Indian Concrete Journal

Circular economy pathways for construction and demolition waste: A comparative analysis of UK and Indian practices Ashutosh Yadav, Chelsea Addo, Kashyap A Patel, Kaustav Sarkar

The need to achieve greater levels of sustainability in concrete construction has necessitated the recycling of construction and demolition (C&D) waste into quality aggregates. This study examines the regional approaches to C&D waste recycling, reviews the existing policy framework and guidelines, and discusses some noteworthy projects in the UK and India with the goal of identifying the key challenges that limit the use of recycled aggregates in India. The study reveals that, besides a weak policy framework and research-practice disconnect, the major barriers include the limited number of C&D waste recycling facilities and rudimentary processing techniques, which often result in lower-quality recycled products. A number of UK projects demonstrate that properly processed recycled aggregate can be used in adequately high-strength applications and under severe exposure conditions, thereby implying quantitative benchmarks that the Indian practice should target. The study concludes with recommendations that Indian stakeholders can adopt to increase the utilisation of recycled products in India. The novelty of this qualitative study lies in establishing a comparative discussion by which countries with an emerging C&D market can adopt feasible methods and technologies from a country with a well-established one.

Circular economy models for concrete construction: A comparative analysis of policies, technologies, and practices in India and the UK Shreya Singh, Mantram Vachharajani, Arnav Verma, Lukman E. Mansuri

The construction industry’s linear model necessitates a shift to the circular economy (CE) to maintain material value and reduce resource degradation. This study conducts a qualitative comparative analysis of CE models in concrete construction in India and the United Kingdom (UK), examining their policies, technologies, and case studies. Findings show the UK’s transition is a top-down, regulation-driven model shaped by embodied carbon targets. In contrast, India’s approach is an emerging, bottom-up model characterized by localized waste valorization and frugal innovation. The study concludes that successful CE adoption requires aligning policy with a nation’s specific socioeconomic context and resource realities

Advancing circular construction strategies into green building certifications Dhairya Joshi, Samuel Gallaher, Dhruv Patel, Kashyap A. Patel, Kaustav Sarkar

This paper proposes a six-stage framework to embed all 10R circular economy strategies into green building certifications. A comparative analysis of India and the UK, supported by case studies, shows that current systems Indian green building council (IGBC), green rating for intergrated habitat assessment (GRIHA), leadership in energy and establishment design (LEED), building research establishment environment assessment method (BREEAM) emphasize downstream actions like reduce, reuse, and recycle more explicitly, while upstream measures such as refuse, remanufacture, and repurpose remain largely absent. Indian projects show early adoption but limited by cost and awareness, whereas United Kingdom (UK) projects benefit from stronger policies yet face supply-chain and incentive challenges. The framework provides a practical pathway to strengthen certifications and mainstream full-spectrum circularity in construction.