https://doi.org/10.1177/0734242X20906886 Waste Management & Research 1–11 © The Author(s) 2020 Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions DOI: 10.1177/0734242X20906886 journals.sagepub.com/home/wmr Introduction Construction is one of the most influential economic segments of industry worldwide. It is also one of the largest generators of solid waste. Construction waste management (CWM) has become a global concern, and many developed countries have created measures in search of sustainable management. The European Union has determined that member states must take measures toward a 70% reduction in total construction waste (CW) generation by 2020 (European Union, 2016). In Canada, CWM has emerged in the form of voluntary industry initiatives to reduce the amount of waste generated. The Construction Resources Initiative Council works to motivate policy-makers, managers and building designers to embrace sustainable prac- tices. This Canadian council has as a goal that, by 2030, CW cannot be sent to landfills (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, 2014). In developing countries, promoting sustainable CWM is much more challenging. The rapid growth of these countries has led to increased construction and, in turn, waste generation. In Brazil, for example, a total of 45 million metric tonnes of CW were collected in 2014, representing a 4.1% increase in the total CW collected in 2013 (Abrelpe, 2016). In addition to con- siderable waste generation, a general lack of compliance with national legal guidelines has shown Brazilian CWM to be inef- ficient. Particularly poorly-structured, CWM in Brazil reacts in a corrective manner without planning or monitoring the alloca- tion of resources (Abrelpe, 2016; Lima, 2012; Schamne and Nagalli, 2016). The National Solid Waste Policy (PNRS) regulates solid waste management in Brazil (Gonçalves et al., 2018). According to the PNRS, CW is generated in construction projects, refurbish- ment, repairs, and demolitions, as well as those resulting from the preparation and excavation of land. According to Brazilian law construction materials can be recycled and transformed into An assessment tool for municipal construction waste management in Brazilian municipalities Flávia Tuane Ferreira Moraes , Andriani Tavares Tenório Gonçalves, Josiane Palma Lima and Renato da Silva Lima Abstract Construction waste is generated during construction and remodelling undertakings. Construction waste management (CWM) is a challenge in developing countries such as Brazil. Thus, it is necessary to create tools by which CWM may be evaluated. This article presents the elaboration of a tool to assess CWM in Brazilian cities; moreover, this method facilitates such analyses in regions which lack substantial quantitative data. In doing so, the tool, known as the Assessment Index for Construction Waste Management (ICWM), combines quantitative and qualitative information and is composed of 49 indicators and 19 criteria divided into the following groups: operational; environmental; politico-economic, educational; and social. The analytic hierarchy process was used to assign the weights attributed to the groups and criteria to build the index. The indicators were measured according to a standardized rating scale proposed for each one. These elements were aggregated in a mathematical formula that enables the calculation of the ICWM. The aggregation method used was a weighted linear combination, and the index is rated on a 0 to 1 scale. The ICWM was tested in four municipalities. In all cases, the management was considered inefficient. The proposed tool proved to be effective in evaluating the CWM. In cities where the ICWM was tested, it was possible to identify the significant deficiencies of the CWM and recommend improvement actions to develop more efficient and sustainable management. Keywords Construction waste, waste management, construction waste management, analytic hierarchy process, waste management indicators, municipal waste management Received 26th September 2019, accepted 25th January 2020 by Editor in Chief Arne Ragossnig. Federal University of Itajubá, Brazil Corresponding author: Flávia Tuane Ferreira Moraes, Federal University of Itajubá – UNIFEI, Avenida BPS, 1303, Pinheirinho, Itajubá, Minas Gerais 37500-903, Brazil. Email: flaviatuane@yahoo.com.br 906886WMR 0 0 10.1177/0734242X20906886Waste Management & ResearchMoraes et al. research-article 2020 Original Article