Plastics in Construction – Introductory Q&A Guide

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new introductory guidance document on the topic of plastics in construction. The interactive PDF guide has been developed by the Alliance for Sustainable Building Products and peer-reviewed by the ASBP Plastics in Construction Group.

In recent years, awareness of the negative impacts of plastic waste and pollution on our environment has heightened. Popular television documentaries, such as the BBC’s Blue Planet II, and mainstream media campaigns have played a significant role in bringing these issues to the forefront of the public’s consciousness.

The focus of this has largely been on single-use plastics from consumer products and packaging, and there has been little attention to the use of plastics in construction, both from a short and long-life perspective.

The construction sector’s use of plastic continues to grow and there is a lack of clarity on how construction plastics at the end of life are managed. There is still much to learn about plastics in construction, such as the volumes of plastic used, types of polymers, their applications and lifespans. This makes it difficult to prioritise any actions going forward.

If we are to use alternatives to plastics in construction, then what are the effects of using materials and will there be unintended consequences? This guide seeks to explore this further and asks the following questions:

• Why plastics?
• What are the issues and alternatives?
• What are the drivers?
• Why ASBP and plastics?
• What is being done?