Exploring Waste Disposal Attitudes and Market Strategies for Recycled Construction and Demolition Waste in India

Exploring Waste Disposal Attitudes and Market Strategies for Recycled Construction and Demolition Waste in India | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Exploring Waste Disposal Attitudes and Market Strategies for Recycled Construction and Demolition Waste in India Hammadhu HaitherAli, Salman Shooshtarian, Anjali Gopakumar This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7729243/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 29 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 12 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The improper disposal of construction and demolition waste (CDW) poses significant environmental and infrastructural challenges in India. This study investigates the barriers and opportunities associated with promoting the use of recycled secondary materials (SM). A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining quantitative analysis of closed-ended survey responses with thematic analysis of open-ended responses. Data were collected from 73 stakeholders in Chennai, and findings were validated through triangulation. Results indicate low awareness of local waste management regulations and irresponsible waste disposal behaviours. Stakeholders reported reluctance to adopt SM due to concerns over quality, procurement distance, costs, and the absence of client demand. To address these barriers, the study highlights the need for strong policy support, including tax incentives, subsidies, and quality certification systems to enhance market confidence. Recommendations include decentralization of material supply via local dealers, standardization of recycled products, and targeted marketing strategies to build acceptance. This research highlights critical factors to facilitate the circular transition through regional action by, (a) emphasizing consumer insights for the development of the secondary materials market and (b) revealing non-compliant waste disposal behaviours indicating weak regulatory enforcement. Findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and recycling businesses, aligning with SDGs 9, 11, and 12. Physical sciences/Engineering Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental social sciences Social science/Environmental studies Circular economy Stakeholder Market analysis Construction and demolition waste Secondary material Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 1. Introduction Rapid urbanization and economic development have resulted in higher demands for residential buildings and infrastructure, leading to a significant increase in construction and demolition waste (CDW) generation 1 , 2 . Globally, more than ten billion tons of CDW are produced annually, accounting for 35% to 65% of landfill space 3 . Advanced economies, such as Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, and Germany, have effectively managed to redirect waste from landfill. However, despite the potential for recovery and recycling, over 90% of CDW is disposed of in dumpsites or waterbodies in developing countries like India and China, leading to environmental issues 4 – 6 . To prevent resource wastage and promote circularity, emerging economies such as India are advised to prioritise recycling, although not a preferred option, as it is more achievable than reduction and reuse options 7 . India alone generates over 100 million tonnes of construction waste and 300 million tonnes of demolition waste annually 8 . In response to this issue, the Government of India has enacted a policy (Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016) to streamline CDW management and promote recycling, encouraging cities to install recycling facilities and ban illegal dumping 9 . Despite the enforcement of this regulation, many cities across the country have not been able to develop recycling infrastructure and continue to practice open waste dumping 10 . Enforcement is complicated due to the involvement of various stakeholders, including governments, contractors and recycling facilities in the systems 11 . Unfortunately, the interests of these stakeholders differ from one another 12 . Hence, it is argued that understanding the perspectives of regional stakeholders is crucial for the effectiveness of waste management systems, particularly in developing nations, where CDW management is often perceived as the responsibility of the government. By actively engaging stakeholders, policymakers can address concerns, foster initiative acceptance, and gain insights into market needs 11 . Additionally, engaging stakeholders helps ensure relevance, identify and mitigate risks associated with policy reforms and potential changes in their enforcement 14 . Hence, an in-depth understanding of stakeholders is crucial to establish an effective waste management system that prevents resource wastage, promotes recycling and supports CE. The SM market for recycled inert CDW is a complex domain influenced by various factors, including technological, environmental, economic, and policy considerations. Central to understanding this market is the role of stakeholders, whose behaviours, incentives, and interactions significantly shape the development and sustainability of recycled material flows. Existing studies from Australia 15 – 17 , China 18 , the UAE 19 , and Europe 20 provide insights into these dynamics, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder analysis in fostering an efficient SM market. However, such studies are unavailable in India. Since consumers are the primary driving force and the core of any business, it is crucial to understand the needs and expectations of construction contractors. They play a significant role as both consumers and suppliers of materials in the CDW recycling business 21 , 22 . No in-depth investigation has been conducted in India identifying their perception towards purchasing SM. Hence, this study addresses the gap by gathering insights into waste disposal practices and the perspectives of those contractors on purchasing SM. Additionally, by examining their awareness and attitudes, it aims to inform targeted policy measures and market development strategies necessary for establishing a successful SM market. The objectives of this Study are: 1) To assess contractors’ awareness of and compliance with local regulations on CDW, particularly regarding the mandated delivery of inert debris to recycling facilities. 2) To explore market insights and consumer attitudes toward SM, including their purchasing intentions. Despite policy mandates, the implementation of CDW recycling remains limited due to low contractor compliance and weak market demand for recycled products. This study examines on-ground realities to inform effective policies, enhance CE strategies, and support recyclers and material dealers. This research supports SDG 11 (Target 11.6), SDG 12 (Targets 12.5 & 12.7), and SDG 9 (Target 9.4), reinforcing its contribution to global sustainability goals and responsible practices in the construction sector. 2. Literature review 2.1 An overview of recycling and challenges in the secondary material market: global context Recycling acts as a core principle of CE. The annual global consumption of concrete exceeds 30 billion tonnes 23 . Coarse aggregates, for instance, account for 60% to 67%, while fine aggregates such as sand comprise 33% to 40% of concrete production 24 . Hence, there is an urgent need to prevent the exploitation of natural resources through recycling and reuse in the built environment sector 25 . However, there are several challenges involved in selling the SM and achieving circular transition in the construction sector, as listed in Table 1 . Table 1 Key challenges identified for SM market development and establishment Challenge Description Country Reference Quality perception affects demand Consumer perception influences willingness to buy SM China 26 Price linked to perceived quality In absence of quality info, consumers use price as a quality signal China 26 Perceived value drives intention Purchase decisions influenced by social, environmental, and economic values China 27 Systemic regulatory & operational gaps Lack of regulation, weak design focus, poor waste tracing, low coordination, and site sorting issues China 18,28,29 Low client demand & poor infra Lack of facilities, regulations, economic viability, quality, awareness, and stakeholder coordination China 30 Higher cost than virgin material Recycled concrete costs 0–10% more due to labor-intensive processes China 29 Virgin aggregates dominate Preference due to convenience, sourcing ease, and lower cost Sweden 31 System-level barriers: market, policy, logistics Barriers include weak governance, low awareness, poor infrastructure, and standard restrictions on uptake of recycled aggregates Australia 15,32 , 17,33 Low awareness among companies Firms unaware of quality, savings, or environmental benefits USA 34 Low landfill fees, high transport costs Lack of economic incentive to recycle; SM viewed as inferior Australia 35 High energy & transport cost Recycling costs exceed those of virgin material due to logistics and energy UK 36 Compliance vs economic concern Regulations matter more to professionals; public influenced more by cost incentives Hong Kong 37 Durability concern Consumer & contractor doubt about durability and the ownership of quality, as demolition lies with informal sector Developing nations 38 Stakeholder coordination Contrasting objectives of stakeholders such as recyclers, regulatory authorities, consumers and waste generators Review 39 , 40 Economic viability Low profitability and limited market viability Italy 41 Source(s) : Authors work 2.2 Regulatory and Infrastructural landscape for recycling in India In India, the national policy ‘Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rule, 2016’, prohibits the illegal disposal of CDW and mandates local authorities to install recycling facilities, designate disposal sites, fix penalties for illegal disposal and impose tipping fees. The policy further requires waste generators producing more than 20 tons per day or 300 tons per project to segregate waste into five categories: soil, steel, concrete, wood and plastics, and bricks and mortar. Furthermore, it mandates the storage of waste on the premises. It prohibits littering on public roads or drains, as well as actions that hinder traffic or public access ( CPCB | Central Pollution Control Board , 2016). Despite policy mandates, enforcement remains weak, and municipalities are only gradually developing the necessary infrastructure for recycling. Demand for recycled aggregates and other inert products remains low, even in pioneer cities such as Delhi, which established recycling plants among the earliest in the country 43 . Limited plant capacity, gaps in technical expertise and fragmented regulatory frameworks further limit the market growth 44 . Notably, with the introduction of the new ‘Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2025’, which mandate Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), there is scope for circular business models. It is now essential to assess waste generators’ awareness of these regulations and their disposal behaviors to build a robust waste diversion system. Without an effective waste diversion system in place to send waste to the recycling facility, it is difficult to establish the supply chain, as recycling enterprises are the primary suppliers of recycled materials. 3. Methodology 3.1 Research design This study employed a mixed-method approach as outlined in Fig. 1 . A questionnaire survey was distributed among CDW generators in Chennai, to gather comprehensive data on their perceptions, awareness and practices regarding waste disposal. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed, and strategies for establishing a secondary market for inert recycled CDW were proposed in the end after validating results through triangulation. This approach provided a thorough understanding of on-the-ground realities, elucidating the reasons for policy failures, market demand for SM and the consumer insights on purchasing SM. Source(s) Authors work 3.2 Study area Chennai, the fifth-largest megacity in India is chosen for the study. Spanning 1,189 sq. km and home to 12 million people 1 , Chennai is a major industrial and commercial hub with over 15,000 industries and a growing migrant population. The city is divided into 15 zones under the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), while urban planning is managed by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA). Chennai generates 1,200–1,600 tonnes of CDW daily, accounting for 36% of its total solid waste, excluding illegal dumping 21 . In adherence to the national policy, the city authority has installed two recycling facilities under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and designated 15 places to dispose of CDW, one in each zone. Information about designated disposal sites is communicated through newspaper articles and the public portal. Private agencies manage the collection, transportation and recycling of waste in the city in collaboration with the corporation. The corporation imposes penalties ranging from INR 2,000 to 5,000 for illegal disposal 21 . 3.3 Data collection Data collection was performed through the survey, which comprised four sections: (1) Demographics, (2) Awareness and compliance with CDW regulations, (3) Willingness to purchase and expectations of SM, and (4) Challenges in procuring them. A mix of question types such as yes/no, Likert scale, multiple-choice, and open-ended questions, enabled the collection of diverse perspectives and actionable insights 45 . Before finalising the questionnaire, a validation process was carried out to ensure clarity, relevance, and completeness. Two academic experts reviewed the content, followed by a pilot test with five respondents to identify issues related to wording, structure, or response options. Based on the feedback, unsuitable questions were removed, and others were simplified. The final version was printed in the local language for distribution. Participants were selected using snowball sampling, with the following criteria: a) Small- and medium-scale building contractors in Chennai, b) Over five years of experience in residential construction and demolition c) Decision-makers for material use and waste disposal in their projects. Initial respondents were members of the local builders’ association. The survey was administered in person after obtaining verbal consent, with clarifications provided on-site to avoid misinterpretation. All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations of the institution. The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Ethical Committee for Studies on Human Subjects (IECH), Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai [VIT/IECH/CC/2025/89]. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. To encourage honest responses, particularly on sensitive issues like illegal practices, participants were assured of anonymity and the survey's purpose in informing policy and improving infrastructure. Each survey took 10–15 minutes. Responses were collected in hard copy, translated into English, and entered into Excel for analysis. A total of 73 responses were gathered. Data collection ended upon reaching saturation, where no new insights emerged from open-ended questions 46 . 3.4 Data analysis and result validation The entire data analysis, including descriptive statistics of demographic data, percentage and average calculations, and visualisations, was made using Microsoft Excel 2011. Questions involving responses on a Likert scale and ranks (high, medium, low) were converted into quantitative scores using weighted averages, where weights were assigned accordingly. The final open-ended question was grouped into categories based on themes using NVivo software, and the results were then validated through data triangulation. 