COMMENT The need for the construction industry to reuse materials and support a circular economy is an essential part of our sector’s commitment to sustainability. Current construction methods lack circularity and were responsible for 62% of the UK’s total waste in 2023. The success of a circular economy approach depends largely on the transparency of reused materials.
This matter has recently been brought back into focus with the publication of Orms and Lancaster University’s latest policy paper promoting the creation of materials passports.
Implementation, however, has notable obstacles. In our experience of delivering sustainable retrofit, we have identified four key areas that are pivotal to the implementation of materials passports.
Cost vs benefit
Standardised approaches to materials passports have been gaining momentum in recent years, with developers seeking to create a UK materials database. Nevertheless, this does not simplify the complexity of reused material supply chains. For sustainability to truly be maximised across the supply chain, all stakeholders need to be engaged at every step, using a passporting format that is standardised across all construction platforms – from design to demolition and on to construction.
To do so in a globalised system, research bodies must focus on how to implement these passports using a universal standard that can be carried out across different industries, projects and municipal regions. The increased interest in developing guidelines and frameworks across building services is promising, providing they ensure that all participants are easily able to access and understand the data.
Materials passports are currently associated with additional costs: the premise for successful passporting requires the collection and organisation of high volumes of quality data, which can be even more costly depending on the size of the project.
The integration of new technology with existing systems will also inevitably incur additional expenses. Strategic use of research bodies can help mitigate this challenge. By exploiting their insights and resources, they can conduct applied approaches focused on making the passports more cost- and time-efficient. This could include automated data collection systems and analysis tools that have already proved to be an effective solution to reduce manual labour and expenses.
It is also important to weigh the upfront costs against the long-term benefits and economic returns of this investment. As our industry becomes increasingly sustainability-focused, the resource efficiency resulting from materials passports, as well as the standardisation of costs once the technology is widespread, can contribute to overall cost savings.
Pre-warned and well prepared
A crucial element connecting these considerations is a stronger call for policies and incentives that encourage the take-up of materials passports. Financial incentives and government subsidies can support developers with the upfront costs required for implementation. In particular, tax benefits promoting deconstruction and reuse over demolition and new-build will incentivise developers to consider passporting as a viable option.
Currently, there is limited awareness across the construction and professional industry of the advantages of materials passports, which limits the prospects for policy support. Engendering greater awareness, identifying direct benefits of its use for developers and suggesting changes in building codes accordingly can help grow the industry’s support and demand for stronger policy.
This leads to the subsequent and final point. The introduction of materials passports necessitates an industry-wide shift in skills and knowledge, in areas such as data collection, technology use and environmental impact assessment. A considerable number of stakeholders in construction remain unfamiliar with the concept of material passports and the lack of relevant educational resources and training programmes available should be seen as a key area of focus.
Educational bodies should prioritise the development of essential resources for construction professionals to understand and integrate the use of materials passports into each project.
There are some major challenges and hurdles that need to be overcome to shift the industry into one where materials passports are widespread. The reality may be that a more gradual approach is the key to success. Starting with more basic and generic materials could be the answer, allowing the industry to adapt incrementally before expanding the scope of passporting. In parallel, a step-by-step approach gives time to develop the much-needed infrastructure, training and standards to ensure that, when stricter requirements are introduced, the industry is pre-warned and well prepared.
Mark Swetman is chief executive at LS Estates
