Environment charity BioRegional and building materials expert Salvo have published a report that shows the amount of material reclaimed during building construction has declined over the past two decades and reclamation is becoming more difficult in the UK. As recycling takes over from reuse, the amount of embedded energy saved in construction and demolition activities has decreased: In 1998, for example, 33,000 tonnes of CO2 were saved through steel and iron reclamation, but only 13,000 tonnes were saved in 2007, despite an increase in demolition.

BioRegional’s Jonathan Essex said: “’Pushing reuse’ clearly shows the benefits that reuse brings over recycling. For example, if we reclaimed 50 per cent of reusable iron and steel, the carbon savings would be equivalent to taking 29,000 cars off the road – and that’s for just two materials. Yes, reclamation is currently more labour-intensive than recycling, which makes it more expensive, but it creates green jobs and products that often have a higher value than recycled.”

The report made five recommendations to policy makers: create a reuse champion; invest in kick-starting reuse capacity; direct local government and planning to reuse; put materials in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme; and direct landfill revenues to reuse before recycling.