Analysing Film Plastic Waste in Residential Construction Project

Sustainability and lean construction are closely interrelated topics to consider. However, sustainability issues in construction projects are rarely discussed in International Group for Lean Construction (IGLC) community. The major aim of this research is to analyze the film plastic waste in residential construction project. For the analysis, three cases were selected, where the amount and quality of film plastic waste were investigated from the beginning of project to the end. According to the results, 1009–1710 kg of film plastic waste was separately collected (about 0.5–1.0% of total waste). In addition, the generated pattern of film plastics was approx. 0.34 kg/m2 and each apartment generated approx. 26.20 kg. The most film plastic is generated in the interior phase of the work stage, which includes tasks such as partition work, furniture installation and home appliance installation. Furthermore, based on the results of this research, we have developed a preliminary web modelling tool: kalvomuovi.fi, which could be adopted for estimating the amount of film plastic waste in a residential construction project. Future research could further develop the web model tool for other type of construction projects, such as, schools, hospitals, and shopping centers. Also, future research is necessary to develop better recycling technology of film plastic waste.