For anyone planning a self-build in Devon, Cornwall or Somerset, sustainability is rarely an afterthought these days — it’s often the whole point of building from scratch. So it’s worth knowing that the concrete industry itself has just taken a significant step in that direction, with the launch of the UK’s first sector-wide circular economy plan for a major structural material.
MPA UK Concrete’s new Circular Economy Action Plan sets out how the sector will retain the value of concrete throughout its lifecycle, building on more than a decade of work to cut waste. It calls for closer collaboration between developers, designers, contractors and demolition specialists to keep concrete in use at its highest value for as long as possible, rather than simply treating it as landfill once a building’s life is over.
The figures behind the plan are striking: manufacturing waste sent to landfill has already fallen to just 0.3kg per tonne of production, and more than half of the fuel used by the cement sector now comes from waste material rather than virgin fuel sources. The industry is targeting zero waste to landfill by 2030.
This matters directly for self-builders considering Insulated Concrete Formwork. Nudura ICF systems use concrete efficiently while delivering excellent thermal performance, meaning a home built this way is both well-insulated for decades to come and aligned with a construction material that’s actively working to reduce its environmental footprint — a combination that’s increasingly hard to find.
The Fell Partnership is the official South West England distributor for Nudura Insulated Concrete Forms, supplying, training and supporting builders, developers, architects and self-build homeowners across Devon, Dorset, Cornwall, Somerset and Bristol. If you’re weighing up building methods for a self-build or eco-house project, visit thefellpartnership.co.uk to find out more.
