Holcim: Procurement Driving Circularity in Construction

A growing number of construction professionals are willing to pay a premium for genuinely circular credentials.

That's according to the latest research from Holcim UK, which is calling on leaders to implement mandatory verification and third-party certification into circular procurement standards.

Holcim's study demonstrates a desire to accurately implement sustainability into operations, as opposed to running the risk of greenwashing.

An industry shift

Holcim UK is a leader in sustainable building solutions that enable greener cities, smarter infrastructure and improved living standards. The company aims to be net zero by 2050, embedding decarbonisation and circularity across its operations. It partners with customers and their supply chains to design and deliver more sustainable projects.

Its latest Circularity Survey explores views across the construction sector relating to sustainability and circularity. The research gathers insight from 500 UK-based decision-makers, including architects, building contractors and haulier merchants, and explores changing attitudes towards circularity. 

The survey was commissioned to help government and the industry understand why the sector is struggling to adopt circularity. It also forms part of Holcim's wider strategy to create a closed-loop supply chain, including investment in its own ECOCycle range,  which turns construction demolition materials into new building solutions.

Holcim's survey shows the commitment to circularity is growing throughout the sector, but leaders face significant barriers when it comes to implementing relevant strategies.

“These findings show a clear shift in the construction industry: circular credentials are no longer a ‘nice to have’ – they are fast becoming a decisive factor in procurement decisions," explains Kaziwe Siame Kaulule, Managing Director Aggregates & Construction Demolition Materials at Holcim UK. "Sustainable materials are moving from the margins to the mainstream.

“At Holcim UK, our ECOCycle range turns waste materials into new building products, embedding circularity at the point of manufacture. This means decision-makers can rest assured that the materials we provide, and they use, have circularity quite literally built in.

"Individual products will not be enough. We need to see government and industry introducing robust verification methods, third-party certification and clear standards to ensure circular credentials are evidence-based and without room for ambiguity.”

Key survey findings

Holcim’s survey shows circularity is gaining value across the industry, shifting from an optional extra to a core value-add.

Procurement policies in local government, large businesses and housing associations are moving towards suppliers with stronger circular practices. 

Suppliers that can demonstrate circularity across their operations, services and products will be prioritised by business leaders.

Local authority procurement should place greater emphasis on aligning policy with claims to evidence these credentials; verification processes must be robust and unbiased to reduce the risk of greenwashing across the sector.

To hold suppliers accountable and prevent greenwashing, procurement needs transparency, clear standards and verification. Holcim recommends government and industry establish mandatory verification and independent third-party certification within procurement to increase credibility and accelerate adoption of circular procurement.