ECOCYCLE®
OUR PROPRIETARY CIRCULAR TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM
With ECOCycle®, we recycle construction demolition materials – from cement and aggregates to concrete – into new building solutions.
Billions of tons of construction demolition materials are generated worldwide each year. Holcim’s vision is to build new from the old, decoupling economic growth from resource use. We are driving circular construction at scale across key metropolitan areas with our proprietary ECOCycle® circular technology platform.
Holcim is deploying ECOCycle® technology across a range of material solutions to scale up circular construction, reducing its use of natural resources and environmental footprint. Holcim solutions containing ECOCycle® recycled construction demolition materials include cement, concrete and aggregates, for a wide spectrum of applications, with no compromise on performance.
“Across all metropolitan areas where we operate, we are at the forefront of driving circular construction to build new from the old. With our ECOCycle® technology we can build cities from cities, recycling up to 100% of construction demolition materials into new solutions, so everything gets reused and nothing gets lost. With our world’s growing population and urbanization, circular construction is essential to build a future that works for people and the planet.”
Holcim brought together some of the industry’s leading architects at the 2023 BAUMünchen trade fair to launch ECOCycle® and explore the future of circular construction.
“ECOCycle is a milestone in circular construction. By building cities from cities, we have the opportunity to reduce the usage of natural raw materials and at the same time fulfill existing needs in the building industry.” – Miljan Gutovic, Holcim Region Head Europe and CEO Designate
“Circular construction is going to change dramatically how we are thinking and how we are building.” – Nicolas Laisné, founder of Nicolas Laisné Architectes
“We have to reduce materials and think smarter.” – Tivadar Puskas, Executive Director of Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure
WHY ECOCYCLE®?
We only have one planet but are living like we have two. Driven by rising population and urbanization, the world builds the equivalent of New York City every month. It is therefore essential to stay within our planet’s boundaries while we build to improve living standards for all.
A global circular economy can reduce the materials we extract and use, making human activity compatible with the safe limits of the planet. At Holcim, circularity is at the core of everything we do, as part of our net-zero journey.
Our proprietary ECOCycle® circular technology platform is central to our commitment to circular construction. ECOCycle® is enabled by efficiently distributing, processing, grinding and recycling construction demolition materials into new building solutions with no compromise on performance.
At least 10% recycled cONSTRUCTION DEMOLITION MATERIALS
A major opportunity to accelerate the shift to a circular economy lies in how we process construction demolition materials. Construction and demolition activities generate millions of tons of waste worldwide each year.
All products that contain ECOCycle® incorporate between 10% to 100% recycled construction demolition materials. Our innovations include smart recycling hubs to collect, sort and deploy materials, as well as digital technologies that map and manage material flows efficiently.
At Holcim, we recycled nearly 8.4 million tons of construction demolition materials in 2023 and aim to reach at least 10 million tons by 2025.
By reusing construction demolition materials in the production of new building solutions, we can:
- Close the loop in construction to build new from old
- Reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill
- Reduce our dependency on virgin raw material
- Make a positive impact on biodiversity by extracting fewer natural resources
CEMENT WITH ECOCYCLE® INSIDE
Closing the loop in construction
Cement with ECOCycle® inside contains at least 10% recycled construction demolition materials.
The resource-saving cement closes the loop in construction to build new from the old while delivering 100% performance.
CONCRETE WITH ECOCYCLE® INSIDE
Enabling circular construction at scale
Concrete with ECOCycle® recycled construction demolition materials inside suits a broad range of applications, from buildings to infrastructure, with no compromise on performance.
It is 100% recyclable at the end of its lifecycle, helping make our cities more circular.
AGGREGATES WITH ECOCYCLE® INSIDE
Pushing the circularity envelope
Aggregates with ECOCycle® recycled construction demolition materials inside are driving circular construction across metropolitan areas.
Holcim’s global range of circular aggregates contain up to 100% recycled construction demolition materials and can be used in building applications from roads to foundations.
Get in touch
Want to learn more about what ECOCycle® can do for your next project? Drop us a line and someone from our team will be in touch.
