Concerns surrounding plastics' safety and environmental impact have recently dominated the news cycle.

However, attention has generally centred on the packaging industry as the primary driver of plastic pollution.

While work is underway to reduce its reliance on plastics, less attention has been paid to the building and construction sector – the second largest end-user of the material – for its role in rising plastic pollution.

A new analysis of European Commission data published by the Copper Sustainability Partnership (CuSP) shines light on the growing rate of plastic waste generated by the UK’s construction industry, which has risen 15 times faster than other European countries since the turn of the century.

The research shows that the amount of plastic waste generated by the UK construction industry increased at an average rate of 210% every two years between 2004 and 2018 – the last year data was collected on construction waste.

In comparison, plastic waste from construction activity across EU member states rose by an average rate of 14% every two years over the same period.

The research also shows that across all UK industries, plastic waste increased by an average rate of 4% every two years – nearly 50 times lower than the rate of growth observed in construction.

EU data shows that the recycling rate for post-consumer polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – the most common type of plastic in construction – is around 3%.

Plastic composites, like multi-layer composite pipe (MLCP), which have become increasingly popular over the last twenty years, are often not recycled at all due to difficulties separating the different materials that make up the product.

In comparison, steel, copper and aluminium – three primary metals used in construction – have at least 70% recycling rates.