Towards a green materials procurement: investigating the Egyptian green pyramid rating system

The construction industry plays a crucial role in the social and economic development of countries. Recently, the Egyptian government is exerting tremendous efforts in implementing major construction projects as one of the main goals of Egypt’s sustainable development strategy (SDS) 2030. However, construction projects are associated with materials waste generated at different stages. Several studies showed that materials procurement, a critical interface between design and construction stages, contributes up to 50% of total project cost and 11.2% of materials waste. In addition, materials waste has significant negative impacts on the environment. As a result, different organizations worldwide have developed green building rating systems (GBRS) to reduce both materials waste and total project cost necessary to achieve sustainability. The aim of this paper is to explore the following: (1) current problems facing the Egyptian construction industry; (2) construction materials waste in the Egyptian construction industry; and (3) the role of the GBRS in minimizing materials waste and its financial impact on the total project cost. Particularly, the “Materials and Resources” category of Egypt’s Green Pyramid Rating System (GPRS) is investigated and analysed to assess its effectiveness and robustness as an approach to reduce materials waste during the procurement process. Limitations of “Materials and Resources” category are indicated and recommendations for its improvement are stated.