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This paper aims to analyse the factors influencing refurbishment site managers’ waste management efforts.

Twenty-seven semi-structured interviews were held with managers from two large contractors involved in housing and office refurbishment projects in Sweden. Also, a web and postal questionnaire survey was sent to 232 refurbishment site managers and received a 34 per cent response rate.

Site managers devise waste management strategies based on environmental inventories and project size. In smaller projects, waste contractors are employed only for physical activities rather than providing advice. Site managers’ waste management efforts are influenced by project-related factors, organizational and personal factors, technical factors, industry culture and legislation. The level of contract detail, specific client demands related to waste management and project size are important factors.

Policies and guidelines for projects of different sizes should be developed at least for large contractors; scale influences site managers’ waste strategies. Waste management efforts in refurbishment projects can be improved by addressing simple technical problems including providing clear labelling of containers and ensuring shelter from rain and snow.

This is a pioneer survey of refurbishment site manager opinions and practices. Inefficient waste management in building refurbishment projects can be costly and harmful to the environment. There are many opportunities to improve waste management efforts.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the use of building refurbishment productivity and sustainability indicators among construction contractors.

Theories of organisational culture and incentives predict that contractor size affects dependency on routines and the implementation of company policies on site. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with three general or site managers of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and five site managers of large contractors involved in housing and office refurbishment projects in Sweden.

Both SMEs and large contractors track resource use on refurbishment sites. Resource use is measured through cost recording systems and a few area-based key indicators. SMEs may have sustainability policies, but routines derived from such policies were weak on site. However, for SMEs, refurbishment technology choices are often made by the client’s designer, and sustainability requirements are included in the contract specifications. For large contractors, sustainability policies are more developed and are reflected in site routines. Large contractors are usually public companies with stakeholders who expect such routines.

Contractors that develop strategies for increasing productivity and sustainability can benefit from a deeper understanding of implementation issues. The outcome of this paper is useful while designing new indicators and building certification schemes.

Much has been written about key performance indicators for construction, but little attention has been paid to indicators for building refurbishment, or the use of measurement routines.