Leading building materials company Holcim announced today the launch of ECOCycle, a new circular technology platform aimed at recycling construction demolition materials into new building solutions. The company said that it will deploy the technology across its range of materials solutions to scale up circular construction and reduce use of natural resources.

Building materials are a key source of environmental and climate impact. Cement production, for example, accounts for approximately 8% of global carbon dioxide emissions, with over 900 kg of CO2 emissions generated for every 1000 kg of material produced.

According to Holcim, the new platform is enabled by efficiently distributing, processing, grinding and recycling construction demolition materials into new building solutions. The company said that the technology will enable concrete, cement and aggregates to contain between 10% and 100% recycled construction demolition materials, reducing environmental footprint, without compromising performance.

The launch follows the release earlier this month of Holcim’s 2023 climate report, indicating that the company recycled 6.8 million tons of construction and demolition waste into new building solutions last year, putting the company on track to exceed its 10 million ton 2025 target. The report also contained an upgraded target for the company to reduce its Scope 1 emissions per ton of cementitious material by over 22% by 2030 to 420kg, compared to its prior 475kg target.

Jan Jenisch, CEO Holcim, said:

“Across all metropolitan areas where we operate, we are at the forefront of driving circular construction to build new from the old. With our ECOCycle® technology we can build cities from cities, recycling 100% of construction demolition materials into new solutions, so everything gets reused and nothing gets lost. With our world’s growing population and urbanization, circular construction is essential to build a future that works for people and the planet.”