UK industry trial led by the Materials Processing Institute, involving Holcim UK, has demonstrated that recycled concrete fines can partially replace clinker in cement production, supporting efforts to reduce embodied carbon in concrete ahead of future standards updates
A cross-industry research programme has demonstrated the use of recycled concrete fines (RCF) as a partial replacement for clinker in cement, in what partners describe as a step toward lower-carbon concrete production.
The trial, led by the Materials Processing Institute and funded through Innovate UK under the UKRI ‘Contracts for Innovation: Decarbonising Concrete’ programme, ran from September 2024 to December 2025. It brought together Holcim UK, Mott MacDonald, the Mineral Products Association and Aston University.
The demonstration phase included a readymix concrete pour using cement containing recycled concrete fines at Holcim UK’s plant in Whetstone, Leicestershire.
According to project partners, the formulation tested was based on a CEM II cement type, where RCF was used to replace around 20% of clinker content. Clinker is the most carbon-intensive component of cement production due to the high-temperature kiln process required in its manufacture.
RCF is derived from processed demolition waste and is typically a by-product of concrete recycling operations. In the trial, it was reintroduced into cement production as a secondary raw material rather than being downcycled or discarded.
The programme reported that the use of RCF did not prevent normal production of readymix concrete, supporting its potential for industrial-scale application, subject to further testing.
Current European standards (EN 197-6) allow the use of recycled concrete fines in cement formulations, but UK adoption for ready-mix applications remains dependent on alignment with national specification guidance, including the upcoming revision of BS 8500, expected in 2027.
Further certification and performance testing are required before wider use in structural applications, particularly to confirm long-term durability and consistency across supply chains.
Holcim UK has indicated that it intends to scale the approach through planned industrial deployment, including integration of recycled feedstocks into future cement production at its new Tilbury facility, which is under construction.
The trial forms part of wider research efforts under the UKRI decarbonisation programme aimed at reducing reliance on clinker in cement, which remains the dominant source of embodied carbon in conventional concrete systems.
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