Construction and demolition waste circulation and its sustainability performance in the building sector: current trend and future directions

Purpose The building industry generates around ten billion tons of construction and demolition waste (CDW) annually worldwide, posing both financial burdens on contractors and significant environmental hazards. Embracing a circular economy (CE) approach emerges as a promising strategy for sustainably managing the vast volumes of CDW. However, the sustainable performance of many attempts in CDW circulation is still questioned and need to be justified. This study transcends traditional reviews by adopting a systematic literature review, focusing on the central question: “What’s the contribution of the 3R principle in CDW circulation and its sustainability performance?” Design/methodology/approach The methodological framework encompasses literature searching, screening and quality assessment, culminating in the selection of 177 articles for bibliometric and integrative analysis. Comparative assessments were conducted on major CDW reduction strategies, reuse materials, recycling rates and other circular strategies. The sustainable performance of the process was also discussed as well as the modern advanced tools used for the design and assessment, such as building information model (BIM), AI and geographic information systems (GIS). Findings The bibliometric analysis reveals the evolution of the selected publications by year, country and research hotspots. Through the integrative analysis, the research explored the 3R principles adopted in CDW circulation, including waste reduction, reuse and recycling, as well as other circular methods across key global economies. There is a notable disparity in the volume of articles addressing reuse compared to recycling. In comparison to the environmental and economic performance of CDW circulations, social performance has received less attention. Moreover, the study ventured into prospective research trajectories, exploring future themes such as the adoption of a “zero-waste” strategy for the industry, the promotion of higher-level material circularity, the need for institutional network building among stakeholders in CDW circulation practice, and new tools for holistic sustainability analysis. Originality/value Few reviews in this field have focused on the sustainability performance of the CDW circulation. This comprehensive analysis not only contributes valuable insights into the current state of CDW within the CE paradigm but also directs attention toward critical and sustainable avenues for future research in this area.