Acceptance of Waste-Minimization Practices by Construction Management Students

The purpose of this study was to assess the acceptance of a model of construction and demolition waste-minimization practices by construction management senior students. This approach assumed students can informally influence construction industry opinions, making their decisions vital to future construction-management education standards. The capstone class of the bachelor's degree program of one of the foremost construction management programs in the country was the sample chosen to study. It was found that a majority of the students were knowledgeable about all of the practices and had favorable opinions based on that knowledge. Most had tried more than half of the practices on a limited basis and decided they would use the practices based on these trials. The largest part of the students did not have experience applying a good number of the practices; however, almost all of those with this experience would continue to use all the practices. Identifying successful trial and application experiences and asking students how they became involved in such experiences would be useful in the implementation of a school plan to increase acceptance.