi Aramco professionals, academia, and
private sectors attended (314 total number of attendees). In the end
3.2. Current disposal management practice of C&D of 2018, the organizers will be planning to conduct another follow
up C&D symposium. Fig. 3 shows some photographs taken during
In Saudi Arabia, contractors play an important role in collecting symposium discussion session. Results of these activities are
C&D which has shown a marked increase in the KSA's landfills summarized in Table 4. Four key stakeholders were identified after
compared to other kinds of waste (Kartam et al., 2004). This debris conducting interviews and administering surveys: academics,
originates from demolitions, renovations, and infrastructure pro- policy makers, and industry stakeholders such as waste generators
jects. The collected waste is supposed to be taken directly from and landfill operators.
demolition and construction sites by licensed waste haulers who Surveys administered to academics (total 64, with 72% response
are subcontracted to perform this task (Eastern Province rate) demonstrated that the point of major concern for them was a
Municipality, 2017). Unfortunately, data collected from observa- lack of data pertaining to the total amount and methods by which
tions indicate that these subcontractors regularly dump the C&D in C&D is managed in the KSA. This lack of data severely impairs their
uncontrolled sites or along roadsides resulting in contamination of ability to make informed decisions and function as objective facil-
the waste, blocked roadways and undesirable views. Based on the itators amongst key stake holders. Some barriers that were cited in
interviews from, senior officials of municipality and land operator, surveys and focus groups held with academic stake holders
nearly 13% of C & D disposed in uncontrolled sites. Data obtained included: data is difficult to obtain from privately controlled land-
from observing construction sites in the EP also demonstrated that fills due to a desire to protect trade secrets from competitors, in-
these sites improperly dispose of C&D on site without the use of a dustry stakeholders are reluctant to trust academics due to a
container which results in an accumulation of C&D and extensive perceived lack of expertise in the area, when data is made available
delays before it is transferred to a landfill. Fig. 2 (A-B) shows the to academics it is done on the basis of personal relationships as
photograph of C&D dumped in one of the university and residential opposed to official channels which can result in an unexpected loss
area in EP, respectively. Some factors that may contribute to the lack of resources when faculty members retire or relocate. These bar-
of adherence to best disposal practices of C&D include the lack of riers have insulated academic institutions in the KSA from
effective regulations governing how waste ought to be disposed, governmental and industry stakeholders.
and a lack of cultural stigma when disposing of waste improperly. Surveys and interviews with policy makers (total 7, 100%
However, even when waste is disposed of correctly, it is dumped in response rate) demonstrated that a lack of detailed regulatory
matured landfills that are approaching capacity (Ouda and Cekirge, language governing the management of C&D has hindered their
2013). Once at the landfill, operators weigh C&D without ability to function as environmental stewards of the KSA. For
segregation. example, policy makers in the EP cited that existing language
should also include clear definitions of what comprises C&D waste
so that future legislation, including economic fees and incentives,
3.3. C&D management issues can be adequately enforced. Local policy makers also noted that
while national strategic goals were adequate in their scope and
Over hundred interviews with government officials were held to
identify barriers that local regulators are facing in the

Fig. 3. Photograph of C & D symposium held at Imam Abdulrahman bin Faisal

Fig. 2. C&D dumped in eastern province (A) university (B) residential area. University.
172 N.I. Blaisi / Journal of Cleaner Production 221 (2019) 167e175

Table 4
Major Issues in C&D management in Saudi Arabia.

Entity Major issues

Academia
The need for data on C&D generation (weight/capita/year)

Lack of collaboration and information exchange between governmental and academic institutions

Lack of collaboration and information exchange between private sectors and academic institutions
Policy Makers
Multiple regulators with a sector oriented approach which leads to fragmentation

Duplicate efforts to promote C&D recycling from several governmental sectors

Lack of detailed regulatory language for C&D management

Lack of clear strategic future to implement C&D management effectively
Generator
Coordination among regulators and generators is limited

Lack of motives and awareness to manage C&D correctly with no adverse impacts

Lack of incentives to recover C&D

Lack of enforceable law for debris generators
Landfill Operator
Current infrastructure is limited to disposal in unlined landfills with no existing treatment options, such as material recovery facilities (MRF)

