In June 2022, we launched the Circular Economy Action Plan to support our city-wide transition to a circular economy.
This was developed to help Brighton & Hove move away from a ‘take, make, consume and throw-away’ society towards one that minimises waste and pollution, keeps products and materials in use for longer and protects and regenerates natural resources.
The Circular Economy Action Plan forms part of the council’s Carbon Neutral 2030 programme.
Since launching the Circular Economy Action Plan last year, services across the council have been translating circular economy principles into action to help tackle the climate and biodiversity emergency.
Below are some examples of how we’re putting the Circular Economy Action Plan into practice.
Circular Economy Action Plan progress
We have begun carrying out Circular Economy opportunities assessments for all new build council housing projects. Through this, we consider how circular principles can be applied to each project, such as designing for efficient materials use, reducing the amount of new materials used, and designing for disassembly at the end of a building’s life rather than demolition.
We have developed a Concrete Road Rehabilitation programme to extend their lifetime, conserve materials and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Work on this project, which is supported by £1 million investment from the Carbon Neutral Fund, is due to start in April 2023.
The Policy & Resources Committee approved the Environmentally Sustainable Procurement Policy in October 2022. A section of this policy focuses on Circular Economy to reduce the material- and carbon-intensity of council services.
And we’ve launched a series of Circular Economy events for residents through the BLUEPRINT to a Circular Economy project to communicate the financial and environmental benefits of reducing, repairing, sharing, reusing, and recycling. This includes the Make Materials Matter challenge, Circular Saturdays, and Brighton & Hove Schools Circular Economy Workshops.
Vision for a circular city
Councillor Pete West, chair of the Circular Economy Members Working Group, said: “The Circular Economy Action Plan was launched last year to support our vision for a circular city.
“The changes that have been made across the council so far are fantastic examples of the circular economy principles – eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials for longer, and regenerating nature – in action.
“By leading by example, we hope that residents, businesses and organisations across the city can join us on our journey to a more sustainable and circular future for Brighton & Hove.”
Next steps
The Circular Economy Action Plan will be reviewed and updated in 2023/24 to reflect increased action across council services.
To learn about upcoming Circular Economy events in Brighton & Hove, visit climateconversationsbrighton.uk.engagementhq.com/the-circular-economy-in-brighton-hove.
Find out more about what we're doing on the circular economy in our climate action hub
