Re:Generation Edition 03
Digitisation across the Circular Economy: Enabling the Supply Chain to Reuse Materials” Panel with Morgan Lewis – Material Index, Emily Samoluk – British Land, George Stainton – General Demolition, Roseanna Hart – Cast Group. “
General Demolition’s Nick Grigoras, Head of Recycling Facility in Hersham discusses. Circular economy in action, as seen at Footprint+ 2025
Showcasing Innovation in Circular Demolition at Footprint+ 2025 At General Demolition, we are proud to be at the forefront of
From steel and copper to reclaimed wood and bricks, if it can be upcycled, the sector has it on its radar. Construction developers have been working hard to ingrain recycled construction raw materials in their projects, capitalising on their sustainability and cost benefits. While reusing certain materials can be a practical and cost-effective solution, the push for holistic recycling still presents significant challenges. The issue is that while there is a very clear market and known value for stripped out metal, say, the same can’t be said for things like doors and windows. With research finding that annual construction waste is likely to reach 2.2 billion tons globally by 2025, firms must take their reuse strategies back to basics and reimagine successful recycling strategies to construct real change. With so much waste to reduce, is finding an effective solution likely to be easy? Perhaps not quite. In order for reuse to become mainstream, a number of factors need to come into alignment. Arguably the biggest one is for reused componentry to become fashionable among the users of buildings. This has happened in the second-hand clothing (or pre-loved as its online champion Vinted calls it), and it is already happening with building materials, in fact, it’s already fairly common place in countries such as Sweden.
Not one to miss out on a trend, the UK has also started to embrace the circular economy, tapping into the successes of its European friends and increasing its focus on reusing and recycling building materials. The Mayor of London is encouraging developers to consider the most appropriate circular strategy or strategies to adopt at an early stage, and for good reason. 1 The greater acceptance of clearly second life components in new build projects will make it easier for clients and specifiers to make a virtue of reusing components in their own developments. And without this all-important consumer/occupier buy-in, the circular economy will struggle to move from aspiration to reality. Despite Vinted sellers becoming ever more optimistic, uploading anything and everything they find in the back of their wardrobe to the app, it is important that the construction sector is realistic about what can practically be given a second life. It’s easy to get carried away with the idea of 100% reuse, but some componentry simply can’t be given a second life. But that is a minor point, the truth is that we can do a lot more. In London alone, the sector uses 400 million tonnes of materials each year, accounting for 54% of the city’s total waste. 1 This presents a significant opportunity for improvement.
embracing circular economy principles, particularly the reuse and recovery of materials across our projects. A key part of this commitment involves close collaboration with trailblazing platforms like Material Index, who are helping us identify, catalogue, and redistribute high-value materials from the built environment. This mission was brought to life at Footprint+ 2025, where our Director, George Stainton, joined a packed panel discussion titled: “Digitisation across the Circular Economy: Enabling the Supply Chain to Reuse Materials.” George spoke alongside industry leaders from Material Index, British Land, and Cast Group, unpacking the digital solutions driving real-world reuse and recovery efforts. The session played to a full house, underscoring the growing momentum behind sustainable demolition and the urgent need for scalable solutions that reconnect the demolition and construction supply chain. From digitised material inventories to reuse marketplaces, the panel illustrated how we’re going beyond best practice, pushing innovation to reduce carbon, landfill, and material waste. We remain committed to challenging the status quo and accelerating sustainable transformation across the sector.
Reduce, reuse, recycle.
General Demolition brought this shift to life at Footprint+ 2025, the UK’s leading property event for a zero-carbon future. As part of the event’s circular economy programme, the team showcased how early planning, digital tools, and collaboration across the supply chain are enabling more materials to be retained, repurposed, and redeployed, demonstrating the practical application of circular principles on live demolition sites. The circular economy If there’s one thing the demolition sector knows, it’s the value of repurposing materials. As stated in the Mayor of London’s Design for a Circular Economy, it is vital that the industry “make[s] sure that London grows in a way which is both inclusive and sustainable ” and fosters a “Good Growth ” strategy. 1 Embedded in this action plan is re-thinking the way
A trio of principles that remind us of the importance of sustainable practices and their application across all areas of life, including demolition, to minimise environmental impact. While the usage of the three Rs mantra dates back to the 1970s, recycling in particular didn’t gain widespread traction in the UK until much later. Legislative updates allowed recycling materials to become thoroughly mainstream and this is a trend that is increasingly seen in the demolition sector.
buildings are designed and resources are consumed.
In conclusion, there are a lot of things in modern demolition and strip-out projects that are worthy of a second life. It isn’t about cutting corners, it’s reinventing through repurposing.
References:
1. https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/ design–for–a–circular–economy–web–1.pdf
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www.General-Demoliton.co.uk
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