4. Results 4.1. Participants’ profile The demographic details of the participants, including their education and experience, are summarised in Table 2 . Table 2 Summary of demographic details of the participants. Respondent’s Profile Educational Qualification Level of qualification No. of respondents Undergraduate 49 Diploma 16 Postgraduate 8 Experience Mean Standard Deviation Max No. of projects Min No. of projects 16 years 9 years 40 5 Number of construction projects handled by the respondents 26 20 100 2 Number of demolition projects handled by respondents 6 5 24 1 Source(s): Authors work 4.2 Level of awareness about local CDW regulation and compliance (Objective 1) Although the city has two recycling plants, only 20% of the participants were aware that CDW was being recycled (Fig. 2 ). The city authority has designated 15 specific sites for waste disposal; however, only 14% of the population is aware of this (Fig. 2 b). The waste generators are unaware of local regulations and the legal ban on disposing of waste anywhere other than the designated disposal site. As the national policy mandates the onsite segregation of waste, the respondents were asked about their willingness to segregate CDW onsite (Fig. 2 c) and the level of difficulty involved (Fig. 2 d). The results indicate the unwillingness for onsite segregation. Source(s): Authors work On enquiring about how they dispose of the inert waste from their site. Depending upon the material and its demand, the disposal method varies as shown in Table 3 (a & b). The price for disposing of waste ranges between $ 6 and $ 60, equivalent, depending on the size of the vehicle, distance and area (rural/urban). Table 3 (a)Various disposal methods followed for different CDW materials. Material Methods of waste disposal Inert CDW (Purchased if there is a requirement for filling, and Waste is available from a single source in bulk quantity) • Construction waste is left near the site if it is open or unoccupied land. • Given to waste removal vendors who dispose of at the site designated by the local authority, dumping yard, open places, or water bodies • Used for filling, backfilling, or raising the height of a low-lying area Steel (Has good salvage value) • Sold to scrap dealers/vendors • The client will take and compromise on payment Wood (Has good salvage value) • Wood is mostly reused onsite or diverted for reuse on other sites • Sold to vendor • Used for combustion if damaged beyond use or disposed of with other solid Waste Ceramic, Glass (No value) • Disposed of other solid Waste Plastic & PVC (Has salvage value) • Sold to a scrap dealer or vendor (b) Disposal of inert CDW material % of respondents Dump on the roadside 3 Use for approach roads and ground levelling 6 Dump of waterbodies 10 Use on the same construction site 11 Report to the waste disposal service 25 Use in other construction projects 34 Dump on wasteland/unused site 59 Source(s) : Authors work From Table 3 , it is evident that the inert CDW is disposed mainly of in inappropriate places such as open lands, roads and water bodies. Hence, there is low awareness and weak regulatory compliance. 4.3 Insights into CE businesses and the SM market (objective 2) According to the survey on purchasing point of new building materials (Table 4 ), contractors consistently prioritize suppliers based on reliability, proximity to the project site to minimize transportation costs, and suppliers serving as a single point of contact for most products. A contractor can find a building material supplier within a 2-kilometre stretch within the city. On the contrary, SM are only sold from the two recycling facilities in the city, which are far from most consumers. When the point of consumption is distant, significant transportation costs will be added to the material cost, making it uneconomical. Table 4 Building materials procurement point. Material Point of procurement Cement Authorised local distributor Cement factory Local building material supplier Coarse aggregate Government-approved quarries Local building material supplier Sand Government-approved supplier Local building material supplier Steel Local building material supplier Bricks and blocks Brick Kiln Block manufacturing factories Local building material supplier Source(s) : Authors work 4.3.1 Consumer Preferences and Attitudes Towards Purchasing SM . In response to the question about the consumption of SM, it was found that most participants conveyed a lack of interest in procuring SM derived from CDW (Fig. 3 a). When consumers were asked to rank their likelihood of purchasing recycled products, the following responses were obtained: Sand, Coarse Aggregate, and Paver Blocks received first, second, and third rank, respectively (Fig. 3 b). Hence, Fine aggregates, such as sand, have emerged as the most favoured option within the realm of recycled products. Delving deeper into the factors influencing the decision to purchase, consumers were asked to rank the importance of different factors they consider while purchasing SM using high, medium, and low categories. Numerical values were assigned to the rankings: High = 15, Medium = 10, Low = 5. The total scores for each factor were then calculated and ranked, with quality being the most crucial factor, as shown in Fig. 3 c. Source(s) Authors work 4.4 Challenges and strategies to facilitate SM uptake The open-ended question, which inquired about challenges in purchasing SM for construction or any suggestions they would like to share regarding recycled CDW, was analysed using NVivo. The results were coded and categorised under themes (Table 5 ). The consumer prefers materials to be readily available within a 5-kilometre radius of the project site, underscoring the importance placed on just-in-time availability. Moreover, participants indicated a strong inclination towards sourcing all the required materials from a single reliable supplier to streamline their procurement processes efficiently. The respondents also highlighted that their purchase choice depends on client willingness, as client satisfaction is crucial for their business. Table 5 Thematic analysis Category Sub-theme Count Challenges in buying SM Quality 23 Price Concerns 6 Client Willingness 6 Market Expectations in buying SM Proximity & Distance 9 Certification – ISO/ISI 5 One-stop Supply 4 Immediate Delivery 3 Regulatory Requirements for SM Certification – Government 2 Awareness creation 1 Subsidy 10 Tax Incentives 4 Source(s): Authors work 4.4 Result validation Similar to the results in Fig. 3 , the thematic analysis results also highlighted that quality, procurement distance, and subsidy are important factors influencing the purchasing decision. Furthermore, client willingness emerged as a critical driving factor in influencing material choices. This triangulated evidence underscores that technical, logistical, and policy interventions must operate in concert to transform SM from a marginal alternative into a mainstream building material. The challenges and drivers of the secondary material market identified from the study are summarised in Fig. 4 . 5. Discussion 5.1 Level of awareness and policy compliance The results highlight the lack of awareness among waste generators regarding local regulations on waste disposal (4.1.2). This indicates a significant gap in the city's communication and enforcement of waste management policies. Existing waste disposal methods underscore the prevalence of informal and environmentally harmful practices. Other than the waste used for backfilling, the rest remains undisposed of at the site or conveniently disposed of at a nearby open spaces or waterbodies 21 . Waste generators exhibit irresponsibility in their disposal choices, as it is influenced by ease and disposal costs. Several news reports have highlighted the issue, where even eco-sensitive marshland are being used as dumping grounds 47 . Moreover, CDW is not segregated at the source despite the government's rule (Fig. 2 d). In addition to space constraints, committing time, money and labour to segregation is typically not in the interest of construction or demolition contractors. Such unsegregated disposal leads to poor production at recycling facilities. Several studies also reported that labour, time and cost constraints prevent demolishers from performing selective demolition 5 , 48 , 49 . The absence of a regional mandate for waste generation and diversion reporting creates loopholes for irresponsible waste disposal among waste generators. This highlights a regulatory gap that needs to be addressed to ensure proper waste management practices. A recent study conducted in Denmark also yields similar findings, where the lack of documentation on reclaimed materials, unclear responsibilities for end-of-life material management, and unwillingness to take the risk of buying or selling SM in new construction are reported as major inhibitors of CE 48 . Additionally, existing communication methods, such as conveying information through local newspaper articles about designated disposal sites, are ineffective in reaching waste generators. Hence, more compelling and accessible communication channels should be employed to disseminate crucial information to the stakeholders 50 , 51 . The waste disposal practices depicted in Table 3 indicate the irresponsible behaviour of contractors. Contractors should demonstrate their dedication and commitment to environmental performance and waste reduction in the project by involving environmental experts, allocating resources, developing action plans for waste management, and selecting sustainable suppliers and materials 52 . From inquiries on methods of disposal (Table 3 ), it is evident that materials with high salvage value, such as steel, wood, and plastics, have a significant secondary market and are not reaching landfills in substantial quantities. However, inert mineral parts, such as sand, stone, dead mortar, and other fines, have no market value. To avoid the expense of removing waste, they may leave it at the site or hire waste removal services, which dispose of it elsewhere at a lower cost. Studies in Australia, China, the UK and Denmark also highlighted that the cost of demolition and transportation prevents contractors from adopting CE practices 48 , 49 , 53 , 54 . 5.2 Key challenges in establishing the SM market This study identifies that lack of consumer awareness and interest in purchasing SM acts as a significant challenge in promoting the demand for recycled CDW products. Factors influencing purchasing decisions are found to be quality, adherence to standards and proximity, providing valuable insights for marketing and promotion strategies to increase the acceptance of SM. Notably, the tax for virgin aggregates is 5%, while the tax for recycled aggregates is 18%. Hence, targeted government interventions such as tax relaxation could promote the adoption of SM 15,18,32 . Countries such as Brazil, Hong Kong, and China have demonstrated that government interventions, including policies, taxes, and incentives, can help boost waste recycling 39 , 55 – 59 . Study show that mechanical properties of recycled aggregates, demonstrating that stakeholder acceptance depends on the quality and performance of recycled products 60 . These findings underscore the importance of stakeholder collaboration in research, quality assurance, and standards development to foster trust in recycled inert materials. Lack of marketing is a significant cause of limited awareness and product visibility among consumers 21 . Hence, it is crucial to launch intensive targeted marketing to create awareness and improve the visibility of recycled products 61 . Diversifying products and developing codal provisions for utilising these products would promote sales 50 , 62 . Addressing logistical challenges and enhancing material availability and accessibility through improved recycling infrastructure are also crucial for overcoming the constraints in purchasing SM 38 . Currently, SM are sold only through recycling factories. When asked about the point of material consumption for their project, all participants mentioned the nearest or known building material supplier. Hence, deploying existing distribution channels, such as local construction material vendors, to distribute SM would be an excellent strategy to boost sales due to supplier relationships, availability from nearby locations, and increased visibility 53 , 63 . 5.3 Strategies to boost the secondary material market In India, these challenges in recycling are compounded by informal labour practices and limited access to finance for small-scale recyclers. Since demolition is not standardised and there is an absence of clear responsibilities for the collection and reprocessing of materials, there is a need to push for selective demolition during the tendering process itself. Establishing standardisation and an online interactive platform connecting stakeholders in the material supply chain can provide opportunities for circular business models 48 . Targeted training programmes for recyclers and construction professionals, coupled with finance schemes to support small‐scale processing units, can boost the market competitiveness 64 . Certification by the government or a recognized international organisation can further enhance the reliability of the materials 14 . Finally, deploying technology in waste management systems and secondary market trading platforms will facilitate improved traceability, continuous improvement measures, monitoring and control. The strategies to achieve market robustness, successful policy and industrial readiness to promote a secondary market for inert CDW resources are proposed in Fig. 5 . Source(s) Authors work There is a promising opportunity for recycling businesses, secondary market and CE integration due to the launch of the new policy ‘Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rule 2024’, which mandates EPR over waste generators and mandates the consumption of SM. 5.4 Study’s implications for theory, practice and policy This study offers important implications for both theory and practice, promoting the use of SM in construction. Theoretically, it advances our understanding of stakeholder behaviour by highlighting how client willingness, product quality, proximity, and certification influence purchase decisions, aligning with behavioural theories such as the Theory of Planned Behaviour. It also contributes to CE frameworks by emphasizing the need for integrated policies, logistics, and market mechanisms to mainstream SM. Practically, the findings call for more rigorous enforcement of CDW Management Rules, economic incentives such as a reduction in GST and subsidies, and improved communication strategies to increase awareness. The study underscores the need to decentralize recycling infrastructure, ensure just-in-time availability through local vendors, and mandate third-party certification to build trust. Additionally, targeted marketing, capacity building, and financial support for small-scale recyclers are critical for fostering a viable SM market in India. These combined actions can accelerate the transition to a circular economy and promote sustainable construction practices. 6. Conclusions As cities globally face escalating climate challenges, aligning with SDGs 9, 11, and 12 demands robust, localized, and sector-specific interventions. This study investigates the role of construction and demolition contractors in advancing a CE within the construction sector, specifically focusing on establishing a viable SM market for inert CDW in Chennai, India. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study identifies critical gaps in awareness, compliance, and enforcement of local CDW regulations. Findings reveal low regulatory awareness and limited compliance among contractors, highlighting the need for targeted awareness campaigns, stronger monitoring mechanisms, and inclusive policy design that accounts for waste generators’ practices. To build a sustainable SM market, the study proposes several regulatory and operational strategies for market establishment and boosting industrial readiness. The study highlights that coordinated efforts spanning government, industry, and community stakeholders are vital to address consumer hesitancy, regulatory gaps, and economic barriers such as high taxation on recycled materials. Limitations . This study does not include scientific behavioural analysis of stakeholders and is geographically limited to the Indian context. Future Research . Future studies should evaluate the effectiveness of policy instruments, quantify stakeholder willingness to pay for recycled materials, and assess the impact of penalties on illegal dumping. Additionally, efforts should focus on measuring improvements in material recovery and recycling rates to support evidence-based policy interventions. Declarations Author Contributions: Hammadhu HaitherAli: Conceptualization, data collection, analysis, visualization and writing. Salman Shooshtarian: Supervision and review. Anjali Gopakumar: Review and edit the manuscript and proofreading. Funding: This research received no external funding. Data Availability Statement: The datasets used during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Ethical committee approval : Institutional Ethical Committee for Studies on Human Subjects (IECH), Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai [VIT/IECH/CC/2025/89]. References World Population by Country. 