The call follows a report from the Mineral Products Association (MPA), published earlier this week, which estimated that recycled and secondary aggregates accounted for 72.8 million tonnes, or 31% of total aggregates supply, in Great Britain in 2024.
The MPA has called for the Government to carry out its own survey to replace the last available Government statistics, which date back almost 20 years.
WATA said the MPA report provided “valuable recognition” of the scale and importance of the recycled aggregates sector, while highlighting the need for better data on how materials are being recovered and returned to productive use.
Andy Hill, CEO of WATA, said: “The scale of the figures demonstrates that resource recovery is already an important part of aggregates supply in Great Britain.
“Washed aggregates play an important role in that contribution. Specialist wash plants are recovering valuable materials from construction, demolition and excavation waste and producing washed recycled aggregates and other usable mineral products every day.
“The MPA has pointed out that the last comprehensive Government survey of construction and demolition waste was in 2008.
“The way we recover and process construction materials has continued to develop during that time. A current picture of the industry would be extremely valuable, not only in establishing how much material is being recovered, but also in understanding the range of materials and products now being produced and how they are being used.
“We would welcome the opportunity for the washed aggregates sector to contribute to that work.”
MPA report
The MPA’s report estimated that recycled and secondary aggregates made up almost a third of Great Britain’s total aggregates supply in 2024.
It said the figure demonstrated the “significant contribution” of recycled and secondary materials to the construction materials supply chain.
However, the association noted the lack of recent Government data on construction and demolition waste and called for a new survey to provide a more up-to-date picture of the sector.
The last comprehensive Government survey was carried out in 2008.
WATA said updated data would help establish the quantity of material being recovered, as well as providing greater insight into the types of recycled aggregate and other mineral products being produced and their end uses.
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