Lack of proper fees and investment to sustainably manage landfills

expectations, local regulations must maintain a degree of flexibility sourced locally (Tam and Tam, 2006). Saudi Arabia's Eastern Prov-
that allows for the implementation of regulatory solutions tailored ince fits both of these conditions since its dessert geography ne-
specifically for their region. They proposed that Royal Decrees, cessitates the import of raw materials and because its landfills are
Saudi Arabia's form of Federal Law, should include broad language nearing capacity. This should encourage waste generators, landfill
that defines C&D but also leaves the details of how C&D ought to be operators and government officials to work together on legislation
managed to local ordinances. that encourages recycling of C&D over the alternative that is
Surveys and interviews with waste generators (total 10, 100% currently being practiced in Saudi Arabia, illegal dumping. Regu-
response rate) demonstrated that there is lack of communication latory solutions should include progressive taxes in the form of
amongst regulatory authorities and other stakeholders. This lack of waste disposal fees, heavier fines for illegal dumping coupled with
communication has left waste generators out of discussions stricter monitoring, and earmarking taxes to subsidize recycling
involving the future of how C&D management in the KSA ought to efforts.
be directed. Overall waste generators agree that something must be A variety of regulatory controls can also be used to positively
done to resolve issues such as illegal dumping but they feel that influence existing waste management practices (Hao et al., 2008).
their voices have not been included in the discussion. Furthermore, First, legislation should include language that mandates the use of
there was a consensus amongst industry stakeholders that the KSA best practices for managing C&D waste. Regulation plays an
lacked a sufficient number of experts that they could turn to for important role in altering the waste generator's behavior and
guidance on waste management. psychology toward reduction and reuse of source materials (Begum
After surveying and interviewing landfill operators (total 3, 100% et al., 2009). It has the ability to promote a positive attitude that
response rate), they revealed that a major point of contention they embraces environmental sustainability and best practices in waste
faced with regard to C&D waste is the lack of tipping fees. In gen- management while aligning stakeholder's motives with the goals
eral, the landfills operated in the KSA heavily subsidize all landfill outlined in KSA's Vision 2030.
operations and few, if any, fees are paid by waste generators. This Second, legislation should include a waste charging scheme that
has encouraged a wanton neglect for environmentally sustainable diverts C&D away from landfills. This type of legislation discourages
waste management practices and was identified by landfill opera- the further pollution of landfills and may also serve to offset the
tors as a potential first step towards diverting waste away from costs incurred from environmental degradation caused by C&D
landfills. C&D waste management extends well into the social, (Begum et al., 2007b; Rodríguez et al., 2015). The implication is that
economic and environmental facets of society and so the needs of waste generators' behavior can be altered through legislation as
each of these groups must be understood before any meaningful demonstrated by Wang et al. (2004) in their analysis of waste
action can be taken to address the looming waste management disposal fees. The main factors that affect waste generators’
issues in the KSA. behavior towards waste management are contractor experience,
existing opportunities for recycling, and the education and training
of employees (Begum et al., 2006). For example, legislation per-
3.4. Future directions: A roadmap for C&D management in Saudi taining to a waste charging scheme can be applied to waste gen-
Arabia erators and landfill operators. The charging scheme would include:
increasing C&D tipping fees, and subsidizing processing and recy-
In 2016, Saudi Arabia initiated “Saudi Arabia's Vision 203000 as a cling by taxing primary construction materials and enacting a
roadmap for several aspects including environmental development special recycling tax on C&D generators (Yu et al., 2013).
(KSA Vision 2030). Strategic environmental goals include Regulatory controls should also promote the use of new and
improving recycling rates, as outlined in Strategic Objective 7, to be existing technologies that divert C&D away from landfills and hold
40% by 2020. This will be achieved by decreasing the amount of waste generators accountable for illegal dumping (Liu et al., 2015).
solid waste produced and enforcing the recycling of different solid After discussing the matter with MOMRA, they identified that
waste streams, including C&D (KSA Vision, 2030 2016). Current illegal dumping of C&D is a result of the increasing cost waste
trends in C&D management can be grouped according to three transporters must pay to haul debris long distances from site
major influential factors: (i) economic, (ii) regulatory, and (iii) generation to landfills. Such behavior can be regulated by using GPS
technical. tracking systems such as those displayed in Fig. 4 along with
From an economic approach, C&D is recycled more often when traditional training and licensing programs (Lai et al., 2016). Local
it can compete against natural resources. This occurs in areas with regulation could also mandate that waste generators, waste
reduced landfill capacity which makes it more expensive to dispose transporters, treatment facilities and landfills participate in the
of C&D and sites where raw materials are imported rather than
 N.I. Blaisi / Journal of Cleaner Production 221 (2019) 167e175 173

