Recycling rates meet a third of UK demand for aggregates
A Mineral Products Association (MPA) report reveals the rates amid calls for fresh government data.
The report shares that recycled and secondary materials meet nearly a third of the country’s annual 240Mt demand for aggregate.
However, the MPA stresses that two-thirds of Britain’s aggregate (essential for housing and infrastructure) must still come from primary sources, either quarries or the seabed.
The MPA has called on the UK Government to commission a new survey on materials recovery and reuse (last conducted two decades ago) to inform key decisions in areas like circular economy strategy, planning policy and landfill tax reform.
To fill the current data void, in its new report Construction Aggregates Supply in Great Britain: Primary, Recycled and Secondary Aggregates, the MPA has made its own best estimates, drawing on available information from aggregates producers and third parties, as well as making material-specific assumptions based on availability of different sources.
The new report shows 74.3Mt of recycled and secondary aggregates were used across Great Britain in 2023, accounting for 31% of the market.
These materials, mainly derived from inert construction and demolition wastes as well as industrial by-products, are playing a vital role in resource efficiency and the transition to a circular economy.
Despite the sector’s track record for recovery and reuse, the MPA warns that the absence of robust national statistics hampers the ability to precisely track progress in recycling.
Better data would also give MPA members greater confidence to invest in new recycling facilities and technologies.
Luke George, Economist at the MPA, said, ‘The UK is widely recognised for its strong track record on recycling aggregates, but without reliable, up-to-date national data, it is difficult for both government and industry to make sound decisions and invest in new opportunities.’
