Circular Economy Centre for Construction Minerals

05/12/2024

23/10/2024

👏 A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of our Plasterboard Circular Economy Business Model (CEBM) Canvas Workshop 2 on Plasterboard Circular Economy Strategies and Assessment Indicators held at Solutions Centre in London on September 24, 2024 👏

Jacob Mhlanga, our PDR at Loughborough University, gave an overview of the event and highlighted that the aim of the second workshop was to identify the circular economy strategies and corresponding indicators for the plasterboard and built on the results of workshop 1 held at the same venue on March 22, 2024 that focused on the circular economy business model (CEBM) opportunities, challenges, and enablers in the plasterboard sector.

A total of 20 delegates attended workshop 2 representing five different stakeholders across the plasterboard life cycle stages: secondary materials suppliers, product manufacturers, designers and consultants, installation and maintenance contractors and the demolition contractors. Based on the cluster-specific pre-workshop results, the delegates were required to execute the following two activities, first as individuals and then groupwork:

👉 Current plasterboard CE strategies: Suggestions for improvements
👉 Implementing CE assessment indicators: Challenges and solutions (i.e., short, medium and long term).

These activities were followed by cross-cluster discussions. The discussions were focused on the role of other stakeholder actors in the supply chain to enhance the current plasterboard CE strategies. The findings of this workshop together with the previous one will contribute to the design of the plasterboard CEBM canvas which will be validated during Jacob’s placement at Saint-Gobain next year.

16/10/2024

🌍 ✨ Celebrating Black History Month & Building a Sustainable Future 🌍 ✨

This Black History Month, we honour the incredible contributions of Black leaders and communities who have shaped both history and our future. Black voices have been at the forefront of advocating for sustainability and equity for all.

💡 Did you know that pioneers like Robert Bullard, the father of environmental justice, have long championed efforts to address the disproportionate environmental harm faced by marginalised communities?

Their work reminds us that the fight for racial and climate justice are deeply connected. Together, we can honour this legacy by building a sustainable, inclusive future for everyone! 🌱✊🏿

10/10/2024

At ICEC-MCM, we strongly advocate for mental wellness and believe that sustainability can be one of the steps towards achieving it. Circular economy practices in the construction industry not only help the environment but also create healthier places for people to live and work in. Many of our researchers are assessing this direct impact of circularity and well-being in their research projects. By embracing circular construction practices, let’s come together to build environments that cater to both our planet’s health and our own.

01/10/2024

ICEC-MCM focuses on improving the way we use construction materials such as aggregate, cement, brick, plasterboard, stone and glass, particularly in infrastructure. We do this through three challenges:

🔁 Challenge 1: Stocks, Flows and Impact of MCMs
🚀 Challenge 2: Technological Innovation
🖊️ Challenge 3: Systemic Enablers for MCM Cicularity

Follow us and discover how our research is tackling these three challenges and how you can get involved to make the UK constructionindustry a frontrunner in the green industrial revolution! ♻️

30/09/2024

We, at the Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Centre for Mineral-based Construction Materials, seek to provide national and global leadership in research to support the transition to a sustainable circular economy in the built environment.

Our multidisciplinary academic team is led by UCL, together with five other UK universities, Loughborough University, University of Leeds, Lancaster University, The University of Sheffield, Imperial College London, and the British Geological Survey.

Follow us as we delve into key findings from our latest research and support us on our journey to a sustainable circular economy!

30/09/2024

We are the Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Centre for Mineral-based Construction Materials - a four year funded project by UKRI and EPSRC.

Interested in learning more about the circular economy and how to make the built environment sector sustainable? Follow us and discover the innovative research being done at the Centre!