68% of the world population projected to live in urban areas by 2050, says UN. (2024). https://worldpopulationreview.com/ . (Live). (2024). HaitherAli, H. & Anjali, G. Circular Economy in Construction Sector—a Guideline for Policy Makers from Global Perspective. Circ. Econ. Sustain. 10.1007/s43615-023-00321-x (2023). Kabirifar, K., Mojtahedi, M., Changxin Wang, C. & Tam, V. W. Y. Effective construction and demolition waste management assessment through waste management hierarchy; a case of Australian large construction companies. J. Clean. Prod. 312 , 127790 (2021). Chen, Z. et al. Construction, renovation, and demolition waste in landfill: a review of waste characteristics, environmental impacts, and mitigation measures. Environ. Sci. Pollut Res. 1–18. 10.1007/s11356-022-20479-5 (2022). Tanthanawiwat, K., Gheewala, S. H., Nilsalab, P., Schoch, M. & Silalertruksa, T. Environmental sustainability and cost performances of construction and demolition waste management scenarios: A case study of timber and concrete houses in Thailand. J. Clean. Prod. 436 , 140652 (2024). Sharma, N., Kalbar, P. P. & Salman, M. Global review of circular economy and life cycle thinking in building Demolition Waste Management: A way ahead for India. Build. Environ. 222 , 109413 (2022). Bao, Z. Developing circularity of construction waste for a sustainable built environment in emerging economies: New insights from China. Dev. Built Environ. 13 , 100107 (2023). Jain, S., Singhal, S. & Jain, N. Construction and demolition waste (C&DW) in India: generation rate and implications of C&DW recycling. Int. J. Constr. Manag . 21 , 1–10 (2018). Priyadarshini, P. & Abhilash, P. C. Circular economy practices within energy and waste management sectors of India: A meta-analysis. Bioresour Technol. 304 , 123018 (2020). Somvanshi India drowns in construction, demolition debris. Retrived from (2019). https://www.downtoearth.org.in/waste/india-drowns-in-construction-demolition-debris-65110#google_vignette Su, Y. et al. Decision-making interaction among stakeholders regarding construction and demolition waste recycling under different power structures. Waste Manag . 131 , 491–502 (2021). Pan, X., Xie, Q. & Feng, Y. Designing recycling networks for construction and demolition waste based on reserve logistics research field. J. Clean. Prod. 260 , 120841 (2020). Kabirifar, K., Mojtahedi, M., Wang, C. & Tam, V. Construction and demolition waste management contributing factors coupled with reduce, reuse, and recycle strategies for effective waste management: A review. J. Clean. Prod. 263 , 121265 (2020). Shooshtarian, S. et al. Utilisation of certification schemes for recycled products in the Australian building and construction sector. Bus Strategy Environ (2023). Shooshtarian, S. et al. Analysis of factors influencing the creation and stimulation of the Australian market for recycled construction and demolition waste products. Sustain. Prod. Consum. 34 , 163–176 (2022). Shooshtarian, S., Caldera, S., Maqsood, T. & Ryley, T. Using Recycled Construction and Demolition Waste Products: A Review of Stakeholders’ Perceptions, Decisions, and Motivations. Recycling 5 , 31 (2020). Shooshtarian, S., Maqsood, T., Caldera, S. & Ryley, T. The impact of regulations on construction and demolition waste market creation and stimulation: Australian stakeholders’ perception. IOP Conf. Ser. Earth Environ. Sci. 1101 , 062012 (2022). Hua, C., Liu, C., Chen, J., Yang, C. & Chen, L. Promoting construction and demolition waste recycling by using incentive policies in China. Environ. Sci. Pollut Res. 10.1007/s11356-022-19536-w (2022). C, J. J., Joseph, T. M. & Abu-Lebdeh, G. Perception of the Use of Recycled Construction Waste in the UAE’s Construction Industry. in IEEE International Conference on Technology Management, Operations and Decisions (ICTMOD) 1–6 (2024). 1–6 (2024). (2024). 10.1109/ICTMOD63116.2024.10878224 Delvoie, S., Zhao, Z., Michel, F. & Courard, L. Market analysis of recycled sands and aggregates in NorthWest Europe: drivers and barriers. IOP Conf. Ser. Earth Environ. Sci. 225 , 012055 (2019). HaitherAli, H. & G, A. Sustainable urban development: Evaluating the potential of mineral-based construction and demolition waste recycling in emerging economies. Sustain. Futur . 7 , 100179 (2024). Sheth, J. N., Jain, V. & Ambika, A. The growing importance of customer-centric support services for improving customer experience. J. Bus. Res. 164 , 113943 (2023). Nehdi, M. L., Marani, A. & Zhang, L. Is net-zero feasible: Systematic review of cement and concrete decarbonization technologies. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 191 , 114169 (2024). Hosseinnezhad, H., Sürmelioğlu, S., Çakır, Ö. A. & Ramyar, K. A novel method for characterization of recycled concrete aggregates: Computerized microtomography. J. Build. Eng. 76 , 107321 (2023). Alsheyab, M. A. T. Recycling of construction and demolition waste and its impact on climate change and sustainable development. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 19 , 2129–2138 (2022). He, L. & Yuan, H. Investigation of construction waste recycling decisions by considering consumers’ quality perceptions. J. Clean. Prod. 259 , 120928 (2020). Ding, Z., Nie, W. & Wu, H. Investigating the connection between stakeholders’ purchase intention and perceived value of construction and demolition waste recycled products. Environ. Dev. Sustain. 24 , 9285–9303 (2022). Ma, M., Tam, V. W. Y., Le, K. N. & Li, W. Challenges in current construction and demolition waste recycling: A China study. Waste Manag . 118 , 610–625 (2020). Ma, M., Tam, V. W. Y., Le, K. N. & Osei-Kyei, R. Factors affecting the price of recycled concrete: A critical review. J. Build. Eng. 46 , 103743 (2022). Jin, R., Li, B., Zhou, T., Wanatowski, D. & Piroozfar, P. An empirical study of perceptions towards construction and demolition waste recycling and reuse in China. Resour. Conserv. Recycl . 126 , 86–98 (2017). Gunaratne, T., Krook, J. & Andersson, H. Market prospects of secondary construction aggregates in Sweden. J Clean. Prod 360 , (2022). Ghaffar, S. H., Burman, M. & Braimah, N. Pathways to circular construction: An integrated management of construction and demolition waste for resource recovery. J. Clean. Prod. 244 , 118710 (2020). Bonifazi, G., Grosso, C., Palmieri, R. & Serranti, S. Current trends and challenges in construction and demolition waste recycling. Curr. Opin. Green. Sustain. Chem. 53 , 101032 (2025). Bolden, J., Abu-Lebdeh, T., Fini, E., UTILIZATION OF RECYCLED & AND WASTE MATERIALS IN VARIOUS CONSTRUCTION APPLICATIONS. Am. J. Environ. Sci. 9 , 14–24 (2013). Tam, V. W. Y., Kotrayothar, D. & Loo, Y. C. On the prevailing construction waste recycling practices: a South East Queensland study. Waste Manag Res. 27 , 167–174 (2009). Oyedele, L. O., Ajayi, S. O. & Kadiri, K. O. Use of recycled products in UK construction industry: An empirical investigation into critical impediments and strategies for improvement. Resour. Conserv. Recycl . 93 , 23–31 (2014). Mak, T. M. W. et al. Extended theory of planned behaviour for promoting construction waste recycling in Hong Kong. Waste Manag . 83 , 161–170 (2019). Otasowie, K., Aigbavboa, C., Oke, A., Adekunle, P. & Liphadzi, M. Constraints to Clients’ Acceptance of Recycled Construction Materials in Developing Nations: Professionals’ Perspective. Eng. Proc. 76, 60 (2024). Su, Y., Xu, Y., Bao, Z., Ng, S. T. & Gao, Q. Stakeholder interactions of government intervention in construction and demolition waste recycling market: A game theory approach. Dev. Built Environ. 18 , 100391 (2024). Verhagen, T. J., Sauer, M. L., van der Voet, E. & Sprecher, B. Matching Demolition and Construction Material Flows, an Urban Mining Case Study. Sustainability 13 , 653 (2021). Ghisellini, P. & Ulgiati, S. Circular economy transition in Italy. Achievements, perspectives and constraints. J. Clean. Prod. 243 , 118360 (2020). CPCB | Central Pollution Control Board. (2016). https://cpcb.nic.in/c-d-waste-rules/. Adak, B. No takers for recycled goods, C&D plants in Delhi run into losses. Hindustan Times (2019). https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/no-takers-for-recycled-goods-c-d-plants-in-delhi-run-into-losses/story-fcqxkniK32f5hznCbDxF3K.html Devaki, H. & Shanmugapriya, S. Investigating barriers to sustainable management of construction and demolition waste: the case of India. J. Mater. Cycles Waste Manag . 10.1007/s10163-023-01631-w (2023). Cheung, A. K. L. Structured Questionnaires. in Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research (ed Michalos, A. C.) 6399–6402 (Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_2888 . (2014). Mason, M. Sample Size and Saturation in PhD Studies Using Qualitative Interviews. Forum Qual. Sozialforschung Forum Qual. Soc. Res 11 , (2010). Chaitanya, S. K. Realtors dump debris to ‘reclaim’ Chennai’s Pallikaranai Ramsar site. The New Indian Express (2023). https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2023/Mar/16/realtors-dump-debris-to-reclaim-chennais-pallikaranai-ramsar-site-2556798.html Köhler, J., Nielsen, F., Verstermark, F., Thuesen, C. & J. & Recirculation of construction and demolition Waste: A case study of Danish producers and demolishers. Clean. Mater. 14 , 100276 (2024). Prasad, V. & Arashpour, M. Real-time instance segmentation of recyclables from highly cluttered construction and demolition waste streams. J. Environ. Manage. 372 , 123365 (2024). Mhatre, P., Gedam, V. V. & Unnikrishnan, S. Material circularity potential for construction materials – The case of transportation infrastructure in India. Resour. Policy . 74 , 102446 (2021). Demestichas, K. & Daskalakis, E. Information and Communication Technology Solutions for the Circular Economy. Sustainability 12 , 7272 (2020). Cui, C., Liu, Y., Hope, A. & Wang, J. Review of studies on the public–private partnerships (PPP) for infrastructure projects. Int. J. Proj Manag . 36 , 773–794 (2018). Donyavi, S., Flanagan, R., Assadi-Langroudi, A. & Parisi, L. Understanding the complexity of materials procurement in construction projects to build a conceptual framework influencing supply chain management of MSMEs. Int. J. Constr. Manag . 24 , 177–186 (2024). Ma, W. & Hao, J. L. Enhancing a circular economy for construction and demolition waste management in China: A stakeholder engagement and key strategy approach. J. Clean. Prod. 450 , 141763 (2024). Wu, Z., Yu, A. T. W. & Poon, C. S. Promoting effective construction and demolition waste management towards sustainable development: A case study of Hong Kong. Sustain. Dev. 28 , 1713–1724 (2020). Akhtar, A. & Sarmah, A. K. Accepted Manuscript Construction and demolition waste generation and properties of recycled aggregate concrete: A global perspective. (2018). 10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.03.085 Aslam, M. S., Huang, B. & Cui, L. Review of construction and demolition waste management in China and USA. Journal of Environmental Management vol. 264 Preprint at (2020). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110445 Lu, W., Webster, C., Chen, K., Zhang, X. & Chen, X. Computational Building Information Modelling for construction waste management: Moving from rhetoric to reality. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 68 , 587–595 (2017). Yu, A. T. W., Wong, I., Wu, Z. & Poon, C. S. Strategies for Effective Waste Reduction and Management of Building Construction Projects in Highly Urbanized Cities—A Case Study of Hong Kong. Buildings 11 , 214 (2021). Kessal, O., Belgraa, L., Djebri, N., Salah, S. & Allal, Z. Improvement of the Mechanical Behavior of an Environmental Concrete Based on Demolished Concrete Waste and Silica Fume. Civ. Eng. J. 8 , 238–250 (2022). Duening, T. N., Hisrich, R. D. & Lechter, M. A. Chapter 10 - Marketing and Selling Your Products. in Technology Entrepreneurship (Second Edition) (eds. Duening, T. N., Hisrich, R. D. & Lechter, M. A.) 231–249Academic Press, Boston, (2015). 10.1016/B978-0-12-420175-0.00010-5 Chang, S. C. & Wang, C. F. The effect of product diversification strategies on the relationship between international diversification and firm performance. J. World Bus. 42 , 61–79 (2007). Cengiz, A. E., Aytekin, O., Ozdemir, I., Kusan, H. & Cabuk, A. A Multi-criteria Decision Model for Construction Material Supplier Selection. Procedia Eng. 196 , 294–301 (2017). Shooshtarian, S., Caldera, S., Maqsood, T., Ryley, T. & Khalfan, M. An investigation into challenges and opportunities in the Australian construction and demolition waste management system. Eng. Constr. Archit. Manag . 29 , 4313–4330 (2021). Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 29 Dec, 2025 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 27 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 26 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 19 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 18 Nov, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 12 Nov, 2025 Reviews received at journal 30 Oct, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 17 Oct, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 17 Oct, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 17 Oct, 2025 Editor invited by journal 15 Oct, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 13 Oct, 2025 First submitted to journal 13 Oct, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7729243","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":536827696,"identity":"82d6f1e4-e435-4271-a553-131198420a9f","order_by":0,"name":"Hammadhu HaitherAli","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Vellore Institute of Technology","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Hammadhu","middleName":"","lastName":"HaitherAli","suffix":""},{"id":536827697,"identity":"f431c77d-28eb-4eae-be7f-c5b9a7cd9910","order_by":1,"name":"Salman Shooshtarian","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"RMIT University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Salman","middleName":"","lastName":"Shooshtarian","suffix":""},{"id":536827698,"identity":"3ed6e2e0-b39f-40ef-b553-0cb78b08019f","order_by":2,"name":"Anjali Gopakumar","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Vellore Institute of Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Anjali","middleName":"","lastName":"Gopakumar","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-09-27 15:08:16","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7729243/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7729243/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-32996-7","type":"published","date":"2025-12-29T15:57:27+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":94779289,"identity":"705a5c48-a909-44fe-97ef-f3b9d5b508ae","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-30 15:19:51","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":788466,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"MarketAnalysisManuscriptNatureRevised.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/73d00f06db743c352321b17b.docx"},{"id":94779286,"identity":"182fcfa0-fe4d-4505-b106-1e31eafdef59","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-30 15:19:51","extension":"json","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":5124,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"c075ca69de704350b4ab6c0c16761f6c.json","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/ae779482d05bf2a2fa171864.json"},{"id":94825512,"identity":"0ecc2e7e-ac9e-4cbd-9040-625f2bc35c58","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-31 06:50:22","extension":"xml","order_by":2,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":148221,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"c075ca69de704350b4ab6c0c16761f6c1enriched.