The way the industry currently operates
By ‘the built environment’, we mean everything involved in the building and repair processes for structures and roads. From the design stage of the project, the choice of materials used and the construction taking place itself.
Currently, the approach in the industry is incredibly wasteful. It produces a high level of carbon emissions leading to detrimental global consequences.
The current approach is linear, meaning that raw materials are extracted, produced and then used in the construction of projects. This and the production of high levels of non-recycled waste at the end of the structure's lifetime is incredibly problematic in itself.
The amount of waste in the full lifecycle of projects needs to be considered as early as possible.
For example, identifying possible non-recyclable waste and looking at ways to reduce this through the design of the structure.
This move to a more circular approach, by reusing products and raw materials as much as possible, would vastly reduce the amount of waste in the industry and reduce the impact on the environment.
The top 5 actions for the built environment are to:
- build sustainable council housing – develop a design specification for carbon neutral homes
- deliver a pilot Zero Carbon social housing project at Victoria Road, Portslade
- secure sustainable development through planning policies and the City Plan – with supporting guidance on:
- energy efficiency and design
- sustainable drainage
- parking
- food growing
- nature conservation
- apply a Community Infrastructure Levy to new developments to secure funding to deliver the city’s low carbon infrastructure priorities
- prepare, adopt and implement planning guidance to support the delivery of sustainable and biodiverse places – adopt the Urban Design Framework Supplementary Planning Document and update Nature Conservation Supplementary Planning Document
Through building more projects with a sustainable approach and by setting up guidance for private stakeholders to do the same, we are aiming for a transformation in how people in Brighton & Hove think about building developments and restorations.
Brighton Waste House
A good example of a creative approach to designing waste out of the industry is the Brighton Waste House.
The project focussed on constructing a contemporary, low energy, permanent building using over 85% ‘waste’ material drawn from household and construction sites.
The building is Europe's first permanent public building made almost entirely from material thrown away or not wanted. It is also an EPC ‘A’ rated low energy building.
It aims to prove that under valued, so-called 'waste' material has the potential to become a valuable resource. Meaning that there is no such thing as waste, just stuff in the wrong place.
What you can do
If you’re a business within the built environment industry, think about waste in the view of the entire lifecycle of the structure, rather than just the construction phase.
Identifying opportunities to reduce the amount of waste at the end of the lifecycle early on, could vastly reduce the impact on the environment.
There's also a chance to take inspiration from projects like the Brighton Waste House, where you could utilise materials that are seen as waste. This can reduce the cost of the project while doing your bit to protect the environment.