management practices. The KSA's Vision 2030 is an important

catalyst for promoting the reuse of C&D. However, each step taken
to promote the reuse of C&D must be implemented within an
overarching framework that prioritizes economic efficiency and
environmental stewardship. After analyzing C&D management in
Saudi Arabia a number of economic, regulatory and technical so-
lutions were identified as possible avenues for the KSA to imple-
ment better C&D management practices. However, this research is
also applicable to other developing countries with similar charac-
teristics such as neighboring Gulf sister countries.
Strategies that the KSA can implement to resolve the issues they
face with respect to C&D management include:

The development of clear and concise regulations which

encourage contractors to recycle C&D

Implementing recycling programs that are well received by in-
dustry stakeholders and promoted using fees and subsidies
o New and existing recycling plants should abide by environ-
mentally sustainable practices (e.g. taking into consideration
local pollution and safety)
Fig. 4. Proposed C&D management using GPS tracking in Saudi Arabia.
o Recycled materials should adhere to strict quality control
principles to promote the continued use of these locally
sourced materials
tracking of waste from origination to disposal. o Subsidization of reclaimed waste should function to increase
Other technologies by which C&D can be diverted from landfills the competitive advantage of locally sourced materials over
is through the use of a materials recovery facility (MRF). For imported materials
example, the recovery rate for C&D in the United Kingdom excee-
Local research institutions should be engaged in the process of
ded 87% in 2014 primarily due to the existence of landfill fees which implementing C&D management practices which in turn could
divert C&D away from landfills to MRFs (DEFRA, 2016). Recovery serve to monitor key performance metrics that are then made
rates for C&D have been well documented and technology currently available to municipal and industry stakeholders
exists that can be implemented in the KSA (Tam and Tam, 2006). If
Waste management decision making should be conducted in a
MRFs were to be imported for use into Saudi Arabia they must collaborative and inclusive manner that harmonizes the in-
follow a series of best management practices: waste ought to be terests of all stake holders. Any new legislation should be a part
pretreated before entering a trammel screening machine which of a roadmap for waste reduction and management, outline
filters materials based on size and weight, next the waste should long-term goals and actions, and promote environmental
undergo a magnetic separation to recover ferrous material followed stewardship.
by air separation to recover paper and plastics and finally by
manual separation (Lai et al., 2016). The relative abundance of la- Furthermore, an effort must be made to build and upgrade
borers in Saudi Arabia, along with economic pressures to recycle waste management recycling facilities. This is essential to pro-
would make the use of MRFs a viable solution for the KSA. moting a sustainable shift towards the increased use of recycled
Additionally, recyclable materials generated from C&D are of an materials in new construction and infrastructure projects in the
adequate quality for beneficial use scenarios (Kartam et al., 2004; KSA. Future work should also include research on how best prac-
Ossa et al., 2016; Xuan et al., 2015). The continued investment in tices developed outside of the KSA can be adapted to better suit
the EP's infrastructure will require a large amount of primary ag- local environmental and cultural conditions. Research can also
gregates to satisfy the region's infrastructure needs. Construction examine the effectiveness of implementing specific waste man-
and demolition waste can serve as a possible source for these agement practices. And overall, this type of work must be coupled
materials. For example, in the Netherlands 50% of asphalt is with effective governmental programs (regulation, subsidies, and
recovered for beneficial use scenarios such as creating 10e15% monitoring) to further promote the KSA's sustainability goals.
recycled asphalt composites, or for crushing to be used as primary
aggregates in concrete (Tam and Tam, 2006). Additionally, highly
sought-after materials include glass and ferrous metals which can
often be directly reused on site or minimally treated for use in new Statement of novelty
materials or adapted materials as is the case in the USA, United
Kingdom and other industrialized nations (Tam and Tam, 2006). This manuscript investigates the current construction and de-
Table 5 outlines some proposed solutions applicable to Saudi Arabia molition (C&D) debris management practices in the Kingdom of
to enhance the effectiveness of the regulatory, economic and Saudi Arabia. We believe our manuscript is novel as it the first of its
technical factors of C&D management. kind in the scientific community discussing the current C&D debris
management practices in Saudi Arabia journals. This study provides
the current challenges for managing C&D debris effectively, as well
4. Conclusion as availing a roadmap and solution to manage C&D debris in rela-
tion to existing legislations and generation of C&D debris. This
Saudi Arabia's increasing growth in population has demanded paper will open the doors for more scientific research in C&D debris
that the country expand its current housing and infrastructure in- management in Saudi Arabia and it will assist decision makers with
ventory. This has resulted in an accumulation of C&D that has the sustainable solutions to manage C&D debris properly in Saudi
potential for the promotion of environmentally sound waste Arabia.
174 N.I. Blaisi / Journal of Cleaner Production 221 (2019) 167e175