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/3b9497a1ec8a46466efd0b32.xml"},{"id":94824808,"identity":"affa7dbe-4267-4fb7-9815-6cc92713e05a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-31 06:49:20","extension":"jpeg","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":298216,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.jpeg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/5743aab478778cb5c4d5fced.jpeg"},{"id":94779296,"identity":"d7d317df-eaac-4743-8b3d-9332ea02d2af","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-30 15:19:51","extension":"emf","order_by":5,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":66840,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.emf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/bea396c19740c3db8c1e0980.emf"},{"id":94824818,"identity":"ef79a903-8aa2-428a-b1c0-c8c65538aaed","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-31 06:49:23","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":31646,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/b0c2d2421d3a5aa406a4e666.png"},{"id":94779299,"identity":"4d9fc7a1-c9a6-4a0e-a41c-c4598d1e7259","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-30 15:19:51","extension":"png","order_by":7,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":288472,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"floatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/80bde095fb5925cb0bbc00aa.png"},{"id":94779295,"identity":"2006544d-6b3e-49dc-bfff-4272b0741c73","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-30 15:19:51","extension":"png","order_by":8,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":69695,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/a9bf87cde2b2a9826a629264.png"},{"id":94824364,"identity":"79cfeea5-e7d1-4f4c-ad7e-a10ad5d59532","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-31 06:48:56","extension":"png","order_by":9,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":103689,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/78b041ad36270f74992c1102.png"},{"id":94779298,"identity":"ebd0548c-a569-4ed8-9d58-60710d118a0a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-30 15:19:51","extension":"png","order_by":10,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":22723,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/1d4723b042db85c5c4fffbea.png"},{"id":94779297,"identity":"2afc8816-3723-41dd-9882-66f553cd9bfd","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-30 15:19:51","extension":"png","order_by":11,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":51610,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Onlinefloatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/741158582ad762cddd8c6b75.png"},{"id":94779301,"identity":"8dfc7d1a-b8f9-4250-9551-89537963f05a","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-30 15:19:51","extension":"xml","order_by":12,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":145278,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"c075ca69de704350b4ab6c0c16761f6c1structuring.xml","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/b473cb595b27210f9c7e32ea.xml"},{"id":94779300,"identity":"06b204f4-d76f-44f6-8585-f5edfbe383d2","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-30 15:19:51","extension":"html","order_by":13,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"acdc-reference","size":159604,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"earlyproof.html","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/15089e8341f8dd88b95ed9a8.html"},{"id":94779284,"identity":"84fd7d88-d6ef-449c-8636-6f5c6bafb89c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-30 15:19:50","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":74471,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eOutline of the research process\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSource(s):\u003c/strong\u003e Authors work\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/18fd35333ecfa5f7a9864987.png"},{"id":94824792,"identity":"f003da16-b354-4b6a-ab20-4d62cddfbfc5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-31 06:49:20","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":107212,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e(a) Awareness of CDW recycling, (b) Awareness of local regulation on designated CDW disposal sites, (c) Willingness for onsite segregation, (d) Difficulty in onsite segregation\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSource(s): Authors work\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/1ac9a9c78916a89875064479.png"},{"id":94779285,"identity":"e7c700ab-4755-4ced-936c-e036ba63b598","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-30 15:19:51","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":44335,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e(a) Likelihood to buy recycled material, (b) Likelihood to purchase different SM on a scale of 5, (c) Ranking of factors influencing the decision to purchase SM on a scale of 15\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSource(s):\u003c/strong\u003e Authors work\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/b2cd62e782322c4306e396fe.png"},{"id":94779288,"identity":"c7401d75-7514-4b2b-82d7-58b5a451e4c6","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-30 15:19:51","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":144165,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eChallenges and drivers of the SM market for inert CDW\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSource(s):\u003c/strong\u003e Authors work\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/e2cca929b703a1fdd2e7555f.png"},{"id":94779292,"identity":"47242cf8-e686-4f6c-8b64-21cf5c6a98dc","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-10-30 15:19:51","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":268597,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eStrategies to Promote the SM Market\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSource(s):\u003c/strong\u003e Authors work\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/c9efef05321be6ad2b4ca95e.png"},{"id":99545386,"identity":"526cf50d-b257-4492-8eff-71a532f95f97","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-01-05 16:06:53","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1813678,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7729243/v1/e9e99504-b915-4976-a952-08ce72bb66aa.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Exploring Waste Disposal Attitudes and Market Strategies for Recycled Construction and Demolition Waste in India","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRapid urbanization and economic development have resulted in higher demands for residential buildings and infrastructure, leading to a significant increase in construction and demolition waste (CDW) generation \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Globally, more than ten billion tons of CDW are produced annually, accounting for 35% to 65% of landfill space \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Advanced economies, such as Austria, Finland, the Netherlands, and Germany, have effectively managed to redirect waste from landfill. However, despite the potential for recovery and recycling, over 90% of CDW is disposed of in dumpsites or waterbodies in developing countries like India and China, leading to environmental issues \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR5\" citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo prevent resource wastage and promote circularity, emerging economies such as India are advised to prioritise recycling, although not a preferred option, as it is more achievable than reduction and reuse options \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. India alone generates over 100\u0026nbsp;million tonnes of construction waste and 300\u0026nbsp;million tonnes of demolition waste annually \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. In response to this issue, the Government of India has enacted a policy (Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016) to streamline CDW management and promote recycling, encouraging cities to install recycling facilities and ban illegal dumping \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Despite the enforcement of this regulation, many cities across the country have not been able to develop recycling infrastructure and continue to practice open waste dumping \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Enforcement is complicated due to the involvement of various stakeholders, including governments, contractors and recycling facilities in the systems \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Unfortunately, the interests of these stakeholders differ from one another \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Hence, it is argued that understanding the perspectives of regional stakeholders is crucial for the effectiveness of waste management systems, particularly in developing nations, where CDW management is often perceived as the responsibility of the government. By actively engaging stakeholders, policymakers can address concerns, foster initiative acceptance, and gain insights into market needs \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Additionally, engaging stakeholders helps ensure relevance, identify and mitigate risks associated with policy reforms and potential changes in their enforcement \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Hence, an in-depth understanding of stakeholders is crucial to establish an effective waste management system that prevents resource wastage, promotes recycling and supports CE.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe SM market for recycled inert CDW is a complex domain influenced by various factors, including technological, environmental, economic, and policy considerations. Central to understanding this market is the role of stakeholders, whose behaviours, incentives, and interactions significantly shape the development and sustainability of recycled material flows. Existing studies from Australia \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR16\" citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, China \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, the UAE \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, and Europe \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e provide insights into these dynamics, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder analysis in fostering an efficient SM market. However, such studies are unavailable in India.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSince consumers are the primary driving force and the core of any business, it is crucial to understand the needs and expectations of construction contractors. They play a significant role as both consumers and suppliers of materials in the CDW recycling business \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. No in-depth investigation has been conducted in India identifying their perception towards purchasing SM. Hence, this study addresses the gap by gathering insights into waste disposal practices and the perspectives of those contractors on purchasing SM. Additionally, by examining their awareness and attitudes, it aims to inform targeted policy measures and market development strategies necessary for establishing a successful SM market.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe objectives of this Study are:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e1) To assess contractors\u0026rsquo; awareness of and compliance with local regulations on CDW, particularly regarding the mandated delivery of inert debris to recycling facilities.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e2) To explore market insights and consumer attitudes toward SM, including their purchasing intentions.\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite policy mandates, the implementation of CDW recycling remains limited due to low contractor compliance and weak market demand for recycled products. This study examines on-ground realities to inform effective policies, enhance CE strategies, and support recyclers and material dealers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis research supports SDG 11 (Target 11.6), SDG 12 (Targets 12.5 \u0026amp; 12.7), and SDG 9 (Target 9.4), reinforcing its contribution to global sustainability goals and responsible practices in the construction sector.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Literature review","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.1 An overview of recycling and challenges in the secondary material market: global context\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecycling acts as a core principle of CE. The annual global consumption of concrete exceeds 30\u0026nbsp;billion tonnes \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Coarse aggregates, for instance, account for 60% to 67%, while fine aggregates such as sand comprise 33% to 40% of concrete production \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e24\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Hence, there is an urgent need to prevent the exploitation of natural resources through recycling and reuse in the built environment sector \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. However, there are several challenges involved in selling the SM and achieving circular transition in the construction sector, as listed in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKey challenges identified for SM market development and establishment\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChallenge\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDescription\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCountry\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eReference\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuality perception affects demand\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConsumer perception influences willingness to buy SM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChina\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e26\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrice linked to perceived quality\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn absence of quality info, consumers use price as a quality signal\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChina\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e26\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerceived value drives intention\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePurchase decisions influenced by social, environmental, and economic values\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChina\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e27\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSystemic regulatory \u0026amp; operational gaps\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLack of regulation, weak design focus, poor waste tracing, low coordination, and site sorting issues\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChina\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e18,28,29\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLow client demand \u0026amp; poor infra\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLack of facilities, regulations, economic viability, quality, awareness, and stakeholder coordination\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChina\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e30\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHigher cost than virgin material\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecycled concrete costs 0\u0026ndash;10% more due to labor-intensive processes\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChina\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e29\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVirgin aggregates dominate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePreference due to convenience, sourcing ease, and lower cost\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSweden\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e31\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSystem-level barriers: market, policy, logistics\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBarriers include weak governance, low awareness, poor infrastructure, and standard restrictions on uptake of recycled aggregates\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAustralia\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e15,32\u003c/sup\u003e,\u003csup\u003e17,33\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLow awareness among companies\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFirms unaware of quality, savings, or environmental benefits\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUSA\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e34\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLow landfill fees, high transport costs\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLack