When calculating our environmental footprint, people usually consider their consumption of things like food, flights, and fuel for heating or run the car. But a major contributor to carbon emissions and creation of waste is often forgotten — the construction of buildings, which is responsible for 11% of energy-related carbon emissions globally.
But by reusing and recycling building materials — things like steel, glass, stone and timber — that total could be cut by almost 60%, according to a report released Thursday. The report, titled Closing the Circle and released by construction firm Mace Group, says London can be a hotbed for “circularity” in buildings given that developers, lessors and planning authorities in the capital all want more sustainability.
