42 ROUND TABLE REVIEW: PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS FOR HARNESSING THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY AT SCALE ROUND TABLE RECOMMENDATIONS
• Chris Halligan, CIAT: A centralised, universal, holistic assessment system, and also take into account the actual cost of climate change; the effects of products on climate.
• Gary Wilson, Amtico: If we don’t incentivise people to go down that circularity journey, I don’t think they will do it off their own back.
• Stephanie Palmer, BDA: Treat old buildings and new buildings very separately – physical banks could work well for existing buildings, but a new system needs to be set up for new buildings, which operates in the future state.
DIVERSE MIX
The circularity at scale round table was another example of Building Insights LIVE bringing a unique mix of specifi ers, experts and suppliers together
Simon Foxell of The Architects Practice concluded on the power of standards: “There is also something about having good standards that everyone can comply with and know what to do, that actually is cost effective, rather than being a burden. We’ve got to the point where the agenda has got to the point where anyone can do anything, so long as they meet a certain performance. But it would be a lot cheaper for all of them to work to the common standard.”
Conclusion
The but a cultural shift in the industry to promote circular economy principles, but also education of both consumers and the wider construction sector on circular economy approaches. Lastly, the Government should be encouraged to embed circularity considerations in their decision-making and provide funding for education and awareness. Some good sources of education and information were cited, including the Supply Chain Sustainability School, mentioned by Debbie Ward of the ASBP.
Thomas Hesslenberg said he was looking forward to the imminent recommendations due from the Government’s Circular Economy Task Force, regulation, although their publication is now delayed. He said: “A lot of hard work has been done by that group; there’ll be some sensible things that come out from it.”
The industry is already overwhelmingly seeing the pursuit of circular approaches as important, (a 2025 survey of 500 construction professionals (by Holcim) found that 97% of UK construction businesses saw the circular economy as important, and 57% had implemented specifi c circularity targets, a “big increase on 2024,” according to the report authors. But it is arguably about application of that ambition now, in practice.
The survey also said demand for products made with recycled content has increased dramatically; 94% of respondents saying it infl uences their supplier choice. Recycled aggregates for example are seeing exponential increase, but still only represent around 30% of the total used. Our round table discovered a picture of an industry of two halves in terms of its journey to circularity, and it revealed some clear ideas on how to help lagging fi rms close the gap.
• Ian Pritchett, Greencore Homes: Very clearly defi ne the outcomes we are trying to achieve, in as simplistic a form as possible, and identify the (mainly fi nancial) carrots and sticks that will achieve the outcomes.
• Simon Foxell, The Architects Practice: We need to address sustainability along with building safety, we desperately need better information, consistent data comes back fairly rapidly from existing building stock. And we desperately need a national research organisation to give credibility to information around building products.
• Nick Haughton, Sapphire Balconies: Incentivise buyers to care; could the Building Safety Regulator open up information such as on EPDs and ESPR to the public in the same way as planning information? Move the national standard up, without penalising early adopters.
• Debbie Ward, ASBP: Make it easier to do a harvest map, so rather than getting specifi er catalogues out, you actually look at the materials already available in the local area. And record that; turning the traditional approach on its head. Also, knowing what your asset is, and not leaving it to the Pre Demolition Audit.
• Umendra Singh, Soprema UK: Embed circularity in decision making, whatever you are proving, and if you have a team, train your team, educate them, make them aware. They will ask you questions, and it brings the whole industry up. And involve manufacturers at the early stage; we have solutions.
• Mike Leonard, Birmingham City University: We need to try to encourage people to buy and build buildings that are going to last 150 years. And get behind UK manufacturing, because we’re not going to solve our climate change problems by importing products from all over the world.
• Thomas Hesslenberg, Elliott Wood: The Government needs to listen to the recommendations coming from the Circular Economy Task Force.
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