Re:Generation Edition 02
Did you know that construction generates over 50% of the UK’s waste – and that the embodied carbon of replacement materials is over
Yet reclaim rates are less than 2% Material Index is a new company trying to digitize the Reclaim industry and close the loop between demolition and construction. Led by architect Morgan Lewis, engineer Rob Smith and software developer Ellis Dodwell, the company is committed to helping the construction industry become more sustainable.
Producing a detailed report on what is in the building is ‘necessary but not sufficient’ – what are clients to do with that information?” , says Morgan Lewis
“
14% of total UK emissions
Material Index is a new company growing the market for the reuse of construction components. But first, what gets measured gets managed.
www.material-index.co.uk
Pre-demolition audits
While the demolition industry has an established value chain for re-using some materials, finding new homes and a market for the reuse of other components – like doors, suspended ceilings, steel beams etc. – could be regarded as a further headache. Longer term, however, this is undoubtedly the direction of travel and Material Index aims to make this simple and reliable for contractors by only arranging sales to certified businesses. While values of reclaimed components are still fluid – and sometimes less than their recycling value – they will increase as the concept of reuse becomes more embedded in the sector. In order for projects to meet their embodied carbon targets, at some point legislators will step in and add teeth to the circular economy by compelling the reuse of components. Finding reuse pathways “It’s all about the logistics, ” says fellow founder Rob Smith. “We are working on a sizeable project recently and it contained a huge amount of cork – some 4,000 cubic metres. There is no ready market for this – but with a bit of work we have been able to find willing buyers.”
Just as buying second hand clothes from websites such as Vinted has become cool, so too will this become the case with second hand construction components. What is needed is a shift in the construction and property sectors’ mindsets, such that it accepts that new developments don’t have to exclusively contain new materials. In Scandinavia this is already the case, and the ‘reuse aesthetic’ is making a virtue of the fact, rather than hiding it. As this genre gets trendier (and demand with it), prices will rise accordingly. Reclaimed materials are also low carbon materials and this will further drive demand “We really want the industry to focus on reusing, looking at all possible avenues before recycling, concludes Lewis. “It’s still early days, and the construction industry is naturally conservative understandably aware of risk, so it will take time to gain momentum and gain trust. The first stage is to use a software to capture what materials buildings contain – and then use this data to make informed reuse decisions about how best to reuse them.”
The company is bringing together estate owners, contractors, demolition companies and the reclaim sector to create a market for the sourcing and resale of secondary construction components. Material Index catalogues and quantifies all the materials in a building to produce pre-demolition audits with its own software. While this is not new, what makes Material Index different is that it puts a value on these materials and – crucially – helps find willing buyers for these components prior to deconstruction. “Producing a detailed report on what is in the building is ‘necessary but not sufficient’ – what are clients to do with that information?” says Morgan Lewis. “In a typical office building there are about 200 or so key components. Of those, we think that perhaps 10% – or 20 components – currently have a decent secondary value. Once we’ve worked out what’s in the building and its potential value, our next task is to try to find buyers who will take these components, such as lighting, in bulk.”
Reusing reclaimed materials at scale
11
Photos used: with permission of Materials Index
www.General-Demoliton.co.uk
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker