CONSTRUCTION WASTE MANAGEMENT IN VIETNAM : EVALUATION AND STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE CONTRACTORS � PERFORMANCE

Abstract

After joining World Trade Organization in 2007, Vietnam has become increasingly integrated with the world economy, resulting in a considerable increase of foreign investment across all industries. Following this rapid economic growth, Vietnam’s construction industry has experienced strong growth due to higher demand for construction products to facilitate the socioeconomic development. While Vietnam is facing serious environmental pollution and the majority of its population rely on the natural ecosystems for their livelihoods, managing construction waste to achieve environmental sustainability has become one of the key drivers for continuous growth in the construction industry. Despite that, efficient waste management remains a challenge for project practitioners. This study aims to investigate the extent to which waste management is practised in Vietnam’s construction industry and its contributory factors, analyze specific waste management strategies that lead to better project performance, and propose a framework to assist contractors in implementing waste management. Using questionnaire survey, data were collected from Vietnamese main contractors. The results show that there is a set of waste management strategies that can contribute to improvement in project outcomes. To achieve successful implementation of these strategies, some key enablers are firms’ management commitment, client support, subcontractors and workforce attitude, realistic work schedule and sufficient regulations on construction waste management. The findings may be useful for contractors operating in Vietnam in improving project performance outcomes by enhancing waste management.