Exploring stakeholders' perceptions of public opposition to C&D waste recycling facilities in Victoria, Australia: towards a circular economy in the construction industry

Purpose Population growth has increased construction activities, including housing projects and infrastructure development, leading to more construction and demolition (C&D) waste. To avoid environmental challenges coming from landfilling, it is pivotal to develop C&D waste recycling facilities. However, recycling C&D waste may also be costly for local communities, leading to the formation of public opposition campaigns against the recycling operation. Therefore, this research aims to understand the reasons behind the public opposition to C&D waste recycling facilities in Victoria, Australia from the viewpoints of multiple stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach The research uses a qualitative approach based on 14 semi-structured interviews with multiple stakeholders, including community representatives (2 participants), government agencies (6 participants) and recycling groups (6 participants). Therefore, the results predominantly reflect the perceptions of government agencies and recycling groups. The study used a combination of deductive and inductive content analysis to interpret the data. Findings The findings show five major categories of reasons for public opposition based on the viewpoints of three main stakeholders, with environmental reasons as the most frequently reported cause of dissatisfaction. In particular, air pollution is the most frequently reported factor that impacts the environment and public health, leading to respiratory diseases. Research limitations/implications Finally, this research suggests a framework of 12 strategies to address public concerns and enhance the circular economy (CE) simultaneously, based on results from stakeholders' interviews, researchers' interpretations and literature review. These strategies address public concerns through public engagement and education, risk control and boost CE activities through proper site selection, optimised routing and scheduling. The main limitation of this study was the small number of community representative participants. Although several recruitment approaches were used, the sensitivity and uniqueness of the topic, along with limited public awareness of C&D waste management, resulted in few community representative participants. Originality/value This research is unique, since it explored the reasons for public opposition to C&D waste recycling facilities in Victoria, Australia, for the first time from the viewpoints of different stakeholders. The findings can benefit multiple stakeholders, especially government agencies and recycling groups responsible for managing C&D waste. Highlights