Increasing the use of reclaimed and recycled building materials in New Zealand: Stakeholder perceptions

<p>This study investigated the perceptions of stakeholders in the building construction industry regarding the use of reused and recycled building materials (RRBMs) as a sustainable action in terms of using fewer natural resources and generating less waste. The aim was to find challenges to and opportunities for using RRBMs and provide recommendations for the relevant actors. Different occupations participated in this study including architects and designers, builders, manufacturers and suppliers, environmentalists, regulators and consumers. An explanatory-sequential, mixed-method approach was used to collect quantitative data and explore these more deeply with qualitative data to answer the research questions. The involvement of many different stakeholders was helpful in creating a multidimensional conceptualisation towards reaching sustainable construction goals. The roles, expectations, interrelationships, and demands of stakeholders were identified. The architect was perceived to be most influential construction industry stakeholder in the building project team on the uptake of RRBMs. The aim of this study was to create a big picture of the situation to show to decision-makers and other relevant audiences and give suggestions that could help to increase the use of RRBMs and ultimately lower the environmental impacts of buildings in New Zealand. The groups of stakeholders had different levels of environmental attitudes, although the mean score was in the pro-ecological range. Education level, occupation and ownership of property also influenced environmental attitudes. Of the stakeholders not directly associated with environmental activism, the architects had more environmentally friendly attitudes. Analysing the behaviour of stakeholders in terms of socio-demographic data and occupation indicated that women and people with tertiary education were more likely to engage in reuse and recycling activities and occupation also had an influence on this. Consumers had the least and architects the most knowledge of regulations and certification in this area. Examining the Theory of Planned Behaviour showed that architects with higher environmental attitude scores had stronger intentions to do more recycling or buy more recycled materials; however, their intentions were also influenced by factors affecting green purchase behaviour. Knowledge of related regulations and certificates also influenced their behaviour. Although the behavioural models differed for the other stakeholder groups, environmental attitudes and perceived behavioural control were strong predictors of behaviour involving reuse and recycling and particularly the use of RRBMs for all groups. Price and self-satisfaction were the most influential factors on green purchasing in this study, although age, gender, and income were also influential. The results of the quantitative and qualitative studies were different in the evaluation of material characteristics. In the qualitative results it was felt cost was most important whereas, in the quantitative results, it was felt performance and durability were most important. Architects and regulators emerged as the two most important stakeholder groups who could both lead and influence other stakeholders regarding the increased use of RRBMs in projects. In this situation, architects could have a leading role as decision-makers in the process of choosing a material, and could both inform and encourage the client to use RRBMs. Architects were also in a position to do the necessary research about such materials, and ask for supporting documents and certifications from manufacturers and suppliers.</p>