Spatial assessment of construction waste generated by residential buildings in rural areas

Résumé En

The management of construction waste it is at an early stage in urban areas and lacking in rural areas where this fraction is frequently uncontrolled disposed on public lands. Despite the fact some items of construction waste are considered inert for the environment (soil, concrete) it also contains hazardous items (paint additives, cans, and containers) or recyclables (plastics, metals, wood). Potential recovery of this waste stream is high if it is properly managed. The paper estimates the potential amounts of waste resulted from residential constructions across rural municipalities of Neamț County between 2002 and 2010. These statistical values are calculated at commune level (rural territorial administrative unit) in order to outline the disparities between various geographical areas using thematic cartography. This approach is correlated with demographic features in order to reflect such spatial patterns. The map of population density within built-up areas reveals where the construction sector is emerging at the county scale. Field observations highlight the existence of illegal disposal practices of construction waste in the proximity of settlements or water bodies. This waste stream should receive proper attention in following years in order to achieve recycling and recovery targets imposed by EU regulations.