Table 5
Proposed factors to effectively enhance the regulatory, technical, and economic factors.

Debris Management Features Expected Effectiveness

Opportunities

Technical Technical guidance and best Production and distribution of technical guidance documents Regulations should be paired with information that leads to
practices intended to provide information on how the construction practical applications.
industry should comply with regulations. Additionally, the Industry stake holders will be further encouraged to use
guidance should include best practices for recycling C&D. recycled materials.
Protocols for recycled C&D Standards should be published for when recycled materials are Established standards increase industry use of recycled
materials produced that originate from C&D. Relevant information is to materials and nurtures a developing market.
include protocols, procedures, and time-points at which waste
management control should cease.
C&D recycling targets for Government funded projects should include provisions that In addition to the creation of an indirect subsidy of recycled
Government-funded encourage C&D recycling and promote the use of recycled C&D materials this provision will encourage the use of recycled
projects in these projects. materials in the private sector after technical expertise has been
gained from publicly funded projects.
Regulatory Required separation of C&D C&D should be separated into fractions at the construction site. If enforced at the construction site level, this provision could
alleviate the burden on landfills and increase the probability of
materials being recycled.
Enforcing regulations that Illegal dumping will be deterred through fines and civil Regulatory enforcement will reinforce other technical,
prohibit illegal dumping punishments. Regulatory bodies will take an active role in regulatory and economic efforts.
enforcement.
Licensing of waste disposal Debris must be transported by licensed corporations and A more thorough accounting of debris will allow for more
sub-contractors and haulers; individuals, and must include transfer notes describing the effective regulation and publication of more applicable
use of transfer notes debris in form and quantity. standards and best practices.
Economic Landfill disposal and Per-use taxes, or blanket fees to be assessed against waste Taxes and fines can increase the frequency of debris being
recycling fees for debris disposal. Any fees will be adjusted based on quantity and type recycled but may also encourage illegal dumping if
generators of waste. enforcement is lacking. If this provision is to succeed it must be
paired with a recycled material market that is of high quality
and based on well accepted standards and practices.
Subsidizing C&D processing Initial provisions of subsidies to C&D processing facilities. If unsubsidized markets have a poor forecast, this provision can
facilities. Subsidies can include breaks on capital expenditure or a help establish waste processing facilities in anticipation of a
mandated supply of materials provisioned for recycling. free market adoption of recycled materials.
Imposition of taxes on A tax on primary aggregates will comparatively drive down the An effort to encourage the adoption of recycled materials into
primary aggregates. cost of recycled materials thus making them more competitive. the construction industry.

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