England delays circular economy plan to 2026, CRE operators left planning without policy
England's Circular Economy Growth Plan, originally scheduled for autumn 2025, will now arrive in 2026. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds confirmed the delay during an EFRA Committee session. For commercial real estate operators, the postponement creates immediate challenges for waste management budgets, ESG reporting timelines, and refurbishment strategies that depend on clear recycling standards and material reuse frameworks.
The Circular Economy Taskforce, established in November 2024, is advising on interventions across six priority sectors including construction. The trade-offs are clear: wait for detailed policy guidance and risk higher waste costs and delayed capital programmes, or move ahead with data-driven waste strategies that work regardless of government timetables.
What this means in practice
The delay hits CRE operators in three areas. First, capital budgets: refurbishment projects that optimize embodied carbon through material reuse and deconstruction planning face uncertain regulatory frameworks. Second, tenant engagement: without clear standards, shared waste services and circular lease terms become harder to structure and sell. Third, ESG reporting: CSRD and GRESB submissions need verified waste data, but shifting policy milestones complicate baseline setting and target tracking.
The pattern is familiar. Policy uncertainty pushes decisions right, carrying costs climb, and ESG teams patch together reporting from inconsistent data sources. Organizations that built waste measurement infrastructure during the delay are better positioned when regulations finally land.
Three things CRE teams can do now
First, baseline waste streams across assets. Construction waste, tenant fit-outs, and operational waste all need measurement before you can manage them. Second, pilot circular practices on controlled projects: material reuse in refurbishments, deconstruction-ready tenant buildouts, or salvage planning for lease renewals. Third, align procurement with suppliers who provide recyclability data and verified material recovery documentation.
Real-time waste data platforms help here. They provide site-level visibility into waste volumes, diversion rates, and reuse opportunities without waiting for government roadmaps. The data feeds ESG reporting, supports tenant communications about waste charges, and helps prioritize interventions across portfolios.
The government's commitment to circular principles remains clear, evidenced by its acceptance of Office for Environmental Protection recommendations in January 2025. The delay reflects complexity and stakeholder consultation needs, not policy abandonment. For CRE operators, the question isn't whether circular economy requirements are coming. It's whether you're building the measurement infrastructure to respond when they do.