Recycling construction materials

There are many business benefits of using recycled materials in your construction project, including:

• reducing material and waste disposal costs
• increasing your competitive advantage
• reducing your CO2 emissions
• meeting your planning requirements
• complementing other aspects of eco-design
• responding to and pre-empting changes in public policy, such as increases in Landfill Tax
• responding to client requirements

You could incorporate the following types of recycled materials into your construction projects:

• glass - see recycling glass from construction projects
• plasterboard - see recycling plasterboard and gypsum from construction projects
• plastics - see recycling plastic from construction projects
• wood - see recycling wood from construction projects
• aggregates - see recovering and using recycled aggregates
• paper - see using recycled paper
• compost and other organics - see using recycled organics
• rubber - see using recycled tyres
• cement replacement - eg pulverised fuel ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag

You could also consider using reclaimed products and reusing materials in your construction projects.

You can propose to use more recycled materials:

• at the design stage - see designer's guide to cutting waste from construction projects
• when using contractors - see contractor's guide to cutting waste from construction projects

Steps to consider when you incorporate recycled materials into your construction project include:

• requirements - the client sets the requirements for how much recycled content they would like to be used in the project
• generic options for improvement - the design team estimates the amount of recycled content likely to be used
• specific options for the project - refinement of recycled content figures and review of quick wins (recycled materials)
• selection - choosing quick wins which will be used in the project
• delivery - the delivery of quick wins to be used in the project
• reporting - providing the evidence that the recycled content requirement set by the client has been met