A discussion on the reuse of building components in Brazil: An analysis of major social, economical and legal factors

The construction industry is a major waste generator and consumer of natural resources. The importance of changing traditionally adopted attitudes (such as the discard of used materials components for recycling and reuse practices) in order to create a more sustainable production model is presented in the literature. The aim of this exploratory paper is to analyze major social, economical and legal factors, which can act as barriers or opportunities in the reuse of building components. The research strategy employed is a single-embedded case study. The main unit of analysis is the reuse process, investigated by the study of the demolition sector in the city of Porto Alegre (Brazil). The process is characterized; its main phases and agents are presented and described. The supply chain management (SCM) approach is used to model the reuse process. The article summarizes major factors, which influence the reuse process, pointed in the literature and compares those with the case study findings enabling the identification of some differences. The case study findings suggest that the reuse of building components is primarily supported by economical and social aspects such as the labor cost of deconstruction and demand for reused products. Although legal mechanisms may play an important role in promoting the reuse of building components, its potential was not observed in the case study. The article also provides a critical analysis of the current state of construction waste management in Porto Alegre on issues like legislation and responsibilities, considering recent changes in national regulations. Finally, the adoption of the SCM approach has showed to be useful for the analysis of “close loop” supply chains as it enabled the identification of additional factors that can influence the reuse process.