of economic incentive to recycle; SM viewed as inferior\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAustralia\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e35\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHigh energy \u0026amp; transport cost\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRecycling costs exceed those of virgin material due to logistics and energy\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUK\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e36\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCompliance vs economic concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegulations matter more to professionals; public influenced more by cost incentives\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHong Kong\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e37\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDurability concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConsumer \u0026amp; contractor doubt about durability and the ownership of quality, as demolition lies with informal sector\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDeveloping nations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e38\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStakeholder coordination\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eContrasting objectives of stakeholders such as recyclers, regulatory authorities, consumers and waste generators\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eReview\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e39\u003c/sup\u003e,\u003csup\u003e40\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEconomic viability\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLow profitability and limited market viability\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eItaly\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003csup\u003e41\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"1\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSource(s)\u003c/b\u003e: Authors work\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e2.2 \u003cem\u003eRegulatory and Infrastructural landscape for recycling in India\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn India, the national policy \u0026lsquo;Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rule, 2016\u0026rsquo;, prohibits the illegal disposal of CDW and mandates local authorities to install recycling facilities, designate disposal sites, fix penalties for illegal disposal and impose tipping fees. The policy further requires waste generators producing more than 20 tons per day or 300 tons per project to segregate waste into five categories: soil, steel, concrete, wood and plastics, and bricks and mortar. Furthermore, it mandates the storage of waste on the premises. It prohibits littering on public roads or drains, as well as actions that hinder traffic or public access (\u003cem\u003eCPCB | Central Pollution Control Board\u003c/em\u003e, 2016).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDespite policy mandates, enforcement remains weak, and municipalities are only gradually developing the necessary infrastructure for recycling. Demand for recycled aggregates and other inert products remains low, even in pioneer cities such as Delhi, which established recycling plants among the earliest in the country \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR43\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e43\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Limited plant capacity, gaps in technical expertise and fragmented regulatory frameworks further limit the market growth \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR44\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e44\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Notably, with the introduction of the new \u0026lsquo;Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2025\u0026rsquo;, which mandate Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), there is scope for circular business models. It is now essential to assess waste generators\u0026rsquo; awareness of these regulations and their disposal behaviors to build a robust waste diversion system. Without an effective waste diversion system in place to send waste to the recycling facility, it is difficult to establish the supply chain, as recycling enterprises are the primary suppliers of recycled materials.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3. Methodology","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.1 Research design\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study employed a mixed-method approach as outlined in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e. A questionnaire survey was distributed among CDW generators in Chennai, to gather comprehensive data on their perceptions, awareness and practices regarding waste disposal. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were performed, and strategies for establishing a secondary market for inert recycled CDW were proposed in the end after validating results through triangulation. This approach provided a thorough understanding of on-the-ground realities, elucidating the reasons for policy failures, market demand for SM and the consumer insights on purchasing SM.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSource(s)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthors work\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.2 Study area\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eChennai, the fifth-largest megacity in India is chosen for the study. Spanning 1,189 sq. km and home to 12\u0026nbsp;million people \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e, Chennai is a major industrial and commercial hub with over 15,000 industries and a growing migrant population. The city is divided into 15 zones under the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), while urban planning is managed by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA). Chennai generates 1,200\u0026ndash;1,600 tonnes of CDW daily, accounting for 36% of its total solid waste, excluding illegal dumping \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn adherence to the national policy, the city authority has installed two recycling facilities under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and designated 15 places to dispose of CDW, one in each zone. Information about designated disposal sites is communicated through newspaper articles and the public portal. Private agencies manage the collection, transportation and recycling of waste in the city in collaboration with the corporation. The corporation imposes penalties ranging from INR 2,000 to 5,000 for illegal disposal \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.3 Data collection\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eData collection was performed through the survey, which comprised four sections: (1) Demographics, (2) Awareness and compliance with CDW regulations, (3) Willingness to purchase and expectations of SM, and (4) Challenges in procuring them. A mix of question types such as yes/no, Likert scale, multiple-choice, and open-ended questions, enabled the collection of diverse perspectives and actionable insights \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR45\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e45\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBefore finalising the questionnaire, a validation process was carried out to ensure clarity, relevance, and completeness. Two academic experts reviewed the content, followed by a pilot test with five respondents to identify issues related to wording, structure, or response options. Based on the feedback, unsuitable questions were removed, and others were simplified. The final version was printed in the local language for distribution.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eParticipants were selected using snowball sampling, with the following criteria:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ea) Small- and medium-scale building contractors in Chennai,\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eb) Over five years of experience in residential construction and demolition\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ec) Decision-makers for material use and waste disposal in their projects.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInitial respondents were members of the local builders\u0026rsquo; association. The survey was administered in person after obtaining verbal consent, with clarifications provided on-site to avoid misinterpretation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e All methods were performed in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations of the institution. The study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Ethical Committee for Studies on Human Subjects (IECH), Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai [VIT/IECH/CC/2025/89]. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo encourage honest responses, particularly on sensitive issues like illegal practices, participants were assured of anonymity and the survey's purpose in informing policy and improving infrastructure.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach survey took 10\u0026ndash;15 minutes. Responses were collected in hard copy, translated into English, and entered into Excel for analysis. A total of 73 responses were gathered. Data collection ended upon reaching saturation, where no new insights emerged from open-ended questions \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR46\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e46\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.4 Data analysis and result validation\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe entire data analysis, including descriptive statistics of demographic data, percentage and average calculations, and visualisations, was made using Microsoft Excel 2011. Questions involving responses on a Likert scale and ranks (high, medium, low) were converted into quantitative scores using weighted averages, where weights were assigned accordingly. The final open-ended question was grouped into categories based on themes using NVivo software, and the results were then validated through data triangulation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"4. Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.1. Participants\u0026rsquo; profile\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe demographic details of the participants, including their education and experience, are summarised in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSummary of demographic details of the participants.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"5\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRespondent\u0026rsquo;s Profile\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEducational Qualification\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLevel of qualification\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo. of respondents\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUndergraduate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e49\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDiploma\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePostgraduate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"3\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eExperience\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStandard Deviation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMax No. of projects\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMin No. of projects\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16 years\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9 years\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e40\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNumber of construction projects handled by the respondents\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNumber of demolition projects handled by respondents\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e24\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"5\" nameend=\"c5\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource(s): Authors work\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.2 Level of awareness about local CDW regulation and compliance (Objective 1)\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlthough the city has two recycling plants, only 20% of the participants were aware that CDW was being recycled (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). The city authority has designated 15 specific sites for waste disposal; however, only 14% of the population is aware of this (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003eb). The waste generators are unaware of local regulations and the legal ban on disposing of waste anywhere other than the designated disposal site. As the national policy mandates the onsite segregation of waste, the respondents were asked about their willingness to segregate CDW onsite (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003ec) and the level of difficulty involved (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003ed). The results indicate the unwillingness for onsite segregation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource(s): Authors work\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn enquiring about how they dispose of the inert waste from their site. Depending upon the material and its demand, the disposal method varies as shown in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e (a \u0026amp; b). The price for disposing of waste ranges between \u003cspan\u003e$\u003c/span\u003e6 and \u003cspan\u003e$\u003c/span\u003e60, equivalent, depending on the size of the vehicle, distance and area (rural/urban).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(a)Various disposal methods followed for different CDW materials.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMaterial\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMethods of waste disposal\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInert CDW (Purchased if there is a requirement for filling, and Waste is available from a single source in bulk quantity)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Construction waste is left near the site if it is open or unoccupied land.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Given to waste removal vendors who dispose of at the site designated by the local authority, dumping yard, open places, or water bodies\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Used for filling, backfilling, or raising the height of a low-lying area\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSteel (Has good salvage value)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Sold to scrap dealers/vendors\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; The client will take and compromise on payment\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWood (Has good salvage value)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Wood is mostly reused onsite or diverted for reuse on other sites\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Sold to vendor\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Used for combustion if damaged beyond use or disposed of with other solid Waste\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCeramic, Glass (No value)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Disposed of other solid Waste\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlastic \u0026amp; PVC (Has salvage value)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026bull; Sold to a scrap dealer or vendor\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e(b) Disposal of inert CDW material\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e% of respondents\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDump on the roadside\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUse for approach roads and ground levelling\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDump of waterbodies\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUse on the same construction site\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eReport to the waste disposal service\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUse in other construction projects\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e34\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDump on wasteland/unused site\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e59\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSource(s)\u003c/b\u003e: Authors work\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, it is evident that the inert CDW is disposed mainly of in inappropriate places such as open lands, roads and water bodies. Hence, there is low awareness and weak regulatory compliance.