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Construction aggregates supply under threat
Mineral Producers Association warning in new report
In its latest members’ Annual Mineral Planning Survey (AMPS) for 2022, the Mineral Producers Association (MPA) reports a 10-year long failure to replenish rock, sand and gravel reserves at a pace anywhere near matching the rates at which the UK construction industry is using them.
Construction aggregates
Land-sourced aggregates, or primary aggregates increased in sales volumes by 19 million tonnes in 2021 alone, an increase of 15.4% on 2020. Just 50% of sales of sand and gravel were replenished from newly-permitted crushed rock reserves and 45% of crushed rock.
Regional easing
At a regional level, the picture is even more concerning, with counties that traditionally have been responsible for large exports to other British regions seeing the greatest impact and the fastest declines in reserves.
A far-reaching supply network
As the threat to resources grows, the importance of a wide supply network grows too. MCM have an extensive reach across the UK, and always endeavour to source material locally to help meet environmental, cost and logistical targets, as well as spreading demand across multiple quarries.
Recycled and hybrid Aggregates
The concerns surrounding longer term reserves of land-sourced aggregates add more weight to the arguments for choosing recycled or hybrid construction aggregate alternatives. MCM are at the forefront of supplying the UK landscape and construction industries with these secondary alternatives – and hybrid aggregates – and are committed to the compliant recovery, recycling and reuse of demolition arisings and construction waste wherever possible.
The MPA estimates that recycled and secondary materials accounted for nearly 70 million tonnes* of the 253 million tonnes of construction aggregates supplied in Great Britain in 2021.
Smart regulation
The MPA recently called for a series of smart regulation reforms for mineral planning and MCM support its demands that the Government acts at the urgently to reduce uncertainty, delays and costs in the mineral products industry, UK construction and other industries that depend on its products.
Discover the key findings and read the MPA’s full survey here.
* The MPA’s 12-page report, The Contribution of Recycled and Secondary Materials to Total Aggregates Supply in Great Britain – Estimates for 2021, is available on the MPA website.
