Abstract: Low- and middle-income countries lag behind in research that is related to the construction\nindustry and the waste problems that the sector is facing. Literature shows that waste reduction and\nrecycling have received a continuous interest from researchers, but mainly from developed countries.\nFew reports from low- and middle-income countries are concerned about the reuse of masonry,\nconcrete, and mortar in clay based building ceramics or recycling construction waste, but mostly\nin relation to concrete aggregates. Furthermore, few authors have described the major barriers and\nmotivations for construction waste reduction. The objective of this paper is to report the findings on\na research performed in Costa Rica with the objective to determine the barriers and motivations that\nthe construction sector is facing to improve the management of the construction materials. The study\nis based on data collected in two phases. During the first phase, a survey was sent via e-mail to 419\nmain contractors registered at the School Federation of Engineers and Architects (CFIA). The second\nphase consisted of a focus group discussion with 49 professionals from the construction industry to\nanalyse and validate the findings from the survey. Descriptive statistic methods helped to draw the\nconclusions. The result of the research is a comprehensive list of observed barriers and motivations\nfor waste reduction practices in the construction sector. These are not only applicable to Costa Rica,\nbut can be used as a guide for similar studies in other low- and middle-income countries.
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