Circular construction path boosted with introduction of ECOCycle

Aggregate Industries demonstrate commitment to circularity with roll out of ECOCycle in the UK

AGGREGATE Industries, part of Holcim, have demonstrated their clear commitment to make construction more circular with the introduction of ECOCycle to the UK.

Being rolled out globally by the Holcim network, ECOCycle categorizes products that have been manufactured with at least 10% construction demolition materials (CDM), ensuring nothing is wasted.

The circular approach, with its unique mark, is applied to products which contain at least 10% CDM content, following an independent verification, to ensure they are compliant with the applicable clauses of ISO14021:2016.

Products with ECOCycle inside can contain anywhere from 10% to 100% of recycled materials. This can also be applied to plants that have the capability of processing recycled materials.

The move is part of a drive by the company to scale up circular construction, reducing its use of natural resources and building new from old, and is being introduced in the UK in a phased approach across the five different divisions that make up the business.

It will be applied firstly to Aggregate Industries’ asphalt and surfacing product lines, including solutions such as their Foamix product which contains 92% recycled content. A total of 31 of the company’s asphalt plants have been certified to manufacture products with ECOCycle inside.

It will also be applied to part of the company’s aggregates portfolio focused on the materials produced through its Sivyer recycling hubs in London and across five of its ready-mixed concrete plants in London and the Midlands.

Kaziwe Kaulule, Aggregate Industries UK’s managing director of aggregates, said: ‘Our goal in the UK and as Holcim globally is clear: to build new from the old.

‘With the world witnessing the equivalent of a city the size of New York City being built every month due to rapid population growth and urbanization, it is imperative to adopt innovative solutions that balance environmental preservation with the needs of expanding towns and cities.

‘We are at the forefront of driving circular construction in the UK and with ECOCycle we can be a vital part in building cities from existing cities, recycling 100% of construction demolition materials into new solutions, so everything gets reused, and nothing gets lost.

‘With our world’s growing population and urbanization, circular construction is essential to build a future that works for people and the planet. With ECOCycle, we not only preserve natural resources but also minimize waste by repurposing construction demolition materials into valuable assets for construction projects.’

In the UK last year Aggregate Industries processed 1.5 million tonnes of CDM which were recycled into new products, with the aim being to continue to grow that number year on year to achieve more than 5 million tonnes by 2030.

For more information about ECOCycle and Aggregate Industries' commitment to circular construction, click here.