Ibon Iribar, Investment and Open Innovation Advisor at Cemex Ventures, emphasises the importance of transitioning to a circular economy in the construction industry to address its significant carbon emissions and promote sustainability.
It’s no secret that every strong economy relies in large part on the prosperity of its construction sector. However, the construction industry accounts for 38% of the world’s total carbon emissions. And since greenhouse gas emissions only exacerbate climate change, something needs to be done to ensure both environmental and economic sustainability. It’s time to work towards a circular economy in construction.
A circular economy model helps mitigate the effects of climate change by looking at ways of reducing the consumption of new materials and reusing and recycling used ones, often called construction, demolition, and excavation waste (CDEW).
In the UK, a move toward a more circular economy is supported by the government, who in 2019 passed the Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener strategy to try and reach net zero emissions by 2050 across the entire country.
New worldwide government regulations are pushing construction companies to search for new ways to help them meet sustainability targets.
More recently, the Environment Act 2021 also came into force. This legislation enforces the electronic tracking of CDEW, meaning those involved in construction will now have a much higher duty of care when it comes to waste disposal.
However, these kinds of regulations are garnering support in the rest of the world as well. Last year, the European Commission presented the European Green Deal that requires the design and manufacture of construction products to be more recyclable, reusable, and durable.
New worldwide government regulations are pushing construction companies to search for new ways to help them meet sustainability targets. And luckily for them, construction companies can also reap extensive economic benefits from going green.
Let’s dive deeper into a few of the latest cleantech construction innovations promoting a cleaner and more circular construction industry.
Recycling land for construction
Like many things in life, prevention is better than finding a cure. And in construction, that can often mean rethinking processes to accommodate a clean CDEW strategy from day one.
So, how can companies think about waste management at the design stages of a project? Well, there are many solutions already available, if companies are ready to look. One forward-thinking startup, iNex, has already devised several ingenious ways to help construction projects embrace a sustainable ethos from the outset.
iNex’s platform allows users to search for already excavated land, saving businesses time and money, and protecting green undisturbed land from excavation.
Businesses can also search and view if there are any accompanying land restrictions, like planning and land use orders, or they find out if the land is designated as ‘protected’.
Having access to this vital information upfront means companies can analyse logistical restraints, assess land quality, and measure their carbon footprint to ensure no environmental building regulations are broken.
Having access to this vital information upfront means companies can analyse logistical restraints, assess land quality, and measure their carbon footprint to ensure no environmental building regulations are broken.
What’s more, this outlook is also advantageous to business economics as it can save money in the long run and reduce time spent dealing with unwanted or waste materials later.
Also, since most violations of UK environmental law are classed as criminal offences, this can cause businesses an enormous headache, and a significant fine if they’re found to be breaching their environmental regulatory obligations.
In March 2023, The Environment Agency successfully prosecuted Winvic Construction Limited—a Northampton-based construction company—who admitted to causing “gross and chronic pollutants,” and was subsequently fined £185,577.
A new life for building materials
In some cases, implementing a sustainable and green CDEW policy may not be possible from the outset. For example, if a contractor takes on an already established project, nothing can be done, right? Wrong.
For existing construction projects that are destined to be demolished or renovated, there are still a variety of business models and companies that the construction industry can leverage to make a positive environmental impact.
Material Mapper is a Norwegian company that sells reuse reports, which allows construction companies to check which waste building materials from their project can be reused elsewhere.
While recycling material waste is essential, reusing products is actually more environmentally friendly.
Material Mapper also offers quality control and documentation services, as some materials must be inspected before being sold and used again. The platform also provides a second-hand marketplace for pre-used construction materials and aggregates.
Another company on a mission to help the construction industry embrace a circular economy is Concular. This German-based business provides building site consultations to help projects identify what construction materials can be saved and reused, helping to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.
They’re also circular construction experts and can be brought on as external consultants to ensure that sustainable decisions are made throughout a project’s life cycle.
Finally, Concular serves as an extensive circular building marketplace that permits companies to legitimately buy and sell second-hand building materials.
While recycling material waste is essential, reusing products is actually more environmentally friendly. That’s why emerging startups that prioritise CDEW are the key to helping construction companies reduce waste in landfills and thereby lower CO2 emissions.
Transforming waste into fuel
Reusing and reselling construction materials is a top priority in a circular economy, but sometimes, waste is unavoidable. However, thanks to startups like WtEnergy, companies can still make wise choices when disposing of their debris.
How waste is disposed of may depend on the location of the construction site and the local council, but companies can factor this into their final decision about a building project’s location or support local councils to adopt alternative methods of waste disposal.
There are many sustainable and eco-friendly ways to deal with industrial waste already on the market. Barcelona-based WtEnergy Advanced Solutions are using a thermochemical conversion process to convert solid fuel made from waste into clean and versatile reusable gas.
The circularity rate for main building materials is stagnating, meaning there needs to be a global and united response from the entire construction supply chain to reduce, reuse, and recycle building materials.
This innovative solution can accept a wide range of waste products like demolition wood, agricultural waste, and plastics and uses a cleantech gasification technique to clean and purify the gas.
Viewing waste as a valuable resource is a fundamental mindset we must adopt if we truly want to embody a circular economy. As more businesses become more accountable for their CDEW, the UK can begin to cement its status as a trailblaser in the fight for a greener planet.
The circularity rate for main building materials is stagnating, meaning there needs to be a global and united response from the entire construction supply chain to reduce, reuse, and recycle building materials.
It’s time to follow the wise words of Sir David Attenborough: “The best motto to think about is not to waste things.” And thankfully, many construction conglomerates are actively seeking new business models to improve the management of CDEW and lower global carbon emissions.
By embracing the latest sustainable technologies and business models from startups related to reducing, reusing, and recycling finite building materials, the UK construction industry’s biggest players can revolutionise its building practices and lead the way to net zero emissions by 2050.
