Decision support tool for designing out waste: a conceptual framework

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PurposeConstruction activities are anticipated to experience steady growth worldwide, resulting in massive construction and demolition waste (CDW). Despite introducing five designing out waste (DoW) principles to combat CDW from the early design stage, the design process remains a notable contributor to CDW generation due to designers’ limited knowledge and experience. The decision-making process in identifying and selecting DoW solutions is relatively underexplored in the current literature. This study aims to bridge this gap by reviewing existing literature to investigate the implementation of DoW principles and uncover potential areas to support designers in selecting DoW solutions for their projects.Design/methodology/approachFollowing the Preferred Reporting Item for systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol, a systematic literature review is adopted to analyse 50 selected articles published from 2000 to 2023 in order to develop the conceptual framework, which was subsequently reviewed by industry experts.FindingsThis review critically examines the current state of DoW implementation, the decision-making criteria for selecting DoW solutions and the available tools for DoW implementation. Existing limitations and future research directions to aid DoW in decision-making were identified. Drawing from the review’s findings, a conceptual framework is formulated to develop a decision support tool for selecting DoW alternatives.Originality/valueThe outcome of this review offers researchers insight into identifying existing gaps and potential areas to aid the DoW decision-making process. Construction professionals can use the findings to develop a decision support tool for selecting DoW alternatives, thereby minimising waste generation in construction projects.