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.3 Insights into CE businesses and the SM market (objective 2)\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccording to the survey on purchasing point of new building materials (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e), contractors consistently prioritize suppliers based on reliability, proximity to the project site to minimize transportation costs, and suppliers serving as a single point of contact for most products. A contractor can find a building material supplier within a 2-kilometre stretch within the city. On the contrary, SM are only sold from the two recycling facilities in the city, which are far from most consumers. When the point of consumption is distant, significant transportation costs will be added to the material cost, making it uneconomical.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBuilding materials procurement point.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"2\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMaterial\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePoint of procurement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthorised local distributor\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCement factory\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLocal building material supplier\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCoarse aggregate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGovernment-approved quarries\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLocal building material supplier\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSand\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGovernment-approved supplier\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLocal building material supplier\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSteel\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLocal building material supplier\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBricks and blocks\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrick Kiln\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlock manufacturing factories\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLocal building material supplier\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSource(s)\u003c/b\u003e: Authors work\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e4.3.1 Consumer Preferences and Attitudes Towards Purchasing SM\u003c/em\u003e. In response to the question about the consumption of SM, it was found that most participants conveyed a lack of interest in procuring SM derived from CDW (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003ea).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen consumers were asked to rank their likelihood of purchasing recycled products, the following responses were obtained: Sand, Coarse Aggregate, and Paver Blocks received first, second, and third rank, respectively (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003eb). Hence, Fine aggregates, such as sand, have emerged as the most favoured option within the realm of recycled products. Delving deeper into the factors influencing the decision to purchase, consumers were asked to rank the importance of different factors they consider while purchasing SM using high, medium, and low categories. Numerical values were assigned to the rankings: High\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;15, Medium\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;10, Low\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5. The total scores for each factor were then calculated and ranked, with quality being the most crucial factor, as shown in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003ec.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSource(s)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthors work\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.4 Challenges and strategies to facilitate SM uptake\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe open-ended question, which inquired about challenges in purchasing SM for construction or any suggestions they would like to share regarding recycled CDW, was analysed using NVivo. The results were coded and categorised under themes (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). The consumer prefers materials to be readily available within a 5-kilometre radius of the project site, underscoring the importance placed on just-in-time availability. Moreover, participants indicated a strong inclination towards sourcing all the required materials from a single reliable supplier to streamline their procurement processes efficiently. The respondents also highlighted that their purchase choice depends on client willingness, as client satisfaction is crucial for their business.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThematic analysis\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCategory\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSub-theme\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCount\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChallenges in buying SM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuality\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrice Concerns\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eClient Willingness\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarket Expectations in buying SM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProximity \u0026amp; Distance\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCertification \u0026ndash; ISO/ISI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOne-stop Supply\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eImmediate Delivery\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegulatory Requirements for SM\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCertification \u0026ndash; Government\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAwareness creation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSubsidy\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTax Incentives\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource(s): Authors work\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.4 Result validation\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eSimilar to the results in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e, the thematic analysis results also highlighted that quality, procurement distance, and subsidy are important factors influencing the purchasing decision. Furthermore, client willingness emerged as a critical driving factor in influencing material choices. This triangulated evidence underscores that technical, logistical, and policy interventions must operate in concert to transform SM from a marginal alternative into a mainstream building material. The challenges and drivers of the secondary material market identified from the study are summarised in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"5. Discussion","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec18\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.1 Level of awareness and policy compliance\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe results highlight the lack of awareness among waste generators regarding local regulations on waste disposal (4.1.2). This indicates a significant gap in the city's communication and enforcement of waste management policies. Existing waste disposal methods underscore the prevalence of informal and environmentally harmful practices. Other than the waste used for backfilling, the rest remains undisposed of at the site or conveniently disposed of at a nearby open spaces or waterbodies \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Waste generators exhibit irresponsibility in their disposal choices, as it is influenced by ease and disposal costs. Several news reports have highlighted the issue, where even eco-sensitive marshland are being used as dumping grounds \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR47\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e47\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoreover, CDW is not segregated at the source despite the government's rule (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003ed). In addition to space constraints, committing time, money and labour to segregation is typically not in the interest of construction or demolition contractors. Such unsegregated disposal leads to poor production at recycling facilities. Several studies also reported that labour, time and cost constraints prevent demolishers from performing selective demolition \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e48\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e49\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. The absence of a regional mandate for waste generation and diversion reporting creates loopholes for irresponsible waste disposal among waste generators. This highlights a regulatory gap that needs to be addressed to ensure proper waste management practices. A recent study conducted in Denmark also yields similar findings, where the lack of documentation on reclaimed materials, unclear responsibilities for end-of-life material management, and unwillingness to take the risk of buying or selling SM in new construction are reported as major inhibitors of CE \u003csup\u003e48\u003c/sup\u003e. Additionally, existing communication methods, such as conveying information through local newspaper articles about designated disposal sites, are ineffective in reaching waste generators. Hence, more compelling and accessible communication channels should be employed to disseminate crucial information to the stakeholders \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e50\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR51\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e51\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe waste disposal practices depicted in Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e indicate the irresponsible behaviour of contractors. Contractors should demonstrate their dedication and commitment to environmental performance and waste reduction in the project by involving environmental experts, allocating resources, developing action plans for waste management, and selecting sustainable suppliers and materials \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR52\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e52\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom inquiries on methods of disposal (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e), it is evident that materials with high salvage value, such as steel, wood, and plastics, have a significant secondary market and are not reaching landfills in substantial quantities. However, inert mineral parts, such as sand, stone, dead mortar, and other fines, have no market value. To avoid the expense of removing waste, they may leave it at the site or hire waste removal services, which dispose of it elsewhere at a lower cost. Studies in Australia, China, the UK and Denmark also highlighted that the cost of demolition and transportation prevents contractors from adopting CE practices \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e48\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR49\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e49\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e53\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR54\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e54\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.2 Key challenges in establishing the SM market\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study identifies that lack of consumer awareness and interest in purchasing SM acts as a significant challenge in promoting the demand for recycled CDW products. Factors influencing purchasing decisions are found to be quality, adherence to standards and proximity, providing valuable insights for marketing and promotion strategies to increase the acceptance of SM. Notably, the tax for virgin aggregates is 5%, while the tax for recycled aggregates is 18%. Hence, targeted government interventions such as tax relaxation could promote the adoption of SM \u003csup\u003e15,18,32\u003c/sup\u003e. Countries such as Brazil, Hong Kong, and China have demonstrated that government interventions, including policies, taxes, and incentives, can help boost waste recycling \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR39\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e39\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR56 CR57 CR58\" citationid=\"CR55\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e55\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR59\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e59\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Study show that mechanical properties of recycled aggregates, demonstrating that stakeholder acceptance depends on the quality and performance of recycled products \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR60\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e60\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. These findings underscore the importance of stakeholder collaboration in research, quality assurance, and standards development to foster trust in recycled inert materials.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLack of marketing is a significant cause of limited awareness and product visibility among consumers \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Hence, it is crucial to launch intensive targeted marketing to create awareness and improve the visibility of recycled products \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR61\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e61\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Diversifying products and developing codal provisions for utilising these products would promote sales \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR50\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e50\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR62\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e62\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Addressing logistical challenges and enhancing material availability and accessibility through improved recycling infrastructure are also crucial for overcoming the constraints in purchasing SM \u003csup\u003e38\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCurrently, SM are sold only through recycling factories. When asked about the point of material consumption for their project, all participants mentioned the nearest or known building material supplier. Hence, deploying existing distribution channels, such as local construction material vendors, to distribute SM would be an excellent strategy to boost sales due to supplier relationships, availability from nearby locations, and increased visibility \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR53\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e53\u003c/span\u003e,\u003cspan citationid=\"CR63\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e63\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.3 Strategies to boost the secondary material market\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn India, these challenges in recycling are compounded by informal labour practices and limited access to finance for small-scale recyclers. Since demolition is not standardised and there is an absence of clear responsibilities for the collection and reprocessing of materials, there is a need to push for selective demolition during the tendering process itself. Establishing standardisation and an online interactive platform connecting stakeholders in the material supply chain can provide opportunities for circular business models \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR48\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e48\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Targeted training programmes for recyclers and construction professionals, coupled with finance schemes to support small‐scale processing units, can boost the market competitiveness \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR64\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e64\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Certification by the government or a recognized international organisation can further enhance the reliability of the materials \u003csup\u003e\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/sup\u003e. Finally, deploying technology in waste management systems and secondary market trading platforms will facilitate improved traceability, continuous improvement measures, monitoring and control. The strategies to achieve market robustness, successful policy and industrial readiness to promote a secondary market for inert CDW resources are proposed in Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSource(s)\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cp\u003eAuthors work\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is a promising opportunity for recycling businesses, secondary market and CE integration due to the launch of the new policy \u0026lsquo;Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rule 2024\u0026rsquo;, which mandates EPR over waste generators and mandates the consumption of SM.