Holcim has announced three new recycling deals across Europe while also urging regulatory reform in the UK to accelerate the adoption of low-carbon cement. The Swiss-based group said it has completed the acquisitions of Thames Materials in West London and a majority stake in A&S Recycling GmbH in northern Germany, alongside an agreement to purchase a construction-demolition recycler in northwest France. Together, the transactions add around 1.3Mta of permitted processing capacity and significantly expand Holcim’s ECOCycle circular-construction network.
The addition of Thames Materials follows Holcim’s 2023 acquisition of Sivyer Logistics and gives the company full circular-services coverage across Greater London. The A&S Recycling deal brings Holcim’s German recycling hubs to 10, while the planned French acquisition will expand its footprint there to 28 centres.
UK standardisation plea
Meanwhile, Holcim UK has called for urgent updates to British Standards to allow faster adoption of new low-carbon cement formulations. Danielle Dawson, technical innovation manager, said evolving standards are “vital” to unlocking the potential of cements made with recycled or low-carbon materials such as calcined clays and recycled concrete fines.
“As a pioneer in low-carbon cement and materials science, we see the chance to work with regulators to make sure today’s standards reflect the full potential of these emerging formulations,” she said. Many alternative blends meet performance requirements but fall outside legacy specifications, slowing procurement and market uptake, she noted.
Holcim UK is working with industry partners—including LKAB Minerals—to trial calcined waste clays in cement blends for blocks, pavements and ready-mix concrete. Dawson said flexibility in standards would “unlock innovations already on the market” without compromising safety.
Holcim’s broader decarbonisation strategy includes expanding circular-materials use and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
