Plastic Free July*
Plastics pose serious risks to both human health and the environment. Their overuse and poor disposal pollute water, soil, and air, while microplastics have been detected in drinking water, seafood, and the air we breathe. Plastic waste also harms wildlife, damages ecosystems, and creates wider social and economic impacts. Addressing these issues will require reducing plastic use, improving waste management, and adopting more sustainable alternatives.
* Plastic Free July is a key initiative of the Plastic Free Foundation working towards a vision of seeing a world free of plastic waste. From humble beginnings in 2011, the award-winning Plastic Free July campaign has gained momentum as the adverse effects of fossil-fuel based plastics become widely accepted.
Our 2026 Reducing Plastics in Construction Summit
Concerns about the health effects of plastics in building materials and products are growing across industry, government, media, and academia. Although some research exists on both specific products and the broader health impacts of plastics, the evidence can be difficult to interpret and quantify. What is clear, however, is a broad consensus that the overuse of plastics may be contributing to negative health outcomes.
This summit brings together expert speakers from across the industry to examine the impacts of plastics on health and the environment, and to explore practical ways to reduce plastic use and adopt alternatives.
Speakers:
- Charlotte Stalder, Environmental Consultant & Plastic Footprint Network Secretariat co-lead, Earth Action
- Sian Sutherland, CoFounder and Chief Changemaker, A Plastic Planet
- Joanne Kwan, Project Manager, CIRIA
- Ben Stride, Ramboll (TBC)
- Michiel Brouns, specialist in linseed paint and glazing, and CEO of Brouns & Co
Wednesday 15th July 2026 | 12:30-14:00 | Online | Free for ASBP and CIRIA members, £20+VAT for non-members.
The Summit is supported by ASBP’s Reducing Plastics in Construction Group and the event will include the launch of the group’s new paper on the health impacts of plastics in building products & materials.
ASBP Working Groups that help reduce plastics in construction:
ASBP Paints and Finishes Group: Natural Paint is an easy win when it comes to going plastic-free and you don’t need to compromise on colour, smell, quality, and easy application. The Group brings together the leading manufacturers and suppliers of natural and healthy paints & finishes in the UK. The group offers free and transparent advice to anyone who wants a healthy option for themselves, their families, and the planet!
Find out more about the Paints and Finishes Group here
ASBP Natural Fibre Insulation Group (NFIG) is a collective of ASBP members who are the leading manufacturers and suppliers of natural fibre insulation (NFI) in the UK. While it is true that most (if not all) natural fibre insulation products contain some plastic binders, using natural fibre insulation is an important step away from the 100% fossil-fuel based plastic insulation products. Instead of using plastic IWI (internal wall insulation) in retrofit, just 40mm of natural fibre insulation can meet the allowable U-value of 0.70 W/(m2·K) and provide significant energy savings of c.81%. See ‘ Finding the Sweet Spot’ here.
Read more about the Natural Fibre Insulation Group here
The ASBP Reducing Plastics in Construction Group has worked together with stakeholders from across the construction value chain to learn collaboratively and address plastics in construction issues. Since its launch in 2019, this group has investigated aspects of using fossil-fuel based plastics both in products and packaging.
Reducing Plastics in Construction Resources include:
A toolkit to aid the construction industry in avoiding unnecessary packaging waste, exploring scalable solutions to help combat the prevalence of avoidable packaging plastic waste in construction.
Interactive HouseThe ASBP Interactive House is a clickable, interactive tool displays which ASBP members manufacture or distribute construction products for various applications, with plastic free or reduced plastic alternatives.
Introductory Q&A GuideAn introductory guidance document on the topic of plastics in construction. This interactive PDF guide has been developed by the ASBP and peer-reviewed by members of the ASBP Plastics in Construction Group.
See more about the Reducing Plastics in Construction Group here