Plastic waste from UK construction has surged 15 times faster than in the rest of Europe since 2000
- UK Construction Plastic Waste Surge: Research shows that plastic waste from UK construction companies has increased at a rate 15 times faster than that of EU member states since 2004.
- Rapid Growth Rate: Between 2004 and 2018, plastic waste generated by the UK construction industry grew by an average of 210% every two years.
- EU Comparison: During the same period, plastic waste from construction activities in the EU rose by an average of just 14%.
Concerns about plastic waste have mostly focused on packaging, but the building and construction industry, the second largest user of plastics, has seen significant growth in plastic waste.
A recent analysis by the Copper Sustainability Partnership (CuSP) of European Commission data reveals that plastic waste from the UK construction sector has surged 15 times faster than in other European countries since 2000. Between 2004 and 2018, the UK’s construction plastic waste grew at an average rate of 210% every two years, compared to a 14% increase in the EU.
Overall plastic waste across UK industries grew at a rate 50 times slower than in construction.
Oliver Lawton, Co-founder of CuSP, noted that this surge highlights a shift towards cheap, subpar plastic materials in construction. Despite claims of durability, these plastics often fail compared to traditional materials, leading to more waste. Most construction plastics are either landfilled, incinerated, or exported, with low recycling rates exacerbating the issue.
Andrew Surtees, CuSP Co-founder and Head of Sales at Mueller Europe, pointed out that newer plastic products like multi-layer composite pipes, which are difficult or impossible to recycle, are misleadingly marketed as sustainable. He emphasized the need for the UK construction industry to phase out plastics in favor of recyclable materials to meet net-zero targets and achieve sustainable growth.