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.4 Study\u0026rsquo;s implications for theory, practice and policy\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"BlockQuote\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study offers important implications for both theory and practice, promoting the use of SM in construction. Theoretically, it advances our understanding of stakeholder behaviour by highlighting how client willingness, product quality, proximity, and certification influence purchase decisions, aligning with behavioural theories such as the Theory of Planned Behaviour. It also contributes to CE frameworks by emphasizing the need for integrated policies, logistics, and market mechanisms to mainstream SM.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePractically, the findings call for more rigorous enforcement of CDW Management Rules, economic incentives such as a reduction in GST and subsidies, and improved communication strategies to increase awareness. The study underscores the need to decentralize recycling infrastructure, ensure just-in-time availability through local vendors, and mandate third-party certification to build trust. Additionally, targeted marketing, capacity building, and financial support for small-scale recyclers are critical for fostering a viable SM market in India. These combined actions can accelerate the transition to a circular economy and promote sustainable construction practices.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"6. Conclusions","content":"\u003cp\u003eAs cities globally face escalating climate challenges, aligning with SDGs 9, 11, and 12 demands robust, localized, and sector-specific interventions. This study investigates the role of construction and demolition contractors in advancing a CE within the construction sector, specifically focusing on establishing a viable SM market for inert CDW in Chennai, India.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e Using a mixed-methods approach, the study identifies critical gaps in awareness, compliance, and enforcement of local CDW regulations. Findings reveal low regulatory awareness and limited compliance among contractors, highlighting the need for targeted awareness campaigns, stronger monitoring mechanisms, and inclusive policy design that accounts for waste generators\u0026rsquo; practices.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo build a sustainable SM market, the study proposes several regulatory and operational strategies for market establishment and boosting industrial readiness. The study highlights that coordinated efforts spanning government, industry, and community stakeholders are vital to address consumer hesitancy, regulatory gaps, and economic barriers such as high taxation on recycled materials.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLimitations\u003c/em\u003e. This study does not include scientific behavioural analysis of stakeholders and is geographically limited to the Indian context.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFuture Research\u003c/em\u003e. Future studies should evaluate the effectiveness of policy instruments, quantify stakeholder willingness to pay for recycled materials, and assess the impact of penalties on illegal dumping. Additionally, efforts should focus on measuring improvements in material recovery and recycling rates to support evidence-based policy interventions.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Contributions:\u003c/strong\u003e Hammadhu HaitherAli: Conceptualization, data collection, analysis, visualization and writing. Salman Shooshtarian: Supervision and review. Anjali Gopakumar: Review and edit the manuscript and proofreading.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding:\u003c/strong\u003e This research received no external funding.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability Statement:\u003c/strong\u003e The datasets used during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflicts of Interest:\u003c/strong\u003e The authors declare no conflicts of interest.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical committee approval\u003c/strong\u003e: Institutional Ethical Committee for Studies on Human Subjects (IECH), Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai [VIT/IECH/CC/2025/89].\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWorld Population by Country. 68% of the world population projected to live in urban areas by 2050, says UN. (2024). \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://worldpopulationreview.com/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://worldpopulationreview.com/\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e. (Live). (2024).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHaitherAli, H. \u0026amp; Anjali, G. Circular Economy in Construction Sector\u0026mdash;a Guideline for Policy Makers from Global Perspective. \u003cem\u003eCirc. Econ. Sustain.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.1007/s43615-023-00321-x\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/s43615-023-00321-x\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e (2023).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKabirifar, K., Mojtahedi, M., Changxin Wang, C. \u0026amp; Tam, V. W. Y. Effective construction and demolition waste management assessment through waste management hierarchy; a case of Australian large construction companies. \u003cem\u003eJ. Clean. Prod.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e312\u003c/b\u003e, 127790 (2021).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChen, Z. et al. Construction, renovation, and demolition waste in landfill: a review of waste characteristics, environmental impacts, and mitigation measures. \u003cem\u003eEnviron. Sci. Pollut Res.\u003c/em\u003e 1\u0026ndash;18. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.1007/s11356-022-20479-5\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/s11356-022-20479-5\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e (2022).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTanthanawiwat, K., Gheewala, S. H., Nilsalab, P., Schoch, M. \u0026amp; Silalertruksa, T. Environmental sustainability and cost performances of construction and demolition waste management scenarios: A case study of timber and concrete houses in Thailand. \u003cem\u003eJ. Clean. Prod.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e436\u003c/b\u003e, 140652 (2024).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSharma, N., Kalbar, P. P. \u0026amp; Salman, M. Global review of circular economy and life cycle thinking in building Demolition Waste Management: A way ahead for India. \u003cem\u003eBuild. Environ.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e222\u003c/b\u003e, 109413 (2022).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBao, Z. Developing circularity of construction waste for a sustainable built environment in emerging economies: New insights from China. \u003cem\u003eDev. Built Environ.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e13\u003c/b\u003e, 100107 (2023).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJain, S., Singhal, S. \u0026amp; Jain, N. Construction and demolition waste (C\u0026amp;DW) in India: generation rate and implications of C\u0026amp;DW recycling. \u003cem\u003eInt. J. Constr. Manag\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cb\u003e21\u003c/b\u003e, 1\u0026ndash;10 (2018).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePriyadarshini, P. \u0026amp; Abhilash, P. C. Circular economy practices within energy and waste management sectors of India: A meta-analysis. \u003cem\u003eBioresour Technol.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e304\u003c/b\u003e, 123018 (2020).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSomvanshi India drowns in construction, demolition debris. Retrived from (2019). \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.downtoearth.org.in/waste/india-drowns-in-construction-demolition-debris-65110#google_vignette\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.downtoearth.org.in/waste/india-drowns-in-construction-demolition-debris-65110#google_vignette\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSu, Y. et al. Decision-making interaction among stakeholders regarding construction and demolition waste recycling under different power structures. \u003cem\u003eWaste Manag\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cb\u003e131\u003c/b\u003e, 491\u0026ndash;502 (2021).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePan, X., Xie, Q. \u0026amp; Feng, Y. Designing recycling networks for construction and demolition waste based on reserve logistics research field. \u003cem\u003eJ. Clean. Prod.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e260\u003c/b\u003e, 120841 (2020).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKabirifar, K., Mojtahedi, M., Wang, C. \u0026amp; Tam, V. Construction and demolition waste management contributing factors coupled with reduce, reuse, and recycle strategies for effective waste management: A review. \u003cem\u003eJ. Clean. Prod.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e263\u003c/b\u003e, 121265 (2020).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShooshtarian, S. et al. Utilisation of certification schemes for recycled products in the Australian building and construction sector. \u003cem\u003eBus Strategy Environ\u003c/em\u003e (2023).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShooshtarian, S. et al. Analysis of factors influencing the creation and stimulation of the Australian market for recycled construction and demolition waste products. \u003cem\u003eSustain. Prod. Consum.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e34\u003c/b\u003e, 163\u0026ndash;176 (2022).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShooshtarian, S., Caldera, S., Maqsood, T. \u0026amp; Ryley, T. Using Recycled Construction and Demolition Waste Products: A Review of Stakeholders\u0026rsquo; Perceptions, Decisions, and Motivations. \u003cem\u003eRecycling\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e5\u003c/b\u003e, 31 (2020).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShooshtarian, S., Maqsood, T., Caldera, S. \u0026amp; Ryley, T. The impact of regulations on construction and demolition waste market creation and stimulation: Australian stakeholders\u0026rsquo; perception. \u003cem\u003eIOP Conf. Ser. Earth Environ. Sci.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e1101\u003c/b\u003e, 062012 (2022).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHua, C., Liu, C., Chen, J., Yang, C. \u0026amp; Chen, L. Promoting construction and demolition waste recycling by using incentive policies in China. \u003cem\u003eEnviron. Sci. Pollut Res.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.1007/s11356-022-19536-w\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/s11356-022-19536-w\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e (2022).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eC, J. J., Joseph, T. M. \u0026amp; Abu-Lebdeh, G. Perception of the Use of Recycled Construction Waste in the UAE\u0026rsquo;s Construction Industry. in \u003cem\u003eIEEE International Conference on Technology Management, Operations and Decisions (ICTMOD)\u003c/em\u003e 1\u0026ndash;6 (2024). 1\u0026ndash;6 (2024). (2024). \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.1109/ICTMOD63116.2024.10878224\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1109/ICTMOD63116.2024.10878224\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDelvoie, S., Zhao, Z., Michel, F. \u0026amp; Courard, L. Market analysis of recycled sands and aggregates in NorthWest Europe: drivers and barriers. \u003cem\u003eIOP Conf. Ser. Earth Environ. Sci.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e225\u003c/b\u003e, 012055 (2019).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHaitherAli, H. \u0026amp; G, A. Sustainable urban development: Evaluating the potential of mineral-based construction and demolition waste recycling in emerging economies. \u003cem\u003eSustain. Futur\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cb\u003e7\u003c/b\u003e, 100179 (2024).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSheth, J. N., Jain, V. \u0026amp; Ambika, A. The growing importance of customer-centric support services for improving customer experience. \u003cem\u003eJ. Bus. Res.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e164\u003c/b\u003e, 113943 (2023).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNehdi, M. L., Marani, A. \u0026amp; Zhang, L. Is net-zero feasible: Systematic review of cement and concrete decarbonization technologies. \u003cem\u003eRenew. Sustain. Energy Rev.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e191\u003c/b\u003e, 114169 (2024).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHosseinnezhad, H., S\u0026uuml;rmelioğlu, S., \u0026Ccedil;akır, \u0026Ouml;. A. \u0026amp; Ramyar, K. A novel method for characterization of recycled concrete aggregates: Computerized microtomography. \u003cem\u003eJ. Build. Eng.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e76\u003c/b\u003e, 107321 (2023).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAlsheyab, M. A. T. Recycling of construction and demolition waste and its impact on climate change and sustainable development. \u003cem\u003eInt. J. Environ. Sci. Technol.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e19\u003c/b\u003e, 2129\u0026ndash;2138 (2022).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHe, L. \u0026amp; Yuan, H. Investigation of construction waste recycling decisions by considering consumers\u0026rsquo; quality perceptions. \u003cem\u003eJ. Clean. Prod.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e259\u003c/b\u003e, 120928 (2020).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDing, Z., Nie, W. \u0026amp; Wu, H. Investigating the connection between stakeholders\u0026rsquo; purchase intention and perceived value of construction and demolition waste recycled products. \u003cem\u003eEnviron. Dev. Sustain.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e24\u003c/b\u003e, 9285\u0026ndash;9303 (2022).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMa, M., Tam, V. W. Y., Le, K. N. \u0026amp; Li, W. Challenges in current construction and demolition waste recycling: A China study. \u003cem\u003eWaste Manag\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cb\u003e118\u003c/b\u003e, 610\u0026ndash;625 (2020).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMa, M., Tam, V. W. Y., Le, K. N. \u0026amp; Osei-Kyei, R. Factors affecting the price of recycled concrete: A critical review. \u003cem\u003eJ. Build. Eng.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e46\u003c/b\u003e, 103743 (2022).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJin, R., Li, B., Zhou, T., Wanatowski, D. \u0026amp; Piroozfar, P. An empirical study of perceptions towards construction and demolition waste recycling and reuse in China. \u003cem\u003eResour. Conserv. Recycl\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cb\u003e126\u003c/b\u003e, 86\u0026ndash;98 (2017).