The Material Mix, by Holcim

Construction has long been framed as a trade-off with nature. We build, and nature retreats. But that assumption is increasingly outdated.

As biodiversity declines and climate pressures intensify, the built environment must shift from minimising harm to actively restoring and enhancing natural systems.

This episode explores a more ambitious idea: a nature positive future?

What if buildings, materials, and developments didn’t just reduce environmental impact, but actively improved ecosystems? What if urban spaces became habitats, water systems were regenerative, and construction actively contributed to biodiversity gains?

It shouldn't just be about “placemaking” anymore - but about placekeeping: designing and maintaining spaces where nature and people co-exist and thrive together over the long term.

Construction has traditionally followed a linear model: extract, manufacture, build, demolish, then waste. Yet the built environment is also one of the richest material banks on earth. Aging assets should not just be materials waiting to be landfilled, they can be future resources.

In the UK alone, construction and demolition generate over 30% of our total landfill waste*. At the same time, we continue extracting vast quantities of virgin raw materials.

Circularity asks a radical but practical question: what if everything we build was designed not just to stand, but to be dismantled, reused, and reborn?

From recycled aggregates and reclaimed concrete fines to design for deconstruction and urban mining, this episode explores how the sector can move from linear consumption to regenerative systems, and what needs to change in mindset, policy, design, and economics to accelerate that shift.

Welcome to the first episode of The Material Mix, the new podcast from Holcim exploring the future of materials, innovation, and sustainable construction across the UK.

Mind the Carbon Gap is all about cement: a material we rely on to build almost everything around us, but one that also comes with a fairly significant carbon footprint.

Cement manufacturing is responsible for roughly eight percent of global CO₂ emissions. With the UK committed to reaching net zero by 2050, the pressure is on to rethink how we make and use this essential material.

Across this episode, we’ll unpack the innovations, policy shifts, and industry-wide collaborations shaping the next generation of low-carbon cement. And we’ll take a closer look at some of the solutions already underway, including Holcim’s own upcoming carbon capture project.

Featuring:

-Hannah MacInnes, Broadcaster & Host

-Tom Redfearn, Head of Sustainability at Holcim

-Leon Black, Professor of Infrastructure Materials, University of Leeds

-Diana Casey, Executive Director, Energy and Climate Change, Mineral Products Association