Demolishing buildings is bad for the planet – here’s an alternative

The construction industry is not on track to decarbonise by 2050 and uses more resources than most. In 2020, the UK produced a staggering 59.1 million tonnes of non-hazardous construction and demolition waste. Despite most of this material (92.6%) being recycled, much of it was crushed for use in roads and building foundations.

Why is this a problem? Downcycling, as opposed to upcycling, turns high-quality materials into lower-quality products by crushing and mixing them...