An Ethno-mimicry Approach to Managing Buildings’ End-of-life Construction and Demolition Waste in Nigeria: Militating Factors and Improvement Measures

Abstract

Purpose The end-of-life phase of buildings has been regarded as the phase where the most unsustainable practices in the construction project lifecycle occur. This is due to the usual mismanagement of a significant amount of building material waste available during this phase. Recently, studies concerning how the mimicking of nature’s approach to waste management can serve as a panacea to such mismanagement have gained traction. However, an overt focus on the adoption of biomimetic principles by extant studies has been observed. Limited attention has been paid to any lessons to be learnt from pre-industrial societies on ways to harmoniously live with the earth in a sustainable manner and to deploy the same for effective management of building construction and demolition waste management. This study seeks to bridge this gap through an in-depth exploration of this nexus to establish the militating factors negating buildings’ end-of-life management practice by these native societies (ethno-mimicry) in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopted a qualitative research design to achieve the study’s aim. The study engaged nineteen experts through semi-structured interviews in the city of Kano, Nigeria. The data was analysed using the thematic analysis approach. Findings: The study’s findings identified technology, illegality, harassment by law enforcement agencies, occupational health and safety, storage, regulations, amongst others as factors negating the growth and development of the ethno-mimicry approach to buildings’ end-of-life management by some preindustrial societies in Nigeria. Furthermore, standardisation, material database, policies and legislation are identified as improvement measures. Originality: The practices of native societies in Nigeria is trading on salvaged materials from demolished buildings have its challenges and this study revealed these challenges and the improvement measures. Recommendation : Based on the foregoing, the study recommends that policy makers in Nigeria and elsewhere should begin to consider the proffered measures of the study to address the challenges currently being faced by this preindustrial society in end-of-life management of buildings.