Circular economy principles have become increasingly important to both the industry and policy makers. By reducing waste, reusing more materials and improving construction processes, we are able to reduce the carbon impact of development whilst making development more viable with improvements to the speed and cost of upgrading existing and delivering new buildings.
Indeed, in the Square Mile, huge amounts of materials are consumed, with nearly 70% of the total 287,000 tonnes of waste generated each year from construction and demolition. The City of London Corporation has therefore made reducing waste and improving circularity of the built environment and reducing carbon emissions, a key priority, as demonstrated by the publication of its Circular Economy Framework, the emerging City Plan 2040 and newly adopted Planning for Sustainability SPD. In this blog, we explore some of the key circular economy trends to watch out for over the rest of this year and beyond.
Retrofit and reuse targets are improving
The GLA’s latest Circular Economy Monitoring Report found that applicants in London mostly met, or just exceeded, GLA’s minimum targets for reusing, recycling or recovering demolition, excavation and construction waste (95%) and municipal waste (65%), and for reused or recycled content of new materials (20%). In 2025 and beyond we are likely to see higher targets, especially for larger schemes, in order to leverage enhanced sustainability credentials.
Material passporting is evolving
The Circular Economy Framework commits to tracking the number of projects that are using material passports and to support this, the City has partnered with Maconda Solutions and Upcyclea to launch ROMULUS, a groundbreaking new initiative to gather and share material passport data across live building projects. The hope is that this initial year-long pilot will evolve into a longer-term initiative to significantly contribute towards the City Corporation’s target of reaching net zero by 2040. BREEAM’s upcoming version 7 (due later in 2025) will also encourage the use of material passports. As reuse networks like ROMULUS mature, reclaimed materials may gain monetary value, incentivising developers to engage with a broader range of stakeholders.
Developers leading by example
In the City Corporation’s Salisbury Square development on Fleet Street, 24 different material types were reclaimed from the existing buildings and donated to local charities and brokers. This was achieved through detailed review and collaboration with the client and design team.
Key materials, including elements of the granite façade, were reused in the new landscaping design (see Figure 1). Additionally, Portland stone from the main entrance door of the old Barclays Bank was reclaimed and donated to the Tout Quarry Sculpture Park, where the Portland Sculpture and Quarry Trust intends to use it to create an entrance arch into the park. The project features as an exemplary case study for circular economy in the new Planning for Sustainability SPD.
Figure 1: Portland stone reclamation from Salisbury Square Development
London is embracing the ‘retrofit first’ approach
Across London, planning policies are shifting towards a ‘retrofit first’ approach, which is embedded in the GLA’s London Plan and adopted by boroughs like the City of London, Westminster, Camden, and Kensington & Chelsea. In 2023, the London Property Alliance published its report on ‘retrofit first, not retrofit only’ outlining recommendations which are now being implemented by developers and policy makers. You can read more on the recommendations in the report and practical, real life case studies here. However, as the GLA looks to update its London Plan this year – with consultation expected in 2026 – we are likely to see updates to guidance and planning policy on the circular economy and how the public and private sector can continue to innovate and work together to continue to deliver real change in this area.
