Saudi Arabia is experiencing extensive infrastructure and urban development under Vision 2030. Construction activities associated with foundations, structures, culverts, roads, utilities and other infrastructure works can produce significant quantities of concrete waste. Uncontrolled accumulation of concrete debris can affect housekeeping, access, dust control, soil quality, site safety and the efficient use of disposal capacity.
Effective concrete waste management should therefore focus not only on removing waste from the work area, but also on preventing unnecessary generation, improving material utilization, segregating concrete at source, identifying recovery opportunities and maintaining reliable records from generation through final destination.
Case Study: Concrete Waste Generation at DG-II, Infra Package-1, Riyadh
DG-II, Infra Package-1 in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) generates approximately 195–200 tonnes of concrete waste per month. This corresponds to an estimated annual quantity of 2,340–2,400 tonnes if the monthly generation rate remains within the stated range. Using the midpoint of 197.5 tonnes/month, the indicative annual generation is approximately 2,370 tonnes.
Concrete waste may arise from surplus concrete, rejected or excess concrete, hardened concrete, concrete debris from construction activities, damaged concrete products and other concrete-related construction losses. Accurate identification at the point of generation is important because clean concrete has greater potential for recovery or beneficial reuse than mixed construction waste.
Concrete Waste Management System
Recommended management chain:
Concrete Generation → Source Segregation → Temporary Storage → Collection & Transportation → Recycling/Recovery or Approved Disposal → Final Disposal Where Applicable → Records and Traceability
Source segregation is a key control. Dedicated and clearly identified areas should be used for concrete waste to prevent mixing with general waste, soil, plastics, timber, metals and other materials. Temporary storage areas should be orderly, accessible to collection vehicles, suitably sized, and managed to prevent uncontrolled dispersal or obstruction of work fronts.
Waste quantities, collection dates, vehicle details, waste category, destination and supporting disposal or recovery documentation are systematically retained to demonstrate full traceability and support monthly environmental reporting.
Concrete Waste Recovery and Waste Hierarchy
For concrete waste, disposal should be considered only after practical prevention, reuse and recovery options have been evaluated.
The preferred hierarchy is:
Prevention → Reduction → Reuse → Recycling/Recovery → Treatment → Disposal
Potential recovery pathways may include crushing and processing clean concrete into suitable recycled aggregate or using concrete rubble for approved construction applications, subject to project specifications, engineering approval, applicable Saudi requirements and environmental controls. Where recovery is not technically or legally appropriate, the material should be transferred through the approved waste management chain for final disposal.
Environmental and ESG Benefits
A structured concrete waste management system can provide measurable environmental, social and governance benefits. Environmentally, it reduces uncontrolled accumulation and unnecessary disposal while creating opportunities to recover construction materials. It can also reduce demand for virgin aggregate when recycled concrete is technically suitable.
From a social and operational perspective, good housekeeping improves site cleanliness, access and safety. From a governance perspective, defined responsibilities, contractor control, inspection, waste manifests and destination records provide evidence of controlled material management.
Key Performance Indicators
| KPI | Recommended Measurement |
| Total concrete waste generated | 195–200 tonnes/month (current reported range) |
| Estimated annual generation | 2,340–2,400 tonnes/year |
| Indicative annual generation at midpoint | ≈2,370 tonnes/year |
| Concrete reused/recovered/recycled | tonnes/month |
| Concrete sent for final disposal | tonnes/month |
| Concrete recovery/diversion rate | % |
| Concrete-waste observations | number/month |
| Waste-related incidents | number/month |
| Disposal/recovery documentation | % complete |
Concrete Waste Diversion Rate (%) = [(Total Concrete Waste Generated − Concrete Waste Sent for Final Disposal) / Total Concrete Waste Generated] × 100
Opportunities for Improvement
- Improve concrete quantity planning and ordering to reduce surplus concrete and avoidable material losses.
- Strengthen segregation of clean concrete from mixed construction waste at the point of generation.
- Evaluate technically suitable concrete for crushing, aggregate recovery or approved beneficial reuse.
- Establish designated concrete waste collection points at major work fronts to reduce uncontrolled accumulation.
- Conduct periodic concrete waste audits to identify major generation sources and opportunities for prevention.
- Use digital tracking to connect waste generator, quantity, collection date, transporter, destination and disposal/recovery evidence.
- Include concrete waste minimization and recovery requirements in subcontractor and supplier controls.
- Maintain monthly reconciliation between site-generated quantities, collection records and final disposal/recovery documentation.
Alignment with Vision 2030 and Circular Economy
Concrete waste management can support Saudi Arabia’s wider direction toward resource efficiency, recycling and waste diversion. Infrastructure projects can move from a linear model—
Take → Make → Use → Dispose—toward a more circular approach based on Reduce → Reuse → Recover → Recycle → Reintroduce into the Economy.
For DG-II, the existing controlled collection and transportation arrangement provides a strong foundation for circularity. The next step is to quantify recovery opportunities, increase the proportion of suitable concrete diverted from final disposal, and strengthen digital traceability.
Conclusion
DG-II, Infra Package-1 generates approximately 195–200 tonnes of concrete waste monthly, representing an estimated 2,340–2,400 tonnes annually at the current rate. Controlled segregation, temporary storage, collection and transportation, and final disposal provide a defined pathway for managing the material.
The principal sustainability opportunity is to move progressively from disposal-oriented management toward concrete prevention, reuse, recycling and recovery. Better concrete planning, source segregation, recovery assessment and digital traceability can reduce disposal volumes and improve resource efficiency while supporting project environmental and ESG performance.
Author’s Perspective
As infrastructure development accelerates across Saudi Arabia, environmental professionals can help transform concrete-waste management from a disposal activity into a measurable resource-efficiency function. Integrating project environmental controls, circular economy principles, reliable waste data and documented recovery pathways can strengthen environmental performance and support sustainable infrastructure delivery.
References
- National Center for Waste Management (MWAN). (2025). Technical Guidelines – Construction and Demolition Waste Management: Construction and Demolition Waste Management Plan. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- National Center for Waste Management (MWAN). (2025). Technical Guidelines – Construction and Demolition Waste Management: Treatment. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- Mandal, A., & Shiuly, A. (2025). Exploring mechanical characteristics of recycled concrete aggregates from demolition waste: advancements, challenges, and future directions for sustainable construction: a review. Discover Civil Engineering, 2, 33. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44290-025-00185-0
- Recycled Aggregate: A Solution to Sustainable Concrete. (2025). Materials, 18(12), 2706. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18122706
- Sakthibala, R. K., Vasanthi, P., Hariharasudhan, C., & Partheeban, P. (2025). A critical review on recycling and reuse of construction and demolition waste materials. Cleaner Waste Systems, 12, 100375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clwas.2025.100375
- Nature Reviews Clean Technology. (2025). Recycled aggregate concrete design, application and challenges. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44359-025-00125-2
- Ministry of Municipalities and Housing. (2024). Requirements for Disposal of Construction, Demolition and Renovation Waste. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
