Growing investment in recycling facilities is reshaping environmental sustainability in construction. Veolia’s £70 million conversion of a disused site into a closed loop plastic recycling plant will raise the UK’s capacity for processing plastic waste to 80,000 tonnes per year. This will produce high-quality recycled plastic for use as low carbon construction materials, supporting sustainable building design and reducing the embodied carbon in materials for infrastructure and eco-friendly construction.
Project owners and contractors are prioritising transparent, circular supply chains and material reuse to cut the carbon footprint of construction, aligning with circular economy in construction principles. Ecore International’s acquisition of HTI Recycling shows the rapid adoption of circular construction strategies, transforming reclaimed rubber to durable, sustainable building products. This move enables end-of-life reuse in construction, minimising waste and further lowering whole life carbon impacts. Architects and contractors now have greater access to green building materials, advancing both life cycle thinking in construction and resource efficiency in construction.
By integrating recycled materials, the sector directly addresses the challenge of reducing embodied carbon and supports the shift to net zero carbon buildings. Corporate efforts to embed advanced digital tools reinforce the shift towards robust lifecycle assessment and whole life carbon assessment across the sector. Enhancements to UL Solutions’ ULTRUS software target more rigorous sustainability metrics while supporting lifecycle cost management, helping firms demonstrate improved building lifecycle performance.
Fastenal’s latest ESG report underscores the industry-wide push for transparent impact reporting and the growing importance of ESG strategy in supply chains. Stakeholders recognise that high-quality information on environmental product declarations (EPDs), carbon neutral construction, and low-impact construction is now a prerequisite for securing projects and investment.
Analysis shows that comprehensive ESG management and sustainable material specification are becoming fundamental in reducing the environmental impact of construction and mitigating reputational risk. Developers are adopting eco-design for buildings and future-proofing projects through effective use of renewable building materials and resource-efficient approaches. As regulatory standards and client expectations rise globally, robust procedures for tracking and reducing whole life carbon and enhancing green infrastructure are essential.
The sector is undergoing a paradigm shift, with sustainability in construction no longer limited to marketing claims. There is widespread integration of circular economy concepts, low carbon building technologies, and net zero whole life carbon objectives. Through transparent disclosure, innovation in sustainable design, and ongoing improvement of low carbon design, the construction industry is laying the groundwork for a resilient, decarbonised and sustainable urban development future.
