Construction and demolition waste sorting: a review of technologies, cost and environmental performance, behaviour and education and governance frameworks

Purpose This paper aims to synthesise state-of-the-art research on construction and demolition (C&D) waste sorting across four themes: sorting technologies, cost and environmental performance, behaviour and education and governance frameworks. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a three-step review approach. First, a title-abstract-keyword (T/A/K) search of Scopus (2004–2025) identified 736 potentially relevant papers. Second, titles and abstracts were screened, reducing the sample to 180 papers. Third, full-text examination identified 95 core papers. These papers were analysed across the four themes to identify research gaps and future directions. Findings Four conceptual insights emerge. First, education primarily influences sorting outcomes by shaping attitudes and behaviour. Second, sorting is closely linked to downstream waste management processes. Third, governance frameworks do not perform uniformly across different contexts. Fourth, improvements in sorting accuracy do not necessarily result in proportional economic or environmental benefits. Five future directions are identified: (1) aligning sorting with market demand, (2) tailoring recycling systems to local conditions, (3) extending technologies to other waste streams, (4) conducting comparative technology assessments and (5) examining policy influence on education and training. Originality/value Sorting is essential for ensuring the quality of recycled C&D materials, yet no existing review provides an integrated assessment of C&D waste sorting. This study offers the first comprehensive evaluation across four themes and provides a consolidated foundation for researchers, practitioners and policymakers.