Re:Generation Edition 03
General Demolition’s Nick Grigoras, Head of Recycling Facility in Hersham discusses. Circular economy it’s coming round again...
Companies have been adjusting their recycling ways for years, but that doesn’t mean pressure isn’t being put on contractors to find new customers for the components being stripped out of buildings – to be used for their original purpose.
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 buildings are designed and resources are consumed. 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. Could finding a solution it be as simple as learning ABCs back in school? 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. At General Demolition we are warmly embracing the concept of reuse, collaborating with reuse innovators such as Material Index.
Reduce, reuse, recycle. A trio of words engrains in our brains. They’re taught to children as young as five at primary school and printed on posters up and down the country to provide friendly reminders for adults. 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.
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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