36 PRODUCT SECTION BUILDING
INSIGHTS LIVE
Practical Solutions for Harnessing the Circular Economy at Scale
T
he circular economy has seen piecemeal growth in the mainstream construction industry, given it’s believed to be the country’s largest producer of waste. This patchy progress (we are still awaiting the Government’s delayed circularity strategy) is out of kilter with the powerful case for circularity – fi nancial, carbon and reputational. Demolition often remains the default option for buildings deemed at end of life, rather than reuse. Our round table, sponsored by Soprema UK and Amtico, brought together trade bodies, specifi ers, consultants and manufacturers to share knowledge on practical approaches to circularity, from recycling products to reusing structures. Delegates highlighted positive examples, but also said there was a lack of sticks and carrots to pursue circularity at scale currently. While ESG policies remained a driver for some major commercial clients, there was much to do in order to see comprehensive adoption. Manufacturers have long been pursuing LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) and recycling on their product lines, but how realistic is specifi cation of truly circular solutions currently, and what are the risks and rewards? Also, are the rewards being apportioned to the right parts of the supply chain? This edition of Building Insights LIVE was a key opportunity to hear about how the industry can transition from its linear “take-make-waste” model to one that foregrounds recycling and reuse. In November 2024, the Government set up the Circular Economy
Taskforce to provide our fi rst comprehensive national strategy for growing the circular economy; this is now expected at some point in 2026. Construction lacks the intervention that has been seen on circularity in the food industry and textiles, for example, with no mandatory regulation. Instead it has been left to enlightened clients, supply chain members, and architects including bodies like ACAN to iron out the business benefi ts. It’s estimated that full embracing of circularity could see UK businesses billions richer through greater resource productivity, but means a culture shift in the sector. What are the cost-effective approaches for ‘squaring the circle’ that specifi ers should consider, and the data required? Our round table delved into these and other related issues.
Making circular arguments
Our round table delegates highlighted the circularity challenges the industry was facing, but also the solutions it was innovating. Several said that Government targets were needed, but not prescriptive regulation. According to Ian Pritchett from eco-focused residential developer Greencore, regulation and drivers such as clients’ ESG policies carried “dangers of unintended consequences if people don’t really understand what the fundamental problem is.” Delegates emphasised the importance of ensuring the term circularity itself was not misunderstood, for example that recycling wasn’t mis-sold as ‘reuse.’ Debbie Ward of the Association of Sustainable Building
ATTENDEES • James Parker (Chair), Managing Editor, Architects’ Datafi le and Housebuilder & Developer
• Ian Pritchett, Co-Founder, Greencore Homes • Nikhil Doshi, Director, Hodkinson Consultancy • Nick Haughton, Brand Director, Sapphire Balconies • Mike Leonard, Visiting Professor, Birmingham City University
• Pauline Metivier, Head of Business & Sector Support, ReLondon
• Debbie Ward, Director, Reuse & Circular Economy, Alliance for Sustainable Building Products
• Simon Foxell, Owner, The Architects Practice • Stephanie Palmer, Head of Sustainability at Wienerberger • Edward Jezeph, Senior Manager, Homes England • Olivia Daw, Materials Audit Lead, Material Index • Chris Halligan, Chair of the Climate Society, CIAT • Thomas Hesslenberg, Structural Engineer, Elliot Wood • Michelle Sanchez, Sustainability Lead, RSHP architects
SPONSORS’ ATTENDEES • Umendra Singh, Sustainability & Impact Lead, North Europe, Soprema UK
• Gary Wilson, Head of Technical, Amtico
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