Rapid urbanization in Sri Lanka has led to more construction and a rise in construction waste, causing problems like soil contamination, drainage issues, air pollution, carbon emissions, and illegal dumping. Although the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) has set national guidelines, waste management practices are still inconsistent at urban construction sites. This study looks at the environmental impacts of construction waste in Sri Lankan urban projects and reviews how effective current waste management is. A structured questionnaire was given to 43 construction professionals. Their responses on a Likert scale were analyzed using the Relative Importance Index (RII), and open-ended answers were reviewed through thematic analysis. The main causes of waste were design changes during construction (RII=0.9023), poor material handling (RII=0.8977), and inaccurate material estimation (RII=0.8791). The most serious environmental issues were illegal dumping (RII=0.8884) and drainage disruption (RII=0.8140). The biggest barriers were lack of proper planning (RII=0.8837) and low worker awareness (RII=0.8093). The top suggestions for improvement were more recycling facilities (RII=0.8512) and using modern technologies (RII=0.8372). The study finds that better regulations, improved recycling, BIM technology, and more worker training are all needed to reduce the environmental impact of construction waste in urban Sri Lanka.

Evaluating the Environmental impacts of Construction Waste in Urban Area Projects in Sri Lanka