Circular Construction and Demolition Waste Practices for a Sustainable Future: Enhancing Resilience Through Mātauranga Māori

The significant negative impacts of Construction and Demolition Waste (C&DW) on the environment worldwide have been increasingly debated in recent decades. The existing work has largely remained focused on reducing waste and increasing recycling and upcycling strategies. One of the major problems with timber in the construction industry is the overuse of resources associated with monoculture forestry practices. Furthermore, forestry slash is increasingly adding to environmental issues during increased rainfall due to climate change. At the same time, these challenges do not align with Māori values, which emphasise the responsibility of caring for and preserving the environment for future generations. The forests of Aotearoa New Zealand are the inspiration for the indigenous people who believe that everything in nature is interconnected. This expanded understanding of the totality of the life-cycle of grown materials shows that even greater importance should be given to retaining the grown materials in use for as long as possible. The paper evaluates the overarching goal of waste minimisation in the case study of grown materials, primarily timber. It proposes that the life-cycle of timber used in the construction industry should be expanded when considering the initial and later phases, by including more cultural values associated with timber practices for construction. To achieve this, the paper critically examines issues with the current growing practices in detail, incorporating critical discourse analysis and a decolonising lens to promote inclusivity, equity, and respect without bias. Additionally, the paper reports on international cutting-edge examples for the management of timber waste, thereby providing a more comprehensive understanding of the life-cycle of grown materials and ways to minimise waste. The overarching objective is to encourage a radical reconsideration of current practices through a framework that prioritises cultural sensitivity and inclusiveness. This paper asks, if the integration of cultural values, particularly Māori perspectives, into the timber life-cycle in the construction industry, could contribute to minimising C&DW and enhance environmental resilience in the face of climate change impacts.