Circular economy

The four pillars of our circular economy framework set areas of focus to identify, measure, improve and facilitate activity that supports a more circular economy using concrete.​

Our goal is to enable greater circularity across the built environment using concrete and encouraging retention of concrete's value throughout all stages of its life cycle. The first iteration of the UK Concrete Sustainable Construction Strategy established the measuring and reporting of concrete manufacturing processes.

These include the use of recycled content, resource efficiency, and reducing waste to landfill. The ready-mixed, precast and masonry sectors have all developed and acted upon Resource Efficiency Action Plans (REAP) for over a decade. The approaches, priorities and solutions for achieving more circularity within the built environment have matured since our original strategy was developed. While diverting waste from landfill and recycling remain core metrics, other measures are required to move beyond this and look at the entire life cycle of concrete, from its manufacture to its use, end of life and beyond.

The focus for UK Concrete is to continually develop these priorities for the concrete sector and its associated supply chain, as well as collaborating with stakeholders to evolve the understanding of concrete’s role in supporting a circular economy across its whole lifecycle.

The inherent low maintenance and durable nature of a concrete structure together with its resilience to fire and the impacts of climate change, mean that it can remain in use over a long period, with the potential to be repurposed and reused multiple times during its lifetime. This approach represents the most efficient use of resources and the best way of embracing circular economy principles and improving whole life carbon performance.​