Designing Out Waste: A Literature Review

This literature review paper studies the extent to which one of four central tenets of circular design, ‘designing out waste’ has been implemented. This study looks at the review of the literature within the period of 2014–2023 in Science Direct database. A thematic analysis of two main themes was conducted: (1) material reuse and recovery and (2) construction waste management. It is observed that substitutions of natural aggregates in concrete have been widely researched, and it is suggested that future research may include the feasibility of using other kinds of waste including from industries outside of the construction sector. In this regard, “designing out waste” has a more global meaning than the closed loop of the construction industry.