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGunaratne, T., Krook, J. \u0026amp; Andersson, H. Market prospects of secondary construction aggregates in Sweden. \u003cem\u003eJ Clean. Prod\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e360\u003c/b\u003e, (2022).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGhaffar, S. H., Burman, M. \u0026amp; Braimah, N. Pathways to circular construction: An integrated management of construction and demolition waste for resource recovery. \u003cem\u003eJ. Clean. Prod.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e244\u003c/b\u003e, 118710 (2020).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBonifazi, G., Grosso, C., Palmieri, R. \u0026amp; Serranti, S. Current trends and challenges in construction and demolition waste recycling. \u003cem\u003eCurr. Opin. Green. Sustain. Chem.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e53\u003c/b\u003e, 101032 (2025).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBolden, J., Abu-Lebdeh, T., Fini, E., UTILIZATION OF RECYCLED \u0026amp; AND WASTE MATERIALS IN VARIOUS CONSTRUCTION APPLICATIONS. \u003cem\u003eAm. J. Environ. Sci.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e9\u003c/b\u003e, 14\u0026ndash;24 (2013).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTam, V. W. Y., Kotrayothar, D. \u0026amp; Loo, Y. C. On the prevailing construction waste recycling practices: a South East Queensland study. \u003cem\u003eWaste Manag Res.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e27\u003c/b\u003e, 167\u0026ndash;174 (2009).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOyedele, L. O., Ajayi, S. O. \u0026amp; Kadiri, K. O. Use of recycled products in UK construction industry: An empirical investigation into critical impediments and strategies for improvement. \u003cem\u003eResour. Conserv. Recycl\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cb\u003e93\u003c/b\u003e, 23\u0026ndash;31 (2014).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMak, T. M. W. et al. Extended theory of planned behaviour for promoting construction waste recycling in Hong Kong. \u003cem\u003eWaste Manag\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cb\u003e83\u003c/b\u003e, 161\u0026ndash;170 (2019).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOtasowie, K., Aigbavboa, C., Oke, A., Adekunle, P. \u0026amp; Liphadzi, M. Constraints to Clients\u0026rsquo; Acceptance of Recycled Construction Materials in Developing Nations: Professionals\u0026rsquo; Perspective. \u003cem\u003eEng. Proc.\u003c/em\u003e 76, 60 (2024).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSu, Y., Xu, Y., Bao, Z., Ng, S. T. \u0026amp; Gao, Q. Stakeholder interactions of government intervention in construction and demolition waste recycling market: A game theory approach. \u003cem\u003eDev. Built Environ.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e18\u003c/b\u003e, 100391 (2024).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eVerhagen, T. J., Sauer, M. L., van der Voet, E. \u0026amp; Sprecher, B. Matching Demolition and Construction Material Flows, an Urban Mining Case Study. \u003cem\u003eSustainability\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e13\u003c/b\u003e, 653 (2021).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGhisellini, P. \u0026amp; Ulgiati, S. Circular economy transition in Italy. Achievements, perspectives and constraints. \u003cem\u003eJ. Clean. Prod.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e243\u003c/b\u003e, 118360 (2020).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCPCB | Central Pollution Control Board. (2016). \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://cpcb.nic.in/c-d-waste-rules/.\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://cpcb.nic.in/c-d-waste-rules/.\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAdak, B. No takers for recycled goods, C\u0026amp;D plants in Delhi run into losses. \u003cem\u003eHindustan Times\u003c/em\u003e (2019). \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/no-takers-for-recycled-goods-c-d-plants-in-delhi-run-into-losses/story-fcqxkniK32f5hznCbDxF3K.html\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/no-takers-for-recycled-goods-c-d-plants-in-delhi-run-into-losses/story-fcqxkniK32f5hznCbDxF3K.html\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDevaki, H. \u0026amp; Shanmugapriya, S. Investigating barriers to sustainable management of construction and demolition waste: the case of India. \u003cem\u003eJ. Mater. Cycles Waste Manag\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.1007/s10163-023-01631-w\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/s10163-023-01631-w\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e (2023).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCheung, A. K. L. Structured Questionnaires. in Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research (ed Michalos, A. C.) 6399\u0026ndash;6402 (Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, doi:\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_2888\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_2888\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e. (2014).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMason, M. Sample Size and Saturation in PhD Studies Using Qualitative Interviews. \u003cem\u003eForum Qual. Sozialforschung Forum Qual. Soc. Res\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e11\u003c/b\u003e, (2010).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChaitanya, S. K. Realtors dump debris to \u0026lsquo;reclaim\u0026rsquo; Chennai\u0026rsquo;s Pallikaranai Ramsar site. \u003cem\u003eThe New Indian Express\u003c/em\u003e (2023). \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2023/Mar/16/realtors-dump-debris-to-reclaim-chennais-pallikaranai-ramsar-site-2556798.html\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil-nadu/2023/Mar/16/realtors-dump-debris-to-reclaim-chennais-pallikaranai-ramsar-site-2556798.html\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eK\u0026ouml;hler, J., Nielsen, F., Verstermark, F., Thuesen, C. \u0026amp; J. \u0026amp; Recirculation of construction and demolition Waste: A case study of Danish producers and demolishers. \u003cem\u003eClean. Mater.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e14\u003c/b\u003e, 100276 (2024).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePrasad, V. \u0026amp; Arashpour, M. Real-time instance segmentation of recyclables from highly cluttered construction and demolition waste streams. \u003cem\u003eJ. Environ. Manage.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e372\u003c/b\u003e, 123365 (2024).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMhatre, P., Gedam, V. V. \u0026amp; Unnikrishnan, S. Material circularity potential for construction materials \u0026ndash; The case of transportation infrastructure in India. \u003cem\u003eResour. Policy\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cb\u003e74\u003c/b\u003e, 102446 (2021).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDemestichas, K. \u0026amp; Daskalakis, E. Information and Communication Technology Solutions for the Circular Economy. \u003cem\u003eSustainability\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e12\u003c/b\u003e, 7272 (2020).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCui, C., Liu, Y., Hope, A. \u0026amp; Wang, J. Review of studies on the public\u0026ndash;private partnerships (PPP) for infrastructure projects. \u003cem\u003eInt. J. Proj Manag\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cb\u003e36\u003c/b\u003e, 773\u0026ndash;794 (2018).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDonyavi, S., Flanagan, R., Assadi-Langroudi, A. \u0026amp; Parisi, L. Understanding the complexity of materials procurement in construction projects to build a conceptual framework influencing supply chain management of MSMEs. \u003cem\u003eInt. J. Constr. Manag\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cb\u003e24\u003c/b\u003e, 177\u0026ndash;186 (2024).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMa, W. \u0026amp; Hao, J. L. Enhancing a circular economy for construction and demolition waste management in China: A stakeholder engagement and key strategy approach. \u003cem\u003eJ. Clean. Prod.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e450\u003c/b\u003e, 141763 (2024).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWu, Z., Yu, A. T. W. \u0026amp; Poon, C. S. Promoting effective construction and demolition waste management towards sustainable development: A case study of Hong Kong. \u003cem\u003eSustain. Dev.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e28\u003c/b\u003e, 1713\u0026ndash;1724 (2020).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAkhtar, A. \u0026amp; Sarmah, A. K. Accepted Manuscript Construction and demolition waste generation and properties of recycled aggregate concrete: A global perspective. (2018). \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.03.085\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.03.085\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAslam, M. S., Huang, B. \u0026amp; Cui, L. Review of construction and demolition waste management in China and USA. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Environmental Management\u003c/em\u003e vol. 264 Preprint at (2020). \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110445\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110445\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLu, W., Webster, C., Chen, K., Zhang, X. \u0026amp; Chen, X. Computational Building Information Modelling for construction waste management: Moving from rhetoric to reality. \u003cem\u003eRenew. Sustain. Energy Rev.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e68\u003c/b\u003e, 587\u0026ndash;595 (2017).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYu, A. T. W., Wong, I., Wu, Z. \u0026amp; Poon, C. S. Strategies for Effective Waste Reduction and Management of Building Construction Projects in Highly Urbanized Cities\u0026mdash;A Case Study of Hong Kong. \u003cem\u003eBuildings\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e11\u003c/b\u003e, 214 (2021).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKessal, O., Belgraa, L., Djebri, N., Salah, S. \u0026amp; Allal, Z. Improvement of the Mechanical Behavior of an Environmental Concrete Based on Demolished Concrete Waste and Silica Fume. \u003cem\u003eCiv. Eng. J.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e8\u003c/b\u003e, 238\u0026ndash;250 (2022).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuening, T. N., Hisrich, R. D. \u0026amp; Lechter, M. A. Chapter 10 - Marketing and Selling Your Products. in \u003cem\u003eTechnology Entrepreneurship (Second Edition)\u003c/em\u003e (eds. Duening, T. N., Hisrich, R. D. \u0026amp; Lechter, M. A.) 231\u0026ndash;249Academic Press, Boston, (2015). \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003e10.1016/B978-0-12-420175-0.00010-5\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"10.1016/B978-0-12-420175-0.00010-5\" targettype=\"DOI\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eChang, S. C. \u0026amp; Wang, C. F. The effect of product diversification strategies on the relationship between international diversification and firm performance. \u003cem\u003eJ. World Bus.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e42\u003c/b\u003e, 61\u0026ndash;79 (2007).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCengiz, A. E., Aytekin, O., Ozdemir, I., Kusan, H. \u0026amp; Cabuk, A. A Multi-criteria Decision Model for Construction Material Supplier Selection. \u003cem\u003eProcedia Eng.\u003c/em\u003e \u003cb\u003e196\u003c/b\u003e, 294\u0026ndash;301 (2017).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShooshtarian, S., Caldera, S., Maqsood, T., Ryley, T. \u0026amp; Khalfan, M. An investigation into challenges and opportunities in the Australian construction and demolition waste management system. \u003cem\u003eEng. Constr. Archit. Manag\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cb\u003e29\u003c/b\u003e, 4313\u0026ndash;4330 (2021).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Circular economy, Stakeholder, Market analysis, Construction and demolition waste, Secondary material","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7729243/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7729243/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe improper disposal of construction and demolition waste (CDW) poses significant environmental and infrastructural challenges in India. This study investigates the barriers and opportunities associated with promoting the use of recycled secondary materials (SM). A mixed-methods approach was adopted, combining quantitative analysis of closed-ended survey responses with thematic analysis of open-ended responses. Data were collected from 73 stakeholders in Chennai, and findings were validated through triangulation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eResults indicate low awareness of local waste management regulations and irresponsible waste disposal behaviours. Stakeholders reported reluctance to adopt SM due to concerns over quality, procurement distance, costs, and the absence of client demand. To address these barriers, the study highlights the need for strong policy support, including tax incentives, subsidies, and quality certification systems to enhance market confidence. Recommendations include decentralization of material supply via local dealers, standardization of recycled products, and targeted marketing strategies to build acceptance.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e This research highlights critical factors to facilitate the circular transition through regional action by, (a) emphasizing consumer insights for the development of the secondary materials market and (b) revealing non-compliant waste disposal behaviours indicating weak regulatory enforcement. Findings provide actionable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and recycling businesses, aligning with SDGs 9, 11, and 12.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Exploring Waste Disposal Attitudes and Market Strategies for Recycled Construction and Demolition Waste in India","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-10-30 15:19:46","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7729243/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2025-11-27T08:52:46+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-11-26T10:02:13+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"87009597497286026953145992181300105678","date":"2025-11-19T12:25:03+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-11-18T09:16:19+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"239840505410151987446602966586089491649","date":"2025-11-12T07:24:11+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-10-30T09:12:11+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"92807796677382938382473565527783625132","date":"2025-10-17T16:48:24+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-10-17T14:27:42+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-10-17T13:49:10+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-10-15T07:51:15+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-10-13T14:38:46+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2025-10-13T14:35:27+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"49e14924-e2af-4659-a586-3af28504e6ac","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 30th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":57084312,"name":"Physical sciences/Engineering"},{"id":57084313,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences"},{"id":57084314,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental social sciences"},{"id":57084315,"name":"Social science/Environmental studies"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-01-05T16:02:24+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7729243","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-32996-7","journal":{"identity":"scientific-reports","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Scientific Reports"},"publishedOn":"2025-12-29 15:57:27","publishedOnDateReadable":"December 29th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-10-30 15:19:46","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41598-025-32996-7","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-32996-7","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7729243","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7729243","identity":"rs-7729243","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}