Specify recycled building materials with confidence. A new BSI protocol provides a standardised method for testing and classifying the fire performance of materials with significant recycled content.. The Circular Economy Conundrum: Fire Safety and Recycled Content The drive towards a circular economy in construction is undeniable, with increasing pressure to incorporate recycled materials into new builds and refurbishments. From recycled aggregates in concrete to insulation manufactured from plastic waste, the environmental benefits are clear. However, a critical question has long lingered regarding the fire performance of these innovative materials. Traditional fire testing protocols, often developed for virgin materials with consistent compositions, struggle to adequately assess products where the inherent variability of recycled content can significantly alter their reaction to fire. This inconsistency has created a grey area for specifiers, fire engineers, and building control bodies, potentially hindering the wider adoption of sustainable construction practices. The lack of a standardised approach has meant varying interpretations and, in some cases, the necessity for extensive, bespoke testing regimens that add cost and complexity to projects seeking to embrace recycled content. This new BSI protocol aims to resolve these long standing ambiguities, providing a clearer path for integrating recycled materials safely into the built environment. Introducing the New BSI Testing Protocol (Q4 2026) In a significant move to support both fire safety and sustainability, the British Standards Institution (BSI) is set to release a new testing protocol in Q4 2026. This eagerly anticipated standard will provide a harmonised methodology for assessing the fire performance of building materials containing significant recycled content. The protocol's development stems from a collaborative effort involving material scientists, fire engineers, manufacturers, and regulatory bodies, addressing the identified inconsistencies in current testing practices. Its core objective is to offer a robust framework that accounts for the potential variability introduced by recycled constituents, ensuring that the declared fire properties are reliable and representative of the material's in situ behaviour. This will empower manufacturers to confidently bring recycled content products to market, and provide specifiers with the assurance needed to integrate them into projects, knowing that their fire performance has been rigorously and consistently evaluated. The protocol will outline specific sampling, conditioning, and testing procedures, tailored to the unique challenges posed by recycled raw materials. Addressing Variability and Reproducibility in Testing One of the primary challenges in assessing recycled materials is the inherent variability in their composition. Unlike virgin materials, where manufacturing processes often ensure a high degree of consistency, recycled feedstocks can differ in origin, prior use, and processing. This variability can impact crucial fire performance characteristics such as ignitability, flame spread, heat release, and smoke production. The new BSI protocol directly confronts this by introducing enhanced statistical sampling methods and rigorous conditioning procedures designed to capture the material's typical performance range rather than just a single, potentially unrepresentative, sample. Reproducibility and repeatability of test results are central to the protocol's design, aiming to minimise discrepancies between different testing laboratories and batches of material. The standard will advocate for a 'worst case scenario' approach during assessment where appropriate, ensuring that the declared fire classification reflects the lowest anticipated performance rather than the average, providing a robust safety margin for compliance with the Building Safety Act 2022 and the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (RRO 2005). Implications for Building Safety Act 2022 and Responsible Persons The introduction of this new BSI protocol carries significant implications for compliance with the Building Safety Act 2022 (BSA 2022) and the responsibilities of Accountable Persons and Responsible Persons under the RRO 2005. Under the BSA 2022, Accountable Persons have a duty to ensure the safety of higher risk buildings, which includes considering the fire performance of all building materials. Similarly, Responsible Persons under the RRO 2005 must ensure the safety of employees and relevant persons from fire, requiring a thorough understanding of the fire characteristics of materials used within their premises. This new protocol will provide a clearer, defensible route for demonstrating compliance when specifying or using materials with recycled content. It will facilitate more accurate fire risk assessments by providing reliable data on material performance, thereby assisting Responsible Persons in fulfilling