Sustainable Building Materials from Agricultural Wastes

Integrating sustainability and environmental objectives into construction projects during the evaluation stage is crucial. However, this stage is often overlooked. The construction sector faces environmental challenges, such as excessive resource use, necessitating a reassessment of the supply chain of raw materials used in construction activities. This chapter provides an in-depth review of the advantages associated with using sustainable construction materials derived from agricultural by-products. Using agricultural waste in construction can significantly reduce environmental and engineering issues, offering significant benefits over traditional materials. From an environmental standpoint, employing building materials made from agricultural waste offers several advantages. These include minimizing waste, conserving resources, improving energy efficiency, and promoting sustainable land use. From an Engineering perspective, agricultural wastes can improve low density, thermal insulation, fire resistance, and biodegradability. Economic considerations suggest that agricultural wastes’ viability depends on their availability and circular economy alignment. Diverse agricultural waste sources, unstandardized manufacturing processes, and lack of quality control procedures pose obstacles despite the benefits. These factors collectively pose challenges for wide-scale adoption in the industry. The integration of agricultural waste-based building materials into the construction sector holds the potential for innovative and sustainable advancements in the future. © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2025.