Construction Waste as an Important Element of Corporate Social Responsibility of Smaller Construction Companies

Abstract

Corporate social responsibility should not be a reactive measure that occurs only when sufficient pressure is placed on corporations. Rather, it should be an integral part of the responsibilities and practices of managers and decision-makers who must balance between various parties involved, environmental protection (on which the company may or may not have a direct influence), and the company’s economic goals. Today, corporations are expected to conduct their business in line with long-term development strategies, which promote a systematic approach to sustainable development of all elements of society affected by the company. The aim of this paper is to analyze the management of construction waste in the context of social responsibility. Construction companies increasingly recognize the importance of waste management as one of the foundations of their sustainability and competitiveness. Therefore, corporate social responsibility is increasingly included in their strategies and practices, resulting in better business results and competitive advantage. In measuring corporate social responsibility of business entities, three key performance aspects, environmental, social and governance, their interaction and balance must be included in the analysis. As construction companies have a significant environmental impact, this paper asks whether a successful management of construction waste can be optimized, mainly from the environmental but also from the economic and social perspectives. The paper also looks at the classification of construction waste and its management. In order to accomplish this goal, we conducted research on four companies who collect and recycle construction waste using the interview method.