An examination of the acceptance of construction and demolition waste reduction measures by residential building contractors in Windsor and Essex Count

Within the field of urban planning there is a growing recognition that the discipline must incorporate within its existing framework an environmental component that is sensitive to environmental concerns and which takes a proactive role. It is no longer possible to consider development in isolation without first looking at the consequences development has upon the natural and physical environment. The residential construction industry is seen as an industry where opportunity exists to reduce, reuse, recycle and recover material wasted during the construction process. The purpose of this study was to survey new residential building contractors in the Windsor/Essex County area and determine how they had been affected by waste reduction and minimization measures.;After surveying 43 residential building contractors, analysis was conducted to determine the impact that waste reduction and minimization practices have had in the Windsor/Essex County area. The results suggest that the contractors surveyed do minimize waste on site for economic rather than environmental reasons. However, waste reduction and minimization literature designed specifically for contractors is not reaching them and the composition of new construction waste is quite different to previous studies done in other municipalities.;This study should prove useful to other researchers investigating the issue of construction and demolition waste reduction in Windsor and Essex County area and else where.