BCB Clay Research project
British Ceramics Biennial (BCB) is undertaking a 19-month-long research project looking into the creative reuse of construction clay spoil. The research forms part of a partnership between BCB and HS2.
The research project is investigating the opportunities and challenges of reusing clay sourced from UK construction spoil. Construction activity in the UK extracts thousands of tonnes of clay each year. Most of this clay is classified as waste and sent to landfill. By viewing this material as a resource rather than waste, we are exploring the potential environmental, social and economic impact this shift in thinking might achieve.
This research will look at existing uses of construction clay spoil as well as new and potential uses by artists, creative organisations, and industry nationally. It will examine circular economy practices at a variety of scales, culminating in a published research document and a conference at the 2025 Biennial. The conference, which convenes key speakers from interdisciplinary fields, including construction, architecture, environmental policy, and the clay industry, is an important opportunity to promote new ideas and facilitate change.
We spoke with BCB Clay Researcher Claire Baily for some insight into how the project is going.
BCB: What is construction clay spoil?
CB: Construction clay spoil is the surplus clay excavated from a construction site. This unwanted material is normally classified as waste, removed and sent to landfill with negative environmental and economic effects. Moving this waste material off-site for disposal generates carbon emissions, air pollution and costs. Occasionally, companies use the material for backfill or landscaping in a construction project, but this is a small percentage.
BCB: What sort of benefits and challenges are there to reusing this material?
CB: The benefits are of great value including the reduction of the environmental, ecological and economic costs associated with disposal. If we are able to apply circular economy principles and innovative thinking, the excavated material can remain on-site for reuse. This would minimise haulage, carbon emissions and other negative impacts related to extraction. In turn, this lessens the impact on local communities while preserving our declining natural resources.
Challenges to reuse include the legislative, economic, technical and social. To date there is no accountability implemented by national policy and landfill is often the cheapest and easiest option. There is a significant lack of clarity regarding the classification of waste. There is also a lack of knowledge and awareness about what can be done with this material, especially when it comes to up-cycling and adding value.
Our hope is that this research will provide case studies on a variety of scales that prove a level of viability alongside developing a clear framework for re-use that can feed back into the industry.
BCB: What organisations are you working with?
CB: This research is a partnership between BCB and HS2. It is contributing towards BCB’s work exploring innovative clay use and environmental responsibility in clay and ceramics practice. To date, the work has fostered many inspiring conversations within the clay industries based in Stoke-on-Trent as well as across interdisciplinary fields such as construction, architecture, material science, environmental consultancy and waste management.
BCB: What are your next steps?
CB: The research has four phases; research, connect, develop and share. As I come to the end of the connecting stage there is a lot of information to digest and develop. Looking forward, I’ll be working towards formulating the conference and focusing the research further. We will continue to build meaningful partnerships and collaborations as the project develops which will hopefully continue into the future.