Managing demolition and construction waste through smart computing technology towards circular economy in emerging cities

The escalating global climate crisis has intensified the adoption of circular economy (CE) initiatives, yet the technological advancement of construction and demolition waste management (CDWM) in the Global North contrasts sharply with the predominantly manual practices observed across sub-Saharan Africa. This study addresses this gap by investigating smart computing technology applications in Ghana’s CDWM sector, focusing on demolition waste streams, material recovery, and interactions between formal (Zoomlion) and informal (Kaya Bola) operators. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed, with data collected from 312 stakeholders in Accra and Kumasi between May and July 2025. Quantitative re\sults indicate that 58.7% of demolition waste is manually loaded, 48.1% is disposed of at unauthorised sites, and the material recovery rate is only 6.96%. Regression analysis identified institutional capacity (β = 0.241, p < 0.001) and technical expertise (β = 0.226, p < 0.001) as significant predictors of technology adoption. Qualitative analysis revealed four key barriers: institutional fragmentation, the formal–informal divide, donor dependency, and fear of job displacement among informal workers. The study proposes a conceptual framework integrating voice-enabled mobile applications, GIS-based route optimisation, and IoT-enabled monitoring, and recommends strengthening institutional capacity, developing literacy-inclusive technologies, and embedding just transition measures for informal workers.