UK Construction Benchmarks 2026: highlights from the launch webinar

Evidence-based benchmarks now available

The report draws on 4,791 construction projects worth £34bn, recorded in SmartWaste over the decade to 2025. From this data 41 evidence-based benchmarks across waste, energy and water have been developed by BRE’s SmartWaste and Science teams, covering both building and infrastructure projects. Each is built on median project performance and analysed from the 5th to the 95th percentile, with the full methodology set out in the report. Any organisation can now measure its projects' performance against these consistent reference point.
 

Landfill diversion: a problem the sector has largely solved

The headline finding on waste diversion is a positive one. The median project now diverts 99.5% of waste from landfill, and the highest performing projects consistently reach 100%. Lower performing projects have improved too, with the 25th percentile rising to 95.2% in 2025. The gap between the highest and lowest performers has narrowed, and overall performance has become more consistent. Reuse is improving as well, most clearly in demolition.

“We have seen quite an increase in the reuse of demolition materials over the 10-year period. We believe a large reason for this is the increased awareness of the benefits of carrying out a pre-demolition audit at the beginning of a project.”

Maggie Blackwell, Principal Technician, SmartWaste
 

The next challenge: the waste we create in the first place

Diversion from landfill is largely solved. The harder challenge is reducing the amount of waste that projects generate, where progress has been mixed.

“You can’t just focus on waste diversion from landfill. The amount of actual waste generated has a far greater impact, both environmentally and financially.”

Stuart Blofeld, Senior Lead Trainer, SmartWaste

Measured against project value, construction waste has fallen by 28% over the decade, from 3.5 to 2.5 tonnes per £100,000. By floor area, though, waste has risen: up 10% to 6.6 tonnes per 100 square metres. New build projects generate more again, reaching nine tonnes per 100 square metres in 2025, and new build residential is higher still at 11.3 tonnes, around 65% above commercial new build.
 

The BREEAM gap

The benchmarks also show how far the gap to best practice still runs. New build commercial projects are performing well, generating 6.8 tonnes of construction waste per 100 square metres in 2025, close to the threshold for two waste credits under the BREEAM New Construction V7. Reaching three credits requires no more than 3.2 tonnes, a reduction of more than half.

“Where the industry is now, reaching the BREEAM level of three waste credits means roughly halving the amount of construction waste generated. That’s the performance gap the UK construction sector needs to embrace.”

Stuart Blofeld, Senior Lead Trainer, SmartWaste
 

Energy and water

Although it is named for waste, SmartWaste captures impact data across many areas, including carbon, transport, materials, biodiversity and social value. The report reflects this with benchmarks for energy and water alongside waste.

“The proportion of projects reporting energy use has increased over the decade, and carbon emissions from energy use relative to project value have fallen by nearly 25%.”

Maggie Blackwell, Principal Technician, SmartWaste

Water use relative to project value has fallen by nearly 23% over the same period. More projects are reporting energy and water data each year, which should make these benchmarks stronger over time.
 

Built for the whole industry

The benchmarks are designed to be used by any organisation, on any platform.

“Whether you use SmartWaste or not, these benchmarks give you the ability to measure your performance against the wider sector.”

Stuart Blofeld, Senior Lead Trainer, SmartWaste

In live polls during the session, more than nine in 10 attendees said they already measure waste, energy or water, and over three-quarters already benchmark their project performance. Around seven in 10 expect to use the new benchmarks within the next 12 months, and almost three-quarters said they would value an annual update.
 

Read the full report

The UK Construction Benchmarks 2026 report contains all 41 benchmarks, the full methodology, sector breakdowns and a separate benchmark set for infrastructure projects.

Download the report

Watch the recording
 

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