Brewster Brothers has issued a formal call for urgent government intervention to mitigate the impact of escalating fuel costs and concerns regarding diesel availability.

The business, which specialises in sustainable resource management, warns that current market volatility is creating an unsustainable operating environment that risks hindering progress toward a more circular construction sector.

As a firm that recovers materials from construction, demolition, and excavation (CDE) waste to produce recycled aggregates, Brewster Brothers relies heavily on diesel to power its plant machinery and haulage operations. Last year, the company achieved a milestone by diverting two million tonnes of CDE waste from landfill. However, the business reports that recent price surges—compounded by ongoing supply chain disruptions, post-pandemic inflation, and the removal of entitlement to rebated diesel—are placing immediate financial strain on its operations.

The company is supported in its call by its membership association, the Resource Management Association Scotland (RMAS), as well as wider industry bodies including the Road Haulage Association and the Washed Aggregates Trade Association. They are urging the UK Government to engage with the industry and consider measures similar to those implemented in the Republic of Ireland, such as temporary fuel duty derogations and targeted sector support.

-- Advertisement --

Scott Brewster, Director at Brewster Brothers, commented: "Brewster Brothers is fully committed to supporting the transition to a circular economy and reducing embodied carbon in construction. However, the current surge in fuel costs and concerning shortages in diesel availability is creating an unsustainable operating environment for businesses like ours.

"There are currently no viable large-scale alternatives to diesel for heavy plant machinery used in recycling and aggregate washing operations. Electric-powered models at the scale required for operations like ours simply do not exist. Lower-carbon bio-fuels such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil remain significantly more expensive and subject to the same fuel duty treatment.

"Without short-term, targeted intervention – such as a temporary reintroduction of red diesel for plant machinery or suspending the forthcoming fuel duty rise for businesses in the waste and recycling sector – there is a real risk that companies driving sustainability in the construction sector will be forced to scale back operations. That would be entirely counterproductive to the UK's environmental ambitions."

RMAS chair Drew Murdoch emphasised the systemic nature of the pressure, noting that the rising costs, influenced by global conflict, are placing a heavy burden on the waste management sector. He stated: "In response, we are calling on the government to take immediate, pragmatic action by temporarily permitting the use of red diesel for plant operations. This measure would provide vital short-term relief while the sector navigates these challenging conditions."

Brewster Brothers maintains that a policy environment which acknowledges the operational realities of the sector is essential to support businesses working to deliver long-term environmental benefits and lower-carbon construction.